Tag Archives: home

Daily Prompt: Decisions, Decisions

Posted on by

How are you more likely to make an important decision — by reasoning through it, or by going with your gut?

The past few years, I have been in the situation of having to make some important decisions concerning my health. Some at the spur of the moment; others with time to research and gather facts to aid in making the best choice. 

I have been in the position of going with my gut to make my decisions and gathering facts to reason through everything to come to a decision. Unfortunately, my decisions have involved my health; which only makes the decisions tougher.

I recently was put into a post ion to make some health decisions for my mother. I’d like to say I reasoned through the choices, but I didn’t. Mom truly needed to be in the hospital and I did what I had to do. It was the toughest thing I have ever done in my life. Mom is better, but she is facing serious life changes. 

To date, my choices have turned out well. God willing, that will continue to be my trend. As the decisions continue to get tougher; hopefully, the good Lord will continue to guide me in the right direction. 

Unfortunately, as my health changes; my decisions will get tougher. I’m hoping I can keep my head screwed on right and make good decisions. I don’t want to put too much on Barry. He has his own health issues to worry about.

In conclusion, when faced with decisions, you make the choice by whichever way fits the moment.

Daily Prompt: Turn, Turn, Turn

Posted on by

For many of us, winter is blooming into spring, or fall hardening into winter. Which season do you most look forward to?

My favorite time of year, is when the air outside is cool and crisp. It is warm enough during the day, to enjoy the outdoors; but the nights are crisp enough to keep you snuggled under the covers, with that someone special making the moment worthwhile.

I love watching the flowers and the yard slowly wake to the spring sunshine. The leaves and buds slowly emerging from God’s green earth; as the birds start to buzz around like a swarm of bees. Each with a different song to sing.

I love getting the yard ready for whatever the season brings. Filling the bird feeders, putting out fresh mulch to protect the new flowers as they burst into our world with abundance of color.

Picking up the million little sticks and other things the wind has dropped into our yard. Bringing the porch furniture out, cleaning and touching up then paint as needed. Cleaning the wind chimes and hanging them in their proper places. Along with the bird singing, I love the mix the wind chimes joining in. It makes being outdoors so enjoyable.

Washing the porches down and organizing the potted plants and other decor to make our porches pretty enough for pictures and ready for serious relaxing. Then we have the grill porch. Need to get the grill cleaned and ready for the season. We love to entertain.

While I do all the above, Barry is handling lawn mower repair and weed eating. I’ll hire my sweet nephews to weed one of my flower beds.

We’ll need to get the fountain going. I’d like to find a small bench and plant another butterfly bush in that bed. The shrubs need a little pruning and I am hoping we can put a cement walk on the front this year. Barry will need to add hand rails to the steps if we get the walkway done.

If you cannot tell by my page of rambling, Spring is at the top of my list for seasons. Other than the allergy end of things, I adore the Springtime weather.

Dear Lord, I appreciate your gift of Spring. You did a great job! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Our latest addition

Posted on by

My mom is bottle feeding an abandoned kitten we found in my dad’s backyard. It is the cutest little thing. Mom, Barry and I are having a blast. We babysit when she isn’t home. Our dog has adopted the kitten and is cleaning up after it. She tries to drag it around by the tail. it is so sweet. They cuddle and play. Just adorable! Mom is like she has a baby. Toooooooo cute!

My adorable husband, the eternal prankster

Posted on by

      

MM900178208My sweet, adorable, totally innocent-looking husband is getting a reputation, since mom moved in. He cannot seem to help himself when it comes to her.

This afternoon, mom was frantically looking for her misplaced makeup when Barry gets the bright idea to hand her a few Sharpies. He asked what color she wanted. She took them all.

Of course she was not wearing her glasses. I walked into the bathroom just in time to stop her. She was about to line her lips with a red Sharpie.

What a sight she would have been at church. I believe if she could have gotten a hand on Barry, he might have been in a wee-bit of trouble.

 

MM900354746    

Daily Prompt: Happy Happy Joy Joy

Posted on by

We cry for lots of reasons: sadness, pain, fear . . . and happiness. When was the last time you shed tears of joy?

I shed tears of joy today, at Barry‘s Retirement Party. My adorable husband retired today after working over 32 years for the great state of Georgia. Even though Barry wasn’t ready to retire, he has accepted the fact that it is time for him to relax a little. Now I just need to figure out how to keep him busy.

I admit, I thought it might turn into a kicking and screaming deal, but he held it together. I cried as I watched the slide show they had put together of his years with them. It was so sweet. Someone at his place of employment knows how to hijack pictures from Facebook and WordPress.

I was incredibly proud to hear and see the praises his office and coworkers had for him. They had quite a shindig put together for him. I was impressed. On top of his current coworkers, several people from his decades at work that showed up to wish him well. Through the party, I never heard a negative word about my sweet hubby. 

He was Mr. Cool, Calm and Collected until we headed home. That is when the tears of joy made the rounds in our car. First Barry, when I saw he was crying, I lost it. When Mom realized what was going on we all just cried our way home.

Maggie gets worried if she thinks you are upset, when we got home, she tried to comfort us all. Nothing like being licked to death my a drooling boxer.

Pop and his pants

Posted on by

My father, known lovingly as. Pop, is quite a character. He is fun-loving and just a happy,  jolly man nothing appears to bother

Not long ago, at a little hole in the wall restaurant, you will not believe what happened. Pop has always appeared to have an active radar for little off-beat restaurants.

We had lunch without a hitch, surprisingly good food. Pop got up to go pay the bill. While standing at the register, I looked up in time to see pop‘s short’s fall to the floor. Thank goodness he had taken time for underpants.

I watched him scratch his head, as he looked around the room. Yes, everyone had noticed. When he realized everyone knew; he leaned over, shining plumber’s crack to the room and pulled them up rather quickly.

Once back in the car, he asked us to remind him to get a belt when he gets home. I do not believe we ever saw Pop in that pair of shorts again. I do know we never stopped at that restaurant again. It was a shame, the food was really good.

When Life Hands You Something You Really Do Not Want To Do

Posted on by

OK, I love the Lord, my home, my life, my family, my dog and even my little fish. I would do anything in the world for them.

I was forced into doing the hardest thing I have ever done in my life recently. All joking aside, I found this task extremely hard to deal with, but I did it! The problem wasn’t going away, I had to do something. My mother is my mother and I had to do the right thing. I have to admit, that I was a bit scared.

Growing up with mom wasn’t the easiest task on earth, but I lived. Mom and pop did a great job with the three of us. I was a breeze to raise, the other two….well, mom and pop survived. Now today, the other two faint at the site of blood and I’m a nurse.

My sisters are two of the most strong-willed, engaging and hard-working women I know. They are also, great mothers; which has allowed me to be the best aunt on earth. 

It was Mom. She didn’t want to go to the hospital and I had to take her.Well, Barry and I took her.  My mother prefers to doctor herself and she refuses to admit she isn’t as young as she once was. It’s time to slow down a little. Mom isn’t crazy about doctors or hospitals, but she is doing fine. She survived. 

I wasn’t able to have children and I feel like I’ve become my mother’s mother! It was really hard to leave her there. I wasn’t sure about our relationship, but leaving her there made me hurt. I guess that is what motherhood feels like?

She is home and doing better. She is hassling me about exercise class and wants to go to Starbucks for coffee. Says she wants to give it a try and she misses her exercise class. I guess I’ll have to take her over to the gym and I’ll deal with the rowdy roosters gawking at the class from the upstairs windows.

 

I Wanna Run Away!

Posted on by

Please, someone tell me when it is okay to run away. I’m not sure how much more I can take before I crack. 

I live the “Life of Riley“. Honestly, I not sure what that means. Was it a TV show? Radio show? Cartoon? I’m going to look it up. The situations I’ve heard it used in usually involved someone having it made; not in need of anything; someone spoiled rotten. All of the above, at times, can describe my life.

I live in a beautiful home with the perfect husband and family pets. We have one boxer and one fish. One step-son that keeps his distance.

My husband and I are raising my mother. It can be a challenge at times. But we make it.

We are far from well off or rich, but we are comfy. A lot of people today can’t say that. It really hurts Barry and I to see others struggle. We help when we can, but keeping up with medical bills will eat you alive. 

Since 2009, Barry and I have run from doctor to doctor trying to figure my illness out. It is starting to feel like a waste of time. Every time I see a physician, something else is wrong.

Is this a never-ending battle? Is all the running around doing a bit of good? I guess I’m a little tired of being sick. I feel like my life is falling apart and I’m not sure what to do.

That doctor, last week, really threw me for a loop. Just uttering those 2 little words has my head in the toilet.

It was like the day the doctor told me about the brain tumor. “Oh by the way, you have a brain tumor.” That is how he told me. He added a few other things to it, but that was enough to shatter my world. My head was in a spin then, and it is spinning like a top now.

I’m not going to do anything stupid. God has kept me around for s reason. I have too much life left to live to do anything stupid, I’m just trying to write this down to see if it will shake me out of this funk.

I should be sleeping . Big birthday party tomorrow. Going to be a long day, I need my rest. Barry is snoring in the chair next to me as I type. Maggie is snoring on the couch. Maybe I should follow suit and go to sleep. Maybe I’ll feel better in the morning. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend. I’m trying to turn mine around. Be sweet!

Related articles

Maggie and the Alarm Clock

Posted on by

This morning, Barry and I were awakened by our beloved boxer, Maggie May.

At night, Barry and I are guilty of falling asleep in our favorite chairs at night. We have done it so often that are now set a travel alarm clock, to keep Barry from being late to work.

This morning, Barry and I were all snuggled-up in bed, when that clock went off in the living room. When it didn’t stop ringing, Maggie brought the clock to Barry and dropped it on his head. We have tried to get her to fetch, I guess she has decided she’ll fetch what she wants. 

She clearly wasn’t ready to get up! 

100_1031

A ” New Barry” Moment

Posted on by

When I write post like these, you all need to realize that Barry is aware of what I am posting and is fine with it. 

Mr. Baynes let something slip tonight while at the store. I do not think he intended to tell me. Over the weekend, he went to Lowe’s by himself. This I was aware of.

He left out his side trip to the beauty shop across from Lowe’s. He actually walked in the salon and asked if they had any beads he could clip in his hair. From what he says, he stopped all work going on in the shop and the place was roaring in laughter, with a side of shock.

Any of you that have looked at our pictures are aware that my sweet, sexy husband is as bald as they come. Is it safe to let him out of the house alone? His stroke took every inhibition Barry had. I never know what to expect next.

Barry ready to celebrate

Barry ready to celebrate