Where has time gone?

     Can you believe it's 2016 and the presidential election is 30 days away.  I'm not blogging on the election though.  Just giving a timeline cause I've not blogged in so long.
     I've been retired for 3 years ago and I love it.  It took a little getting used to, but I managed!  For the last two years I have been selling on ebay.  It was fun, gave me something to do and I made a little money.  This summer I put in a new Butterfly Garden.  It was a big project, and I did it myself.  Well, my grandson, Jack, marked the perimeter for me.  I did all the digging, which took two weeks.  I have a fused disc in my lower back.  The planting was so much fun.  I planted five rose bushes, blanket flower, alyssum, marigolds, baby's breath, zinnias, daisies, and for food, fennel and dill.  I also gave the butterflies a place to drink and to sun themselves.
     I thoroughly enjoy having coffee on the deck and watching the garden.  One day before much of anything was planted, two baby bunnies were playing in the area of the garden.  I watched them chase each other inside the circle like motorcycles on the death ride.  Once in a while they would just jump straight up in the air.  Or, come to a dead stop.  Then the bunny behind would tumble over the leader. 
     I also fed the Northern Orioles, aka Baltimore Orioles.  Cardinals were there daily watching out for grapes.  Then the squirrels discovered the feeder.  I've never seen a squirrel eat grape jelly before.  They loved it.  But, when the squirrel got down, he broke a few new plants.  So, the bird feeder had to go.
     Now, fall is here.  Time to clean up the flower gardens and lawn.  Get ready to hibernate.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  Winter, not so much.  Y'all have a great fall.  See you next time.
    

Too many thoughts.

Holy cow!  I've been gone so long.  I'm baaack.  Too many thoughts going on in my head, can't sleep.  I just retired about a month ago and it's taking some time to adjust.  Being home 24/7 with hubby and dog puts both of them at risk.  I'm fine.  I want to go, go, go.  But not by myself.  I have friends, close friends, but this winter has been absolutely horrific.  Too much snow, too much wind, too much cold.  While I was working, I at least got out of the house.  I really enjoyed working with the people there.  Still keep in contact with several of them.  So, what do I do with myself?

Well, I make plans for the day I can get out in my yard/flowers/garden.  I thrift shop and sell same.  I'm trying to discover who I am now, after 40 years of marriage to the same man.  I know I'm an individual.  I have my own opinions.  But sometimes I feel like I've lost myself.  But, I remember that I make the choices.  And I'm in a good place.  Retirement with your spouse is like being kids again.  Go when you want, do what you want.  As long as weather permits!  LOL  Not as young as we used to be and it takes time for the old body to warm up.  Both of us! 

So, Happy Retirement to those of you who have gone before me.  And for those who are still waiting to retire; you'll get there.  Enjoy!

It's Just Skin Cancer

Yesterday, while waiting in line in a convenience store, I saw a beautiful, young girl, about 17 or so, I’m guessing. She looked perfect, beautiful face, pretty blue eyes and a smile. An absolute beautiful young woman. She was what some people would call wholesome looking, only much more. No visible tattoos, no multiple body piercing. The only thing wrong, seriously wrong, was her tan. I thought about going to her to tell her to stay out of the sun, because of the danger of melanoma cancer, but she would probably think I was a crazy old lady. So, I said nothing. Just hoped she knows about the real danger of tanning. My daughter-in-law can tell her from personal experience.

Jolaina, my daughter-in-law, was diagnosed with melanoma in May 2009. Jolaina is a young 39 year old wife and mother of two teenagers. She is at stage 4 melanoma. There isn’t a stage 5. The last few years have been extremely rough on her and all those who love her. She has had multiple tumors removed, Il2 therapy at the University of Michigan, high dose chemo and so many MRIs that a healthy person would not accumulate in a life time. In addition to the tumors that have been removed, the melanoma is in her brain and one eye. But, she keeps on going with a smile. Jo is a beautiful person inside and out. She participated in clinical trials at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Once the cancer was discovered in her brain, she did not qualify for the trials. Again, to a case study at Henry Ford Hospital. More surgery, more radiation, more steroids. Currently, she is waiting for another MRI in July to consider a craniotomy. Her Doctor told her she was a record breaker. She doesn’t want to break records. She wants to live to be a very old lady. I pray she will.

This “skin cancer” can be deadly. Jolaina noticed a small mole on her upper right arm. The biopsy came back as melanoma. People with melanoma, diagnosed in its early stages, can have a 90 plus percent of survival. When diagnosed at its most advanced stages, the rate is 20 to 30 percent. Is it worth the risk to have a golden brown tan? Do the words “golden brown” bring to mind something being fried. It should.

Please, people, look it up, read about it and be watchful for melanoma symptoms. The information I gave here is given with Jolaina’s permission and taken from the Dukehealth.org website. I pray for her every day. I pray people also heed the warnings about melanoma skin cancer.

A Near Death Experience, or Not.

A Near Death Experience, or Not.

　

“Your husband is trying to kill me!” Running into the house, obviously upset, Katy continued to rant. “He’s out there with a chain saw.” “What are you talking about,” I asked, “Your Dad would never intentionally hurt you”. I knew lately, with the way she was behaving, we both had thought-no, not really. “I was standing near those dead trees and he just started cutting them down. Then all the tops of the trees came raining down on my head”.

Now Jake comes running into the house. “Are you alright, Katy? Did you get hurt?” “I’m fine, no thanks to you’, then she stomped out. Jake’s face was white as a ghost, where Katy had been red faced to the roots of her red hair. “What happened?” I knew something had seriously disturbed both of them. Jake explained that when he started cutting down the dead trees, the tops of them started breaking off, bumping the one next to it and the following results was like it was raining trees. Luckily, no one was hurt. The trees were small, but high, and dead. “Guess I’ll go finish the tree cutting. I don’t think Katy will be in danger now”.

So, off he went, leaving me to restore peace to the household. But, I had better things to do, anything better. I’ll go out and watch the chickens roost. The previous owners had left behind a few chickens, including a rooster. One of their friends was going to pick them up. Over a week later, we still had the fowl. When I got to the barn, one of the roosters and a hen were sitting on the handle bars of my exercise bike. Well, finally someone’s getting some use out of that thing!

I wandered out to the road and decided a short walk in the country would be refreshing. Jack, our lab, decided to go, too. He liked being loose. In the city he was confined to our small fenced in lot. It was late fall, but warm. Trees were changing colors, which, with all the state forest around us was a beautiful sight. I heard a dog’s barking not too far from us. I turned to get a leash on Jack, and he was gone! That was him barking. Following the sound, I found him. Barking up a tree at something. I looked up and saw a black bear cub. “Oh, how cute”, I thought. Then I realized that where there’s a bear cub there’s usually a Mama bear. Get the heck out of here!

Jack didn’t want to go, but my adrenaline was on full tilt. I hauled him out of the woods and double timed it back to the house. I could hear the cub crying and thought, “Mama will be here soon, but we’re almost home”. Once I got closer to the house, really close, I started walking.

Jake saw me and Jack coming down the driveway and yelled out, “Where did you go?” I told him about the walk, the leaves, the quiet and the bear cub. “You can’t just go walking through the woods”, he stated, “what if the Mama had come back, or what if she had just been on the ground and close to her cub? She would have killed Jack.” Jack? He’s worried about Jack? “Well, we’re both just fine.” I was a little sarcastic in my reply. I wasn’t going to let him know how much I had thought exactly that.

I, we, had a lot to learn about living in the stix. Hopefully, no one would come to an untimely end, including Jack.

THE BIG MOVE

The Big Move

Moving to a new town can be an adventure, or it can suck big time. When my husband, Jake and I moved with our teenage daughter, Katy, it was both. When Jake retired after 20 years as a police officer in a fairly big city, we moved “up north”, to God’s country. We were about to move Katy, 15, who was born and raised in this fairly big town in Michigan from the friends and only life style she had known. I was hoping God would come with us. After much complaining, crying and any other event she could think of to inflict on us, we told her if this is the worst thing that happens to you in your life, consider yourself lucky. Reason did not work. So, she came with us, sad and depressed. Jake had two months more to work, so he stayed with friends while Katy and I stayed by ourselves during the week.

Our first night at the new place was not uneventful. We had purchased a house on ten acres with state forest on two sides, about 20 miles from any town. If you’ve never been in the country at night, you don’t know how dark it can get. You also don’t realize how many stars you can see on a clear night. So, I thought, this is why they call it God’s country. I didn’t have time to watch the sky, had to finish unloading the truck. As I went outside to get the last load, I heard shuffling in the leaves and snorting from what sounded like a large animal. The previous owner’s warning about bears being seen in the area went through my mind. Then I saw glowing, gold eyes only feet away from me. God, are you with me? I started to turn and run back into the house when from out of the dark, this creature showed itself. Jack, our black lab! I nearly screamed, from joy that it wasn’t a creature, or relief, I don’t know. This brought a laugh from Katy. Mom was getting some payback.

After unloading the truck and a relaxing glass of Jack Daniels and coke, it was time for bed. Even though Katy was sullen and distant to me, she got in bed with me, why I don't know, and we settled down for a well deserved sleep. Not! From under the house, at least I hoped it was under the house and not in the house, I heard what sounded like growling. “Was that you, Mom?”. Katy’s voice was quivering. “No, I thought it was you.” was my reply, not thinking that I should reassure her. Again, the sound. It seemed like it came from directly beneath the bed. Katy scooted closer to me and was quickly asleep. I wasn’t so lucky. The sound didn’t stop and I laid there, watching into the dark, tired, somewhat scared and exhausted.

Next day, everyone was accounted for and healthy. We would find out later that the noise was the sump pump under the house. What the dickens is a sump pump? I had no idea what a culture shock this move would be. Already I was missing concrete, street lights and 7-11’s. But that’s for next time. Along with the tractor, the chickens, the bears and the odd neighbors.