Thanksgiving 2015

Here we are, the day before Thanksgiving. Not where we thought we would be, even a few weeks ago. I had thought we were having Thanksgiving Dinner with Tom's family in Ohio. Instead, we are still driving around looking at houses, even today. Packing boxes.
We don't even get to have the grandkids for Thanksgiving, as we would of done since we are in town, because there is no place to put them. We sit among boxes and packing materials. We eat off of TV trays, as we can't get to the table.
As I may of mentioned in the past, I really hate last minute things.
Today, we drove out to the storage unit we have rented for the past 11 years... and guess what? The owner is retiring... so even that stuff will need to be moved. Someplace.
Breaking with tradition... we are having bratwurst for Thanksgiving meal. I had suggested steaks, but Sam thought brats would be good. I cooked a turkey a couple of weeks ago, and just haven't bought another. We have been trying to 'eat down' the stuff in the freezer.
Tom's vacation week hasn't been much of a "vacation". We haven't found anywhere to move to, but we have been looking. Everything isn't yet packed, but we have been packing. It seems like every time we think we have found a place- the door shuts. While we technically have until the 18th to be out of this house, reality will make that more like the 14th. That is Tom's last day off before our deadline. He gets home after dark... the boys both work until dark-thirty... and I am realistically unable to move most of this stuff by myself.
We do have a lot to be Thankful for.
Blessings abound.

Winds of Change

I had to drive in to town a few days ago. A cold front was moving in. The sky was glowering and bleak, and the winds were whipping the leaves from the trees. November was announcing that Winter is upon us. A word dropped into my heart, as I marveled at the fierce raining of leaves from the trees and the wind buffeting the car.

The winds of change are blowing.
They are blowing hard and fierce.
Prepare for Winter coming.
Make warm your snug nest.
Changes are coming.
Prepare your heart.
Changes are coming,
 stripping bare.
all you need is to let go,
let blow.
Like the leaves from the trees
moving on.
The dormant season is here.
 The time for unseen growth.
Let go, and let the winds blow.
 The winds of change.

As most my family and friends know, we are having to move. This time, the house actually DID sell. We have to be out by December 18. That is a month from tomorrow.
Our own search has not fared well. Yesterday, we almost "settled". We made a verbal offer on a place that "would do"... but neither Tom nor I really liked . At.All. But, it was "adequate". And we could "make it work".
After getting home, before the offer was signed and official.. we changed our minds.
If you are making one of the most major purchases of you life... do you settle for "It will do"? Settle for, "I hate it, but we have to do something?" Do you spend more money than you have ever spent in your life on something you really don't LIKE? So, We are back to looking. We may have to find an apartment for a few months.
God knows what we need. He has that perfect place out there, waiting for us.
Keep us in your prayers!

Two posts in two days.... What do you mean I am procrastinating?

Sigh. It is true. Since I know we HAVE to move... somewhere... soon. I really OUGHT to be packing.
Instead I balk. I spend a part of each day scanning the real estate web sites for potential homes, I suggest possibilities to Tom, we do some drive-bys. I play games of solitaire, and I Skype with my family. Very deftly avoiding packing.
Yesterday I cooked a turkey. I had thawed it several days ago, planning to cook it Monday. Sam asked me to please not cook it Monday, as that was the day of the Chili dinner fund-raiser at the Mennonite church, and the boys planned to attend. So, I didn't cook the turkey Monday. I set out a small packet of carne asada steaks, to fix for Tom and I.
Since I have been home without wheels, and Tom getting home early (his last week of training classes!), He went with me to buy groceries Monday afternoon. I got a call from Dan on our way home: "What was I making for supper?"
"Uh, aren't you going to the Chili Supper?"
"We got the date wrong, the Chili Supper is tomorrow" (Tuesday.)
I had to stretch the carne asada to feed four. (Slivered up, cooked with cabbage and onions... it was good!) But this also meant I HAD to cook the turkey yesterday- it was well thawed. Which also meant it was cooked on the Chili Supper night. A fifteen lb. bird for two people. Yes, we generally do have leftovers. :) We just happen to have a LOT of leftovers at the moment. Not only turkey... the boys brought home leftovers from the chili supper.
 Tonight: choose your meal!
This is Veterans Day. We have many veterans in our family. And it is also grand daughter Dakota's fourth birthday! She was born 11/11/11.  Happy birthday to little "Critter".

And what a week it has been!

Friday, Mr C got Sam's truck running. Hooray! I "assisted"... if you want to call going to the gas station to buy gas and following the repaired truck home "assisting".  Friday night started out as busy as could be for my fish fryer job. On an average night, I use up the first five gallon bucket of thawed fish somewhere between six thirty and seven.  This week, I was ready for the second five gallon bucket by six. Then it slowed down... and I didn't quite use up the entire second bucket.
Saturday morning, Mr C and I went to see a house. We even put in a very good offer. (This surprised me, it usually takes a week or more for any offer to be made on a potential house.) After two full days of suspense, we got an answer! The home owner accepted an offer from someone else. So we are back to house hunting. (I don't remember if I mentioned that a person who has looked at the house (we live in) three times now, told me he had made an offer to our landlord. He had not yet heard back whether his offer was accepted or not, but this does make our finding a place imperative.) And we haven't heard a word from our landlord.
I have remarked that it seems all we have to do is make an offer on a house- and it sells. To someone else. This has happened three (or four) times in the past couple of years. We are a boon to the people selling homes in NW Arkansas.
I am at peace with not getting this particular house, yet unsettled at not knowing what we are going to do. I have been told interest rates are going up in January... all these years of low rates, and  we don't buy. Then when we HAVE to buy, rates go up? I am pacing the floors.
Please be lifting us in prayers.

And I am doing this.... why?

Sometimes we get into ruts without even realizing it is happening. I am sure everyone has probably heard the story about the woman who was making her Grandmother's recipe for roast beef. She always started by cutting the roast in half. One day, her own daughter asked her, "Why do you always cut the roast in half?" And the woman didn't know. She called her Mom, and asked her why did the roast need to be cut into half before it was cooked? Her mom didn't know, but it was how HER mom had shown her to do it. So she got in touch with her mother... who had the answer. "Because the whole roast wouldn't fit into my roasting pan." Three generations had done something a certain way, for what was an inconsequential reason.
  Sam's truck (still) isn't running, so we have been sharing two vehicles. I took Sam to work this morning, and when I got home had to turn around to take Daniel to work. We have been doing this a couple of weeks now. Last week and this week, Tom has had a class at work, lasting from 8-3:30pm. So he gets off before either of the twins when they are working their regular jobs. As I was driving Daniel over to the Oklahoma state line, I realized- I was driving him over and would be needing to pick him up tonight, when he could well have driven himself. I didn't need the car for anything today. Tom would be home well before Sam needed to be picked up. I was driving him to work because I have needed to have the car on other days. Whether to run errands, or pick up Sam before Tom got off at 5:30... it had become one of those things a person does, because we had BEEN doing it like this. I could of saved more than a gallon of gas!
**************
On another note entirely, I am certainly enjoying one thing about the cooler weather. "Winter" foods. Tonight (I am sorry, Trim Healthy Mamas!) is Chicken and Dumplings. I used leftover roasted chicken leg quarters, home canned poultry stock, leftover mashed potatoes, chopped carrots, celery, and onion.Dash of sage. Once that simmered awhile in the slow cooker, about half an hour before Mr C was due home, I cut up some frozen biscuit dough and dropped the lumps into the boiling soup.
 I have had three bowls now.
Must. save. Some. for. boys.

In the past two weeks, I have made beans; chili; soup; roast beef; stew; soup; saurkraut, taters, and brats; and now the chicken and dumplings.
Comfort food.
************

And... it's November!

Sam's truck is still not fixed, although the parts (fuel pump assembly) have been ordered. The entire gas tank had to be removed... it is sitting out on the porch awaiting the new pump. O'Reilly was going to have to order the pump... some $500! But we found one from a reputable place online for "just" $300. Meanwhile, I am playing taxi, with more than 100 miles each day put on the car. Tom has a class he is in the midst of- three weeks long. It is disrupting his "groove". It is five days a week, instead of his usual four days.
Another disruption: the time change. Can we just pick a time... one way or the other... maybe split the difference? and stick to it year around? Our older electronics changed themselves back an hour LAST week.... which was wrong. Now it is dark by 5:00 pm, and makes me crazy! (Oh wait, maybe I was already crazy...)

Since Mr C can't do the Monday morning grocery shopping- I have had to do it. In order to NOT add an extra trip into my taxi service, I head on over to town after dropping off my last worker. Aldi doesn't open until 9, I drop Dan off at 8:00. So I get the WalMart items first. Today, I was just finished at WalMart and walking into Aldi across the street, when I got a text message. The realtor wanted to show the house. Not a 24 hour notice, a "we want to show the house in 2 1/2 hours" notice. I was in the middle of buying groceries...
So, I bought my groceries. Got home, and put them away. THEN started in on the house. Basically, I had to empty last night's clean dishes from the dishwasher, and load in this morning's crop. I had to sweep... these floors ALWAYS need swept! I don't care if they were swept three hours ago, I can sweep up a half a dog if I swept again now. And the little faux lady bugs are swarming. I have cleaned hundreds up off the floor, out of the sinks, off the walls and beds. I just slid stuff from the boys rooms out of sight... my bed was already made, and the bathrooms had been deep cleaned Saturday.
Turned out this guy had looked at the house before... he MAY be making an offer.
Here is my project, I covered the notebook with fabric to make a photo album:

And that's about all for now. With Mr C home early, I can get supper going sooner! Thanks for reading!

Not Much Doings

Howdy, Y'all.
In my last post, I said Summer hadn't got the memo that Fall is here. Fall did make itself known this past week. Tom even turned on the furnace yesterday for its trial run. (It's fine. And all the dust is now burned off, so even better when we do have to have it.)
Sam's truck wasn't quite as fixed as we thought it was. It ran almost a week, then, on his next day for class... he called and said he was having to have it towed. $100 and a new fuel filter later, it was running fine. Until Mr. C drove it to work. It is still sitting in the parking lot there, having stopped running (again!) as he was on his way home for lunch. Mr C has spent three days troubleshooting- and one or two more tests will determine if it is the fuel pump. A second $100 was spent on a fuel pump relay- so if  the new relay isn't bad- it is looking more and more like the fuel pump. Meanwhile, we are sharing two vehicles getting four people to work.
Mr C's routine is being disrupted for the next 3 weeks. A class from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Mondays through Fridays. Eight hour days instead of ten... so an extra day to get up. Not that he isn't already UP... but they have thrown off his groove. Mondays are grocery store days, and running errands. Mowing the lawn (Which is about done for the year, anyway) and house hunting online.
For "my birthday present", I went to town and hit Hancock Fabrics and the Hobby Lobby. I got a big three ring binder, and fabric and padding to make my own custom photo album. I also got a 12x12 "photo album" and refills at Hobby Lobby. I wasn't paying good enough attention, and ended up with scrapbook pages- 50 sheets of 12x12 plastic covers that aren't sectioned off to hold photos. (I remedied that by ordering some photo pages to fit the 12x12 album from Amazon!)
I also got some fleece to make a stuffed animal for a grandbaby. I know what I WANT it to look like, but I am not always successful on translating my vision to actual fabric. Looking on Pinterest for patterns just gave me even more ideas.
 Yesterday, I got my sewing machine out, but before I could set it up, I went in search of the iron. I THOUGHT I knew just where it was in the pit of despair laundry room. Mr C had teased earlier that he guessed he was going to have to clean up his own dresser, since he had given me quite a few weeks and I hadn't done it. His dresser is in the laundry room. The laundry room here not only holds his dresser, but a full sized mechanics rolling tool box, a six foot chest freezer (for those of you who may have six foot chests), a washer and dryer, a refrigerator, a kitchen Mini-island/ microwave stand, a small portable storage pantry, a dehydrator, and a closet overflowing with items that I refuse to take to storage. (The storage unit isn't climate controlled, and all my books come out mildewed, and photos ruined.) There is a whole lot more stuff in this room, which is more of a garage than an actual laundry room, as we lack an actual garage. ANYWAY- the room is a perpetual disaster area. I couldn't find the iron. I chided myself: "What are you doing starting a fun project when this room looks like this?"
  Tom was off working on Sam's truck, but Dan was here. I set him to lugging and toting.. and we emptied the room of all but the major appliances and stuff inside the closet. By the time Tom got back, the entire living room and kitchen looked like a bomb had gone off, as I had stuff stacked everywhere. With his and the boys help, I scrubbed the room down, pushing appliances away from the walls and sweeping and mopping. I did some rearranging... and eventually most of the stuff found its way back into the laundry room. (I found the iron!) And left out my three totes of crafting and sewing supplies. I can work on my photo album cover this afternoon without guilt!
  This morning, I took people to their jobs, then bought a small supply of groceries. Mostly, it was NOT groceries, but cleaning supplies we were out of. I would think it weird that we run out of all the cleansers at the same time- but we really don't. We run out of something, and substitute some other product, until it too, runs out. We continue substituting things until we are out of everything... so it seems we have to buy it all at once.
I suppose I will get started on my projects. Have a blessed day!

"To Infinity... and Beyond!" (Or at least the year ahead...)

This week marked my 55th birthday! Thank you to all who remembered it.
My birthday buddy, Kimber Ann turned six. I am trying to keep up with the grands birthdays- and get each a gift. Keeping it under $20 is hard. I have sent magazine subscriptions to some- to remind them CowGranny and Umpaw think of them all year, NOT just on their birthdays. I try to keep the parents in mind as well... some tolerate small piece toys such as Legos better than others. :) .
In a few weeks, Dakota and Althea have birthdays. It looks like we may be abandoning the Individuals to fend for themselves this Thanksgiving. (As we once did Ben and Tommy.) Mr C has his final week of vacation, and wants to go to Ohio. (Where he can watch Ohio State beat that team up North). Anyway, while there, I am hoping to have a party for his 60th birthday. Phase one! It will be more than a month early, but will be a chance for his family to gather and join in the celebration. With the boys staying home, we won't have to take Jaffa along. (He DOES know when he is being left behind. It upsets him.)
Then, Phase TWO! On Tom's actual birthday, the kids are going to all try to be here on Dec. 27th. December birthdays are hard- everyone already has Christmas plans and such. (I can talk birthday plans here... Mr C read my blog ONCE, several years ago.)
Daniel and Sam are talking of trying their winter hike that they missed doing last year, while Sam is out of school for Winter break. Just over 200 miles, and that here in Arkansas.
The detox has been a rollercoaster. I went off completely while visiting in Texas the one weekend. I went off for my birthday- not that I got any treats other than wine, and a flour tortilla! I can't say I have noticed feeling any better. That is, until I went OFF the program. Then I felt awful. So it must be doing me good, right? "They" say the first several days of detox makes you feel like you have flu. I felt like I had flu after the tortillas, and wine.
Oh yeah, I also fell off the program at work... those hushpuppies! After last Friday, I ought to be cured of my hushpuppie addiction. I make the pups. I am supposed to try one, and have another person try one. (Over the course of a typical Friday night, I usually eat several.) My test one was HORRIBLE! Apparently, a lump of salt managed to stay intact until I bit into mine. Nothing like an unexpected mouthful of salt to send you spitting into the trash can! I was afraid I had ruined the entire batch, but no one else got a salty one. Good for the customers that I got the ONE bad one. And good for me- my brain decided I could avoid further snacking on hushpuppies! (Another good: I work ONE night a week!)
I am growing accustomed to the taste of stevia. At first, I just couldn't stand it at all. Becky told me it is probably the aftertaste of whatever they mixed with the stevia that I don't like. I researched stevia online, and came to the conclusion that if I were not using it as a sweetener, I should be taking it as a supplement. It is actually GOOD for you, and sweetness is a side benefit. So I got the purest form I could find- and really, it isn't nearly as bad when it isn't mixed with carriers. It seemed expensive, a little salt-shaker sized bottle was over $12. But I compared it to white sugar prices- and found out that serving to serving, they are about the same price. The little bottle of powdered stevia has as much sweet in it as two and a half BIG bags of sugar.
Learning to cook without flour and sugar has been getting easier. By "flour", I mean the typical ground grains. I use almond flour, coconut flour, and (some) rice flour. I use vegetables in place of pasta products. (I can't believe how much the guys all LOVE the pizza crust made from cauliflower.)
Perhaps by the end of the year, I will have some weight loss. (Not GAINING is a positive!)
That's about all from here... I am officially a "senior citizen" now.

October! (Wait, WHAT? It's already the middle of October!)

It seems fall is ambling along masquerading as summer. With weather still quite warm, it is a debate some days as to whether we will turn on the AC or not.
Fall still hasn't settled into a routine... unless lack of routine is the new normal.
Just over a week ago, I had a call from Chris. We chatted the allotted time, during which Mr C came home for lunch. I reviewed Chris' call with him, and Mr C remarked how we needed to get to see Chris more often. It had been nearly a year since I last saw him, and the previous time was more than THREE years back.
I spoke to Becky, who hadn't seen Chris in quite awhile. She would like to go with me on a visit. She arranged child care with "Granola" (Thank you SO much, Nola!). The best time for both of us was either immediately, or quite a distance down the road. We opted for immediately.  So, last Thursday I headed to Texas.
On the way down, I made a spontaneous decision to stop in Shawnee to see if I could find where my great grandparents were buried, and where my Great Granny Daisy Gibson had lived. I knew the house was gone. OK, last time I was at Great Granny's house I was not quite 10 years old. Shawnee has grown tremendously in the last 45+ years. From the freeway (Which probably didn't exist in 1970!) there are five (Three, sir!) exits. I chose one at random. I remembered the cemetery had large rock walls surrounding it, and knew GG's house was west of the main road where the cemetery was located. If you ever read Dean Koontz, you have probably heard of psychic magnetism. I seem to have the same ability as Odd Thomas in that regard. I drove down the highway, hoping to see the rock walls. Suddenly, there they were- but on the opposite side of the road I had expected. So I was in the wrong lane entirely... and the gates were closed. But being in the wrong lane meant the GG's house should be an easy right turn, and over a block or so. I turned... and sure enough, found where her house had stood. It was a tiny, tiny lot- I doubt anyone would THINK of building on one so small these days. Turning around, I went back to Fairview Cemetery.      
 

As I wandered around with my camera, the maintenance crew asked if I needed assistance. They marked off where the graves should be, and assisted me in locating them. I learned that Beard's actually founded Shawnee. I didn't stay long, but was glad to "pay my respects".

I stopped overnight at my Mom's house, where Tommy met me. We hung out with my Mom and Ralph for the evening. It was such an abbreviated visit! The next morning, I forced Mom to go to Aldis with me. (I think she may go back!) Then I was on the road to Becky's. Ben and Paula were at Becky's and Stephen's... waiting the long overdue Mom! When one takes a shortcut, one should never take for granted one will
"remember" the exact way... I forgot a zigzag in Coleman... and ended up almost back to Abilene before I realized my mistake. (Add an hour and 20 minutes on for the shortcut!)
Ben and Paula didn't stay too late, as Ben had to work Saturday, and Becky and I were hoping to be on the road by 4:00.

It was actually closer to 4:30 before we were finally underway.
We hadn't gotten terribly far- the second town past Becky's house- creeping along at the town's very slow speed limit, trying to see the lanes (Boy, do they need to repaint the stripes!) when suddenly- THERE WAS A DEER!
I couldn't avoid it- I hit a wee small deer. It wasn't much bigger than a medium sized dog. I pulled over to check for damages... there were no damages! And looked for the deer. It was gone. So whether I just knocked it over and the body of the car passed over it, or whether it was injured to the point it hobbled away and died, we don't know. I know the tires didn't hit it.
The rest of the trip was without incident.
It was Picture Day, which we didn't know before we arrived. I got the first "good" picture of Chris in more than six years. It was good to get to visit. I wish it were not so far to travel- or that I could of stayed overnight.

Since we had traveled all that way, and were only another 45 miles to the Gulf- Becky and I headed down to spend a few minutes on the beach. Sadly, the wait for the Port Aransas ferry was 90 minutes. Becky and I both needed a potty break- so we turned around. After grabbing a bite to eat and relieving ourselves, we drove to the Corpus Christi end of Mustang Island. There was much going on in Corpus- we were on a minor surface street, and got quite turned about. It probably took us a good hour and a quarter to find the causeway to the island. Once we were actually on the beach, we didn't have much time. Becky did a bit of wading... her first time to get to play in the waves without having to keep an eagle eye on children! There were almost NO shells along the beach- most of the ones were saw were happily occupied by the pretty little mussels we watched burrow beneath the sand with each incoming wave. All too soon, we had to face the five and a half hour drive back.
We walked in the door, wiped the salt water residue from our bodies, and collapsed into bed.  It was a wonderful, first time ever Mom-Daughter road trip.
Sunday, we decided to just visit with Ben and Paula, rather than go to church. Tyrel opted for church with Granola, Stephen had to work, so Becky and I and the girls went to San Angelo. It was dark as we got back... and I had to head home early Monday.

Whether it was from going off the detox program and eating all sorts of sugar and flour foods, or whether I caught a mild gastrointestinal bug... I had a MISERABLE drive. With numerous stops. I made it to mom's house shortly after noon. She fed me soup, and gave me the cutest shovel bird for a birthday present.

 I headed out before 1:30... my planned route altered due to construction warnings and lane closures. And so much for altering plans to avoid construction and lane closures. After enduring something like 200 traffic lights (do not even SUSPECT I exaggerate!) and 80+ miles of road construction (with lane closures, flagmen, and one spot that even had the highway dug down to compacted soil with NO pavement!)... I made it home after 8:00pm.
Yesterday was back to the detox program.
 Sam called in the late afternoon. He had been headed to school (after work!) when his truck just stopped running. As we were already down to three vehicles for four people, it is good I was home with the car! A friend helped Sam get it towed home. Mr C took off early and also assisted. Today, I am the chauffeur. Tom studied some YouTube videos... and found a reset button on Sam's truck this afternoon. It started and ran! So, MAYBE? it is fixed.
This has been a long one... but you are caught up with me now! Write me a letter, give me a call, send me a card... or even comment here! Thanks for reading!

Almost October

The Individuals and I went to the Taylor Family Reunion in Broken Bow over this past weekend. We had a very nice time. My Uncle Johnny was there, as well as my brothers Ricky (Eric) and Robbie. Rick's daughter Laura and her husband Chris also made it out, so Mom had a nice turnout from her group!
The entire reunion was small this year- even counting inlaws and outlaws! I hope that some of the family can really try to make it next year- last Saturday in September! (If you marked your calendar NOW, then you would be able to say NO to other plans on that date... just saying!)

Tomorrow my brother Roger would of turned 50. I have been thinking of him so much, and of Bill Joe, Granny, and the other losses the family has had in recent years.

We started our week Monday with our usual grocery store run. (It also began my detox attempt!) We got home, and got the groceries put away. I was still up to my armpits in items we had come home from the reunion with. As usual, it was piled about the front room... and now the kitchen had that post-shopping war zone look. At that moment, we have someone pull into the driveway... a realtor was here with a client to show the house. Dishes in the sink from breakfast, floors not swept, boys rooms utter disasters, dirty clothes on the bathroom floors and toothpaste residue still in the sinks.
The showing agent said they had called the listing agent and arranged the viewing. The listing agent had NOT let us know. Mr C let them in anyway... and we learned in their tour of the house, the potential buyer had driven from Checotah, OK... which is pretty close to two hours from here. We tried to be gracious under pressure. Not sure if we made the final cut of the places the woman would put on her list to show her husband.... I don't even care.

I had been trying to do a detox- starting with just the detox herbal drinks, water, and some juice. This was to last two or three days, followed by adding veggies to the list, and then meats. (I still planned to leave out grains and sugar for even longer.) Best laid plans and all that... I was about to fall out shaking with low blood sugar by 3:00 pm. I had to put food back on the list!

Crazy day

It was a busy week last week- the house was shown TWICE within a 24 hour period. On Wednesday night, I went to a picnic given by my bosses at the Spoon. That was quite fun. I watched the pre-dinner baseball game- and the twins participated in it, on opposing teams. By the time they were ready to eat, I had to come home. It was time for the blood pressure medicine I try to take at the same time each evening.
  I took it easy over the weekend- and let so much of the house slide. The boys both worked every single day all of last week. Dan had people vying for him on Friday, so he put two of them off and worked Saturday AND Sunday. Sam helped Dan build fence Saturday, and Dan took neighbor Anthony on his errands Sunday.
  Monday, Tom and I did our weekly shopping. He mowed, and Dan sort of had a day off- but used it on errands of his own. Today, everyone was back to work. I requested rooms be neatened and beds made before they took off. There were no showings scheduled, but the agent had said there might be times when I would have little notice.
  I put some mail out, and happened to see two horses trotting, untended, down our road. The speed limit here is 55- and hitting a horse would be bad for all concerned. I walked towards the horses, which came willingly to follow me. I saw another lady parking her car in the road and hurrying my way. Turns out she was just concerned, they were not her horses either. Someone had told her where they saw the horses emerge, some quarter mile up the road. (Half a mile from where they were when I saw them). I have NEVER seen a horse on that place, but helped this lady walk them back into the long driveway, which she blocked afterwards with her car.
  Just then, someone pulled into MY driveway, and didn't come back out. I had left the house unlocked, as I was just outside, if down the road a piece. So I scrambled for home. It was a person whose Garmin had led him to our address... he had only intended a drive-by. I ended up giving him the nickel tour- mess and all. At least the beds were made... although I was rather embarrassed that my box of wine was on the counter beside a fifth of vodka! (The vodka being one of the purchases yesterday, to make some herbal tinctures! It doesn't have a "home", as I have never needed a place to locate it before now.)
  The lady who I had helped wrangle the horses had called the county... and a couple other people. Every time a vehicle slowed down and seemed to be looking, I asked if they were looking for missing horses. All were, but just to see that they had not strayed back into the road from the neighbors drive. Then the Sheriff's department sent an officer. I spoke with him, as the lady had left after she called. He checked and saw the horses actually in an enclosure, where they might stay, unless driven away. It had a low rope across the opening... and plenty of the neighbor's hay!
I am keeping an eye out for people looking for the horses, or the neighbor to get home. The sheriff's deputy said he'd probably get two calls- one to report the horses found, and another to report them stolen... and thanked me for helping.
  Altogether, little was accomplished today- unless the house hunter decided he really likes the place! (In which case, I need to be packing soon.)

The quest continues...

The surgeon says, conclusively, I do not have carpal tunnel.
I "might" have a pinched nerve bundle in my neck. (Suggests an MRI).
I "might" have a rheumatoid disease... as was inconclusively indicated a couple of years ago. (Says see a rheumatologist).
I am NOT cool with spending money to no purpose.
If a pinched nerve was found... what then? I am sure they would call for physical therapy. Rheumatoid disease? Nasty medications with awful side effects.

I am not sure WHAT to do at the moment, but here is where I am leaning: A "cleanse" with fasting and perhaps some herbal teas. A trip (or several) to a chiropractor... a person NOT quick to prescribe drugs to mask symptoms, and will work with me instead of drugging me to zombiehood. A beginning regime of light, strength building weight training, possibly coupled with yoga. Testing some combinations of Essential Oils.

Don't get me wrong, I am not ruling out medical interventions... I just prefer that as a last resort, rather than a first call. I went down what seemed the obvious course: it looks like carpal tunnel- a simple fix for that if the brace failed to work. After 6 months, it was much better, but not "fixed", so I saw the surgeon. The surgeon who today told me, "Medicine isn't like McDonalds! You can't just walk in and get what you want fixed to order!" He admits he thought this was carpal tunnel, but the electrical resistance test is within normal parameters, so it can't be CT". His course of actions are "more specialists" and tests.
OK, CT is ruled out, time to see what diet and exercise and other natural remedies might CURE, BEFORE calling out heavier artillery.

Howdy! Guess a few updates are in order...

First of all, Doctor visits!
The surgeon was visited on the 1st. He assured me he "stopped counting carpal tunnel surgeries (he is a hand specialist) at 1000, and that was several years ago." He is "90% sure I have carpal tunnel which will require surgery"... but just to be sure, he sent me to a neurologist. He won't do surgery without the neurologist report. (So... is this why Doctors "practice"? After thousands of surgeries, he isn't sure I have carpal tunnel?)
   I saw the neurologist last Thursday for an "electrical resistance test". I would hope every is fairly resistant to be tasered repeatedly. This Doctor assured me it wasn't an actual Taser. "Tasers have prongs which shoot out from across the room.", he said. This one was applied directly to my skin, with conductive gel for a good jolt. The nurse had told me that I would have some small needles inserted into various places in my arms and hands. "They are real small needles, like acupuncture- not like hypodermic needles." I guess she's only ever HEARD of acupuncture... because these were NOT the small needles. This was more like sharpened electrical fencing wire- I have seen finer gauge hypodermics used on horses!
   The Doc's only comment about the results of the test was "You have been putting off this surgery for awhile, haven't you?" as he directed me to make another appointment back with the surgeon. (Who will discuss the test results with me.) The repeat visit at the surgeon's office is Monday the 14th.
   Yesterday was the blood pressure follow up visit with Dr. Benjamin. 127/70. (SCORE!) I admitted I have only been taking 1/2 of the prescribed dose. He was good with that, since I got good results. We also discussed the stinking seasonal allergies, which have resulted in my annual respiratory infection. I left the office with four prescriptions. One antibiotic, one "dose pack" of prednisolone, and two different nasal sprays.
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Daniel and Sam were featured in last week's local newspaper. They were headliners, the lead story above the fold! (Second story, bigger picture... Bird eating a bug!) (Yeah, there is that much local weekly news.) The guy didn't get his facts straight. He made the hike sound like Sam's idea... after Daniel's three years of planning, Dan was credited with "going along with his brother." Sam's trail name of "Link" was given and explained. (It is the name of a video game character who plays an ocarina. Sam carried his ocarina along with him and played it at rests.) Daniel's trail name was Folklore- which was not given in the story. The story called him "Ocarina"- a fabrication by the writer. ("Folklore" was given to Dan when he mentioned they could expect rain during the coming night, based on the activity of the birds around their camp.) Pretty much every quote from Dan was attributed to Sam, and Sam's quotes attributed to Daniel. Still, front page!
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On the first of the month, I hit a local truckload sale, and bought 80 lbs. of chicken leg quarters. (Maybe I ought to write a chicken cookbook!) We have had BBQ grilled chicken, grilled chicken, chicken casserole, Mexican chicken casserole, chicken pasties, cold chopped chicken on salad, and tonight: chicken gumbo! (Lest you think that is ALL we have eaten- last night we had beef and bean burritos, and one night- grilled pork chops.
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I got to work 6-11 today at the Dayspring warehouse. Tomorrow, The Spoon!
I got sculpey clay to make some items for little gallon jar terrariums, but haven't gotten any further than buying the clay and "pinning" ideas on pinterest.
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That has pretty much been September so far. Thanks for reading!
I also want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Grandson Gavin, who will be 9 on the 11th, and my brother Robbie, who shares the day.