Getting warmer

Wow 90 degrees today.  The weather has been like riding on a roller-coaster here.  Up and down.  If you don't like the weather in Texas one day, hold on, the next day the weather will be different.  Yesterday we had high winds, the sky was overcast, and it was chilly.  Not so today.

My roses are beautiful this year.  They're both double knock out roses.  The red one is a year older than the pink.  The red one looks like it is on fire.

A couple of years ago I started working on the front yard.  The west side of the yard just wouldn't grow anything.  Most of the dirt would wash into the street every time it rained.  Because of my kidneys going bad, my bones had become very brittle.  In the course of a year I had broken both my right and left wrist, and my upper left arm.  To make a long story short, I found myself skooting on my backside planting jasmine through a very hot summer.  Last year, it was disappointing.  I would never recommend jasmine as a fast grower, but this year, its filling in nicely.

My vegetables are doing really well also.  Most particularly the squash, cucumber, and cantaloupe. 

I've also been enjoying strawberries on a daily basis.

Happy Mothers Day - 2010

The church service was lovely today.  They handed out big candy bars to all of the moms.  Of course, mine went to Steve since sugar is off limits to me.

We met with the bishop after church today and reviewed our budget.  Came home and Steve is on the couch asleep with his head rocking back and forth.  Sue is asleep at the kitchen table.

It rained hard last night and I slept through it.  The back yard is muddy big time.  My veggies are all growing great though.

There's a new book on genealogy available for free online.  "Getting Started in Genealogy Online", by William Dollarhide.  You have to go to the WorldVitalRecords.com site to download the book, but as I've gone through it lightly this afternoon, I am finding all kind of information to use.

Happy mothers day to all, whether you are a mother, soon to be mother, or have a mother in your life.

His hands

My visiting teachers were here this morning.  I love it when they come to visit.  They reminded me of a talk given in our last General Conference by Dieter F. Uchtdorf.  He shared a story that happened during the bombing of a city in World War II. A large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.

Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.”

It caused me to pause and reflect.  I heard the talk back in April but had forgotten it.  This week I've found myself grumbling about some of the things I'm required to do, but then this reminds me why I'm doing them.  No more grumbling.  

After all, he paid a much bigger price for me.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Jesus Christ by Greg Olsen.  It reminds me of his personal love and care of each one of us.  

Mowed the yard this morning.  Actually the front and the side yards.  More tonight when it cools down.  Summer weather is here.  Still not too hot yet though.  Just hot enough.

Been way too long since I've written

It's amazing what you are capable of doing.  Its been over a year since my life changed forever.  Its been a rough year, but a good one.  October 2008 Steve lost his job; December 2008, I started dialysis and went on disability. 

Right now we have the sister missionaries living with us.  They've been with us for several months now.  A few months ago, a lady from our church moved in with us.  There are days I'd like to put a no vacancy sign in the yard.

When I start to grumble, I remember life could be a whole lot worse and go on.  Its a good time of year in my yard.  I am finally seeing the payoff of all the hard work last year getting my garden beds together.  I have tomato plants growing, squash, zucchini, peas, beans, peppers, cucumber, and cantaloupe plants as well.  Oh yes, and my strawberries.  Love the strawberries.

We sold Steve's truck last week.  It was a heartbreaking thing for him.  He loved his truck.   It was a huge sacrifice for him but will be worth it in the end.

My daughter just came back from Italy.  She spent a week there and had a wonderful time.  The pics she posted today were beautiful.   Lots of them, but I'll post a few. 

Another month - Another year

I turned 59 this past week.  Just one a way from 60.  We had a ward party and the theme was reunion.  Everyone walked around with a tag on with the year they graduated.  I felt sooooo very old.

I shouldn't complain.  At least I'm still living on the green side of the lawn. 

Steve brought me flowers, my son and his wife took me out to eat, and my daughter ordered me something from Amazon they quickly put on backorder.  My sister is so talented.  She quilts and made me a beautiful quilt and sent it with some other goodies. 


I worked my last shift at the temple Saturday night.  I've been volunteering for the past year but have found it too wearing on me. 

Life moves on and we all face our challenges.

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ShabbyBlogsDividerH
Originally uploaded by diannekerr@verizon.net

Let see if I can make this work

Haiti

Yesterday two of the nurses from DaVita Grapevine came over to the house to do a visit. When they were leaving, I told them I'd been struggling with some depression. They reminded me that life could be worse. I knew that, but this morning when doing some news reading online, I came across this incredible blog and thought I'd share some of it. Its a 20's age couple who got married in December and went to Haiti to teach and assist after their wedding. First, how impressive is that and second, I can't imagine going through what they are struggling with now. Anyway, their website is http://www.benandkatieinhaiti.com/.

Their is one part of their blog when she wrote "This morning at 5, same as yesterday morning, there were Haitian worship services around the neighborhood. In the ravine behind our house- where the destruction was total and Ben saw them pulling out bodies- they were singing "Count your Blessings". " Amazing . . .

On the homefront, I've finally got all the trim painted on my cabinets and the drawers painted and in place.My  home is to get the door fronts painted this week and hung.  Then they will be done.  Finally!

I've Made it Another Year - and No Hospital Stays for the Past Year

After having been in the hospital so many times over the past few years, it was so cool when I realized I hadn't been in one for a year.

Also this past month I hit a major milestone. No comment from the skinny ones, but I am down to a size 14. I haven't been there for 20 plus years.
I walked around doing a dance for the better part of a week.

My daughter surprised me and showed up for Christmas. I was on my dialysis machine when she called and said that her package for me should be on the porch. I told her I'd check when I was through my treatment. She finally admitted she was the package. She was here for a few days. It was great to see her. She is an amazing woman.

I've been struggling some over the past couple of weeks with depression. Part of it is just the amount of confusion at home. The cabinets in the kitchen are still dismantled and spread out over the family room.

This morning after praying, I turned on the music and just started working at it. I actually finished the trim tonight and painted the drawers. An accomplishment. But I'm ready to get it done and over.

Swine Flu

On Yahoo today in an AP article written by By Mike Stobbe, AP Medical Writer, I read that only 1/3 of Americans are able to get the swine flu vaccine. They showed a graphic (shown below).


It appears from the graphic that Texas and California got the largest number of vaccines. Texas got 1,170,400 vaccines. If that's the case, where are they? My doctors group hasn't been able to get the vaccine. My dialysis center said they had no allocations for in center patients, and only enough for 1/3 of the patients out center (those doing home dialysis). I've seen the Dallas County Health Department has vaccine for people living in Dallas County who are uninsured. What about the rest of the population?

The craziest thing I've every seen. Really kind of ticks me off. My husband's niece (also living in Texas) and her children all had the swine flu. My nephews In Utah and their wives and children also had the swine flu. Fortunately, they all survived it. I think this administration really dropped the ball on this. Sigh.

Cool thing, not for my cholesterol, but Sister Beetso taught us how to make fried Navajo bread this week.

Today was busy, my visiting teachers were here first thing this morning and then the Relief Society president was here.

They had a missionary zone conference today at our chapel. Our ward fed them lunch. I brought potatoes over and then came back to help at the end of the conference. It was amazing. The chapel was full of young men and young women serving as missionaries. The Lord's army.

I took the dogs for a walk and then got on my machine. I like it so much better when I get on earlier. Fewer mistakes.

Another new month - don't forget to change your clocks!

I can't believe its the end of October and that November is tomorrow. It feels like its been a long 10 months and yet it seems to have flown by quickly as well. They say the older you get the faster the days go by and they're right.

Since I last wrote many changes have taken place in my life. The sister missionaries from our church have moved into the spare room here at home. They are wonderful. They bring alot of energy into my life and are good company when Steve is at work. Last night was great. They had bought miniature candy bars and attached pass along cards to them and handed them out to the kids when they came ringing on the door for halloween. It was so cute, one little boy was so excited and said to his Mom "It's God Candy!"

When they moved in we had Sister Richardson and Sister Finnell. They did transfers last week and so now we have Sister Richardson and Sister Beetso. Sister Richardson is from Utah and Sister Beetso is from Arizona. Sister Finnell was from California.

We had the garage sale of all garage sales. We cleaned alot of extras out of the house and over two weekends sold made about $2000.

I have become more comfortable with dialysis at home. I'm not near as anxious when I get on any more.

They called me to be a family history consultant. I work at the Family History Library on Tuesday afternoons. So far its been fairly quiet while I am there. I ordered two tapes of information on Independence County Arkansas and went through them and don't find any records on my family there. What was interesting was that they were court records and I found alot of the same people on the court records. Unfortunately, none were mine.


Daylight savings time. I forgot to change my clocks last night. Its an hour earlier than I thought when I got up.

Updates

Wow . . . its been about a month since I last posted. Its been "the best of times and the worst of times."

Getting home after spending a month of training in Grapevine to learn how to do dialysis at home was joyful for me. I was soooooo glad to be home.

However, once here, it was trying. I must have made nearly every mistake on the book. The staff at Davita in Grapevine was most helpful and patient with me. I found a new group of friends on the NxStage Users forum. I found I wasn't the only one who had to learn the hard way and that even after being comfortable with the process, you still can make mistakes. They have been very supportive.

At one point I was ready to throw my hands in the air and one of the ladies on the forum wrote back "take a breath and know it will get better" . . .

Financially we are still struggling. Steve went to work for WalMart and we are most greatful for his job, but last year he was making $18 an hour and now, less than half of that. Fortunately for us, I still draw disability from my church job and social security. It would be devastating without that. Its interesting how its supposed to be illegal to discriminate based on age, but they do . . . and we have found many others facing the same issue. Its wrong to be at this point in life and find this happening, but greatfully we have been blessed with help from our church.

We are having a "clutter to cash" garage sale in two weeks, hoping to bring in enough to pay off the IRS and maybe a credit card. Instead of purchasing needs versus wants at this point, we will be selling the wants we already possess. One of the men from church is coming over on Friday to help post things on Craigslist for me.

Anyway, we were blessed this month to have a pair of sister missionaries move into our home. They are working with the spanish in our community. They are delightful and great company when they are here.

The other HUGE blessing was that my dialysis at home is now going without error. No blood spills or error messages at this point.

All in all, I fell blessed. I think the negatives won't be so bad when I get my Zoloft refilled :)

Mark Mabry has come up with another picture slide slow on the Savior and I am adding it below.

Surviving

The past couple of weeks have been challenging. Using NxStage at home by myself has been hard. There have been days when I just wanted to give up, but I've kept going. I have finally got the procedure with the machine down pat now; my challenge now is keeping my arterial pressures in range.

There's a user group for NxStage. They have been a wonderful help for me. Very supportive.

I have finally decided I need someone here with me when I get on my machine. Yesterday my son came over, the day before, Linda S. came over, and the day before that I had Steve here. Getting off is no problem,I just need someone here when I get on. Yesterday I had to adjust my needles and so it was good to have my son here to help.

Woke up this morning to find it raining and my sprinklers were going like crazy. We really need to get a sensor on our water line.