My unusual week

 Good Saturday morning!  It's been a wintry week in these parts.  In fact, tonight we're to go down to 22 degrees!  I guess we'll cover our dear daffodils and crocuses.  We had some snow again yesterday, but it's the nice kind that doesn't stay on the roads, just the grass.  And my car, since I haven't driven all week.  More on that later. 

Now, about my unusual week.  

I don't really remember what I did on Monday, but I do remember that Jeremy called to tell me that they had had to get a new hot water heater.  When they took the old one out they discovered that it had been bought at Montgomery Ward in 1981!!!!  How's that for a throwback??  And a really good hot water heater!  Jeremy said, "It was just a year younger than me!"  

For some reason that made him think of green stamps.  He asked me about them.  He remembered pasting them into books and wondered why we did that.  I told him about taking the filled books to the green stamp store to redeem them for merchandise.  We decided that was like reward points before the digital age!!  Remember these?

On Tuesday we got some snow.  Just enough to be beautiful, but not a problem.  Of course, I was not allowed to drive anywhere, so it might as well have been a blizzard, hahaha!!  But no blizzard.  It had all melted by evening. 

Hunter's 7th birthday was Wednesday, but we celebrated on Tuesday evening.  I had taken this last picture of the family of three 7 years ago when I picked up Austin before they left for the hospital.

This was our welcome committee as we drove up Anthony's private road on Tuesday evening.   The deer stood and looked at us for a bit, which is what I was trying to take a picture of, but by the time I had my phone camera ready they were heading into the woods.  

Dick and I had stopped at Wegmans on our way there to pick up the cake Lori had ordered.  How cute is this????

And here's our Happy Birthday song once again in four-part harmony.  We're getting better, haha!

Hunter's friend Nkoyo and her mother Adidi joined us too.

Fun evening as always.  Hunter's birth is such a precious memory to us.  Anthony and Lori had resigned themselves to a one-child family because fertility measures had not worked and Lori's age was becoming a factor.  And then she was pregnant!!  How we had prayed and how we continued to pray all through that pregnancy!!  

I could cry buckets just looking at this precious picture!

This was my joyous blog post that day.

And a precious picture a few days later.  I could just kiss that soft little face right now.

I want to show you this "quilt" I got in the mail from Sweden!  Miki actually cut and patched together each little piece!  Even the envelope had some quilt patches on it!  I just love her work!

Also in the mail this week I got Beth Moore's memoir. What a perfect week to get it!  I couldn't drive, I didn't have Elizer.  So on Wednesday and Thursday I read the entire book.  It is SO good!!!!  I laughed and I cried.  The incredibly hard, heart-wrenching things she has experienced in her lifetime are hard to imagine, and yet she has such a profound teaching ministry.  I first remember seeing her years ago on James Robison's TV program and I loved her enthusiastic teaching.  Then a few years ago I did her Galatians Bible study with a group at Calvary.  It was by far the best Bible study I have ever done.  

On  the cover of her book are the five siblings in her family.  She is on the far right.  Her oldest brother Wayne was like her hero, and they have been very close friends as adults.  Last month, just before her book launched, Wayne died suddenly - I think a heart issue.  It's been a very hard month, such a mixture of good and bad.  

This was me as I read the book - taking advantage of Dick's recliner while he wasn't home, using the heated back massager, the fireplace on, no interruptions....  Such an unusual experience for me!

On Thursday morning Dick noticed a rainbow on the carpet.  Then we started seeing rainbows on the wall, the throw blanket, other places on the carpet.   

And then we discovered the "culprit."  This sweet little crystal bear Sammy had given me, sitting on the ledge of the archway between the kitchen and living room, was catching the sun and throwing rainbows around!!  Later I discovered that if I take the bear to a window where the sun is shining in and turn him around and around, we can have dancing rainbows on the walls, ceiling, and floor!!

Hunter was my boy that day.  The kids had no school this week due to Spring Break.  For the first time I introduced him to the game of LIFE.  He was all in!  

He needed to count his money between each turn, haha!

He also told me lots of jokes and riddles, did some coloring and activities in books I have here, and used his iPad while I got some church music work done on my computer.  Then we did a puzzle together.  He's so sweet and easy!!

Yesterday I got my cast off, woohooooo!!!  I was SO irritated with it always being in my way and hurting the palm of my hand.  And then we were having some snow again.  My frame of mind was, "I'm getting this cast off today come hell or high snow!!!!"  

Pastor Lynn took me and there was no problem.  No snow on the roads.  I will not show you the picture of my hand.  The incision looks really gross.  I'm allowed to get it wet when I shower and wash my hair (another woohoo!!), but I am not to soak it in water as in a bath.  No bandaids or creams on it.  Just clean and dry.  No lifting anything heavier than a coffee cup for a few weeks.   The stitches will work themselves out, which one of them already did.   I'm SO thankful to have this behind me!!

Yesterday afternoon I again got to watch a few episodes of "Call the Midwife" as I folded laundry.  And I took this picture of Mrs. Cardinal.  I had tried to get a picture of Mr. Cardinal earlier, but he flew away too quickly.  

Today and tomorrow we will be watching some really exciting track events.  Lisa has taken a group of her athletes to the Nike Indoor Nationals at the Armory Track & Field Complex in NYC!!!   Here's a cute pic of Sophie and one of her team mates from Relentless Sports Performance where Lisa coaches.

 

And now I've got stuff to do between the races!

Remember to turn your clocks ahead an hour tonight!  Of course our phones do it while we're sleeping. 

Getting all the things done!

 Well, I had been doing so well posting every few days, but here I am - a week-and-a-half since my last post.     

When I last posted the other Friday evening (February 24), I said I had put a pork roast in the slow cooker for pulled pork.  What I didn't say - the reason I was making it was because we were going down to Sam and Steph's new home on Saturday afternoon.  

SATURDAY

And here's the reason we were going, haha!  Sam was having an issue with his car that he was so determined to fix himself, but dear old Dad was glad to help!

Sam had picked up the kids from Jenn after he got off work at 1:00.  We had a GREAT afternoon!  Steph and I and the kids had a crazy time playing LIFE, which I had brought along.

After the guys were done with Sam's car they relaxed in the very comfy living room.  

When we had eaten some pulled pork sandwiches and chips, the kids were feeling a bit stir-crazy.  So I took them in the van to find a playground in their new town.  This was a few blocks down the street, but a bit juvenile for them.

After a bit we decided to go on an adventure.  I just started driving.  We drove and drove and drove - no idea where we were or where we were going.  The kids have such a great sense of humor and we were cracking up the entire time.  When we would see really big beautiful homes, they would say, "They don't have any kids."  When we saw homes with stuff outside they would say, "They have kids."  One time we passed a house with a LOT OF stuff sitting outside everywhere.  I said, "They have kids.  Lots of kids!" When we saw an incredible view I said, "I bet they can see Penn State games from here."  At one point I decided to turn at a crossroads instead of going straight.  Sammy said, "But I wanted to go to Maryland!"  

Thankfully, GPS got us back to the house!  

Before we left for home I got this sweet picture in the kitchen. 

And a picture of this amazing fish they had won at a fair!  Our always died in spite of our best efforts!

SUNDAY

The next morning we had church, of course, and afterward we went to brunch with some of our friends. We had a lazy afternoon, then we went to Calvary in the evening.  We seldom get there anymore, but didn't want to miss the worship Encounter they were having with Unity, the church where Anthony and Lori had met back in the early 2000's.  I took the tiniest video.  I was afraid maybe it was creepy that I was taking a video in the middle of such beautiful worship.  

MONDAY

I had a long list of things to accomplish last week before my carpal tunnel surgery.  But I took time to watch some birds too!

I had ordered a mailing kit from iMemories in which to send my slides.  So one thing I accomplished was looking through all my slides against a back light on my computer and deciding which to send and which to throw out.  I took them in the mailing kit to Fed Ex.  

I also took some of the pulled pork and other sides to Dick at work to take to Anthony and Lori.  We were possibly getting some snow and ice, and I didn't want to try getting up their hill if that would be the case.  

We had intended to meet Alex to get Elizer from him that evening, but Dick thought the weather forecast sounded too risky since we would need to go over the mountain where it's always worse.  As it turned out, I don't know if the temp ever really got low enough for ice.  I think we could have gone for him. 

TUESDAY

On Tuesday morning we had just a dusting of snow.   

 I got our tax stuff ready to go to our tax guy, and Dick delivered it to him in the evening.   Destiny had to go to Lancaster that day, so she picked up Elizer from Alex.  They came here for the evening and overnight.  I gave Elizer a bath and then we had a cereal snack.  

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday morning began with a beautiful sunrise.  

After I took Elizer to daycare I went on some errands and stopped in at Michaels.  I found this welcome sign for the front door.  They already had their St. Patricks Day merchandise reduced!

We got these cute pics from daycare!

I made a chicken pie for Lori and Anthony in the afternoon and took it over to their place.  Then I picked up Elizer.  Dick and I took him along to our soup and bread supper at church before the Lenten service and choir practice.  He LOVES the playroom at church.  Destiny came to church to pick him up when she got off work.  

They were watching Little Mermaid and eating ice cream when we got home later.  They stayed here overnight again. 

THURSDAY

On Thursday morning I was in the bathroom doing my hair when he came to the door wearing the jacket of the outfit he was to wear that day over top of his pajamas.  They matched, hahaha!!  He was trying so hard to do the zipper himself.  He is so good at dressing himself - pants, shirts, socks, shoes, coat, hat.  Just not zippers.  

I did our laundry that day and other things I just can't remember, lol!

That evening Elizer was having fun building towers with blocks again.  We had also gotten a picture from daycare of him building a tower during outdoor playtime!

FRIDAY

On Friday morning Dick and I left around 9:00 am for Geisinger's Lewistown hospital, about 45 minutes away across the mountain.  

A few weeks ago when I found out that Elizer's daycare would be closed all this week due to Penn State's Spring Break and he would be with Alex for the week, I messaged my hand surgeon that I have a small window of time in which to get my right hand done.  I heard back that he would also be away all that week, but he could do it the previous Friday at the Lewistown location.  I decided to schedule it.  

There was once again a chance of snow, ice, and wind.  But thank God it waited till we were back home!

Ready to go!  

I was really disappointed to find out before the surgery started that the equipment for an endoscopic surgery, as I had had on my left wrist, was not available at Lewistown.  I almost started to cry when I realized I would have a bigger incision this time and possibly a longer recovery time.  My dear surgeon even asked the other staff in the operating room, "What would it take to get the equipment we need from State College?"  A nurse said, "Well, someone would need to drive across the mountain to Grays Woods and get it and bring it back, and then we would need to sterilize it when it gets here."  I said, "It's ok. Just go ahead with the surgery."  At one point in the surgery he said, "Jean, I am doing this carpal tunnel release with the smallest incision I have ever made."  God bless him!!  He is one of those doctors (my age) that hopefully will not retire for a long, long time.  He just recently started doing some surgeries at Lewistown, and I heard so many of the nursing staff say how much they like him and are impressed with his expertise.  

Here I am on the way home later.  Several people commented on Facebook that I look tired or maybe under the influence of anesthesia.  No, I did not have any anesthesia.  Just local stuff carefully injected into my veins.  I have a cast this time, which I will get off this coming Friday. 

As I said, it started snowing as we got back to State College.  In a short time it looked like this.  But later it turned to rain and all the snow disappeared.

I slept ok that night, trying to somehow keep my arm elevated.  

SATURDAY

On Saturday I just stayed in my robe.  It seemed too hard to figure out bathing or fixing my hair.  Destiny, Elizer, and Dick were here, and they all love me no matter how I look!  I had some fun with Snapchat filters!  I didn't know which was scarier - my real look (top left) or the filters, haha!

Of course Elizer loves the filters!

More fun with blocks!

Later in the afternoon Destiny and Elizer left for their house and Dick ran some errands.  I very slowly and carefully folded laundry while I watched a few more episodes of Call the Midwife.  Love it, love it, love it!

SUNDAY

Yesterday afternoon we took Elizer to meet Alex.  It's so cute to see them so excited to see each other. 

Look what we saw in our front flower bed!!  I'm glad Spring flowers are so hardy, because our winter weather is definitely not over.  It sounds like there is more on the way. 

 

TODAY

And here I am again in my purple robe.  I think I'm doing pretty well.  Using my left hand to hold my coffee mug is no problem.  The fingers of my right hand enable me to use a pen, but the cast gets in the way somewhat.  There are a few things I've done that really made me say "ouch."  One was as simple as  picking a sock off the floor.  It really hurt my incision.  Strange.  I obviously can't slice or dice things with a knife or anything that takes a lot of force.  My left hand just can't seem to figure it out.  And I'm not allowed to drive.  Hopefully he'll tell me on Friday that I may.  It's amazing how elbows and teeth come in handy for some tasks, lol!

I managed to bathe and wash my hair by kneeling in the tub at the faucet and keeping my right hand out over the edge.  Last time the doctor had said to use Saran Wrap over the bandage, but it really didn't work.  This time he didn't suggest that.  So I'm doing my best to keep it dry.

And finally, that's all, folks!!