Ode To Breathe Right Strips

Across my hubby's nose you rested
Our sleeping together was no longer tested.
Oh, Breathe Right Strips... I love you!

Random Wednesday Questions

Swiped from La Vida Dulce who swiped it from Jewels in My Crown Someday , because I think this is fun. (I'd love for you to copy it & put in your own answers in the comment section!)

1.. What's the last state you visited other than your own? Virginia, to visit our son who is stationed at Little Creek.

2. What's your middle name? Kay. And I never liked it until my precious daughter made it the middle name of her middle daughter, so I have something to share with my precious granddaughter.

3. What is something you don't like...even though everyone else seems to? Sausage. I like the smell of it & cook it for my family, but since we did a 2 year "healthy eating program" (over 20 years ago) that eliminated all refined products & all pork, minimal beef, etc. & were the healthiest we'd ever been, I've never like sausage again.

4. What's the first costume you remember dressing up in for Halloween? A hobo...translated, I could wear some of my dad's old work clothes & it didn't cost anything. Later my mom made me some beautiful costumes (she sewed costumes for a local dance studio, so I had the most beautiful doll clothes you could imagine!)

5. Have you ever played a sport? Yes, some tennis for many years & ice skating when I was young (on frozen ponds in Indiana).

6. What is a talent you have that people might not know about? Hmmm....I'm pretty much an open book, but some of my younger friends were amazed to see me on the praise team for our Women's Retreat 2 years ago (they weren't around when I sang on Sunday nights for a few years.)

7. What's the last thing that made you laugh out loud? Reading CPQ's blog about going to the library...

8. Are you an oldest, middle, or youngest child? I'm the oldest.

9. What's the best thing you've had someone say to you lately? Though words of affirmation is not my love language, I love to hear my daughter tell me that she loves being my daughter (or any other thing from her that is encouraging).

10. What are you wearing right now? My cotton summer nightgown... It was beautiful outside today, but our house has retained the heat.

Chip, Chip, Chippin' Away...

I finally went to the hand doctor today after 2 wks. of being loaded up on Motrin, 1 wk. of "Icy Hot" (which didn't do SQUAT!) & a brace from the drugstore, & still much pain in my left thumb. I was sure it was tendonitis (I always love to make my own diagnosis, & told the GI specialist a few years ago that I was SURE I did NOT have gall stones... then had my gall bladder removed about a week later). So Dr. Hand (not his real name) took x-rays of my hand & came back in to tell me that a bone chip had broken away. He said it is about the size of a piece of rice, but as it moves around it irritates the tendon & nerves. So now I have a custom made brace to wear for 4 WEEKS! 24/7 except to shower!!! And let me tell you, it would not be good to make me mad while I am in swinging range... I could take you out with this baby!

Before having the brace molded to my hand, I got 4 shots: 2 at the base of the thumb & 2 at the base of my tall-man finger for "trigger finger" which I've had a long time. I usually don't mind shots, but I thought they were going to have to scrape me off the ceiling! When I say they hurt, that is minimizing the fact to the utmost! Now I "look forward" to going back next week to get the same thing in my "tallman finger" on the other hand for trigger finger. I'm just so glad he decided it was best not to inject both hands today, so I could drive home. Tall-man was so numb, I think you could have sliced it off & I wouldn't have known it! Imagine if both hands had been that way.... look out on the road!
I am so thankful to God that these are minimal discomforts compared to what others have. I know from the Scriptures: "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light & momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:16,17)
I would have posted this earlier... but as you can imagine, I have been slowed down a bit

Gladitudes

Tuesday is Gladitude Day, so here are some of mine:
1. Glad we had a large group of troops at the USO today. I love to scoop up the free food for them & watch them enjoy it. They are SO young! And they are so appreciative of what we do for them at the USO. Yet we are so grateful to them for serving our country.
2. Glad that I can come home to a sweet hubby who is fine with "snacking around" for supper (which means you just find your own whatever, like cheese & crackers, or for me, cereal.)
3. Glad that my sweet grandchildren can & do just "drop in" for a few minutes frequently. They light up my life!
4. Glad that we live in a free country & that so far God has greatly blessed us as a nation.
5. Glad that I got into a hand doctor for an appointment tomorrow! We'll see if he agrees with me that it is tendonitis that is paralyzing my left thumb.
6. Glad for family & friends who mean the world to me.
7. Glad that home is a great place to be: warm, comfortable, peaceful, & a wonderful place to share my life with DH.
8. Glad that each day is an adventure with God! His ways are always perfect.
9. Glad that I get to spend some time this week with the wives of our pastors. I love hearing all God is doing in each of their lives.
10. Glad that CPQ listed her "gladitudes" so I was reminded to do the same. It is so much better & healthier to think on those things for which I am grateful instead of whining.

Bloggers' Blast

What happens when 14 women get together, many for the first time, in a dimly lit restaurant party room? One lady turns up the lighting... because more light is better for all the cameras that were snapping pictures. Pictures of each other, the food, (each course being photographed), & the group as a whole. Then from the other part of the restaurant, someone comes in & dims the lighting... then same lady turns up the lighting again (these pictures are really important!) But we won out! And got some great pictures! Unfortunately, as a newby, I'm having great difficulty posting these photos! I've been trying for 2 days to show you some of the yummy stuff & the fun time, but to no avail. So you'll just have to go to neweveryam.blogspot to get the visuals.
What a fun & wonderful group of gals! It was really good for the "laugh hormones" so much so that we should all be healthy for at least a week! Thanks, Kellie for the planning of it! And thank you Kellie for the beautiful "memoires" you made for each of us!

How Many?

My DH is a wonderful guy! He does all the laundry, vacuuming, & mowing the lawn (since retiring). He would be the first to tell you that he is NOT a Mr. Fix-it. When we had an inside leak in a toilet recently, he replaced the "in-the-tank" parts. But I could still hear water slowly seeping out. He checked again, but said, "You know, Dick will be here this weekend & he loves a project. Plus he knows about this kind of stuff." So just before our friends were ready to leave after their visit, I remembered that we were going to enlist Dick's help. So all 3 men went into our (small) bathroom to "fix" the problem. It was a simple fix, but struck me as funny to see all 3 of them "involved" in the fixing process. So how many men does it take to shorten the small chain in the toilet tank? Well, 1 to do the job, 1 to oversee, & 1 to say that the job is done! How thankful I am to God for faithful friends! "A friend loves at all times" (even enough to fix your toilet!)" Proverbs 17:17

Riding the Range

What do 6 "old" friends (all over 60) do when they get together for some fun time in the mountains? Why they head out to Burnt Hill Stables for a ride! Yep, our annual horse ride... to see the awesome mountain top views in the fall. How often do we "ride"? What does "annual" mean?... Yep, ONCE A YEAR for one hour. I always tell them at the stables that we are a bunch of old people who don't know how to ride & we want their slowest "nags". I have to admit that this year was the most challenging for me... my horse wanted to either trot/cantor/gallop (I don't know the differences...) or plod along so slowly that we couldn't keep up with the rest of the group. At one point I told the guide behind me (bringing up the rear... literally), "You'd think I weighed 450 lbs. instead of 125!"
As he took off galloping during one of his spurts of energy,I almost came off the horse (horrors!!! the thought of ending up on the ground... & walking all the way back, because regardless of the saying, there was no way I'd be getting back ON a horse if I fell OFF it!!) Another time he bent his head all the way to the ground & I nearly went over the top of him.
When we topped the highest ridge, the views were SPECTACULAR!!! Another glimpse of God's mighty creative power in nature! To get to the top of the ridge, we went up some REALLY steep hills... & to get down, we went down some REALLY steep hills. Was I praying all the way? YOU'D BETTER BELIEVE IT!
Was I glad I went? Oh, yes! Will I be going again this time next year? Let's see how great my memory is by then....

With millions of thoughts swirling in my head, I am finally joining "Blog World". Now the challenge is to capture a few of those thoughts to begin this exciting journey. I've come to know some very special gals across the USA by reading & responding to their blogs. It is amazing how many gifted & talented women there are who beautifully share portions of their lives in this unique way.

So I'll jump right in with my most recent experience: (Preface- I don't "do" caffeine). Having eaten some yummy Edy's Espresso Chip ice cream last night at 8:30, then working industriously on cutting out some window treatments until 11:30 PM, at 1 AM I was still awake. When I awoke at 2:20 AM needing to visit "john" (which is unusual for me, but since I drank more than usual during the evening....) I returned to the bed to the tune of my wonderful hubby's "breathing". He doesn't snore, but sometimes (often times) does this fairly "loud" breathing thing which keeps me awake. It is usually when he is extra tired (he played golf yesterday, then drove 3 hours to get home). I tried every position I could think of to get comfortable enough to go to sleep, but finally at 3:30 AM I gave up. I ate a couple of soda crackers, got some warm socks & my pillow, & was ready to head to the sofa when the bedroom light came on. I went back in there & dear hubby was sitting on the side of the bed. I asked, "What are you doing?" DH: "I'm having trouble sleeping, like I've had too much caffeine." WHAT????? Me: "I think maybe it was the Espresso Chip ice cream, but I think you've been sleeping better than you thought...." DH: "Well, I don't feel like I'm getting into a very deep sleep. I'll go somewhere else to sleep." Me: "No, you stay here & I'm going to the sun room to sleep. I've already been in there looking at the stars & they are incredible tonight."

He gave in, & I watched the stars for probably about 5 minutes before falling into a deep sleep that lasted until the sun came up. Now I am not a morning person, & I have never seen the sunrise over the mountain here, but it was beautiful! I saw about 2 minutes of it before going right back to sleep.

The bonus of this whole "event" was observing the majesty that God has created: the brilliant stars against the black sky (it is very dark where we are), twinkling & sparkling; the beautiful sky at sunrise; & the gorgeous fall foliage when I woke up were worth losing a little sleep. I can sleep tonight.... NO Espresso Chip ice cream after 3 PM!