Monday, February 10, 2014

It's 1:20 a.m. here, and I have to take meds and go to bed.  Tomorrow - that is, later today - I will have scary vascular surgery...my left leg.  I've been in such pain with this leg for the past 9 months to a year, much more than ever before.  Sometimes to the point I can't do anything but take a pain reliever and go to bed.  SO, must be at the appointed place at the appointed time on this Monday to face what I've been told will be tough on me and can have complications.  Recovery, so the doc told me, will take a long time...several months.  Hopefully it will be lead to better days ahead.  To say I'm a little concerned, filled with dread for tomorrow, would be an understatement - truth is, I'm scared to death.  Tough part is, not a single solitary soul gives a damn.  K will try to care, but unfortunately he won't remember it's being done.  He'll just get angry that we are there for so long, his meds will wear off, and someone will have to deal with him.  And then he will expect me to take care of him.  This time I can't.  

Tried to clean house...I just couldn't.  Had to go to bed today.  Hope I can do better after surgery.  

SO, that's the bad stuff!  What's good that's been happening?  Certainly not finances!  Still have not heard anything from Social Security favoring our plight - instead got a bill for K's Medicare.  Sinice he has no income, he has no way to pay it.  So will call the SS office again sometime tomorrow or Tuesday to try to work that out.  

I went to Salado in January to the UDC Forum.  Roomed with friend Betty again.  She's such an inspiration.  She's shouldering a lot these days with family issues and life as well.  But keeps on keeping on.  I should have stayed home - just went because I needed to get away for a bit and because I wanted to learn what goes on at one of these.  I got put on a State UDC committee that is converting forms to on-line fillable format.  I've just been testing them; there's a younger lady who is doing the actual conversion.  Thus far she's not doing such a hot job.  We send her the corrections that need to be made, instead of working through those she does something else and sends them all back out to us, we have to re-test them and send the same damn issues back to her.  I long for disciplined version control as we always had at my former employer.  

What else?  I started going to the Needlework club and I'm trying to learn to knit.  Funny, tedious, not doing very well at it.  Thus far I've learned to cast on and learned how the knit stitch is made.  Executing what I've learned is something else.  After crocheting since I was in diapers, I'm finding knitting is kicking my butt!  Oh, well, maybe I'll learn anyway.  Won't hurt to try.  

Oh, yeah...I was appointed Chair of the nominating committee for our chapter of the UDC - that was back in November.  The committee and I have been working on it ever since...begging, pleading, doing whatever we can to get someone to take positions.  Thought we had it worked out but Recording Secretary nominee advised she can't fulfill the duties because her husband is doing so poorly now.  So, we started the begging and pleading by emails and phone calls and in person all over again.  As of midnight Feb. 4, we had no one.  I had been asked by several to take the position but I had not stepped up because I am fairly new.  At a meeting the night before our report was due to the full membership I allowed myself to be talked into it.  I read the report at the meeting and explained how we had hunted for someone to fill the positions.  I submitted the report and announced it will be read again at the March meeting before voting in April.  I could not believe it - a woman came to me immediately and wanted the job!  Why hadn't she responded to all the communication since November???  I would have gladly surrendered the job to her except for the fact that she is not able to perform the job.  The requirements of our organization are that members must be a descendant of a soldier either direct or collateral.  Intelligence is not a consideration for membership.  Oh my gosh, this is the one person none of us would have ever suspected would have come forward.  I don't think she understands what the office is or does, and based on previous dealings with her, several of us know she can't perform.  SO, what to do?  I've been told to read the report as filed at the March meeting, and that on the day of elections someone can be nominated from the floor and a contested election can be held.  I just do not want to do that!  Think I'll just be sick and stay home instead.  I didn't want the job in the first place and I sure don't want to deal with the politics of a contested election.  

Finally got the 2012 taxes figured out.  Got to get it ready for Ken to mail tomorrow.  Yippee - we are owed money.  I think we'll be owed even more for 2013.  

Guess that's it...love to all.  I miss being a part of life.  

  

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Door bell rang a bit ago -- I've been reading lots of horror stories of bad guys breaking in on old people and doing physical harm.  K was in bed already and no way was I going to the door.  K got up, dressed, then he and the dog went to check on who was out there.  Found no one.  We figure it was the neighbor because when K checked our garage door was open.  The neighbors around here are good at letting one another know if the garage door is left open.  At least the adrenalin got to flowing!

Let's see...I've built a Facebook page for the Six Flags Chapter (Texas), Daughters of the American Revolution.  I made myself and fellow chapter member and officer Diane admins on it.  I've sent out invites to all chapter members and we've been surprised at who all has actually visited and joined the site (must be member of DAR).  Diane and I have also sent invitations to a few of the national committee folks to come visit our site and join it.  We've been experimenting with it, learning about it, etc., and laughing because every time we do something those who accepted membership are out there checking out what we are doing even though we are "testing" it.  It's funny because most of the ladies are in their 80's but they are really "hip" as far as getting on the computers!  Sometimes before we have time to check something they've already hit the like button!

Since this is Diane's idea, and since Diane has been elected to be the next Regent of Six flags, we are trying to get this up and running for her term of office so that maybe, just maybe, we can get a dying chapter up and moving in a positive direction.  We've got some plans for some activities and some ideas that we hope will work to enliven the chapter.  YOUNG blood in the chapter will help!  At my age I'm one of the YOUNG people.

I haven't done much more to K's t-shirt quilt...I need a day when I can focus on it.  Doesn't look like that will be this week.  Friday is project day for Lockheed Blanketeers - I'm signed up to go but not sure I'm going to be able to.  I hate to miss - always have a nice time with the ladies.  BUT, thanks to Uncle Sam (SS), we are having to pull together documentation and go to the SS office to combat/appeal their decision to stop K's disability checks!  We didn't find out until today that they had decided to no longer pay him disability.  We called SS - they claim they sent letters but we did not respond.  We haven't seen any letters.  They claim he worked all year and earned way too much money.  He hasn't earned anything except for his little part-time work for the stadium, which amounts to hardly anything.

I went to endocrinologist yesterday - it was much like going to "medical confession."  I've been so bad for the past 3 months.  Got to get back on the right path.  Doc wanted me to go to HMR's  weightlosstx.com office and get started with them.  I called their office...let me see, that will be $25 to $55 per week for the doctor supervision plus food.  So I said, in other words, $500-$600 per month?  The lady said yes.  I said I can't do that, it's too expensive.  She said, "it takes the place of your regular groceries."  To which I responded that since my husband still has to eat it doesn't take the place of anything!  And we don't spend $700-$800 a month for groceries (doc plus food).  I spend approximately $250 - $300 per month for groceries.  Anyway, that's not a consideration on our budget.

Guess that's about it - nuttin' excitin' happening at our place.

Saturday, January 11, 2014...Nuttin' Happening

Already the 11th of January - time just keeps marching on.  What have I done since January 2...hmm, have to think about that one.

Last Saturday, even though Ken was sick as all get out, we cleaned out both cars and packed all the Christmas gifts for kids and grandkids in them and drove them to Mansfield.  We feel much better that the kids got their stuff.  Afterward we stopped at Olive Garden in Burleson for dinner.  Ken felt so bad he couldn't eat and I was fading fast.  We came home and went to bed!  Since then we've both been trying to get better.

Let's see, I made a rag quilt for our cleaning lady who is due any minute with her third child - another girl.  I started it over the weekend and got it finished on Tuesday because the cleaning team was due on Wednesday.  I think it turned out fairly cute.  I selected six different pink flannel prints and cut out blocks 8.5" square.  She wanted it nice and soft so I didn't use any batting between the front and back squares, simply turned them wrong sides together, quilted the "X" across each block, then sewed them together with raw edge.  this one is 7 blocks by 7 blocks, making it about 49 x 49 once the seams were done.  The baby's name will be Lesly Aylin but I did not put a label on this quilt for her...because I am going to make another one for her that is most likely going to be either 9 patch or disappearing 9 patch.  That one will bet a label.  Using the snippers on every seam on one of these is tiring, but I think I want to make a king size quilt for our bed.  Problem is, Bennie Joe stays on the bed all day so I don't put anything nice on it.

No idea why some of the blocks are showing up coral in these pictures - they are all the same light shade of pink.

What else?  Ken's been very sick so I haven't been able to move the furniture around or get the sewing room cleaned out/put together.  That will get done soon.  He has suggested once again that I take over the master bedroom as my large sewing room (has hardwood floors) and that we put our bed in the small bedroom.  I'm still thinking about that.  After all, we don't do anything but sleep in te bedroom and I could sure use the space.  The problem is, it would soon be just as messy as the current one and I would be out of space once again.  I think it's probably better if I stay with the smaller room and figure out how to store/place things in a more organized manner.

OK, so what else?  Ken was feeling a little better on Tuesday so he went to the Civil War Museum in full uniform and hung out with buddy Jack Dyess learning lots of information for the benefit of volunteering out there.  He came home with a side arm and sash to wear on his uniform.  He's quite excited about being a confederate character (lol).

Ken's family didn't arrive in this country until after the War Between the States so he has no loyalty to either side.  He's confederate via marriage to a Southern gal and my involvement in various lineage organizations.  He's an auxilliary member of the Wm. H. Griffith #2235 Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans; auxilliary because he can't trace his lines back to the period.  His uniform is that of a Sargeant in the Artillary - the uniform was custom made for him by Fall Creek Suttlery out of Whitestown, Indiana.  He got it as one of his Christmas gifts.  The Confederate uniform was grey jacket, sky blue pants, grey kappa (cap).  All out of wool and HOT.  The jacket is lined...otherwise he would itch badly.  The side arm he is holding in the picture is not "real" so he says...but certainly looks it!  It has no chamber for bullets.  It, the holster, and the red sash, along with the knife were loaned to him by Jack.  I think he can purchase his own at the museum.

I was supposed to go to the Woman's Shakespeare Club on Wednesday, and intended to do that. Cleaning ladies came and I had plenty of time to get ready after they left...but I wasn't feeling well. Instead of going to Shakespeare I went back to bed for most of the rest of the day.  I think it was what I needed to do because I felt better Thursday morning although still weak.  I managed to attend the meeting of the Six Flags Chapter of the DAR.  I am transferring from the MIK chapter of DAR to Six Flags because it is a smaller chapter and there is much more potential for getting involved.  I've already been asked to build a Facebook page as well to take over development of a web page.  Shouldn't be difficult.  And I've already started making suggestions.  Six Flags is an ageing/dying chapter, and if something is not done it is going to become a "has been" chapter.  It needs members and it also needs some activities to enliven it.

After the meeting Thursday I met up with Ken and a couple of his friends and another wife for lunch at WS Cafe.  As long as I've lived here that was the first time I've been there.  It was ok, nothing to write home about.  Typical "greasy spoon" cafe with the exception that it is fairly large!  Afterward, in separate cars, Ken and I drove out to Benbrook to the antique mall and spent about an hour piddling before heading home.  It was a horribly soupy, messy, foggy day; and I got lost in the fog on the way home!  Missed a turn and then had no idea where I was.  I sent a text to Ken and confessed I was lost and told him to lead us home.  Turns out we weren't that far away from the house, I just couldn't see in the fog.

I've had a t-shirt quilt for K in the works for a couple of years.  I did the large blocks, making them all the same width, but they are all different heights.  K has been griping because I haven't finished the thing so I decided to work on it.  I haven't worked on it because I haven't been quite sure how to handle it.  The shirt blocks are all backed with stabilizer and all have different size sashings on them so that the blocks come out to the same size width wise.  I just wasn't sure what to do to set them together.  SO, we laid them all out on the king size bed (I no longer work in the floor!), and I used 72 inches in length as my "goal" length.  We spread the columns of blocks out so that horizontal seams will be offset from column to column and then I measured between each block and cut fabric strips to fill in.  I don't yet have a picture of it like this, so the picture here is just of the blocks before I started messing with in-between strips.  Thus far it looks ok.  I hope to get back to working on it on Monday.  I'm adding things as I go along...such as some of the smaller things that were on t-shirt sleeves, or some special things such as an American flag, a Texas flag, Ranger Baseball emblem, etc.

Today daughter B and grandkids came by to pick up wheel chair to loan to long-time friend from school who managed to bust up her ankle and has had two surgeries thus far.  She's going to be incapacitated for a couple of months.  Barely got the chair in the back of B's new Ford Escape SUV - used to her driving the mommy van but she no longer has it or needs it since kids are older.  Pretty car - glad for her.  She deserves to drive a decent car.

K and I went to lunch at "neighborhood" cafe and then walked through the little antique place next door.  I have such a hard time walking - just makes me so angry.  I used to walk for miles walking my dog and now I'm lucky if I can get down the aisle at a grocery store without having to sit down because of pain in the legs and hips.  I don't understand what happened to me!

We were planning to go to the big antique mall in town so came home, plugged in scooter battery intending to rest about 45 minutes before leaving.  The battery got plugged in alright but our entire household (K and me plus all the fur babies) went to bed and skipped the outing.  I woke up about 6:30 p.m.  We were thinking about going out to eat but K was dealing with the sensor on his insulin pump so we stayed home and had "every man for himself" night.  And now I'm starving!

That's about it.  Life is good, I think.  We will start preparing for next weekend.  Friday will be Blanketeer project day for me all day, Saturday we will be up and downtown early to ride in the parade, and then Sunday we have a SCV memorial ceremony at the camp's adopted cemetery. Hope it's a nice day for all of that!  But for now, it's time to start searching for FOOD.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Appointment with Dr. Broker, Vascular Specialist early this morning.  First time I've met him and his staff although they are members of my transplant team.  First time I've needed to see him.  VERY good looking, and appears to be all of 12 years old!  I was so stunned when he came in the examination door that it came right out of my mouth - "Oh, my gosh!  You're so young!"  He laughed, said he had actually shaved this morning...otherwise his grey would showing.  Anyway, thankfully I didn't have to fill out a bunch of paperwork because it's all in the computer same as Dr. Lander the heart doc and the hospital.  Nice to work with a team.

Really sweet tech put me through the paces today, including a deep sonogram of the veins in the left leg.  Sure enough there is damage and the valves don't work.  And yes, it is a vascular lesion on my leg which could worsen and become an ulcer which might never heal causing loss of leg, blah, blah, blah.  The doc also ordered a sonogram of the right leg and there is damage there, too, but not yet as bad as the left.  So, we start with the left.  This will require surgery, but now days it is done via laser and not by the barbaric means of hospitalization, putting the patient under heavy anesthesia, cutting out and stripping the veins.  With laser it is still surgery, but under local, takes about an hour, is done in the doc's office, but must have driver with the patient.  There will be no prolonged sitting or long car trips for at least two weeks after surgery due to possibility of blood clots.  He promises there will be pain (how will I know the difference) but should subside in about a week (they all promise that!).  And, it will take several months for healing.  But eventually the lesion/ulcerated leg should heal.  There will be walking involved...no idea how I'm going to do that but I am.  Doesn't have to be fast, and can certainly use the walker.  Can't wait to get this done; over with.

Afterward had my visit with my counselor and discussed various things including whether or not I'm jealous of my ex or anyone, and whether or not I'm manipulative.  Some self examination.  No, I'm not jealous.  I wanted OUT of that situation, so not jealous.  Counselor doesn't think so, either.  However, I confessed to having hurt feelings and feelings of being disrespected because I want to have time with my children and grandchildren.  Counselor says that I need to own those feelings, that they are my feelings...that it is ok for me to have feelings and that I should not be guilty because I have feelings.  I'm not making any sense trying to write this down, but I understood at the time.

Manipulative...still can't see that one, and we talked about it a lot.  Haven't been around anyone or spoken to anyone in a long time to be manipulative.  I need more feedback for us to discuss that one.

We talked a lot about relationships...that a relationship, at least a good one, cannot be one directional and be a true relationship.  That the "rules" and "demands" of the relationship cannot be made by one side, that consideration of the needs of both sides have to be involved.  And learned that my needs are viable just as everyone's needs are.  Wow!  I need to replay that one over and over again in my head 'til I get it through my noggin.

Also had discussion that just because the relationship is not good doesn't mean I am a bad person (which is the dialogue I tend to play repeatedly in my brain).  It also means that the other party to the relationship has issues they need to resolve.  What a concept!

As usual, there were no miracles that occurred, just some good things to contemplate, some great points I need to work on for improving thoughts of my own self worth, which has been zilch for a long time.  And some things I need to watch out for to "protect" myself.

Other than that...I stopped at Joann's to get supplies for the rag quilt I need to make for the lady who does our house cleaning.  I need to get it completed by next Wednesday.  Her baby is due any moment.  I picked out 6 different pink flannels and bought a yard of each.  I'm planning to use 8" squares to make it about 48x48, flannel both sides, no batting in between.  She asked me to make it so that it is really, really soft.  So it will be with flannel.  I should, hopefully, be able to get it completed over the weekend if I don't come down with the crud K has.

Speaking of the crud, K is definitely down!  Oh, my.  He was sick all night long, wasn't able to go to the mission this morning (and he just hates that!), wasn't able to go to the Civil War Museum this afternoon, has been taking meds all day, and is currently asleep and snoring (I can hear him from here).  I was hoping he would be able to help me with packing the two cars with the Christmas gifts for the kiddos so we could get them delivered, but that's just not going to happen today.  He's supposed to work at the stadium tomorrow, but I don't see that going to happen either.
Guess I can't move furniture out of my sewing room today either...can't do it by myself.  I'm wanting to move everything out of this room, including the huge desk, so that I can do a deep cleaning.  Then I'm not going to put all of this back in here, but am instead going to do some different things to make the room work better for cutting/sewing/quilting and storing fabrics and supplies.

That's it...I'm tired...one of K's business contacts is supposed to stop by in a bit...need to wake him up.  Other than that, going to get the leg elevated and may close the eyes very early.

Happy ending to Thursday?

January 1, 2014 - New Year's Day

Happy New Year!

Stayed home for NY's Eve --DH doesn't like to go out because of the drunks and stupid heads.  He went to bed but not to sleep.  I stayed up, doing some cleaning & piddling.  The pop, pop, pop of either gunshots or firecrakers rang out about midight and Luci was scared.  She was barking her head off in the middle of the king size bed, trying to make Daddy get up to go stop whatever was happening.  We stay away from the doors/windows in our house during this time.  It is not unusual for bullets to be flying in our neighborhood.  We toasted the New Year with caffeine-free diet coke.
Today we slept in (LOVE being able to do that), then had a morning of doing a few things and enjoying our time.  This afternoon we went to a NY's blackeyed pea party hosted by friends Joan and Bill and saw a bunch of our friends we haven't seen in a while.  Friends, food, a little good wine.  We left before totally dark because if we leave after dark we have to drive by Braille - DH can't see at night but doc still says its not time to remove cataracts.  And I have a tendency to go to sleep in the car.  So we need to get home before totally dark.

DH will be working at the mission tomorrow morning, then will meet up with our buddy Jack at the Civil War Museum where he will spend the afternoon learning various things about volunteering out there.  It will be great for him.  It will be the first time he wears his uniform.  He had tried on the jacket Christmas Day, as well as the shirt.  But tonight he finally tried on the pants.  These come up on the belly, not below the belly.  The pants were made according to the waste size and without consideration of his skinny legs!  Two people could get into the legs of these pants and the butt.  And they had not been hemmed.  I contacted my friend Maggie in Mississippi who makes period clothing to get "hurry up" advice about what to do.  She says they are supposed to be baggy, not fit like modern clothing.  Also told me to turn the pants up and run a fast whip stitch instead of cutting them off since they haven't been cleaned yet (will probably shrink a bit).  I spent about an hour turning them up and hand stitching them...they don't look the greatest but will do for tomorrow and then we'll get a tailor to hem them.  He's just going to have to wear big baggy pants.

Oh, well, need to go to bed...it's 2:15 a.m. on the 2nd!  I have a doc apptmt (vascular doc) at 9 a.m.  Hopefully going to find out if there is anything that can be done about my left leg.  Veins have collapsed, won't pump the fluids back up, is extremely painful and huge with edema.

Enuf for now...need sleep.

December 30, 2013

Several years ago, after life went to heck in a handbasket, Ken and I made some decisions about trying to give back.  After all, I had been given the gift of life - a kidney transplant, and Ken had survived major brain damage caused by his attempt to commit suicide (had been declared brain dead, woke up in end of life care).  Ken began working (volunteering) at First Street Mission and assisting anyone who needed help; I volunteered to teach computer skills classes to at-risk women trying to develop marketable skills.  We also began having tough, tough family issues and had no idea how to resolve them.  But we decided that no matter how tough it got that we would do our very best to continue to do the right things to the best of our ability no matter how bad it got.  It's been a true test.

After talking about it last night and today, we know that the right thing for us to do is to be absolutely sure that the gifts we have for the kids and grandkids get to them.  These are our children...forever and always.  And we love every one of them.  And no matter what the situation is, we are going to do our best to do the right thing - whether its birthday and Christmas gifts, or help when its needed.  Ken delivered the things for his son's family to his dad's house so that they could be picked up.  And we are going to take everything possible out of both our cars and try to load all the packages for the rest of them into the two vehicles and take them to the kids.  Hopefully we'll be allowed to drop them off.  For us it's the only right thing to do.  We don't want to fight; we don't want to upset anyone or be the cause of any strife.  And we are sorry if we have caused anyone one moment of stress.  We certainly didn't mean to.  

December 29, 2013

Haven't posted in a while...laziness I guess.

I went to the Cranky Treadlers Retreat in Lone Oak the weekend of 19-22 September.  This is so much fun.  I drove by myself this time - because I have to take so much stuff.  Two machines - a Singer 99 handcrank and a Singer 66 Lotus handcrank.  Plus luggage filled with cutting mats, fabric, projects, iron, tv tray for ironing pad, luggage with clothes and personal hygiene products, and food.  This was a 4-day event, so needed quite a bit of "stuff."

The first day we spent setting up our individual nest areas, and then started in working on our various projects.  I spent the first day sewing fence rail blocks together - I had made them at a previous retreat.  It didn't take long for that.  Then I started in making binding for the quilt I should have had finished months ago.  I got that applied when I got home.

On the second day we loaded up in 3 cars and headed for Mineola to quilt shops.  It was rainy, awful.  We were about halfway there when a passenger in my car opened up vials of essential oils.  Thought I was going to wreck the car...my throat started closing over, eyes started stinging, breathing became difficult.  We made it through the quilt shops (one is very tiny but wonderful fabrics and prices) and then headed downtown to a place that has fabulous burgers/food.  I had a wonderful steak sandwich - the biggest thing I've ever seen!  (I took half of it back for supper!)

By the time we got back to the retreat center I was feeling terrible.  And kept getting worse throughout retreat.  I managed to stay until the morning of the 4th day and then packed it up and drove home.  I managed to be home that night but Ken gave me a choice the 2nd day.  He either called an ambulance to come get me or I could get in the car and he would take me to the ER.  I let him take me.   I was in anaphylactic reaction.  Lucky me, while there the ER doc also noticed my left leg...red, inflamed, swollen.  Said it looked like I had a blood clot.  Oh joy!  What else????  They did a doppler, found no blood clot (thank you!) but said I had an infection in the leg as well as the reaction to the essential oils.  I got to go home on a bucket of meds and told to go to bed.  And I did - because I didn't feel like doing anything else.

The 117th Texas State Convention of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was held in Houston October 4-6 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.  Although not fully recovered, I drove down, by myself, choosing to go through College Station because it was direct to the hotel.  Had no problem.  Got there in time to meet up with roommate, have dinner, head to the first evening function (Thursday evening).  Enjoyed my time at convention, learned a lot, met a lot of folks -- including a distant cousin on Mother's side of the family.  We had a nice time comparing research information.  Next time Ken will be going because he is a member of the Sons of the Confederacy and he will be part of the color guard (he has a confederate uniform we  had made for him recently).  Ken will start color guard training in the next couple of weeks.

Leg had not improved...it got worse.  Extreme edema, red streaks, but most of all, itchy red lesion patch about 3" in diameter.  Hmm, what is this.

After return from Houston I became busy with activities at the Woman's Club (Woman's Shakespeare, UDC, DAR), and working on presentation of the book Free State of Jones:  Mississippi's Longest Civil War, by Victoria Bynum.  This book includes information about my paternal gggrandfather, Matt Kilgore, a former sheriff of Jones County, Mississippi.  I was preparing the presentation for the November 6 meeting of the Julia Jackson #141 chapter of the UDC.  However, I had a chance to present a practice run of it at the Griffith Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans the Saturday morning prior to the UDC meeting.  Gave me a chance to tweak it a bit.  I gave a successful presentation to the UDC - or at least no one threw shoes at me!

I was also elected Chair of the Julia Jackson #141 UDC nominating committee, along with fellow members Celia Brannon and Laura Wiese.  We set to work rather quickly because there will be no meeting in January and we need to have the nominations ready to present at the Feb. meeting.  We sent out emails canvassing membership (over 100 members) and very few responded they would take a position.  We three met in early December and put our list together.  We think we've done a good job.  We hope so.

Ken and I were invited to a meeting of the Texas Navy (honorary admirals organization) at Diamond Oaks Country Club for a presentation by the chair of the history department at the University of North Texas on the subject of Italian grave stone sculptor _____________ (name escapes me at present).  Having heard Dr. McCaslin previously on the subject of Robert E. Lee and George Washington, I knew we were in for an interesting evening.  He did not disappoint.  Glad we attended, enjoyed the evening, but found it rather pompus that each member introduced himself/herself as Admiral so and so and gave their date of appointment by the State of Texas and the official granting the appointment (such as Governor Perry).  This is an "honor" organization, usually granted because of contribution to city/state/community.

I can't remember what day it was, but sometime in November or early December (brain cannot recall anything any more) I drove to Plano by myself and picked up a Singer 66 Redhead treadle sewing machine from fellow enthusiasts Allison Bayer.  Can't believe I made it to Plano and back by myself...and the machine is gorgeous.  Hopefully I'll get busy making a project on it shortly after the first of the year.

Ken had to work on Thanksgiving Day.  He continues to work at the AT&T stadium (Dallas Cowboys).  We are always alone on the holidays anyway so his working did not pose a problem, didn't interfere with any family gathering.  I was working on oversize stockings for everyone in my family (meaning kids and grandkids) so used the time he was working to continue on that.  I did prepare a roasted chicken with a bit of dressing, green beans, and sweet potatoes for when he arrived home from work - which was about 9 o'clock in the evening if not later.  He ate and then promptly went to bed.

I spent the next two weeks sewing stockings - first quilting the fronts and backs, then adding cuffs to them all, and then putting on initials.  I think they are cute.  Daughter Brandi likes snowmen, so I had some cute fabric that I thought fit her; and for daughter Megan I always think of Rudolph and Christmas for her.  She used to play Rudolph on the piano a lot.  I had some reindeer fabric, so I made one of those for her.  For son Chris I had a dark blue with bears (he used to talk about going big game hunting), and for each and everyone I tried to match up fabric with things about the individual.  For little Sophie I put lace on the toe.  I used fabric from my stash so I didn't spend money on Christmas fabric other than lining material and batting.

About the time of thanksgiving, or the week after, I got a message from great niece Katie asking me to help her with sewing rice warmer bags she wanted to give as Christmas gifts.  She brought fabric and we had a fun afternoon with her operating the machine for the first bag.  She got busy and couldn't make it back so I cut the remaining bags out and sewed them together and filled them with rice for her.  She and Austin came one evening prior to Christmas and picked them up.  I think there were 10 of them.  She took them home and put monogram letters on them.  And she managed to sell at least one of them.  For $20!

I also made something for my daughters because there wasn't much money for buying gifts.  I've made some things in the past but wasn't happy with the way they turned out so didn't give them to the girls.  This year I liked what I made so have it wrapped and ready, along with some purchased gifts.  Kinda goofy gift, but reversible apron made from Christmas fabric.  I also monogrammed big initials on the front of them.  I guess too corny for my daughters but I wanted so badly to give them something.

Leg still wasn't doing right.  Got an appointment with my heart doc since the ER said to do that if the leg did not improve.  I had a sonogram of the heart, a review of the doppler of my leg, a physical exam of the leg with explanation that what has happened is the veins are not working...not pumping the fluid back up out of the leg...collapsed veins due to many reasons...part of it due to varicose veins that happened long, long ago on a terrible day when I was very young.  No point in delving into that story, ever.  But the doc asked me point blank if something like it had happened and I did not lie.  He also asked me if I had ever, in my entire life, had an MRI with contrast - and indeed I did...when I had the bone infection back in 2001 and 2002 and they amputated the back of my right foot and removed the heel.  Still don't know what that has to do with the left leg.  BUT, he is sending me to a vascular doctor, appointment on January 2, to see if anything can be done.  In the meantime, I'm to keep the leg elevated.  RIGHT!

We missed out on all but one Christmas party this year...weather was bad and everything was canceled.  The Daughters of the American Revolution (Mary Isham Keith Chapter) where I am a member was going to honor my father-in-law as a WW II veteran.  The luncheon was on December 7 at the Ridglea Country Club.  But that was the weekend of the horrible ice storm and it was just way too bad to get Ken's 93 year old father out.  And the meeting was canceled anyway.  We also missed out on the SCV party for the same reason, and the Lockheed Blanketeer Christmas party was rescheduled to January 5.  We made one party this year - the Julia Jackson #141 chapter of the UDC Christmas party and gift exchange.  That's it.  Otherwise it's been a bit dull!

I asked the girls for Christmas lists for the kiddos, and as soon as I got those we started shopping.  There was a terrible long-lasting ice storm in Texas the first week, so I ordered quite a few things online.  Unfortunately one order was lost, several could not be delivered.  I ordered bedding for one granddaughter 3 different times.  The week after the ice storm we made a trip to the store and found the bedding on the shelf an bought it, along with everything else that had not made it in an order to us.  We were so excited for Christmas.  This year we actually decorated the house, went hog wild.  We were still at it on Christmas Eve...still trying to get packages wrapped, trying to clean house, trying to get ready.  Daughter Brandi texted in the afternoon wanting to know if we were expecting them.  I texted that we were not ready (I stank, needed a shower, house was not ready, gifts not wrapped, food not prepared), that I thought a day after Christmas would be better (I know they have other places to go on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and have Christmas at home that morning.  I wasn't going to ask to interrupt plans.  So she texted ok.

On Christmas Day we slept in, and about 10 a.m. opened gifts - mostly things we already knew about.  Afterward we fixed our small Christmas meal of a tiny ham, baked sweet potatoes, and baked beans.  Nothing fancy.  Ken would have been happy with chicken and spaghetti.  Then we settled in to watch some of the 67 episodes of Jeopardy we had recorded.  I noticed the evening of the following day that Brandi had called sometime in the mid afternoon of Christmas Day.  I sent a text telling her I had not seen the call.  My phone stays in the back of the house and I rarely look at it.  I thought everything was ok, but apparently it wasn't.  Somehow between Christmas Eve and the end of Christmas Day everything went to hell.  She was no longer speaking to me, would not respond to text messages or email, and I had (have) no idea what to do.  I thought (stupid me) we would decide what would be a good day for them to come open gifts (we just can't load them and take them this year -- too much, too big), but apparently wires got crossed somewhere and now we're here with a house full of wrapped Christmas gifts that apparently are never going to be given to anyone.  And I don't know what to do.  I've more or less been told to shove it up my behind,  told I'm jealous and manipulatve and she will not allow her children to be exposed to me.  Well, I'm not jealous - there is nothing to be jealous of.  I would like to see my children and grandchildren, without having to see my ex and his wife, but that has nothing to do with jealousy.  It has to do with wanting time with my family - and they are not part of my family.  But I'm going to talk to my counselor about it - maybe I'm not seeing something.  As for manipulative, I don't see that one either.  I haven't seen these kids in about 5 years so have no idea how I could manipulate them.  But I'll talk to the counselor about that one, too.  But I also think the kids need to examine themselves, because they, too, have got some serious problems.  (I learned from a text message that I should have issued an invitation to come over to open gifts.  Never entered my mind to do that.  I come from a family where invitations to parents' homes, etc., is not needed.  I never in my life waited for an invitation from my mother or brothers and neither did they.  And my son doesn't wait for an invitation - he calls and says I'm coming.  So do my nieces and nephews and the great nieces and nephews.  That's called family.  I figured they would tell me when a good time for them would be.  Wow, the things I've learned in my old age.)

SO here we are, the end of 2013.  And I don't have any idea what to do with the truck load of stuff in our den.  God knows we have no place to store it, and a lot of it will be outgrown, not wanted in the future...and it won't fit in our cars for delivery.

That's about it...I need to find food.  Just can't seem to eat when so confused.

As usual, love to all.