Thinking Warmer Thoughts

Mimi and Kristin

"My" beach at Dauphin Island, AL at least makes me think warmer thoughts. I am missing it even though I know full well it is cold there, too right now. The winds off the water make it feel much colder than it really is. But THIS picture was made in May when it was hot, hot, hot. Hope that spreads a little warmth your way, too.

Update on my niece's mother-in-law who had the gastric by-pass surgery and was having serious problems. It appears that she has turned the corner and recovering, thank God and all those who have been praying for her.

Today was a frigid day here with highs in the single digits. I was scheduled to be off but had to work to take care of a family I had met with earlier in the week. Funeral went as well as could be expected with a HUGE family, but we were late arriving at the cemetery and it was just so darn cold there. Fine folks, though, and I truly am sorry for the loss of their Dad and brother.

This was my day off the diet so I, of course, went to El Bracero. I hadn't been in months but am paying for it tonight with frequent trips to the bathroom. Not good! Next week I will do something kinder to myself, lol.

Off again so until tomorrow.......trotting.

pf

Looking For A Little "Good News"

I don't know why, but this has been an extraordinarily bad day. Not for me particularly, but for people that I truly love.

My mother called me at work this morning to tell me that my Uncle Odis was not doing well. He has cancer but I thought was doing relatively well and taking chemotherapy. Evidently he fell out of the bed at home the other night and has been progressively worse until they are fearing he will not recover from this. No broken bones from what I understand, but I truly don't know the details.

Then there is a major problem with a child that I don't feel I'm at liberty to share, but it weighs heavy on my heart and in my mind. Sometimes things happen to people and you just don't know why or how these things happen. I know that there is a reason and someday I will know more, but I feel so helpless to "make it better". All I know to do is pray about it and leave it with God. I can do the praying part very well, I think, fervently and sincerely, but it's the "leaving it" part I have trouble with.

Next, my niece calls to tell me that her mother-in-law Linda had a gastric bypass done a couple of days ago and is not doing well at all. She has been given 4 units of blood today alone but they say they cannot find a leak and are clueless about where all this blood is coming from that she is passing. Another case of feeling helpless to change things.

Many times when I go to bed at night I lie there for a while and honestly "count my blessings". There is so much hurt and pain and fear all around me and I don't have to look very far to find it. I guess I'm asking all my praying friends to pray with me for these folks. I don't mean to turn this into a "prayer request" blog tonight, but I don't know what else to do for all these people.

I will absolutely update with these situations, but for now I am.......prayerful.

pf

Procrastination

Project 365/12

When I was off work for 7 weeks recuperating from back surgery, I had a plan. Granted, it was a loose plan, but it was a plan nonetheless. I was going to do all those things I NEVER have time or inclination to do when I am working. Today's Project 365 picture shows you all the books I was going to read! I realize that was a lofty goal, but I figured I would be laid up and not able to do anything else, so I would absolutely get it done. Well, there they still are.

Okay, I did read two books, count 'em, two. But I sure learned a lot! I learned that when you are off work because a physician says you are not well enough to work, you are not well enough to read, either. I was either drugged up on pain pills and too woozy to concentrate, or hurting too much to concentrate, or asleep.

Then when I got well enough so that I didn't take the pain pills, I wanted UP. My usual self wants to lie down (in my daydreams at work), but NOT all day every day.

I just don't know how those gals do it! You know the ones I mean. The ones with a remote in one hand and a chocolate in the other.

Okay, on to chocolate. I don't eat a lot of sweets, but I DO like to eat. Now try lying on the couch (or the bed) for seven weeks and doing the only thing you can do without causing pain, which is to eat. No, you don't have to cook because you have these marvelous friends who bring dinner every night. And dinner for one is not much, so you have leftovers running out the fridge. I tried to eat all I could so as not to appear that I didn't like it. I certainly didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings after all the work they went to for me.

Before surgery, I would have said, for little old me. Now, I would have to leave out the word little. So now, 30 pounds UP, I am back on rabbit food and Nutri-System.

Stop laughing, this is not funny. Okay, it is.

So until next time, just think of me going to bed hungry with a refrigerator full of food. And gals, if one of YOU has surgery, look out! I will be cooking.

Mardi Gras Readiness

I got the invitations to my Mardi Gras party in the mail yesterday and have been working on getting them filled out today. Of course this was a work day, but I've had a couple of days to get my desk cleaned off and came home early.

We had a great Mardi Gras party last year. Lots of good food, great friends and plenty of fun. I find it amusing that as we have all gotten older, our parties seem to start earlier and end earlier. Heck, you can come to a party at my house, be the last one to leave and STILL be in bed by 10:00. And to think, I can remember not going OUT until 9:00.

We had the coolest folks cater for us last year from Po' Boys restaurant here in Hopkinsville, but this year they will be in New Orleans. Guess I will have to scrounge up a great jambalaya recipe and make it myself. Dirty rice is easy, pralines a friend will make, another friend is having shrimp sent in from Florida. The jambalaya is going to be my only problem. I am accepting recipes if anyone wants to volunteer theirs (tried and true).

P365/11

Sorry the Titans lost the football game yesterday. I have friends with season tickets who had already booked their hotel room in Tampa. Well, there will be another year and another chance.

I fell off my diet today and feel the guilt weighing heavily on me. Almost as heavy as my body feels. Should I just go throw up? Nah, why waste good food? When I spoke to my daughter earlier, she was telling me about her wii fit and how it tells her every day how much weight she has lost. She tells me I really need one and that I would love it. I think that is just a kind way of telling me to GET IN SHAPE. It's just a little different when you are 55 as opposed to 31. She will know more about that as she ages. She carries my genes well, lol.

Grandson Tristin has his first wrestling practice of the season tomorrow night. I wish I could go, but am saving the drives for his actual meets. Last year was his first time participating. He did very well and loved it, I hope this year is as good for him. GO TRISTIN! I will post pictures later and yes, you will tire of them :)

I NEED to go do my laundry. Procrastination is a fine-honed skill I possess. BUT I still need clean underwear for tomorrow.

Until then,

Polly's Pen

Watch Out! There's A Deer In The Headlights!

Awaking to a steady rain and a gloomy day, I delayed getting ready for work as long as I dared. Of course, I anticipated being 15 minutes late, as usual. (I think that comes with position and seniority, but I could be wrong and just am setting a bad example for junior employees. Hmm, I will think on that some.)





As I stood in my dressing area deciding what to wear, Frank called to say HE was going to be late as he had hit a deer with his truck. He was uninjured, thankfully. We discussed what his next moves would be and he wasn't even sure at that point if the animal was dead. How dreadful to think he might have had to go back home to retrieve a gun, come back and shoot it to relieve its' misery.





Turns out the deer is indeed dead and Frank continues on to work. During that time I am frantically (now) racing around the house trying to get ready as fast as possible and we get here almost simultaneously. I only beat him by 3 or 4 minutes. Well, I tried.





Back on to the subject of the deer. I live in Kentucky and although I live in the town proper, this is a rural community in the western part of the state. There must be some serious breeding of deer going on because by far, they cause more accidents here than speeding, drunken driving, talking on cell phones, sleepiness or any other thing I can think of.





The weirdest thing about this is that the driver really never "hits a deer". The deer always run INTO the vehicle. And more often than not, they travel in herds. When you see one, more usually follow.





A few years ago, I was driving to Nashville to catch a plane for Key West and was travelling on the by-pass around Hopkinsville when a deer ran right into the drivers side door. Of course I stopped immediately and saw 4 or 5 more crossing there. I wasn't sure if it was still alive and was too afraid to open the door at 3 a.m. to find out.





Too make a long story short, my insurance agent said GO, I caught my flight on time and the insurance company covered the entire incident and did not penalize me in any way. State Farm is my company, by the way.





I don't know what can and/or should be done to control the number of deer on Kentucky highways, but I know it is time to do SOMETHING. I am surprised the insurance companies have not already instigated some sort of action plan. Hmm.....

For today's P365/10 I have posted a picture of Jackie! Jackie takes care of all of us here at the funeral home. She cleans non-stop, always has a smile for everyone and is the absolute kindest person I have ever met. We always joke around here and say you can make any employee here mad if you want, but NOT Jackie. She could NEVER be replaced and when I grow up, I want to be just like her.

Kristin is 14

P365

Finally, after 5 days of being out of here and not being able to sign in to Blogger, whatever it was is mysteriously "fixed". Everything still doesn't act just right, but at least I am here.

I have NOT stopped the Project 365, I just haven't been able to put them on here.

Not too much has happened. I am working again this weekend so had Thursday off. I took Mother and a friend on a short shopping excursion to Hanson, Ky. They have a great Vanity Fair Outlet there and Mom used to love it. The wind was whipping cold and hard, so it wasn't pleasant outside, but once we got in, it was great. I hadn't been there for a long time, either, so of course, I loaded up my daughter and oldest granddaughter with un-needed underwear. What's a Mimi to do? lol.

The trip itself, instead of lifting Mom's spirits, seemed to depress her as she was reminiscing. I truly thought it would be nice for her to shop in a place she was comfortable and it had the exact opposite effect. She was so sad that she wasn't able to just hop in her car and drive over there whenever she wanted to anymore. You certainly can tell I am not qualified to counsel folks in any way, shape or form.

She got a new perm late yesterday after we got home and that seemed to lift her spirits and by the time she got back home from choir practice last night, she had forgotten all about it. Life is good.

My oldest granddaughter Kristin, turned 14 on January 8. I had to work and wasn't physically able to drive the 5 hours there and back after work for her cake, so had to settle for pictures. I can hardly believe she is 14. She is a beautiful girl, painfully shy but beautiful inside and out. She has a mini-pinscher named Jake that she adores and a little brother that she only tolerates.

KRISTIN

When she was about 7 or 8, her parents allowed her to start spending a week each summer with me. Even after the other three grandchildren came along, Kristin and I still had our week together for "our" time. We have sure done some fun things throughout the years. Really, it's just been whatever she wanted to do. Sometimes my niece's little girl would come for a day or two, but Kristin is older than her and she has outgrown that.

Just another reason for me to anxiously await summer. I am missing her tonight and thinking of the day she was born. I was living in Fernandina Beach, Florida and waiting anxiously for her to come. I had packed the car weeks prior and kept the gas tank full. I remember vividly the phone call. I jumped up and ran out the door without even going to the bathroom. Truly, I remember THAT because I hadn't driven 10 miles until nature reminded me.

Of course, I don't remember the entire road trip, but I only stopped to hurriedly buy gas and call the hospital from a pay phone (yes, they still had them 14 years ago). I would talk to and encourage my daughter for a moment or two and off again. I know I was driving 90 miles an hour in the middle of the night through downtown Atlanta. God was certainly watching out for me.

Snow was gently falling when I whipped into the parking lot at KY. I raced up the stairs, no elevator for me, and ran straight to the desk and felt I was shouting (though later I was assured I didn't) that "I'm the Grandmother from Florida, where's my daughter?". They swiftly put a gown on me, I raced through the door JUST as she was crowning. She was born about 10 minutes after I walked through the door. Now I BELIEVE in Divine intervention, yes, I do. Every prayer I prayed was answered.

And Kristin is everything I prayed for.

Back to the Blog!

Ken Bond

P365/7

You see, Ken CAN smile and act like he's having a good time.

FRANK GILES/Project 365/4

Frank, always doing paperwork.

SCOTT DANIEL-P365/5

Scott, on his cell phone drinking coffee.

I have not been able to post here for 3 days! Something is very wrong with my computer at home, but only when I try to get to blogger.com........I use Mozilla Firefox for my browser, I have cleared my cache, deleted my cookies, rebooted my computer and am at a loss now as to why I cannot connect from that computer. I am at my work now (getting PAID to do this?) shhhhh..... If anybody has any ideas about what I can try next, let me know. I much prefer to do this from my house at 3:00 a.m.

I truly did not "get behind" in my Project 365, I just haven't been able to post anywhere, so they

are up now.

P365/6

Anyway, here I am with updates, updates. We had such a sad, busy weekend here at work. After the funeral we had yesterday the funeral home is finally empty for a few minutes. This is the time we use to "play catch-up" with our paperwork. I know that most people probably think funeral directors just sit around waiting for people to die, but there is so much "behind the scenes" work that we just never seem to get caught up. Today is a very busy day filing death certificates, moving old files to boxes and creating new ones, ordering supplies, balancing the checkbook, catching up with business correspondence, etc. The list seems endless at times. Somehow we manage to keep it done and be ready for whoever needs us next.

My daughter got me a new devotional book for Christmas by Max Lucado and it has morning and evening entries with room for my thoughts. I realize I am probably one of the last people to finally get around to reading him, but I am blown away with this devotional book. It is the first time I can remember actually being excited every night to study. :)

I spent some time thinking deep thoughts last night about all the little (and big) bumps and obstacles we face as we live our lives. Raising children is never easy but somehow we all get through it. Someone that I love very much is just having a hard time these past few days and I feel helpless to be of any assistance. Although I am a grandmother now and have lived through so much of these things myself, I know it is hard for her to realize that "this, too, will pass". We all just pray to raise our children to be happy, healthy, successful Christian adults.

The phone has stopped ringing here for a moment (!) Tomorrow will be a day off for me and hopefully I can take Mother for a manicure and a little shopping for necessities, then back home to my piled up laundry.

Tomorrow's Project 365 WON'T be of the guys at work!