Nick's Birthday Plans

Nick and I had a great week last week and I pray it continues into this week. We had our annual family picnic in the mountains last Tuesday. There were twenty of us ranging from nine months to mid-70’s. We always go up and fix breakfast, the kids play in the creek and we all sit around visiting.

 

When we left there, we headed up the Parkway to a wonderful inn in the Pisgah National Forest. It has the best views, the most amazing breezes and the best food ever! We’ve stayed there before and when the friends we often travel with said there were two rooms available for the fourth, we all grabbed them. Here’s the view from our balcony and from the dinning room.

We came home and Friday Nick went golfing – shot a 70! So, he was happy. Now let’s just hope his luck is as good this coming Wednesday. Two years ago, Nick had my heart racing when he decided to go hang gliding.

This year, in order to give my heart another good work out he’s decided to go skydiving. Yes, Ronnie guessed right – but then, she’s known us the longest. That is the plan for Wednesday – weather permitting. I’m going along, not sure why. I’m not exactly moral support since I’m against it, but support or not I’ll be there. This isn’t Nick’s first time, he jumped several times back in his college days and now jumps are all tandem jumps so I’m not too worried, but I still feel the only reason to jump out of a plane in flight is that it’s about to crash or it’s on fire.

 

I hope you all will cross your fingers, squeeze your rabbits foot or better yet say a prayer that Nick lands safely and the my heart can take watching.

 

 

The trip continued

You can click back here to read the first of our vacation. I thought I was safe enough letting Nick pick an activity for the morning, but I really need to remember to put some restrictions on that. There are thousands of things to do in this area – so many I have no idea where they get all the people to staff these places. There was a Hollywood wax museum, many scenic rides up the mountain, tons of small amusement parks, an ‘upside down’ house, loads of shopping places and so much more.

On other vacations, you might remember, Nick has tried to kill me. Once on a mo-ped, a couple of time on hikes in the mountains. There have been others, but I think I’ve blocked them from my mind. But this time the magnanimous man is giving me a choice. Mudding in an ATV or horseback riding. Is he kidding? I don’t like ATV, I’m not even wild about golf carts. I like vehicles with doors, windows, seat belts and airbags. Not to mention the fact that it’s been raining in this area for four straight days (before we came, we had great weather) but where you didn’t have pavement you had MUD! And horseback? I probably haven’t been on a horse more than once or twice in the past forty-some years. Where does he come up with these ideas?

 

I had only brought vacation clothes with me, nothing I really wanted to get muddy. But only protesting slightly we headed out to the Jaylee Ranch. I had picked horseback riding because I trust a horse way more that Nick’s driving of an ATV through four inches of mud. It was a little cool and breezy that morning, so I had on my only sweater, a white one. And I’d also only brought two pair of shoes, my sandals and my canvas/mesh tennis shoes. This was the area around the horses.

 

But to give the stables credit they had us up on a platform and we could just step onto our horse and avoid the muck. I have to admit that despite the mud our ride was pleasant, and it turned out to be a lovely day. So maybe this wasn’t another murder attempt, but I’m always on the lookout these days. And despite all the mud even my white sweater came through unscathed.

That afternoon we went back out to The Island and went in a Crime Museum – I’m big on watching true crime shows and I found this very interesting. Since we were planning on a big diner Nick decided he’d get an ice cream cone for lunch. I didn’t want one, I was still full from breakfast and I wanted to eat dinner. I told him to get his favorite, butter pecan, but he got black cherry (my favorite) and I had a little.

 

I love the food at Dolly’s Stampede! The soup was fantastic, then they give you a whole little chicken, a slice of pork tenderloin, half a roast potato, an ear of corn a biscuit and an apple turnover for dessert! And I sat there feeling like I’d had a huge lunch as well as several cones of ice cream. Honestly, I sipped at the soup and had about four bites of chicken and I couldn’t eat another thing. But thankfully they give you handfuls of take-out bags so eventually, like a day after we got home, I got to finish that delicious chicken. No one is going to accuse me of overeating these days.

 

We had a great little get away. But I was still glad to get home to do my relaxing. All has been peaceful here until Nick told me what he wanted to do for his birthday this month – heaven help me! More later.

 

 

Traveling

We took a trip. It was a short one but it was fun. If you read here much you know I’m a home body. I was before the pandemic and that only sealed it. Nick likes to travel more than I do so I decided it was time to put on my big girl panties and make plans. Unfortunately, I took that way too literally.

 

We went to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in TN, and there were tons of people. I don’t like crowds. But that’s life when you go to a tourist attraction. 

We stopped first at the big aquarium. We saw many beautiful fish, sting rays, sharks, penguins and much more. But as we walked through all the displays, I noticed something else happening. Those big girl panties I’d put on decided to put on began to slide off. 

 

I just hadn’t noticed it that much at home, but the thirty-pound weight loss is real. The panties were sliding fast and the jeans I had on weren’t far behind. It was, take two steps and hike up my jeans, take two more and give them another tug. Forget the panties – they kept creeping down and I couldn’t very well reach in and give them a tug. Do they make suspenders for undies? It was on the funny side I guess, but it wasn’t the most comfortable tour I’ve ever taken.

 

Once we left there we went to a place called ‘The Island’ and it was fun. We ate a late lunch at Paula Deen’s – fried chicken, ribs, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, salad and dessert! 

Problem is I can’t eat much these days but what I did eat was delicious. There was a large fountain in the center of this place with dozens of rocking chair around it. The perfect place to rest and recover after a meal. There were tons of little shops and rides also. I don’t ride rides any more, but the shops were interesting. Here is my one souvenir.

 

The hotel was amazing! Our room had a sofa in addition to the two queen beds, a very large TV and even a fireplace. The balcony had a view to impress for sure!

After breakfast the next morning I jumped in the shower telling Nick to pick something for us to do that morning. Please remind me to never do that again. I’ll tell you about his choice soon.

Still here

I'm alive and well but I just haven't been on the computer lately. I'm having eighteen of Nick's family over for lunch tomorrow. You all know how much I love cooking and cleaning and getting ready for company. In addition we're babysitting for Mollie's dogs this weekend too. 

But if you're interested I have a new post up at PK Corey's Reading room today, a snippet from Cassie on the Move if you're willing to go over for a quick read.

Nothing has change with my publisher. They still aren't paying me or answering any of my emails. So I have no idea when  a new book will be out. But it's ready to go when I can get it all figured out.

Special Day

 

Today is a special day. As of today, Nick and I have been married forty years. And I have to say that sounds utterly ridiculous! How could a couple as young as we are possible have been married for forty years. Twenty maybe, but forty? When we did get married all those years ago, we had several people say something to me that struck me as odd. These people said, “You guy will make a great little old couple.” I wasn’t really thinking about that at the time, and I wasn’t sure what they meant. I guess it was there way of saying they knew we were in for the long haul and wouldn’t be divorcing. Apparently, they were right. According to many of Mollie’s friends we’re ‘precious.’ I guess that officially makes us a ‘great little old couple.’

We're not really doing gifts for our anniversary but there is something I’d like. I won’t get it, but I can’t help wishing. I think it would be nice for Nick to propose, you know, ask me to marry him. He never has. Now it’s become a running joke so I don’t suppose he ever will. But it would be a nice surprise. 

Nick and I are neither one big party people. Instead, we’re going out to our favorite restaurant with the three couples whom we credit/blame (whatever) for getting us together all those years ago. I guess I won’t be bragging too much about out forty years with these guys since all of them have already passed their fiftieth anniversary. But they were instrumental for us dating. 

 

One couple kept trying to set me up with dates. They set me up with a drug dealer, a young man from India who spoke no English and a man recently released from prison after he’d murdered his wife. No, they didn’t hate me, but this particular lady, Theresa, only sees the good in people and thought they were all fine men. Of course she also knew Nick, but never mentioned him.

 

About forty-two years ago one of the other couples threw a birthday party for Theresa’s birthday.  Nick and I were both invited. We talked a lot that night getting to know one another, and Nick’s best friend was there too and later encouraged Nick to call and ask me out. We’re going out with Theresa and her husband, the couple who threw the party and Nick’s best friend (best man at our wedding) and his wife. It seems we’ve all known each other for a lifetime now.

Secrets to a long marriage: 

·       Plan from the beginning for it to last forever. You’ll be making a promise to the person you love. If you’re not ready to promise, then don’t get married.

·      Marry someone who has lived on their own for at least two years. I’d lived alone for six years and Nick for thirteen years. We could take care of ourselves, we wanted to be together.

·      Make sure you like the person you’re marrying. Blazing love may not last for long. A deep like is much better.

·      Remember to be polite to one another. Keep saying please and thank-you throughout the years.

And most important,

·      Keep talking, tell each other what you want. Don’t demand it, but let the other person know. No one reads minds well no matter how much we wish that they could.

 

Wonder drug?

I guess wonder drugs are not always wonderful. I’ve been on Ozempic for seven months now. And while parts of the treatment are truly amazing, I’m not thrilled with all that it does. First the good parts. My blood sugar is doing great. I am still taking some metformin, but I’m down to one a day, rather than four. Anything that can get me off some meds is good in my book.

Now to speak to why I think most people are interested, the weight loss. I’ve been so shocked and pleased by all this. I’ve lost just shy of thirty pounds and that’s the part shocks and thrills me. But it’s still very strange. I can’t wear some of my favorite pants because I’m afraid that they’ll fall off in public. Looking in the mirror the other day I saw I had a thigh gap! My thighs have been rubbing together in a most annoying way for the past thirty-five year. I was stunned. I’m not quite used to all this change and I’m not sure what to do about my clothes. I still want things loose and comfortable, yet I’d like to show off the weight loss a little. I’m working on it.

 

I think being on Ozempic has taught me better eating habits, especially in portion control. You can’t overeat on Ozempic. You’ll be sick, I promise! When you’re full – STOP! I don’t care how good that last bite looks, if you feel full you better just leave it.

 

Now the not so good parts. It doesn’t work the same for everyone. A good friend began about a month ago and really hasn’t see much weight loss at all. Mine began almost at once.  I guess it reacts differently for different people. My biggest problem came when I went up to 2 mg. That’s when I began feeling nauseous most of the time. To be honest it was mild, but it didn’t matter. I either felt sick or felt like I was about to be sick if I did anything or even thought about eating. 

This went on for about two to three weeks and I decided I’d had enough. It was during this time I had that awful bout of vertigo (nothing to do with the Ozempic) so I’d felt pretty crappy for nearly a month when I told my doctor I was cutting the Ozempic down to 1 mg. Since then, I’ve felt human again, so much better. The best part is that my blood sugar is still down, and I haven’t gained any weight back. Now that I feel like exercising again, I feel like I’ll continue to lose.

 

Here are some thoughts for those of you thinking of trying it. Eat slowly and mindfully when you start. Don’t let your doctor rush you into increasing the dose. If it’s working where you are you don’t have to increase it right away. Now my friend is afraid to go up from .25 to .5 because she’s listened to my tales of woe. I suggested she try it. She’s not diabetic so she is only taking it for weight loss. If she isn’t losing on .25 and not willing to go up at all, then what’s the point of being on it in the first place. My most important piece of advice, pay attention to how you feel and while you should listen to your doctor and discuss things with him or her – the final decision is yours. Remember that.

A sentimental Mother's Day thought

I hope everyone had a good Mother’s Day. I got to spend the afternoon with Mollie, which is always nice. I got a text from LJ earlier in the day that just shows what a sweet, sentimental boy he really is. He found this tweet and sent it on to me and there are comments on it from from Collin and Mollie.

 

My mom is a prosecutor and every year she brings up the fact that Mother’s Day is the day with the lowest crime. I think that says a lot about how many moms commit crimes throughout the year but can’t today because they’re too busy being celebrated.

 

LJ: Something to think about

Collin: I’ve always assumed as much.

Mollie: It seems like something to look into.

 

Really, what sweet children.

It didn't go as planned

We planned our trip to Florida months ago. We were taking a bus tour with some friends. All was paid for, bags packed, arrangement made for the cats. It was all go. But it didn’t go as planned.

 

We were to leave early Thursday morning. On Wednesday I was finishing up the last of the packing, last minute things. I haven’t been feeling great, but there was nothing really wrong either – I just felt tired and a little off. Around noon I stretched on the bed, it felt wonderful. There was a nice breeze from the window and I thought a short nap would be just the thing. Problem was I was barely out of that bed for the next twenty-four hours. About the time I was planning on getting up I was hit with the worst vertigo I’ve ever had (I’ve only had it twice before.)

 

If I so much as thought of lifting my head from the pillow, I began vomiting. The dizziness was as intense as anything I’ve ever experienced. Thank God for Nick. When I had to go to the bathroom – which is only steps from my bed I quickly realized it was impossible alone. It felt like I’d been on this for a solid hour or more.

                                           

Nick would guide me as I held my little container and vomited the whole way there and back. Although I took what the doctor had prescribed for me before nothing helped that day. I certainly couldn’t finish the little packing left to be done, couldn’t take a shower and I knew that there was no way I could ride on a bus for six or more hours the next day. So long trip.

 

By late was feeling so much better. Still a little dizzy and unsteady, but a tremendous improvement. Part of me feels guilty because of causing us to miss the trip, being out the money and letting down the friends we were to travel with. But it truth I know there was nothing I did to cause this and nothing I could have done to prevent it. Sometimes things just happen. Maybe I should just be happy it didn’t happen while I was on the bus or while we were there. Getting back would have been a hassle.

 

Not many bright spots I can see in this saga so far, except that I have lost several more pounds.  If you’ve ever taken advice from me, let me stress, do NOT try this method for weight loss – it’s not worth it!

Busy Weekend

My house seemed very, very full this weekend. We had Nick and me, and our two I cats – what I would usually call a full house. The we had Mollie’s dogs, those two beautiful Goldens! With what they left all over my house I feared we would send her home with two bald dogs, but no, they had enough hair to completely cover our floors and furniture AND still had more for her car and her house. Amazing!

 

Then, of course, we had my two boys, LJ and Collin. We loved getting to see them and we had some wonderful long talks. The dogs loved them, in fact the youngest wanted to be in LJ’s face every minute. LJ is more one to love seeing a dog lying close by rather that one constantly trying to get in his lap. Especially when said dog weighs about eighty pounds. But for the most part we all got along well.

 

We stopped by old elementary school where LJ and I both went, even Mollie began there. It was taken over by the town and has many little shops, and meeting rooms. There is a small bar and a large theater as well as a small museum. We were in one of the shops when Collin ask a lady working there if she was… and called her by name. She said yes and he told her he had gone to the elementary school where she taught and that he remembered her smile.  She seemed delighted. As we talked the other woman working there. she mentioned that she was a writer. I mentioned the problems I was having with my publisher – she had had similar problems and was able to recommend the lawyer she had used. I’d already called a few lawyers and they all said they didn’t do that kind of case. I feel like I finally have a place to begin.

I enjoyed going to the play and the retirement party with the boys. When their teacher saw them, she began to cry. She had really liked both of them and to think they had come so far to acknowledge her retirement really got to her. I mentioned to her that they hadn’t come for Christmas, but they did manage to get here for her. I told her that didn’t bother me a bit, I’d take them anytime I could get them.

Mollie’s trip to see Taylor Swift went smoothly and they all had a great time. But I was very happy when they all returned home safely. I took the boys to the airport on Monday. I’m not wild about the drive to the airport a good part of it is on an eight-lane highway with tons of traffic so it’s just not a drive I like to make – but I did it!

 

Now I can just relax at home, for a while. But next week Nick and I are heading to Florida for a few days. I’ll tell you all about it another time.

I like my numbers

I spent a while worrying and complaining here about my various doctor visit and annoying health questions, I figured I’d give an update. Let’s just say, I can’t complain.

 

For me my blood pressure was worrying me the most. It had way of going really high despite the doctor increasing my meds. We’re talking 190/108. Doc thought maybe a diuretic could help and put me on a very low dose. And that’s when the BP dropped to 80/59 in one day. I think, because of the sudden drop I felt really crappy for about a week. She was amazed that the tiny dose she had me on made that much difference.

 

The next thing that happened was that something on my blood test made her worry about my kidneys. She cut my diuretic dose in half and ordered a PVL renal artery duplex with veins – whatever the hell that was. Turns out it was just an ultrasound of the kidneys. 

BTW ultrasounds without a baby in them are dull. The results show that my kidneys are is great shape and that there is no problem with them.

 

Next, we worried about blood sugar. I was on a high dose of diabetic medicine, four a day and she hoped to reduce this with Ozempic. I’ve been taking it for about six months now and both the doc and I are pleased with the results. I was able to cut those four pills down to one per day, and this past week I haven’t taken any. Go me! My BS is where it’s supposed to be, and I’ve lost 24.6 pounds as of Sunday morning! I’m thrilled.

As for the CPAP machine. We are still not friends. And I still usually cuss at it most nights, but I have learned to tolerate it. At least until about five AM when I rip it off and get what I think of as some good sleep for the rest of the night. I go to the sleep doc this coming Friday and I have tons of questions – I still want to know exactly why I’m using it and how it’s supposed to be helping. I haven’t seen any of the result it promised about have more energy. But at least I no longer have the urge to chuck it out the window.

This does occasionally happen.

I know all health news is fleeting but for the moment my blood pressure is good, my blood sugar is where it belongs, I’ve been able to cut out some medicines and I’ve lost nearly twenty-five pounds. Mollie tells me she's counting on me being around another thirty or forty years. Being in my mid-sixties this seems a bit optimistic, but honestly I'd do about anything for my kids so who know. Anyway, I'm celebrating!

 

My boys and the importance of plays

I finally got confirmation that my boys are coming to visit later this month. Well, they aren’t coming to visit me specifically, but they are coming.  The real reason is a retirement party for a special teacher that both of them remember fondly. This was their theater teacher. There is a surprise party for her after the final performance of her final play. She has no idea that they’re coming and I think she will be very happy to see them.

Plays are a true connection for LJ and Collin. LJ remembers seeing Collin for the first time when Collin was the star of his senior play. LJ was there on a field trip with his third-grade class. This teacher they are coming to see was doing her student teaching that year. About eight years later Collin was again the lead in a local play and LJ was a town’s person in the same play. Eight years after that, at their wedding, Collin said, “I remember walking out on an outdoor stage in a small town in the south and a boy smiled at me and changed my life.” It was this teacher that encouraged LJ to try out for that play. She brings many, many good memories for my boys. And I can’t wait to see them!

Interesting trip

Mollie and I had a good trip – but it had a spooky element to it. We saw my cousins, Bea and Ann. Ann, the younger of the two is in a nursing home and didn’t really know me although she recognized the picture of my mother and called her by name. But she never really got my connection. Anyway, she was pleased to have visitors and we talked for a while.

Then she was off on a ‘fieldtrip’ where they took them out in the little bus to see all the flowers and blooming trees. She might not have known me, but she seemed happy. Bea was in a small apartment, mostly bedridden. Her daughter is living there and taking care of her.  She is still very sharp and she and Mollie enjoyed teacher talking.

 

When I was a kid we would come for a week each summer and stay at Ann’s house out in the country. She had three sons, Mom brought my sister and I and we each could bring a friend. Throw in the boy next door and we had eight teenagers riding horses, going canoeing, and taking the big boat out water skiing. We all had so much fun.

 

About ten years ago Ann’s sons decided she was too far out in the boonies by herself and they moved her to a wonderful house in town on the river that one of them owns. It’s a beautiful house and I wanted a picture so Mollie speaks into her phone and put in the address – 123 River Road. The map comes up and off we go. We haven’t gone too far when we both feel like we’re going in the wrong direction. I thought we were already close, but the map was taking us to the highway. I checked her phone and the address was correct so we figured, what the heck, we’d trust it. But after about ten minutes we knew it was wrong. We weren’t going toward the river.

 

We made the next turn and we were talking about turning around when suddenly the road seemed familiar. The phone map turned us into the parking lot of an abandoned grocery. And suddenly I knew where we were! I directed Mollie to a small dirt road going off behind the old grocery store and there, at the end of that lane was Ann’s old house. The one I’d visited so often as a child.

 

How in the hell had we gotten there? I didn’t know the address of that house. It wasn’t in my phone and certainly wasn’t in Mollie’s. We both looked at her phone again, the address it showed was nowhere close to the house address. A spooky chill hit us. We turned around and went back to the grocery store parking lot. And after staring at one another for a moment, Mollie once again spoke the address 123 River Road into her phone and it took us straight back to town and to the house Ann had moved to ten years ago.

 

This is one of the strangest things that has ever happened to me. I wanted to see the house again, but I honestly had no idea how to get to it. I hadn’t actually been back to that house in more than twenty years. We usually met Ann at a restaurant and she would come back to the hotel to visit.

 

If anyone can figure this out for  me, I’d be grateful.

It's Done!

The next to last Cassie book is finally finished. This one took me a long time. I sent it off yesterday to my two ultra-helpful editors, my sister and Rosie Dee. It’s going to take them a while to get back to me and then I’ll need to do the edits. 

And then the BIG problem – what do I do with it then? I still haven’t heard a word from my publisher. I certainly can’t sent it to them but if I publish it myself, well… well there are legal questions. I want this book out. And I’m very excited about the final book in the On the River series. I’ll keep you informed.

 

I haven’t got much good to say about my health questions. I’m still not feeling so good. The blood pressure is still low and the worst is that is the near constant low grade nausea and the sleepy feeling. I went to a play with some friends Saturday night, Mollie and some of her friends went too. I couldn’t stay. My stomach was upset and I felt like I could curl up under the table and sleep. I just headed home after the first act.

I really want to feel better soon. Mollie and I are traveling to my mom’s hometown next weekend to visit a couple of my cousins. I’ve been making this trip to visit with older relatives for over sixty years. 

The first night we’ll be taking my cousin’s granddaughter and partner to dinner. I think she’s close to Mollie’s age and it hit me that this will be the first time that I’m the little old lady being visited with. Of course, when I see the cousins the next day, I’ll feel younger, both are in their 90’s. 

 

Hopefully I’ll soon writing that I’m feeling great and that the book is coming out!