Good morning....

I sure hope you had a wonderful weekend... We had a wonderrful weekend but it went way to fast...

It is thundering right now and it is so nice to hear...

Saturday we went to two gardening centers to walk around and see what they had...not much but we did buy some seed packets and I bought 4 cauliflower plants.... With the weather we are having you want to get out and dig and get things started...I know better so I watch the birds...Plus I can't do much anyways.. Going to the garden centers did tire me out...but it was a nice tire...

Sunday we got up and went to church...It was great seeing everyone... It was nice hearing the sermon and singing the worship songs... It was what I needed...

Came home from church and watched the Penguins play hockey and losing to... My daughter was not happy they lost... After the game she headed back to college...It was great that she was here for spring break...in 2 and half months she will be done with college... This semester sure is flying by...

After Kim left Russ and I went grocery shopping...I hadn't been to the grocery store in a long time...It sure felt good...I have been having alot of issues since I had the double mastectomy with my taste buds...Nothing I liked before taste good... I am eating things that I haven't eaten before...Strange...just strange....I cant even talk about some foods...So we are having alot of different foods this week...I am craving for veggies and ice cream....no I am not prego but sometimes feel it...

Saturday I decides to try on a bra and when I was in the hosptial they gave me this camosile top with fiber filled paddings for it...Well the camisole was so tight...like lycra...Don't like tight fitting stuff...I had said before the doctor told me when I had my double mast.. that my stomach would look alot bigger...Well he was right....When I put my old bra ( glad I didn't burn it) I put the fiber filled paddings in the bra and my stomach appeared much smaller...It felt great to have it look smaller...Russ even said it made a difference...So when I go out in public I wear my fiber fake breast... I am leaning towards the reconstructive surgery now...Just don't know if I want more surgery to go with fake breast...I know some who had reconstructive and I know some who haven't and are comfortable both ways...I have time to think about it...I am comfortable with or without but look so much better with the bra on...And the best part of it all is I have a wonderful loving husband who is so supportive which ever direction I go in....He doesn't like me going under the anthesthia... He accepts me for who I am now...I accept who I am except for my hair...Come on hair come in thick and full please...

Today is back to normal....My daughter went back to school....Russ is at work and I have the house to myself....Plan on doing some cleaning....My energy is coming back and I am so thankful for that...


It is suppose to be in the 70's this week...I may plant my cauliflower plants..there is only 4 of them...

Have a wonderful week this week...May it be filled with many blessings...
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A nice relaxing day

I hope your friday is going well...

I have accomplished so many things this week...And I feel so Blessed each and every day I am feeling better and better...

I realized the other day that since the surgery I haven't been reading my devotions nor have I been praying as much... That is typical of me when things get better and the news about cancer was fantastic I just don't do what I had been doing...But this past Monday I started my devotions once again and talking with the Lord and each and everyday I had more energy....I still have alittle discomfort but that is going away...

This week I walked the garden in the back yard and it was so nice to see everything...it has been a long time...Since last August.. I felt the presence of my dad... All through chemo I felt the presence of my mom...Now it's dads turn..I love how God comforts us in that way..

I have been spending alot of time with Kim...Talking and now we are into March Madness... Go!! Cyclones !!! Lets do what UNI did to the number one seed last year...lets beat the number one seed with Kentucky saturday...Sorry Kentucky bloggers... Love our Hawks and Cyclones... Between Kim and I who ever wins this march madness or how close we get we are going to do something special and either of us are going to pick what to do next time she comes home... We didn't do any betting with march madness..Usually Russ's work has something going each year.. But they were having something totally different and besides if they were doing the same thing I don't think we were going to do it anyways because money is a big factor....So instead Kim and I decided to do something fun...whoever wins gets to pick...

Yesterday I spend the day spring cleaning...It was so nice to see myself being useful... it has been a long time...I feel I am getting back to normal...

Today my bird feeder fell apart and I took a look at it and was able to put it back together... Before I would just throw things out not looking at it and buy another one ... Not this time... I realized I have been so wasteful in that way...I fixed and fed the birds and they are quite happy...

Today I asked Kim if she wanted McDees...not being frugal here I know...I asked her to move her car so I can see if I can even get in the truck and drive... YUP.... I did get in the truck with no problem...well at least I thought it was a piece of cake...I feel I used some muscles...but that is okay...I need to get them working again...But I know I can drive if I have to and feel so liberated...It feels good I can do anything now...

Today I did alittle sewing...I finished 2 place mats that is very springy for this time of year...so pretty... I am going to make some hot mats for the kitchen at some point...

Today I did all our sheets for our bed...Washed them...Russ will help me with putting them on...it will be so nice crawling into bed with clean sheets...

Today I changed the AC filter so it will be ready to go.... As I was doing a few things today I was just hot... I do not want to sweat with the incision and I decided to turn on the AC and at least I am seeing if it is running properly for the summer months ahead... It is working really nice...The dogs so appreciate it...they have been pretty hot the last two days...They still have the winter coats on them... Will see what the temps are tonight to shut it off... But at least it is doing what it should be...

This week I have also been looking at Amazon. With having cancer and Russ's health we want to go natural and organic as much as we can...I know a frappe from McDees is not what I call natural and organic... so that will be stopping very very soon,,,,Maybe today was my last one... Russ is so into all this and I am so thankful Russ is on board with me...He was okaying all the books to get.. He is looking forward to going through them to... This will be our last splurge for a while... :)Hopefully....Books are so hard for me to turn down....especially ones that teach you to enhance your skills on anything...

I feel I had a productive week and as of right now I am looking forward to getting back to church...I miss it so...I am not going to over do it tomorrow so I can get up and go to church...

Russ is having a hard time getting up and out of bed in the mornings...the time change does this to him each time....So tomorrow I told him to sleep as long as he wants...He deserves it... Sunday we will be getting back to Sundays are church and rest day...doing things we enjoy doing..

Have a fantastic weekend.....

Our critters that are family

I Hope everyone is have a productive week... It is suppose to be near 80 today...

I have been doing some spring cleaning and feel so useful....I started with devotions and then went to vacuuming the living room, cleaning out the cat box and mopping the kitchen floor and then cleaning the windows in the living room and dining room...I do move a lot slower but it sure feels good...And I feel usefull more than I have in a long time which makes me very happy...I feel I am getting stronger everyday...That is all the cleaning I will do today...One baby step at a time..

Last night I was amazon and ended up ordering some books....I have got to stay off of Amazon.... They are useful books....I love books that teach me things... I did get a book on dehydrating food... I use to do it but have no more recipes and this one has recipes...I loved making beef jerky and Russ loved banana chips...So we are going to be having fun dehydrating food...Not to store up tons of it..I just don't have room even tho I would love to have stored food I just can't do it...But I do have seed packets and will be using some directly in to the containers or into the ground...Then replace seed packets so we have some on hand just in case I need to grow our own food if food goes scarce... I love canning food for the winter and that is what we are concentrating on doing this year...having our own food so we don't have to depend on imported foodd through the winter and we will support the local farmers...

Below are pictures of our critters who are our kids now that we have none living at home..




This is Sophia who is the Queen around here...



This is Sidney who thinks she is the Queen and Sophie does let her know she is wrong...



This is Crosby who is the Southern Gentleman... He bows down to Sopie...I mean literally bows down...When she walks by him he lays down because he is scared of her...He needs alot of courage to do things...He is a klutz of a cat...You feel sorry for him because he has no confidence...His sister Sophia has all the confidence in the world and is not scared of a thing...And they are related....brother and sister...



Holly my German Shepherd/Husky mix...Love her dearly...She thinks she owns me...Well she does..She has me wrapped around her paw big time...



Holly and Remmy, What can I say about Remmy...He is a Golden Retreiver and he is over weight... Barks at everything and I mean everything...All he wants to do is play with his tennis balls...Remmy is on a diet and has lost a good 5 pounds and it has been a slow process because he has been indoors this winter...Summer time he will be more active and we may get some more weight off him...slow and healthy...

Pictures...

Good morning....Yesterday afternoon was gorgeous and I decided to walk around in the back yard...I took along the camera...Finally I had batteries and the card in the camera all at the same time...That is a miracle in itself...I will taking pictures every step of the way from the gardening to the containers...I am amazed with what I saw... I am so itching to dig but I know better...

While walking in the back yard I felt my dads presense all around me, he loved gardening and taught me so much and I felt so comforted and I felt like this year is going to be so different...I am going to have the strength to do things and I am not giving up.. Russ and I are reading up on pressuring canning and ect...We are thinking of buying some store bought fruits and trying out the pressure cooker..I bought it last year and never used it..If things work out with the store bought I won't be so scared in messing up healthy home grown food...I would love to make apple sauce and can apples and peaches...

I know I said I would not be gardening but with being cleared of cancer right now, and still have a month to heal and become stronger I know I will beable to enjoy the love of gardening I have...I can have the reconstructive surgery after gardening if I even do it...I am comfortable who I am right now...

Enjoy the pictures and have a wonderful day... It is another gorgeous day and I am going to do some spring cleaning...but limiting what I will be doing...

Tomorrow I will have pictures of my animal kids and how big the kittens are now...Mt dogs followed me everywhere out in the back yard...



Lots of work in the back yard... This is the side yard where I plant my tomatoes on once side and green beans on the side... There is lots to do...



This is our large full grown apple tree that is good for apple pies....They are granny smith apples.. I am going to learn to can them this year for apple pies...



This is a dwarf apple tree we bought a couple of years ago and hopefully we will have apples this year...Not sure tho with this weird weather we are having...



We have buds on the peach tree... we are pleased but again we don't know what will happen because of the weather..



With in all the weeds is a blueberry bush that has red on it...We have 3 blueberry bushes and hopefully we will be getting some this year...



All my strawberries are up and growing.. They look good..I am excited to have some this year...

I am so looking forward to gardening....

Good Tuesday morning...

Good morning....

The weather is gorgeous and we are suppose to be in the 70's today... and they are saying 80 for Wednesday...But through next week it will be in the 70's.. Talk about wanting to dig in the dirt...Oh my goodness I want to so bad...but I know better...

It will save on heat and AC.. It will be great to have a couple of months of no heating bill and AC bill.. We are going to last as long as we can with out having the AC on this year..

We are back to being very frugal... Well we have been but with last weekend and planning the things we want to do we have to cut back... We are excited about the things we want to do this year...I will be limited and so will Russ has his back continually aches him...So we are going to try things that are easier...AND we are not going to extend the garden... Just to much this year...Containers will be the way to go for us as it did last year..I got more stuff from my containers last year than I did from the garden...But we will plant where we have already established the gardens...no more adding this year... I think...

In a couple of weeks the kittens are going in to get spayed and neutered and front claws removed... these two kittens need it badly with the claws... I have never had my cats declawed...but they have destroyed a few things...

I have been sewing a little...Enjoying it to...

My daughter is home from spring break..It has been so nice having her home...She is also enjoying the kittens...tomorrow she heads out to see a friend a couple of hours away...

I have had a stressful past week and weekend with my older son, he is 36 years old...He feels we owe him for his life choices... My friends know what I have gone through with him.. The mind games he plays on us and the guilt trips he puts on me... He is trying everyway to play the guilt trip on me right now... Doesn't care about us at all..only what he can get out of us...So it has been very stressful right now... I am leaning on the Lord for strength...I know God is control... That gives me great comfort along with friends and my other kids...

I am going to go and sew for awhile and open the windows up...Let the fresh air in..Feed the birds...Enjoy my daughter being home...It has been such a joy with her home..

Have a great day...

saturay

Today is a gorgeous sunny day....I slepted in this morning till around 8:30.. I have never been able to sleep in till after the surgery...I feel alittle swollen today...Heating pad on.. I think it is fluid... So I have to keep an eye out on it...other wise I will be back to the surgeon...

Remmy our Golden Retriever who is over weight hurt his front leg today...We need to get some rug runners for downstairs... He must have slid on the floor...At first I thought he may have broken his leg...no weight being put on it...we gave him his magic cheese... Magic cheese is when we put a pill in it...we gave him a motrim... Then Russ went out and did a few erranda and came back with his favorite toy...Tennis balls...Well either the magic cheese cured him or the tennis balls...Because he totally forgot about the pain...And he wasn't holding his leg up...Walking like normal...Will keep an eye out on him and continue with the motrim every 8 hours...He is a happy camper right now..

I had two visitors this week and it was so nice to see these ladies..MaryEllen and Kathy S. Kathy S. brought some food for us from another church member .. What a treat not to cook... VVBC gave me a minature rose bush and I love these tiny roses...My main goal is to fill my house with plants... After the kittens get alittle bigger...

Russ and Kim are going to a viewing later on...I was going to try and make it...But feel I need to stay at home and rest... I probably won't be in church as this swelling I need to watch it... The following weekend I will try and make it..

I feel wonderful... I want to do so many things but I know I can't...so I sit and watch a lot of TV.. Listing ideas and making plans... Love making plans but now I want to get things under way....

One thing I noticed is my taste buds are changing once again... All through chemo they changed but not that bad....One thing I have ALWAYS loved and that is eggs... I can not stomach them right now...I told Russ that I went into surgery and came out with different taste buds...Things that I loved before I can not eat...Russ picked me up some pistachios and they tasted nasty to me...Now one thing I do love and that is apples and that hasn't changed...Kathy S. brought apples and they taste wonderful...I have had 3 of them because they soothe my taste buds...

When my hubby and daughter leave for the viewing I think I will sit and do some handstitching...

Have a great weekend...

Friday

I am so glad this week is over almost....Goodness I sure would love to sleep in... It was so hard getting back up at 5:30 am to the normal routine...I love routine but not this week...However watch that tomorrow I will be up at 5:30am...

Russ brougth out my sewing machine to the dining room table....I really didn't want to sew in the sewing room...Everything is piled up in there...plus I just didn't want to sit in the room...The curtains were all open in the living room and the sunshine streaming in...I wanted to be in the sunshine...not in a enclosed small room...I decided to work on some small projects... So I cut out some pot holders for my kitchen and two place mats...Never did sew them.

It was nice to see a friend yesterday.. We chatted like old times...I haven't seen her for a while and she is signing a mortgage payment to her first home today...She has come along way...I am so excited for her...That's why I didn't get to the sewing..Sewing can wait....friendships are special...

The sunshine is streaming in the house once again...What a beautiful morning...Loving the sunshine...

My daughter is coming home tonight...She will be home for a week...it is her spring break from College...it will be so nice to spend time with her...

Please pray for my friend Jill as her hubands funeral is tomorrow...My husband and daughter will be going...I will see how I am tomorrow if I can make it...Hopefully I can...

Have a wonderful day....