An unusual request

During the time that I've been blogging I've ask folks to pray for my dad and my mom and my husband and my daugher. I've added my prayers to those of others in the blog world for like causes.

Certainly I never thought I'd been asking for myself.

Since I'm taking this (what seems to me, drastic) step, I feel I should explain.

As a woman of "that age", I had gone through "the change" almost 5 years ago.

I'm the only woman of my family to do this "the old fashioned way" as every other female member of the clan had done this with surgery at some point in their lives (before they got to the age I am), so certainly I have no guide book here (Ok, I guess I'm writing one for my daughter!)

However, about a month ago, I began having episodes of bleeding again.

A trip to the doctor revealed a normal pap smear, and a biopsy done in the office showed "nothing remarkable" (really, that was the comment on the lab result!).

The ultra sound (a whole other experience to be ranted about another time) revealed that I have a small fibroid tumor which is "not of concern" and supposedly is not the cause of the bleeding.

Now the doctor wants to do a D&C, which my reading tells me is not really helpful to treat post menopausal bleeding.

Part of my issue here is that I don't have a really trusting relationship with this doctor --- it's okay in terms of being able to go for that yearly exam, but I'm feeling really out here by myself just now.

I'm really not good at asking for help for anything, even when (in looking back) I should, but this thing, frankly, scares me.

So if you all could say a little word for me to have understanding and guidance and make proper choices, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks to you all.

Squirells final destiny and screen doors

Yesterday, after 3 days of there being no more squirells in the traps, the pest control guy came and made the roof repair.

The traps have been removed from the roof, the sturdy double layer of hardware cloth (which is really heavy wire screening) has been installed to keep any future squirells from moving in.

This residence has been officially "Red Tagged" for squirell habitation!!

The picture here is of Douglas County, the county to the North of us, which is where the pest control guy took those squirells and dropped them off ---- in a much ritzier zip code!!

Yippee!!

And today was the day of the screen door repair.

Last week, on one of the warm days, I went out onto the patio, leaving the glass door open and closing the screen.

The big black lab that lives here didn't see me go, and when she realized I was out and she was in, she came running.

I'm impressed that 80 pounds of lab hitting the screen did not tear the screen --- but it did pop the door off the tracks entirely and sent it flying.

But then we couldn't get it back onto the rails. I called the company that installed it -- after all, it's supposed to be guaranteed.

They came this morning and put it back on the rails --- and repaired the latch so it works again.

All at no charge (which was great after I wrote that $500.00 check to the pest control guy!!)

ok, I'm hoping now that we are done with house issues for a while and can get back to something resembling normal!!

Further Squirell Control

When we arrived home yesterday afternoon, there was a fox in the front yard of the house next door having squirell for lunch (raw on the half shell, no doubt)

mmmmmmm, tasty!

I don't think the pest control company arranged for this, it's just the natural progression of the food chain

The report from the pest control company is that so far they have trapped 3 adult squirells and 4 juveniles --- yeah team!!!

It was cool and rainy here too from the time we got home, and I haven't heard any chasing in the ceiling, so I think we're getting close to having the problem solved.

squirell update and gardening in process

As we discussed earlier, the squirells are being evicted.

There are two of these humane traps on the roof, and the pest control guy comes by once or twice a day to take the occupants.

I've seen 4 squirells in the traps.

Sorry guys, we just can't have you chewing on the drywall and the rafters and the electrical wiring!! (I hear that they will literally chew right through the drywall into the living areas, and we're all for wild life, just not sharing our living space!!)

The garden is growing!!

Those really tall little seedlings are sunflowers, and we'll be putting them in the ground next week.

Meantime, this weekend we're off to build a deck (or at least the foundation and frame for one) with our daughter

Updates on that project next week!!

aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln....

Before you say "isn't he cute", let me tell you, we are not amused

"Why?" you ask

Because it's going to cost us a hefty sum to get these "cuties" out of our rafters.

Last weekend during the heavy wet snow storm we could hear scurrying in the ceiling. Since there has been a lot of construction going on in the back field, we suspected the local field mice had come looking for a nice dry home.

Then we saw several juvenile squirells sitting on the edge of the roof.

Enough! I called the local pest control guy.

Seems that even though the house is sided with vinyl, which they can not climb, they can climb brick, and the found a place right where the house and the garage meet to burrow under the roof shingle and chew their way in.

The pest control guy was here at 7:30 a.m. By 8:00 he had set the traps and left. He'll be back every day to check the traps. I don't even have to be here when he does.

It will take about 10 days of trap minding to make sure all of them are out. Then he'll repair the spot so they can't get back in --- there at least. He guarantees his work. He'd better, it's costing us $500!

On the up side, a major remodel inside if we don't get rid of them (not to mention the whole health issue) would be much more costly.

Guess we'll be eating a lot of chicken wings and beans this month.

And while this is upsetting, I'm brought straight to the fact that things could be a lot worse. Yesterday while I was reading one of the blogs I visit at least once a week, I learned that Kay of Mason Dixon Knitting lost her husband on Saturday. I'm stunned and saddened --- she has young children.

All this reminds me of something my grandmother had posted above her desk --- "I used to complain because I had no shoes, until I met a man that had no feet"

We're praying for Kay and her family.

Britian's Talent Wows Us Again

Let me begin by saying I do not watch American Idol

I do not like the whole "phoniness" of it, or the way the "judges" brutalize and publicly humiliate the contestants


I can't speak to how that's done on the whole on the "Britian's Got Talent" show, because the only clips of it I have ever watched are the ones where the singers are great (remember Paul Potts?)

Anyway, the latest "phenom" is a 47 year old unemployed single woman singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables. If you haven't heard this clip yet, you can access it here.

Listen closely to her sing --- listen to the lyric

(see Simon get knocked out of his chair!)

I hope she wins it all!!

Tuesday Afternoon

There's this commercial has been making me nuts the whole time it's been playing.

It's for VISA and it want's you to use your VISA card to take your daughter to the aquarium on a (what else) Tuesday afternoon.

[If you haven't seen the ad on TV, you can see it here]

In fact, it wasn't until I was talking to my sister about the affect this thing has had on me that she did the "google" thing and told me what the thing was for.

So what's the deal, you ask?

It's the MUSIC!!!

The song is a 1967 piece by The Moody Blues.

I first became acquainted with the group when I was in high school, and a very close friend gave me the album this piece of music is on (it's called Days of Future Passed). I love the Moody Blues, I have many, many of their albums (on VINYL!!)

The problem?

I've lost track of the friend that gave me the album. The last time I saw her was in the 1970s, after which she and her husband split up, I think she married again, but I haven't been able to find either of them or her boys. It's frustrating.

And I'm wondering, every time they run that commercial, if somewhere she's seeing it and wondering where I am too.

Where are you Cathy?

Happy Easter!

The weather here in my little corner of the world is raining -- we're glad to have the moisture

Just thought I'd share this photo of a beaded piece I did a couple of years ago --- the Easter Lily is on one side --- the other side has the cyrillic letters for "Christ Is Risen"

Have a Happy Easter!

Loosing it

Recently a comment on this blog reminded me that getting older isn't for sissies.

There was a time in my life that if you asked me where something that I owned was that I could tell you in such detail that you could walk right to it.

I can't do that any more

Maybe it's the aging process

or the fact that we've moved so many times

or maybe we just have too much stuff

So, what's the potato peeler about?

Well, I usually don't do a lot of the cooking here in our little hut --- the DH is ever so much better at it, and since I take care of keeping the kitchen clean and doing the laundry and keeping track of the dog (for the most part), the cooking is his normal "chore".

Except about 3 weeks ago he had a little accident with the circular saw and tore up a finger on his left hand and I've been trying to keep us alive with my feeble cooking skills ever since (I did get a "reprieve" when my daughter and her husband came to visit for a weekend and HE did some cooking for me).

Anyway, the other night we wanted to do mashed potatoes.

We have a couple of those other style potato peelers, but I really don't like them and several years ago I bought a really nice OXO peeler.

Trouble was, I can't find it.

I emptied all three of the "gadget" drawers in the kitchen. The DH even emptied the one we used to always keep my peeler in.

I looked through all the crocks of gadgets on the counter.

The peeler has gone AWOL

Let me tell you the frustration level was intense

Amid much grumbling, I used the old metal one so we could have dinner.

Yesterday I bought the pictured "replacement" --- it's not as nice as the OXO one was, but it's better than the metal one and it only cost $1.50.

Now I suppose I should tie a string to it and hang it around my neck

or I'll put it in the drawer and the other one will suddenly reappear

Yup, getting older is definately not for sissies

Why it's hard to make a living as an artist

This picture was in the USA Today yesterday

It's a collar style necklace. They were talking about the great "look" this is.

I like that part --- get people excited about the kind of art jewelry that I make

Except for one little thing

This piece is being made somewhere out of the U.S. (by someone that will work for a nickle an hour) and they are selling it for $48.00!!!!

Any piece that I make with my own two little hands (or as I tell folks some days "THESE TEN FINGERS!") that is anywhere near this size has probably got $48.00 worth of materials in it, not to mention the hours and hours it takes me to create it.

just sayin'