Random Thoughts

My dad used to say, about sickness with a headache, that "it always hits the weakest spot, my head."  Dad didn't go to college, but he was no one's dummy, for sure!  He would tell you he got his education from the school of hard knocks.  I'm thinking a lot of folks who grew up on the farm back in the 1930's and 40's would probably say the same thing.  "Everyone" (not everyone, of course) else after the 50's, me included, are pretty soft.  We (the average American) didn't HAVE to work the fields, or raise our own meat, to survive.  We did help mom and dad in the garden!  And we didn't complain about it, or we would've been "knocked into tomorrow!"  But, mom and dad didn't have to have 10 kids so they could help out on the farm.

TV became a normal mode of entertainment, instead of creating your own fun and games, especially in the 60's.  Don't get me wrong, I still remember playing outside most of the day and making up our own fun and games.  I remember going to the woods and creating our own adventures on the grapevines and building forts and houses in the ravines with tree branches and leaves making up the roofs of our make-believe dwellings.  We would be gone for hours without mom having to worry about us.  We used to have a pretend grocery store with big rocks being the merchandise and smaller rocks being the money.  Yes, my first 8-10 years of life were pretty easy.

But, life was changing.  Cars were going faster.  More and more gadgets were being created for the home.  More and more moms were going into the work force.  I'm glad my mom was a SAHM.  She was a hard-working mom, too!  She taught us our work ethic.  Work hard until the job is done.  Do it right the first time.  I have really gotten lazy over the years!

I don't remember ever having any thought of not being rich.  As far as I was concerned, and looking back, we lived a pretty decent life on a gas station attendant/mechanic's salary, which is what my dad worked in those days.  We even went on a 2-week vacation to California!  With inflation being what it is today, I'm positive you could not do that on a gas station attendant's salary now.

Life is still changing.  The older I get, the more it changes.  And not always for better.  I sometimes wish mom and dad were here so I could draw from their knowledge and life experiences.  I do miss them.  But, one of these days we will have a grand reunion!  I can hardly wait for that day!  Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Our family, taken 12/15/1979 before Jessica was born January 2, 1980

Monday, January 30, 2017
I woke up with a headache, surprise, surprise!  But, it was dull and I had lots to do.
I carried a box full of things back to the Fellowship hall that had been collecting from dinners and donations by the neighbor.
I did some more straightening and putting away in my craft room.
I straightened up the laundry room where I had put stuff during the craft room mayhem.
I did the church sign.
I took the neighbor to the doctor.
I fixed chicken fajitas for supper.
I fixed the Triple Berry Cobbler (I posted the link to the recipe a week or so ago).
By 7:00 the headache was really bad and I was sick to my stomach.  So I went to bed.  I didn't go to sleep, but by the time Tim came to bed around 10 or so, the headache was gone and the stomach had settled down after numerous runs to the bathroom.  But, I tossed and turned, flipped and flopped ALL.NIGHT.LONG!!!!

Chicken Fajitas (before baking in the oven)

Cobbler before being cooked

Cobbler after being cooked.  I have to say that Great Value's brand of mixed fruit makes the BEST cobbler, using the Triple Berry recipe!

Tuesday, January 31, 2017
I took it rather easy today.  The headache not totally gone, but not even like it was yesterday all day.  I took the neighbor to have a CT scan done today and then stopped at Walmart to get her some water.  The doctor yesterday told her he thinks she has a kidney stone.  The CT will confirm it.
The headache is back.  The stomach is feeling a little iffy, too, so we will see if a helping of the cobbler was a good idea or not!  :D  The PMs are down the hatch, so hopefully the headache will be gone soon!

Today's lunch for both of us:  grilled cheese with egg.

Supper was oven baked breaded Tilapia (sp?) fish, baked beans and mac-n-cheese.  I forgot to get a picture, but it was yummy!  Cobbler for dessert (warmed and with ice cream)!

Photo Challenge pictures

Prompt:  Hello (from a scrapbook journaling card)

I couldn't decide which I liked better, so you get to see both for this prompt:  Colorful
This is washi tape, just a few rolls from my stash.

2nd picture for prompt, Colorful.

I went searching (google) for more than one list of daily photos to take.  I like to have more selections than one.  So, now I have 4 lists to choose from beginning in February.
Day 1's selection list is as follows (which one do you think I will go with?)
1. Fork
2. One
3. Share
4. A Street

Until next time!

Test Results

If you haven't heard by now, the results of the CT scans Tim had on Friday were "normal" according to the doctor.  What that means is that nothing changed from the last scans.  That is a good thing.  However, it isn't exactly true.  A couple of the old lumps have started growing again.  One on his left leg and one on his right arm.  These areas are not scanned.  He discovered the one on his arm Thursday morning.  But, until tons of the tumors come back, he will remain on the combination of meds, #6 and 7.  We are so thankful for how long their effectiveness has lasted this round.

We only had a handful of people at church today.  Lots out with sickness.  I think Tim is finally over the cold.  I've still got something going on with the sinuses on my right side.  I get a headache and feel the pressure if I bend over.  Probably a sinus infection.  What a nuisance!  But, I'm thankful it isn't worse!

It has looked and felt like it could snow today.  There were a few rain drops right before the services at church started tonight, but didn't last very long.

Here are some photos I've taken the last several days.

The white on the mail box is frost.

This leaf was wet, but it looks like frost.

See how tall the daffodils are getting!  The overhang definitely saves them from the frosty mornings.  Today, it was 26 in the morning.

I was standing under the carport when I was taking these zoomed-in photos.  I am thinking this is a blue bird.  The wings had blue on them when it flew.

I went over to the edge of the house to get a better angle.  You can see the blue on his wings.

I finished knitting the cowl.

Modeling it.  This is probably the preferable way I would wear it.

Political correctness has even invaded the Girl Scout Cookies.  The caramel delites are no longer called Samoans!  It's enough to drive you crazy!!!

Trying to capture the rays of light shining through the clouds, but you cannot see them very well.

Here are some photos for the photo prompts the last couple of days:

Prompt:  i can't live without

Prompt:  a sign

Prompt:  shadow
(this is one of Kara's kittens named Shadow)

And that about wraps up the weekend!  Have a blessed week!

News and Such

I have been super busy since my last post.  Mostly working in my craft room, trying to reorganize and get rid of some stuff.  I've only succeeded in getting rid of a little bit.  But, I'll be working on it more and more as time goes on.  For right now, I'm calling it quits.  At least things are put away.  I can even shut the closet door!  :D

Tomorrow Tim will have the routine CT on his chest, abdomen and pelvic areas.  The brain MRI won't be until March.  The surgery and skin graft on his chest is all healed up.  He has a crater in his chest, but, praise the Lord, no more bleeding and bandaging morning and night!

Unfortunately, he has a lump on his left leg right above the knee that has been growing.  And today he found another old lump on his right bicep just above the bend of his arm, has begun to grow again.  So, we are sure the treatment of meds #6 and 7 are diminishing in effectiveness.  There are no more melanoma medicines available, or trials that he can get into.  So, the only thing to do is go back on a previous medicine that did not work so his body can forget that it is resistant to the current treatment.  In the meantime, the melanoma will grow like wild fire until the doctor thinks it is time to try the current treatment again.  The effectiveness lasted longer this second time around than the first.  Probably between 10-11 months.

So, if the Lord brings Tim to your remembrance tomorrow, please pray about the CT scan and pray for a melanoma medicine that the Lord will allow to cure Tim completely!  Thank you in advance!!

OK, here's some photos you've been missing, I'm sure!  :D  There are a couple of "bonus" videos, too.

Here's our brand-spanking new toaster oven!  We use it all the time!  The one we got at the thrift store last year was dying.  The longer you had to cook something, the louder it got!  This one is so quiet, you don't even know it is running!  And, it has convection capability, too, which I know nothing about.  I love the double racks and the oven is digital!

This is a craft storage thing I found at the thrift store last week.

Here it is opened up.

A better view of it opened up.

These next 3 show the items I put in it.  Things to take along on a trip.

Tim and I went to the NC Preachers' Fellowship on Monday.

This chicken was yummy!  Super moist and flavorful!  That is our Jessica's peach salsa on top.

Today day was so pretty as we did our thrifting in High Point.  But, by the time we were finished, the wind had picked up and the cold front began to move in!  The temperature dropped quickly from the high of 65 that I saw!

Traveling with my favorite guy!

YUM!  Pizza from Vinnie's.

Results of craft room reorganization.  The desk has been moved all he way to the left, butting up on the wall.  The black shelf was on the wall under the blue and black storage on the right wall (behind the laptop), but moved to the left of the desk now, next to the trash can.

I got the dresser from the neighbor to store lots of miscellaneous stuff out of sight.  Right now there is nothing in the pink drawers to the left side of the dresser.  The shelves on the right of the dresser were in the space where the laptop now sits.  The little gray folding table my laptop is sitting on also came from the neighbor's.

I should have taken a "before" picture of the closet!  It was a mess!  I couldn't even close the door!  I got rid of and moved some stuff out of there.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mixed Berry Cobbler

We had a ladies meeting tonight to plan our activities for the year.  We also ate.  Our snacks have turned into a meal.  Tonight we had potato soup with bacon bits and cheese to add, crackers, BBQ mini wieners and meat balls, chicken salad sandwiches, potato salad, relish dish, potato chips, cobbler and ice cream for dessert and beverages.

We had a great turn out and even had a couple of new faces.

So, I made the cobbler for dessert tonight.  It was a new recipe.  Was it good?  Well, let's just say there were no leftovers!  :D  Here's a link to the recipe I used.  The only thing I did differently is I used Great Value frozen fruit medley.  There are 4 different kinds of berries instead of the 3 the recipe calls for.  Also, I got 2 bags of the fruit, so I halved again all of the other ingredients.  For instance, it calls for 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, so I used 1 1/2 + 3/4 tsp. = 2 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon.  I have to say that it was delicious!  Topped with vanilla ice cream, YUMMMMMMMM!

OK, here's the link to the recipe:  Triple Berry Cobbler

Remember the cling stamp storage sleeves I got in the huge container yesterday?  Well, I looked for them on line and found them at JoAnn Fabrics!  So, I went first thing this morning and got the 5 they had.  I filled 3 of them.  I added some ink to them so you (and I) could see them better.  The last 2 are the ones that came in the container from the Salvation Army thrift store in Charlotte.  I think if you want to even have a closer look, you can click on the picture.  (Sorry about the reflection from the light above the table.)

Tim and I went to our 2 thrifts after I got back from JoAnn's and after Tim got back from a visit.  I found something interesting that I will show you tomorrow.  Also, the toaster oven we got at the thrift last year sometime was dying a slow death, so we bought a new one from Walmart today.  We use a toaster oven more than the regular oven.  I'll show it to you tomorrow, too.

Nite!

A Full Day

We left the house at 8:30 this morning.  Our thrifting took us to Charlotte today.  It began with breakfast at IHOP in Salisbury.  Tim orders the 55+ Sunshine breakfast, which is supposed to be less food than the regular portion, but it sure didn't look like it was any less food!  I usually get an egg sandwich with BLT and mayo, which I did today.  I cannot order a BLT with egg or it comes as a double-decker and I cannot eat that much!

Here are my photos for the day.

Playing with the camera settings on my phone while waiting for breakfast.  Still cannot figure out how to get the picture flipped.

My favorite sandwich, half of it already devoured!  :D

Is this a variation of holly?  The leaves don't look like the typical holly leaf.  One of the Goodwills had a hedge row of this.

A selfie taken with the new camera.

Took several pictures of the sky.  Since I was taking right into the sun, I used the BEACH setting on the camera.

This one is looking through the window.  You can see all of the dirt and the camera focused on that dirt instead of the sun!

Zoomed in on this helicopter that was hovering over the interstate.  Checking speed?  Watching for accidents?  Don't know.  That's the color of the sky not looking directly into the sun.

Loved this old truck.

We finished thrifting at around 3:30.  That is longer than Tim usually lasts.  Since we hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, we found the nearest Ruby Tuesday so we could try their new 55+ items salad bar.  It was good, but I don't thing it was $9.99 good, especially since I could only eat one plate full.

These fake pine trees are disguising cell towers.  They look odd.  I wonder if one particular company puts these up?

Found these spice blends at Tuesday Morning.  Looking forward to trying them out.

Some goodies found today.  This is a Creative Memories notebook that has sheet protectors for stickers for scrapbooking.  I am going to use it for rubber and cling stamps.

The paperback books were still $0.99 and the hardback books $1.39 at all of the Charlotte Goodwills.  And several of the Debbie Macomber books have 2 books in one.  So, that was a bargain!

This was my bargain of the day.  This huge storage container was filled with cling and rubber stamps and a few other misc. items.

This is everything that was included in the storage case for $12.99.  The case itself had $17.99 from Hobby Lobby marked on it!

I REALLY like these stamp storage sleeves!  Gonna see if I can find them on line.

Not sure exactly what these are.  I thought they were for stenciling, but the "white" part  is not empty.  It is a very thin layer of something.  

Here's a closer picture.  I'll have to figure out what to do with them.  They were in the big storage container.

Well, we had a good day today.  There was a light frost on the ground this morning, but it warmed up quickly.  Around 11 we took our jackets off.  I am hoping my daffodils are close enough to the house that the overhang protected them from the frost.  We shall see!  :D