Love those smiles!

Tonight's picture is the happy three after Rob pounced on them. I love the memories! I so thank God that Nate and Megan and Gabe could be with us this year. They may all be working for spring break and our reunion trip in June, and, of course, I know they need to work, but I sure love enjoying all the time we can with them while we can!

Today I got a bunch of the Christmas stuff ready to mail tomorrow. I still have some more to package up tonight, but I think I'll get it all off tomorrow. It's not like I'm sending that much; just tokens to the kids, mostly, and most generally just a little money, but it still has to be sent and packaged somehow. I'm always scared I'll leave out someone and I sure don't want to do that! I gave up on getting Christmas cards out 4 years ago when I began the cancer battle. I just know the last thing I want to spend my time on earth doing is getting out Christmas cards. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, but getting out cards is just too big a project! So, don't anyone send me a Christmas card; I'll feel guilty! Also, I won't get it until spring, when we get home. Joan is forwarding our mail that needs attention, but she won't be forwarding Christmas cards. We'll read them when we get home. There will be tons of junk mail to wade through, so any Christmas cards will be a treat. We celebrate Christ's birth year 'round, anyway.

Fun memories.

Tonight's picture is one of Nate and Megan bracing for Robert's attack. For some reason he was pouncing onto them. Tomorrow I'll post the picture after he landed. It was rowdy and it was fun! Nate and Megan are good sports! It's all great memories for us. The digital camera is a great thing to help me keep these memories. I have my screen saver set to go through my pictures, so I'm often reminded of all the great times, from home to Branson, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and Hawaii. I love that little tool!

Today I've been doing busy stuff around here to get ready to leave for a while. I need to get the rest of the Christmas presents sent; I've delivered some, already, but there are more to get going. That's the big thing on my list right now. I've got to get us packed and that's tricky. We'll need all our bookwork for taxes, some exercise stuff, a few changes of clothing for winter and spring, workout clothes, hiking shoes, etc. The list is long and it's plenty of work to keep me busy this week. I love the traveling and I thank God for Joan to take care of the house while we're gone. It's in good shape to leave with a caretaker, so I'm in good shape there. She keeps the flower beds and yard in shape for us, but there won't be that much to do in the winter.

More of the pink thing fun.

Tonight's picture is Mason and Grace playing with the pink thing. I was so glad that I cleaned it good, and really glad that they had so much fun with it. You never know what will be so entertaining! It was entertaining for me just to watch them!

Today I've gotten a lot done toward my taxes. It's really just getting the books updated and in order so that I can fill in the tax forms. If I were more organized it would be done along the way, but, no, I procrastinate. So it is, but I'm in pretty good shape and feel good about my progress.

Dorothy called this morning and David was too short of breath to even eat, today! It's all he can do to drink Boost. I just hate it for him to have this tremendous difficulty breathing. They declined the dinner invitation, but they have an open invitation, so whenever we are here they can join us. I thank God for dear friends like them.

I packed our memory foam that we take when we travel and our travel pillows today. I also packed books to read for fun while we're gone. I'm getting a little done here and there.

10 cent bargain!

This picture is one I got of Mason (10) and Raynie (3) playing with a toy I got at a yard sale for 10 cents. I don't know what it is, but it has a 'million' of these little plastic pegs that take on the shape of whatever you press into them. Mason is pressing his face into it, here. They had more fun with this toy! I only spent a dime for it, but I probably spent an hour and a couple of dollars cleaning it. It's a good thing I did because they seemed to like pressing their faces on it better than anything. We don't even know what it is; we call it the 'pink thing.'

Rob took us all to breakfast at the Kozy Diner this morning. That was a really nice treat after cooking for so many meals. After breakfast they came home and packed up and headed for home. They wanted to be home for tonight's OU-OSU Bedlam game. That is THE game in this state! (I'm 'watching it' over my shoulder as I type this. :)

We have lots of left overs from our Thanksgiving meals. I've already invited David and Dorothy to join us for leftovers after church tomorrow. They have a mutual friend visiting them, so she'll join us, too. We'll clean up all the left overs this week and meals will be easy for me. I thank God that we have plenty to eat. Actually, we work on eating less than we need, so that we can trim some of the fat off our bodies. We are richly blessed! We like to have an attitude of gratitude all the time, but we take so much for granted.

I was grateful for our plumber this weekend, because he worked on our bathrooms Monday, and our bathrooms worked great all weekend. We have two bathrooms that get so little use, but they are old, so it's common for something to break when we have the kids here using old stuff that doesn't get much use. I aim to use those other bathrooms sometime, just to keep them from getting 'rusty,' but I tend to go back to our bathroom most of the time. Most of all we were so thankful to have Trish and Rob and their kids here with us this weekend! It was wonderful that they were all healthy and even Megan, Nate's girlfriend could be here. Megan and Nate took Gabe home Thursday so he could go hunting and they had to work. Gabe got a buck yesterday and a doe today, so he's having a great season! I hope he'll get me a picture I can post soon.

Nate and Megan.

This is the picture of Nate and Megan that I promised. She is every bit as sweet as she looks and Nate is way nicer than he looks. He smiles big in person, but when you get there with a camera he goes into lock mode. He was doing his best to please us here, but he can really smile big.

We have so much fun playing cards. Nate loves Rook, so we play that when he's here. Nate likes that, too, but Rook is his favorite. He's hard to beat because he is really a good bidder. When he's gone we play Hand and Foot Canasta because Mason can play that. Grace was learning today, so she'll be a card player, too. We all love to play cards. Of course around the card table we do lots of laughing and snacking.

I have eaten way too much over this holiday. Eating is such a social thing for me. I'll have to work to rectify all this eating! I thank God that we have plenty to eat and family that will share with us. We are so blessed!

It's fun at our house!

This is a picture that Megan, Nate's girlfriend, took. I'm amazed that we could get one this good with 10 people! All eyes opened and all but Raynie smiling. I'm thrilled with it and thank God for it!

This morning while I was getting lunch ready, Grace made a list of over 30 things for which she was thankful. It was pretty precious, as she is! This is an awesome family. Tomorrow I'll post a picture we got of Megan with Nate. She's pretty awesome, too! She and I beat Nate and Gabe at a game of Rook last night, even though they talked across the table all night. Fun, fun, fun!

I think Gabe looks so much like Robert and Nate looks so much like Trish. Does anyone else out there see it?

It's fall at our house!

While we were waiting on Trish and Rob and the kids to get here, Don took this picture in our back yard. I love the colors of the leaves on the trees back there. It really looks like fall and it's turned really cold since then, so it feels like fall, too.

Tomorrow I sure hope we can get a bunch of pictures of all these kids. I need to update my picture frames around the house. Nate and Megan have to get back to work and Gabe is going with them because he's going hunting with their other grandpa tomorrow. So, we're eating a light breakfast and lunch around 11:30 so they can get on the road. I sure hope we get pictures made before they leave! I sure thank God that they could come; this is fun! As the kids get so old, it's really hard to get everyone here at one time . . . even from one family. We never get them all together, but we can dream and maybe some year it will happen.

Lots of last minute stuff.

Tonight's picture is one Don took Sunday night on our way to church. I'm not that together, today. This is last minute touches day, so I'm baking pies and making cheese balls and chex mix. I still have laundry to do, so that we'll be all clean when everyone gets here tomorrow. Whew! I love it that folks are coming; I want to be ready. I thank God that I did the big cooking and preparations last week and I'm thankful that we have a freezer.

I hope that your Thanksgiving is wonderful and that your family and friends are healthy and happy. We are so blessed and I'm very thankful. Many people are suffering lots of stress and health issues. I pray that God will sooth their situations and grant them peace and health and happiness.

Happy Thanksgiving week, all!

Tonight's picture shows what happens when I break the rule, "Never look DOWN at the camera!" Double chin wins! Oh, well; that's just how it is sometimes and I have to deal with it.

Today I got the cornbread made for the dressing and all the celery and onions chopped for the dressing. It's just a matter of mixing and baking, now. I got the pea salad made (Yours, Ruthie.), so it can soak for a couple of days; yum! Tomorrow I will make the pies and the cheese ball. The kids will start to get here Wednesday. We're all excited and ready for them! The plumber came and fixed all our bathrooms, so we're ready for company all over the house! We thank God that his (the plumber) mother did very well with surgery to remove a brain tumor last Friday and he was able to come back to work, today. We have so much for which to be thankful!

Happy Birthday, Gabe!

The picture tonight is one I took of Gabe and Raynie when we were at Runaway Bay Lodge in Texas back in July. Gabe is 16 today. What a wonderful Thanksgiving blessing he was 16 years ago and every day since. (Well, maybe not the day he cut Sadie's hair; that day he was lucky to live. I think Sadie was 3 and he was 6 or something like that? Ha!)

This is Thanksgiving season! Woo hoo! It was beautiful here today, but it's going to get cooler as the week progresses, I think. Tomorrow I will get serious about getting the rest of the food ready. This is fun. I've done lots already, but it's time to get the rest ready and get what's in the freezer ready to thaw. I thank God that we have family coming. I thank God for our family's health. We have been so blessed. I will get lots more pictures this week!

Real vitamin D day.

Tonight's picture is of the quilt top that Diana has made for Bob. It isn't quilted, yet, but it IS already gorgeous. Her choice of the fabric to use with the tee-shirts and the arrangement of the various designs is really good, in my opinion. Bob is very pleased with it and very proud of Diana's work. They are a really fun pair!

Today I've gotten a little farther in the tax chores, but time is squeezing down on me. I got side tracked when I found a folder on computer stuff and spent too long working to get an old computer online. I get so distracted! I also spent an hour or so outside collecting sun. It was a gorgeous day today, so it was a good time to get some real vitamin D. I thank God for sunshine. I trust Him to get me through the taxes!

Bob and Diana Clark

Tonight's picture is one Don took last night of me with Bob and Diana Clark. Bob and I were in the 8th grade together in Japan. He and his wife, Diana, moved here several years ago. They live just a few blocks from us. We are gone a lot and they are gone a lot, but sometimes we are at home at the same time, so it's great when we can play cards! You can see a little of the quilt Diana is making for Bob; it's over my right shoulder. She's making it out of tee-shirts from the Itazuke reunions and it is gorgeous! I'll post a picture of only the quilt tomorrow. How blessed we are to have this wonderful couple live right down the street from us. We'd love it if more people from Itazuke would move here; we call this Itazuke West.

We played cards last night and it was way fun. The men won one and the women won one. I made peach cobbler with splenda, so it was a treat for me, too. Poor Don can't eat any fun thing, it seems, while he is on the Adkins diet. He's lost 16 pounds so far, so that's great!

I've worked some on taxes today, so I'm pleased. Mostly I'm getting things in order. It's weird how my brain sometimes insists on order. I thank God for a brain that works to any degree. Our plumber's mother had brain surgery today; that's a really big deal. We are so blessed and take so much for granted!

Happy Birthday, Deanna!

Tonight's picture is one of our niece, Deanna, at the reunion last June. That's our little Raynie sitting there with her. Today was Deanna's birthday and she's spent it baking for a bake sale tomorrow that is a fund raiser for her oldest son, who has qualified for a trip to Europe next summer. I'm sure she's exhausted, but would not have wanted to do anything else today! I can only imagine that bake sale tomorrow will be a doozie! I hope it makes a lot of money for his trip! This is a fantastic opportunity for him. I thank God that he could qualify and that his family is such good support for him. Phil, enjoy every minute of the fund raising and the trip; these are memories to treasure that you are building!

We had a great time playing cards, here, tonight! We only got to play two games and the women won one and the men won the other one. I'll post a picture tomorrow night. Tomorrow is work on taxes day for sure!

Last of the rebloomers.

Tonight's picture is me with the last of the re-bloomers. Actually, these were just stalks when I cut them a couple of weeks ago, and they've finally bloomed. There are a couple of the last of the daisies in there, too. The fall flowers have been sparse, but at least there have been some to enjoy. We haven't had a freeze, yet, but it really looks like we may get one tonight. It's cool and windy and feels like winter out there.

I still didn't get around to taxes today. I can find a million things to do to keep from doing taxes. This time next week we'll have a house full of people, though, so I sure want to have it behind me by then! I thank God for a week to get ready! Tomorrow night we're playing cards at our house. Woo hoo!

Procrastinated on the taxes.

Tonight's picture is one I took of Raynie a month ago when I was at their house helping to hold the fort after Trish had her tonsillectomy. She was on the front porch playing with their kitty and the next thing we knew she was asleep in the glider. I was reminded of this picture today when I was outside getting sun. (Trish is doing nearly all better; she can eat and talk, but her throat still feels sore and she's still building back her strength. It's hard for adults to have their tonsils removed; no doubt about that!

I haven't been outside to speak of in the last two weeks because I was so afraid of the allergens getting to me. Thankfully, I didn't have any problems with allergies today! Picture this: I was laying on the back deck with two corn buddies to keep me warm! The neighbors surely know that I'm crazy. I'm a real believer in Vitamin D, and I haven't had my share from the sunshine for a couple of weeks. (I take supplements, but the sunshine is the best Vitamin D.) I'm starting to really look pale, too, so I ventured out there. We even walked for a couple of miles! It was wonderful. I thought back to Raynie being so comfortable outside that she took a nap, so I was reminded of this sweet picture. We are blessed in Oklahoma to have nice warm days like today so much of the time. If the wind had been blowing today, I couldn't have enjoyed it, so it was nice to have a still day. I thank God for wonderful weather, right here at home!

House is clean.

Tonight's picture is the one Don took yesterday of Sue and I at the Pizza Hut. I'm glad we got this picture yesterday because today I look like the wreck of the Hesperus. This morning I got two of our weeks in December scheduled for our travels. Then this afternoon Don and I cleaned all the floors in the house. I so thank him for vacuuming for me! I'd still be vacuuming if I had done it. I swept and mopped all the other floors. Whew. It wasn't that dirty, but I wanted to get it done before next week when folks come for Thanksgiving. I'll need to work on taxes and cook between now and then, so it's good to have this off my list of things to do. I thank God for a home we love and for the ability to take care of it. I sure see why people downsize and move to retirement homes. It's tempting.

Tomorrow's chore is tax preparation. Ugh. I'm glad to get it done early, though. It's just always a drag for me.

9 pointer!

Gretta sent this picture this morning! She was so proud of her 9 point deer that she got and wanted me to post it on Facebook for her. I was way proud to post it for her! I love that deer, but I'm most proud of the little blond holding the head up on that deer!

We had a good day. We went to Carnegie, NOT Fort Cobb. I had Carnegie last night, and Don corrected me, so I changed it to Fort Cobb. Then as we headed out I told Sue about it and she said, "We ARE going to Carnegie!" So, we went to the right place, I just didn't have it on the blog, right. Vereal Barton, one of my faithful readers, had already called Sue this morning from Mississippi to tell her I was confused! Vereal, I'm confused so much, but, thankfully, I have people to keep me going right when it's important. :) Don got a good picture of Sue and I at the Pizza Hut, too, so I'll post it tomorrow night. We got bumped, tonight, by Gretta and her deer!

I got some of my housework done today, but I'll finish up tomorrow, I think. Don will help, bless his heart. I thank God to have a husband who helps! I thank God that I am able to do my own cleaning, too. I really thank God for Angelica when I needed her most. My dream is that she will come back and clean my house, again! (She got a job at the prison, so I don't expect she'll ever come back to cleaning my house, but I can dream!)

Sleepy day.

I slept til after 9 this morning, but the antihistamines must be loaded into my system. Surely it will freeze soon and I can quit taking them! I took about a dozen pictures, but my arm isn't long enough to take my own picture; they all looked like I was looking into one of those convex mirrors in a store. I deleted all those. Then I asked Don to take a couple, and I don't look much better. I look so sleepy and it's because I AM! So, that's just how it is.

We are going to Fort Cobb (a town about an hour from here) with a friend tomorrow. Her grandson preaches there and she goes every time she can to hear him. We've never heard him preach, but we're excited about going because we've watched him grow up over the last dozen or so years. It's a good time to go because we have the fellowship dinner here, tomorrow and Don needs to miss that since he's dieting.

He's doing the Atkins diet, and he always does so well with it. This is his last time to do it, though, because I'm not going to feed him enough to gain all this weight back just so he can diet and lose it. I don't think it's healthy to go back and forth and I know it's not healthy to carry all that extra weight. So healthy eating, here we come. We'll eat at the Pizza Hut in Fort Cobb because that's the only restaurant they have. Don can eat a salad and I'll take a piece of chicken for him and his own salad dressing. We've done this diet so much over the years. I thank God that he will do it and that it works so well for him. Don doesn't like pizza, (He doesn't like anything with tomatoes or cheese, so how did he ever gain weight? Pie.) so it will be a treat for me to go to the Pizza Hut tomorrow. It'll be fun to go with Sue, too! I'll have to put my hair up and look alive and stay awake; I hope I can do it! Maybe he'll get a better picture tomorrow.

Remember walking dolls?

Tonight's picture is a walking doll! This is Elena, busily playing outside when we were there in September. She is absolutely a walking doll. I remember when I was six I wanted a 'walking doll' for Christmas. I don't remember the doll at all, but Elena is one of our walking dolls in real life. We have them ranging from age 3 to 19 in our 8 granddaughters. I thank God for our granddaughters; how blessed we are! Elena is 3.

It felt so good to get up this morning a pull out the packages of herbs and vitamins from my neatly FINISHED supply. I didn't get very far on my de-cluttering mission around here, but I did get started. I also got our bed changed, and got the flannel sheets on for the season. I'm going to get a nice warm bath and really enjoy going to bed tonight. I have my rice and corn buddies ready, too. (That is bags filled with rice or corn, which I heat in the microwave and then put them in the bed to warm it. The bed is warm when I get into it, and then they keep it warm all night. Don is very jealous of them because I always say, "I love these buddies.") I did put away lots of things (like suitcases) from our travels this fall. It's always hard for me to get everything back into order when we get home, so I'm slow with it. My goal is to get the house cleaned by Monday. I think Don will be watching football all weekend, so I can get most of it done. I'm headed to a nice warm bath right now.

The 'pool' table takes on a new job!

This is a picture I took today when I finished throwing 80 days of herbs and vitamins for Don and I. I've got mine all packaged and I'm going to go package Don's right now. When I get the pool table cleared, I'll be set for the next 6 months for our vitamins and herbs. Whew! I've got to inventory and order more so I'll have them to throw in April. That's another big project, but I'll get that done before long, I hope. For now, I'm just glad to move from this project onto cleaning the house. Then I'll be ready to receive family for Thanksgiving!

A friend on Facebook has been stating something for which she is thankful every day. It's been refreshing. I think we should always be thankful. We have so many blessings for which to give thanks and we mostly take them for granted or even complain because they aren't exactly what we want. I thank God for the Internet and all who will use it because it makes our world so much smaller and easier to navigate. I can live on the edge of nowhere and still keep up with family and friends. Tonight I'm especially thankful for getting to be done with this herb and vitamin project for 6 months!

1/3 done with this batch, I think.

This is a picture Don took on our way to church tonight. At church tonight one of the women asked me if I'm okay; she said I look so tired and I did last night. Yep, antihistamines make me sleepy! I'll get through this; soon a freeze will take care of the allergens and I can get off these antihistamines. Until that time I thank God that there is something I can take that doesn't cost an arm and a leg and has no worse side effects than making me sleepy. As long as I keep them in me my eyes don't itch so much and I'm not coughing.

I'm still working on the next batch of vitamins and herbs. I think I'm about 1/3 of the way done with throwing them. Then I just have to package them. So off I go to work some more on them.

100 days done for both of us!

Don took this picture tonight before I left for the ladies' salad supper at church. All the herb and vitamin throwing is wearing on me! I look tired and I am! I finished up the 100 days, though. I've started on another 80 days. That ought to be a good supply for the next 6 months, but it will take me a few days to finish. Then I'll be so glad to start on house work! This is a good plan to make me eager to do house work!

The speaker tonight read to us a piece written by a friend who used to live here. A few years ago he was trapped under some heavy equipment and they thought they would have to amputate his arm. He gave consent for the amputation. However, they were able to get the equipment off him and save his arm. When he woke up from surgery he was surprised to see his arm was still there! After 3 weeks of healing it was obvious that he would keep his arm but it would never work as well as it had before the accident. He said that in the last three weeks he had given more thanks for that bungled arm than he had given in all his 47 years for his two good arms! I know that guy and I can only imagine how he felt. We all take so much for granted instead of giving thanks! I am so grateful that I can throw these vitamins and herbs; that Don agrees with me that we need to take them; that we can afford them; that we have the room to house them; that I can run up and down the stairs to get refills when I finish up a bottle. This time 3 years ago I could barely make it down stairs to get out of the way of the housekeeper; I had no hair; I had no feeling in my fingers and my feet hurt; and I had cancer and couldn't get out amongst people because the chemo had my immune system so compromised. Today I'm tired from throwing herbs and vitamins for a few days. I got to go out with a group of ladies and enjoy a dinner and lesson. I'm cancer free and feel really good. I give God the glory and thank Him for giving me another chance at life. PTL!

Don's are done for 100 days.

The picture tonight is our grandson, Kyle, who is 13 and lives in Indiana. I love this shirt and this kid; he is really a good kid and we're sure proud of him and his love for God. He was kind of embarrassed that I kept taking pictures, but he let me get this one. He's my card playing buddy, too; we love playing cards.

I'm almost done with the 100 days of herbs and vitamins. I got all of Don's done and 60 days of mine. Surely I can finish mine tomorrow! It is so late and I'm still struggling with them, but I'm headed to bed and I'll get them done tomorrow, surely.

Throwing herbs and vitamins . . .

This is a picture Don took 18 months ago when I was "Throwing herbs and vitamins." My sweet friend, Dot, asked Ruthie what I meant by that, so I thought I should explain it to all of you. I had this picture on back then, but, no doubt, lots of people missed it. We buy these packages that have several vitamins in it for us to take twice a day. Well, I think we need to have some other vitamins and herbs, also, so I "Throw" what I think we need to add into these little cups. There are two cups a day for both Don and I. Once I get these "Thrown," then I put them into the packages that we've bought. Then I put another package over the full package to keep them from spilling. It's a big process. But it would be worse to carry all those bottles around with us when we travel. So, right now the big project in my life is getting all this stuff "Thrown" to last us through next March. That way I won't have to fool with them while we have family here for Thanksgiving. I won't have to fool with it while we're traveling over the winter. It's just a big project. Dot, I hope this helps. I love you all!

This was impossible to do when I had neuopathy in my fingers, so I'm so grateful that it went away after I quit taking chemo. It's sure nice to be able to use my fingers! I can never thank God enough!

In this picture I was throwing on my desk. I've got these all over the pool table this week! It's working great; glad nobody is here wanting to play pool!

Happy Birthday, Ruthie!

Tonight's picture is one I took of Ruthie and Phil on the front porch of the General Store at Shenandoah Crossing when we were all there last month. It was a wonderful place and they are close enough to go back every now and then. We had great fun on that visit. We live a long way from each other, so I thank God for any time we can share!

Today I've been working on the herbs and vitamins, still, but I took some time off to work on getting my reunion pictures loaded onto Facebook. It took me forever, but I got it done. I also did my write-up for our newsletter, reporting gossip from the reunion. Don has been watching football all day and I've mostly stayed inside to avoid the pollen that makes my eyes itch so much. Surely it will get frozen soon!

Back to the herbs and vitamins I go!

Happy Birthday, Gretta Jill!

November 5, 1972 was a great day for me. Gretta Jill appeared to me in the form of 6.5 pounds of loving, soft fluff. She was born with blond hair and a double chin all over her body; for only 6.5 pounds she was a pudgy little dolly. Tonight's picture is one of her and Don on September 18th when we were at the Golden Corral for lunch. She's another of our delights in life and we thank God for her. Jilly, have a wonderful year!

I took a break from throwing pills today and went out and cut Dorothy's hair. Other than that, I've been at the grind of getting herbs and vitamins ready for the next 5 months. I wish I could say that I'm done, but I'm not. Oh, I DID finally get our reservations for Spring Break in Branson confirmed. I've been working on that for about a week. It gets hairy sometimes, getting reservations when and where we want them. It's done, though, and I have the confirmations in black and white. Whew; so our Spring Break and our June trip to Gatlinburg are both set. That's a relief to get all that confirmed. Now we can go enjoy ourselves in Branson this winter and enjoy using our timeshare points. Well, once I get the vitamins and herbs ready we can. :)

100 days!

The picture tonight is one I took of Mason last month. His birthday was in September and he turned 9 (I think, but it could be 10 . . . numbers; I go crazy with them!). This is his birthday bicycle he was riding for me. Mason is so sweet; he gives me that look and loves me even when I can't keep his age right! (He really is 10! I just caught Trish on FB and she can keep up with it! Wow, 10!) Mason, I love you, big guy!

I am so crazy tonight. I've been working on throwing herbs and vitamins all day. I took time out to give Don a haircut tonight. Otherwise, it's been herbs and vitamins all day. I have them set up all over the pool table downstairs. When I get done it will feel good, but then I have to do a bunch more. 100 days will only get us through the middle of January. I need to do at least 60 more days after that. I got them all thrown today, but I have to get the ones that I get out of the packages out and ready to put back into the packages with the ones I throw. It sounds crazy and it IS, but it works, so I do it. I'm sure I mess up on some of them, but for the most part they are right. Anyway, I thank God that we don't have any that are life threatening if I miss one here or there. I sure thank God that the neuropathy in my hands cleared up after I quit taking chemo because I sure couldn't do this when my fingers were numb! God blesses us so much.

The analysis.

Tonight's picture is one I took of Gabe and Nate the night they helped Rob fix the hole in the ceiling in their kitchen. It's hard to believe these two guys who were just little tots nearly no time ago are grown up enough to do big repairs around the house! Nate is a freshman at OU and Gabe is a sophomore in high school. Wow; they amaze me. Those bodies are rock solid, too. Both of them are way taller than me and in a hug contest they are both winners!

Today I stayed in for fear of the allergens! I was able to wear my contacts all day, so that was good. I started throwing herbs in the basement on the pool table. I thought that would work better because it's out of the way. Being out of the way is good, but I've made a million trips up and down the stairs to get more herbs and vitamins. That's good exercise for me, I guess. This herb and vitamin throwing is such a huge job. I need to get them thrown to take me through March, so it's a big job. I only have two more days completed, so I've got to get some finished pretty soon. I guess I'll be doing this all week. It's a good thing to keep me out of the outside air that is so full of pollens. I'm still thanking God that I don't have these allergy problems all year. I'm not allergic to anything in Hawaii; I bet you know where that logic is taking me! :) I sure thank God that we've gotten to spend enough time there to know I'm not allergic to anything there, but I know there's no way we could move there. We're blessed to have a good home, here. I just have to know when to stay in out of the pollen and be grateful for a good home.

Sadie in the hat.

This is another shot of Sadie in the hat. This hat made for some fun moments and memories.

Today was much better. I've worn my contacts all day. We started the day by going to the funeral of the brother of a friend at church. This guy was only 46 and he died of a rare form of cancer. It was a sobering service. It shook me into getting my priorities better into line! I let things get to me sometime and I need to do a better job of letting God have the control instead of acting like I think I can fix something, myself! I want to share a couple of thoughts from the funeral. If the speaker had asked for a show of hands for those who had prayed for this guy to be healed, everyone would have raised their hand. We felt like God answered, "No," because he died. But he was fully healed. We forget to realize that. Another point that was made is that Jesus prayed and asked God to let the cup pass from Him and God said, "No." He said "No," to Jesus so that we could all be saved. God knows the big picture and I need to always remember that. We see so little. While we're in the mode of taking back our country, it will be good to remember, "In God We Trust."

Raynie in 'the hat,' again.

Here is another picture of Raynie in "the hat." It was fun how the girls all had fun wearing this hat. I thank God for simple pleasures and treasures!

Today has been miserable, but I stayed inside so I could avoid the allergens as much as possible. I woke up with my eyes stuck shut this morning. They were all swollen. I rinsed my face with warm water and got them opened, but I never put in my contacts today. I really couldn't see well without them, so I've been fumbling more than usual all day. They are much better, now, though. We have a funeral to go to in the morning, so I sure hope I don't claw my eyes in my sleep tonight. It's ridiculous to let these allergies get out of control like this, but I don't know how to do any better. I just hope that tomorrow will be a better day. The Netti pot is a big help to keep me from being so stopped up, but it doesn't help my eyes to react better. We haven't had a frost yet, but maybe we'll get one this week. Thanks for reading through my whining; I hope you are not having a terrible allergy season!