Cold but really good week!

It's April!  The calendar tells me so.  But our weather does not!  Last Monday was bitter, never got above freezing, and snow was swirling.  Overnight temps went down into the teens.  We were concerned that our Spring flowers would freeze and be ruined, but amazingly, after a few days of temps above freezing they are looking pretty good.  I guess they're hardy for a reason.

My posts have gotten somewhat out of chronological order.  A week ago I posted the story of Destiny and Alex finding their beautiful home and the pictures from moving in.  Then on Friday I posted the pictures from the week before they moved.  Now I'm posting about the first week after they moved.   

On Monday evening Dick and I went to Destiny and Alex's place so he could use his stud finder to hang their living room TV.   We were amazed at all the unpacking and organizing they had done that day!  Destiny always has Mondays off work, so that really worked out well.   She put up her favorite wall art that evening.  

With some help from Elizer and Alex, Dick got their TV hung.

I had fun playing with Elizer in his room.

On Tuesday I got a bit of re-organizing done here at home, including putting my house plants on the front window sills and the bench.  I imagined them saying, "WHAT??  We're allowed to sit here again??"  To be clear, I will gladly move them whenever Elizer comes to visit!

That evening we went to Destiny and Alex's place again so Dick could attach Destiny's heavy mirror to her dresser and hang a swivel mount for their bedroom TV.   Before we left for home he had a little blueberry snack with Elizer. 

I gave them a Willow Tree figurine I had gotten for them as a house warming gift.

On Wednesday I tried something new - the air fryer that Destiny had found for me on Marketplace!!  I made fried chicken for Anthony and Lori and COULD NOT believe how tender and delicious it was when I ate a piece of it!!!!  I decided that after I picked up Austin from school and took him and their food to their place I would go buy more chicken thighs and make some for us too.  

Turns out that Destiny had gotten off work early that day and was planning to go to Walmart for some groceries, so we agreed to meet there.  I had a prescription to pick up first, so I texted her that I would meet her in the grocery side of the store right after I picked up my prescription.  But as I was finishing paying for the prescription and turning to go, there were Destiny and Elizer.  He was sitting in the cart and saw me and said, "Gaum!!!!"  (That's what he calls me, haha!)  He leaned towards me for a kiss.  Oh my goodness!!  Melt my heart!!!

We shopped for groceries and other things she needed for the house, then we went our separate ways.  I told her I was running home to make some more fried chicken, then we'd bring some over for them.  There were still more little projects for Dick to do for them.

On Thursday evening I went to their place again to take some things, probably their laundry.   They do not have a washer and dryer yet, so I've been doing their laundry.  There is a closet in their kitchen with hookups for a stackable washer and dryer, but she has non-stackable ones, which we still have in their storage unit. 

They were having dinner in the living room when I got there.  

I had fun playing with Elizer in his room.  Of course he needed to wear my shoes!

On Friday morning I had a really important appointment with my hand surgeon.  In the last few months my left hand has become increasingly painful at night and extremely tingly when driving.  I recognized the symptoms as being the same as I had a year ago in my right hand.  A cortisone shot had given me temporary relief until I could have carpal tunnel release surgery in August.  I knew I needed the same thing now for my right hand.  But I honestly couldn't find the time to even think about calling for an appointment during my busy days.  I had only three hours of sleep last Sunday night because the pain was so bad.  I was here by myself on Monday for the first time in ages and calling for an appointment was at the top of the list.  

I was told that the first available appointment with my hand surgeon was May 3.  I said,  "I cannot possibly make it till then.  I need to be able to sleep."  Then I remembered we would be in Portland that first week of May.  I told him I just want to get a cortisone shot to hold me over till we get back from that trip.  He said they would call me back.  On Tuesday I got a call and they said the doctor had given them permission to add me in to his already double, sometimes triple-booked schedule.  We decided on Friday, April 1st at 9 am.  I told them I would be there at 9 and be willing to sit all day without complaining till the doctor would have time to fit me in.  

The rest of the nights last week became increasingly worse.  I searched for ways to be able to sleep without so much pain.  For a few weeks I had been sleeping on my side with my right arm hanging out over the edge, which had seemed to help.  But no more.  So I tried the suggestion of sleeping on my back with my right arm on a pillow, unbent.  (How do you stay like that while sleeping??)  For one night that seemed to help, but the second night I woke up with extremely intense pain and went out to the living room couch to try the next suggestion - sleeping sitting upright.  I slept there again Wednesday and Thursday nights, each night getting worse.  I was SO READY for that cortisone shot when I got there Friday morning!!  

I was called back soon after 9:00 and got that blessed shot!  I do still have tingling, but I have been able to sleep without pain each night since.  Hallelujah!!!!  

In case anyone is thinking I should try sleeping with a wrist brace, I DO!!  I have been sleeping with a brace on each wrist ever since I was having this issue with my left hand a year ago.  At some point in the next months I will need to figure out when I can do without my right hand for a week or two so I can have surgery.  

After my appointment I went home and made air fried pork chops and grilled veggies.  I packed the food into a cooler and headed back to the same orthopedic practice for Dick's appointment at 2:15.  

No wrist issues for him, but right leg issues.  In early February he had been checking his trail cams in Anthony and Lori's woods, slipped on the ice-covered snow and fell.  At first it didn't seem too bad and we expected him to be all better in a week.  Not so.  After a few weeks he developed a lot of calf swelling.  He's been doctoring for weeks now.  An x-ray, an ultrasound, an MRI, appointments with our primary physician, a regularly scheduled annual check-up with his oncologist, and finally an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon.  They say he has a Baker's cyst behind his knee, but they don't think that is the cause of the pain and swelling.  I didn't have time to stay for his whole appointment because the doctor was running late, but he said he thinks it's muscle injury from his fall in February.  He supplied him with a new brace and scheduled another MRI in a few weeks.  Ugh!!  This might be ok for a 71-year-old man who was retired and could sit at home with his leg propped up all the time.  But that is not our situation.  If you think of him, please pray!  

When I left his appointment I picked Austin up from school and took him and their food to their place.   I had made enough of the pork chops and veggies for us too.  They were so delish!!  That evening we had a quiet evening at home alone.  It was my first day not seeing Elizer since they moved.  I already felt so out of touch, haha!!  

We watched Sophie's track meet.  Unfortunately, I had not remembered it until she had already run the 100, but we did get to watch her run the 200.  She set a new personal record as well as a new school record!!  

Saturday was a really good day!  Hunter came for the afternoon!  I had so much fun playing with him. 

Dick had fun playing with him too while I went to Walmart for some groceries.  When I came home he was cuddled up on Grandpa's lap with his iPad! 

In the evening we went to Destiny and Alex's place for their first cookout!  Sort of.  They have a charcoal grill and we made hot dogs on it and then ate inside.  It was too cold to eat outside.  

Anthony and Lori and Austin came too.  We had such a great time eating and hanging out there!  In addition to hot dogs we had macaroni salad, baked beans, chips, and no-bake peanut butter balls.  

The guys were in the living room.  I put Elizer's favorite YouTube videos on their TV and he stood on the coffee table dancing away with them.  I think there were at least seven different versions of Wheels on the Bus.  Occasionally he would turn around and pat Austin's hand. 

In the kitchen Lori and Destiny were having animated conversations about work. 

Of course Elizer had to have some Paw Paw time before we left.  It was a really good evening!!

Sunday was another really good day, although very cold and damp and windy.  After church we went out for brunch with Pastor Lynn and some other friends from church.  Again I forgot to take any pictures.  We had so much fun!

It was Austin's turn to come to our house!  Lori dropped him off mid afternoon.  Before long Destiny and Elizer stopped in after a grocery run.  Elizer had fallen asleep in the car, so she carried him in and gave him to Paw Paw.  That's where he slept for at least an hour or more!  Occasionally we heard some snoring, so I knew they were both sleeping.  

Meanwhile we pulled out our Scrabble board and Destiny, Austin, and I played Scrabble!  And we snacked on chocolates and pretzels and chips.  Doesn't get much better than that!!  It was really fun!  I did win.  I've been playing Scrabble all my life!

After Elizer woke up he and Austin played together and had the greatest time.  Austin was really, really good with him and it was so fun to watch.  He was disappointed when Destiny and Elizer left.

Later, when we were ready to take Austin home he remembered that he had wanted to make something for me.  He asked for my colored paper and he chose purple.  For about half an hour he sat there working on his creation. 

And there it is! 

Then we left to take him home, stopping for a few groceries along the way and some chicken tenders from KFC for Austin and for Hunter too.  

My heart was full!  Congratulations if you made it the whole way to the end of the terribly long post!!  I write it all down because I don't want to forget it.

Have a good week!