Cleaning Day ~

Walker asked Cubby and Squeak to clean their room so he could run the vacuum in there.  He told them to make sure everything was off the floor.  They were happy to comply:

Sigh.

Who's the Boss? Oh, Yeah - Ernie

Ernie's new coat didn't work too well.  Turns out the outer layer of fabric has this plasticy coating on it, like a rain coat.  Which means first that it's fairly heavy, and also that it makes noise when Ernie moves.  She wanted no part of it, and honestly, I do not blame her.  I wouldn't want to wear a heavy, crackly coat either.  Time for plan B.

We have a couple of those heat pack things that you warm up in the microwave.  One of them is a rectangular rice bag with a pink flannel cover but Walker tend to favor that one when he has body aches, so I used the other one, a tube filled with buckwheat kernels.  I didn't want Ernie to lay on it - I thought it might be too hot for her - so I got out one of the puppy blankets that we got when we used to take care of my sister's dogs during the day.  I folded the blanket and tucked the heat pack inside. Ernie didn't seem to want anything to do with that, either, probably because when you heat it it gives off a smell a bit like bread baking.  But I set her on it, held her there for a minute, and she figured out pretty quick that this thing was giving off heat.  She curled up on it and slept for hours.

Eventually these heat packs cool off.  Ernie will go get herself a snack and come back to a cool blankie.  She lets us know, loudly, when she needs a reheat.  She's got the whole family jumping through hoops.  Even the kids take reheat duty seriously.  Then Walker decided that Ernie really should have a bigger heat pack, maybe one that she can lay her whole body on.  So he went out to the fabric store.  The ladies who work there just love him, so he had no trouble finding help.  He told his new friend that he needed to make a heat pack for his cat, he wanted the fabric to be soft, and by the way, the cat likes pink. Oh, yes, he absolutely did. He proudly brought home a length of pretty pink flannel, 100% cotton because that is the  recommended fabric for use in the microwave. My mom has been bribed into sewing it up.  For the cat.  Ahem.

I Think I Better Stop Now.....

So when Bro made an offer on a house, and the sellers accepted, and they set a closing date, I offered to decorate the boys' rooms.  I figured, I like doing it, Bro doesn't, and the kids don't care who's in charge as long as they get cool spaces.  We all win.

I set a fairly low budget and set about collecting the things I would need. I hunted down deals on throw blankets, I had posters printed, I rooted a couple plants.  I found two chairs for five bucks at a rummage sale and Walker sanded them and painted them.  My mom is sewing special pillow covers.  Things were going well.  Very well.  So well that I decided, Bro is a boy, I'll do some things for his room, too.  Together we found a squishy down comforter, and I picked out some flannel sheets that would coordinate nicely.  Bro likes things simple, so I stopped there.

But of course, I didn't stay stopped.  I got a flier from Kohl's about a store wide sale.  I needed some jeans, so I decided to check it out. I picked out two pair of jeans, but the coupon I had offered an extra 20% discount if I spent $100.  I was at about $68, so I figured a shower curtain and a bath mat for Bro would just about do it.  Only it didn't.  I was shopping during "magic hour", when the already on sale items were an extra 10% off.  So I tossed some towels and a plastic wastebasket in my cart.  That was enough to put me over the $100 mark, so I headed to the checkout.  With the extra 20% off the "savings" amount was more than the "sale total" amount.  Pretty slick, right? 

Since I had started with a $100 budget and I only spent about $85 I decided to stop at Walmart on the way home.  I figured I could get some hand soap and toothpaste and toilet paper and - viola! - one bathroom would be finished.  Bro would still have one more to do, but in the mean time he'd have a fully stocked bathroom for himself and the boys to share until he figured out what to do with the second one. And, in case you're wondering, it won't hurt my feelings if he takes everything back.  It's hard to pick things out for other people, and I'd rather have someone exchange something I gave them than have it sit, unused, in a closet somewhere. Besides,  Bro generally isn't fussy.  I got gift receipts for everything just in case. 

So anyway, I'm tooling around Walmart and I realized that we have not gotten any Halloween candy yet.  No problem!  Thump, thump, thump, into the cart it goes.  Then I remembered that, since I got a fabric shower curtain, Bro would need a vinyl liner.  No problem!  Better get two, as ours is looking a little sad.  Hmmm, the boys are readers.  I should probably get them some reading lamps.  Oh!  And poster frames for those gorgeous posters I ordered.  As I headed back to the soap-and-toothpaste section I passed a pile of pink, as in a whole kiosk of Susan G Komen pink ribbon stuff.  Of course I had to look.  I've been a sucker for that stuff since I can remember.  Our wrapping paper was lost in the Great Basement Flood of 2011.  Into the cart with two rolls of lovely silver and pink.  Mmmmm, pretty pink tulip bulbs!  I love tulips!  Gotta get some of those. I could go on, but I'm pretty sure you got the idea.  When I was done, my $15 stop for toothpaste and toilet paper cost me a hundred bucks.  Yep, another break-the-bank trip to Walmart.  For some reason, Walmart and Home Depot are budget busters to me.  Ah, well.  I had the cash in my wallet so really, it's all good.  As long as this doesn't become a habit.

Reprieve

I got a letter from my doctor yesterday.  She’s decided that since my triglycerides and overall cholesterol numbers have improved I can stay on the stinky fish oil regimen instead of trying a new prescription.  I consider that good news, despite the nastiness of the fish oil.  She also feels that I don’t need a retest until my next physical, which would be in July.  So I have a pretty good grace period to make some healthy changes in my life.  Now all I have to do is take advantage of that time and just do it.

 

I’ve noticed that when I’m taking proper care of myself – healthy food, regular exercise, plenty of sleep – I tend to take more care with myself, if that makes sense. I pay more attention to my hair and my makeup, I do my nails,  I am more selective with my wardrobe choices.  Seems like when one thing slides, the others tend to follow, until there is a great big snowball of hot mess sitting in my chair.  Right now, I work a night shift in an office with two other people, neither of whom who would give a rip what I wore to work or whether or not I fixed my hair. In fact, I doubt either one would even notice.  So it’s easy to get lax, especially when things are so busy at home.  And lax I have been.

Thinking about how one good change often leads to another, I decided to start with the easy parts and hope the motivation spreads like a stomach bug at a daycare center.   To that end, I spent some time at the Sephora website – Friends and Family Sale time, y’all! – and now am anxiously awaiting delivery of some girly goodies, including a treatment oil for my badly peeling fingernails, some volumizing foam for my hair, and a new brush head for the neglected Clarisonic skin brush living in the bathroom cabinet.   Of course I bought a bottle of Walker’s favorite cologne, too, and of course that has already been delivered.  Sigh.  Men get all the luck. 

In My Garden

 

The little rose bush that I moved from the back corner of the yard to under Diva's bedroom window has finally bloomed.  I've lived here for six years and have never seen the color of these blossoms before, as this bush has not bloomed in all that time.  If it hadn't bloomed this year I probably would have yanked it in the spring.  It saved itself in the nick of time.  The outside petals have a touch of frostbite, but I think these flowers are lovely anyway.

 

I thought Diva's roses were the last of the season, so imagine my surprise when I went around the side of the house and found this:

The cooler weather seems to give the blooms such a vibrant color.  My hanging basket, so battered after the tornado knocked it about, is still blooming away.  It's planted with a mix of scarlet geraniums, verbena, and dusty miller.  I haven't been bringing it in at night but I should probably start.

 And finally, a visitor!  This little guy didn't seem to mind being photographed, but while I was crouched down working on my focus I startled a hummingbird, who in turn startled me.  I didn't even see him until he flew out of the flowers and straight for me.  I'm glad my instinct to swat didn't kick in.  It took me a moment to realize what he was.  By then, he was gone.  Fortuanately my butterfly was still posing for me, so I was able to get this shot.

Good News, Bad News

The good news is, all is well with my mammogram.  Wahoo!  The doctor was running late, very late actually.  There were four of us in the waiting room.  The waiting room is very nice, with a snack basket, a beverage fridge, and a private bathroom.  They have TV and magazines, too.  We were a bit of a rowdy bunch, the four of us in our matching tie front smocks.  One of the older ladies was waiting for an ultrasound.  She didn't seem to understand the magnitude of that appointment.  You get the ultrasound when there is a high suspicion of cancer.  She had her mammo, waited quite a while to see the doctor, and was waiting for her ultrasound when I got called back to the treatment room.  When I was all done, had all my good news, I got dressed and went out to the appointment desk to schedule my next follow up.  A few minutes later the nurse came and got the older woman's husband, telling him, "The doctor is talking to your wife and she wants you to come back."   The husband was complaining that he's been waiting for three hours and really didn't want to get up out of his chair.  I wanted to yell at him:  "Dude, think about where you are.  Think about what your wife is having done.  She is about to hear that she has cancer and she needs your support.  Get out of that chair and get your butt back there and hold your wife's hand!"  I felt so bad for this woman.  I hope her husband steps up or at the very least, that she has better support somewhere.  I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have asked him to go back if everything was fine.  They'd have told her to get dressed and sent her on her way.

I had over forty appointments from the day I was diagnosed until the day I was declared cancer free.  Walker missed only two of them.  I am a very lucky girl.

The Cavalry is Calling!

I have my rescheduled mammogram this morning.  I took half a vacation day from work last night so I could get home at a reasonable time.  I was in bed by midnight, the alarm set for 6:30.  I didn't actually need to get up until 7:00 but since I slept through it last time, I guess I thought I should bump up the time.  Like that would make a difference. Anyway, I woke up about every hour all night, but I fell right back to sleep after I checked the time.  So when the alarm finally went off at 6:30 I was ready to bounce out of bed and get this thing over with. 

Apparently I'm not the only one stressing over this appointment.  Bro called while I was in the shower, and when I didn't answer the phone he called my mom to see if she could come over and get me up.  Walker called, too, checking on me.  I fully expect to hear from my sister any minute.

On the subject of medical stuff, I still haven't heard from my family practice doctor about my high triglycerides.  She was on vacation last week so I imagine she's still getting caught up.  I'm looking forward to that conversation less than today's mammogram.  I just really hate taking meds.