Tuesday of baby hugs, thrift store shopping and a freebie

I took some time for myself today. Went for a visit with my friend, Mary Boykin and her husband, Gregg. Mary was babysitting their great-grandson, Issac who is a sweetheart. He is just the happiest and cutest little man. I enjoyed getting some hugs from Issac. Love babies and this one is a charmer. Here is a photo I snagged from Mary's FB page:

Issac lifted my spirits.

After I left there I stopped in at 2 nearby thrift stores. Had some luck too. I found an 8th teacup and saucer for our Halloween tea. The plan is to give everyone the tea cup they use as a party favor. I bought some Halloween goodie bags at Dollar Tree so that at the end we will rinse the teacups, wrap in paper towels and bag them up. The plan has changed a little in terms of location. We won't be on the houseboat this time but in the historic log cabin. I also found a cute black skirt that has a chiffon layer with flippy little pleats every so often at the bottom. Hope it fits as it would be great to wear with the sparkly red top Mary loaned me for the birthday celebration dinner at the convention. Assuming we aren't all blown away by Hurricane Matthew, that is.

Not looking good at present. Dad has asked me to gas up his Buick tomorrow when I go over, worried about the storm. Of course, I'm wondering just where he thinks we are going to let him drive off to in bad weather when we aren't letting him drive now. Didn't go over today, just talked to him on the phone and he said he was feeling a little better. Besides putting gas in his car tomorrow and picking up his prescription, he said he might want to go to lunch at Lew's Hotdogs. We will see. Meanwhile I got some of my laundry done and hope to do a few more things here over next day or two. Thursday and Friday Dad has doctor appointments. Saturday is best guess right now for storm to hit us.

And today we have the last zip of Grandmother's House:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_24.zip
Thank you for the nice comments on this.

Monday freebie

Yesterday morning my husband made his delicious barbecue, went to grocery store, and washed dishes - all while I slept! I am so fortunate to have him. The main purpose of making the barbecue was to tempt my father to eat. He's such a picky eater but he does love John's barbecue. He was so tickled when I called to tell him what I was bringing him for dinner and when I checked with him later, he really did eat some! He said to tell my husband it was even better than the last time he made it. I gathered up some of Dad's newspapers and put them into recycling bin and will do more when I visit today. Checked that place on his back and don't know what to think. There is one purplish raised bump now. Could be a spider bite that he scratched or shingles starting. Will check again tomorrow and see if he needs to go to urgent care or if it can wait until we go for his Coumadin check on Wednesday. At home, I accomplished absolutely nothing! Have appointment with my gastroenterologist this morning and might visit Miss June who is in the hospital again. Something is wrong with the hip joint that was replaced some years back.

Here is today's zip:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_23.zip

Tomorrow will be last zip of Grandmother's House. Here is what I think I am going to do since things are so crazy. I've got a few Halloween kits I used to sell; I'll locate one and post it for those who are looking for Halloween stuff. Then I'm going to start up a color series again. We will start with black and orange this month and see where it goes from there.

Soaked to the skin & a freebie

I just walked in after several hours over at Dad's. He said his back wasn't itching and I forgot to look at it. I'm betting it was just an insect bite. The hardest part of doing anything over there is that he keeps the temperature at 81 degrees! I overheat anyway and heat and humidity make it difficult for me to breathe but I got some stuff done. June, his girlfriend, has been staying at the house the last few years but after her last hospital visit, she has been moved into an apartment in a senior facility that has assisted living. She had asked Dad to bring some of her clothes next time he came over so I went in and bagged and boxed up what I could and will get those to her next week whether Dad feels up to going or not. Did more laundry and changed the linens. Was going to clean the kitchen when I discovered the kitchen sink is clogged. He didn't have any drain cleaner so it ended there. Tonight he is going to make himself a grilled cheese sandwich with the supplies I brought over and eat an apple. Got a list of things he needs from grocery and added it to mine. Wanted to come home and clean up before going to the store but could tell I wasn't going to want to go back out so I went with my hair pinned up, in housework clothes and sweaty. Too bad; I decided if people didn't like how I looked, they could just look away. At least we are having left-over spaghetti tonight so once I post your freebie, I'm washing up and changing into comfy pjs.

Today, zip 22:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_22.zip

Please know I appreciate all your supportive comments and prayers for Dad. Hugs

It's Thursday - freebie

It's Thursday and I spent several hours over at Dad's doing some cleaning. He slept the whole time I was there. Called him about 4 PM to tell him to get up and move around some, get something to drink and eat dinner. Could tell he was really groggy so called back an hour later to see if he was up. He said he was on his way to get something to drink and hadn't eaten yet. Yesterday my husband made pork chops and bland mac 'n cheese like Mom used to make for Dad. He never got around to eating it! Says he will heat and eat it tonight but has no appetite. Hated to do it, but warned him if he doesn't eat and keep up fluids he will end up in the hospital with a feeding tube. Then right as I'm ready to hang up, Dad says he thinks he is getting a shingles outbreak! Unlike Thom and I, Dad only had it once but it was all over his back. Right now I don't think he can handle another bad outbreak so I'll go over in the morning to check it out and take him to urgent care if needed. Sure hope he is wrong.

Today's zip:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_21.zip

Wednesday freebie

My husband can be such a sweetie! He understands how worried I am about my father and how it has been getting me down. Last night he made us a wonderfully delicious flounder dinner. He called Dad at 7AM this morning as requested and knew I was supposed to take him for his Coumadin check. I've been having muscle spasms in my feet and didn't sleep well last night so was struggling this morning. I got up about 9:30 and was getting ready to rush through a shower (my fin hair gets dirty so quickly!) when my husband called out to tell me to go back to bed. He had already told Dad he would be taking him to the doctor! Right now, my sweetie is in the kitchen doing some early cooking - a pork chop and Dad's style of bland mac 'n cheese. He had told Dad I was worried about him eating so little and only fast food and convinced him to try this. So I'll go pick up some prescriptions for him and take him dinner in a few minutes.

Here is today's zip:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_20.zip

Tuesday freebie

Today we are up to zip 19 of Grandmother's House & only 5 more zips to go. Hope you have enjoyed this kit.

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_19.zip

It's looking like this fall is going to continue being chaotic. Everyday I'm going by dad's at least once, taking him some dinner, checking on how he looks and how he feels. Every week there is at least one medical appointment to go to - mostly his but I have a couple this month too. October is going to be more frantic with Dad's appointment to hear about the inversion (why haven't they just done it already!), the Red Hat Convention in N.C. for 3 days (hope I don't have to cancel as fees are non-refundable) and my Red Hat group's Halloween Tea which I am planning and cooking for. Somewhere in there I have an appointment with my pulmonologist, therapist, need eye exam, and heaven help me, this house is a disaster zone! You probably think I'm exaggerating the bit about the house but I'm not. This stuff with Dad has given me a fibro flare-up and my chronic depression isn't level like it usually is. Someone mentioned up coming holidays to me and all I could do is groan. Can't say I am looking forward to it this year! Sorry for the whining.

Got a couple things done today and freebie

Was supposed to take Dad to his podiatrist today but he wasn't feeling well enough to go so he canceled. Nothing of major concern - just felt achy all over, had tummy problems and a little more shortness of breath. It's really tough finding something he will eat and I've been worried he isn't eating much. Dad is very picky so every day I have to ask what he would like for dinner and then take it to him. Today he only wanted a plain baked potato, said he had his own brand of margarine to put on it and when I got a chance, I could pick him up a box of Crispix because he was tired of having biscuits for breakfast. On the way to take him his baked potato, I stopped for the cereal and picked up a couple of Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes things from Michelena and got some seedless red grapes. Well those "dinners" wouldn't do for emergencies (even though he will eat some Salisbury steak) because they have mushrooms in them. But he was pleased to have the grapes. I asked if he was at least drinking his daily Glucerna. He said he is and told me he knows he's difficult about eating. [Sigh} What am I to do?

But since I didn't have to take dad to the doctor I was able to go exchange the license plates on new car for handicapped plates, got the Verizon paper notarized again and mailed out.

Here is today's zip:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_18.zip

Hope everyone has been able to download the zips now? When I reloaded Dropbox, I didn't have to replace any files so if you missed any of this year's freebies, they are all still available. Except the New Year's kit. think that one is gone.

It's Sunday but ... freebies

The last couple of days I've tried to take care of some household chores and in between vegetated. I realized late last night that I hadn't posted on Fridayy or Saturday so let me give you those zips now.
Friday;s freebie:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_16.zip
Saturday zip:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_17.zip

And it is football Sunday time again - yuck! Hubby gets so into games and loud that I can't sit in living room and read or anything. And grandson calls every few minutes for them to compare notes. Guys!

Guess I'll get something useful done now. Thanks to all for sympathetic comments re my father.Hugs.

Accident and Wednesday freebie

Left Dad's doctor's office on Monday feeling a little relief. (Tuesday post was scheduled ahead.) Then 4am Tuesday Dad called and asked my husband to come over and help him up. He'd gotten out of bed, gone to bathroom and as he came back to bed, he remembers putting his hand on the bed to sit down and next thing he knew, he woke up on the floor and couldn't get up. So husband went over with my key and told me to give him a 5 minute start then call ambulance. We didn't want to take a chance on moving Dad in case he'd broken something. By the time I got there, the paramedics had been and gone. They checked Dad out and said it didn't appear anything was broken but would take him to hospital for future evaluation. Of course, Dad said "no." When I arrived husband was a little frustrated because he had been trying to get Dad securely back in bed but he was still sitting on edge and he was afraid maybe Dad was disorganized. Overall, Dad seemed okay so I got him tucked back into bed and assured him I was going to stay overnight in case he felt worse. He slept in hard. I got little sleep because he keeps the house way too warm and I was trying to sleep on the lumpy old sofa. Around 10am Tuesday morning I woke him up to eat some breakfast and take his pills. Took a look at his back, about a fourth of it scrapped lightly and bruised. He had knocked off the front trim on the bed side stand and hit his back on that on his way down. I applied a little Neosporin and when he decided to take a nap, I came home for a little sleep. We have been back and forth since, checking on him and bringing him meals. Husband took him in Wednesday for his Coumadin check and told his doctor about the fall. She did a series of x-rays (about 15 Dad said) and decided there was no damage other than the scrape and some bruises and gave him a prescription for the back. I took prescription over and applied and made sure he was okay. Called my brother in Florida with update and then caught up on some much needed rest. I don't know what to think about the fall - could have been low blood sugar or electrolytes since he's had bouts of diarrhea. He won't drink Gatorade so I brought him some Powerade which isn't as bad to taste but he's worried about amount of sugar and or salt in it and hasn't drunk any yet! Could also be because of heart irregularity. Sure wish they would do that cardiac inversion sooner!

It's been raining so hard her last two days that all area schools were cancelled today because of flooding. Having to be extra careful going out to Dad's.

Whew - sorry about my venting but I'm sure you can understand I'm worried.

Wednesday freebie is:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_14.zip
And here is today's zip:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_15.zip
Hope all is well with you friends!

It's Tuesday and I have some good news and a freebie

dad and I wouldn't admit to one another yesterday as we waited for the hematologist/oncologist, but we were both expecting bad news. Instead the doctor assured us that Dad is not having any trouble making platelets and the fact that his count has been a little lower recently is probably due to the out of sync heartbeat. As far as the "scars" on the liver shown on the ultrasound, it is just fibrosis and some of that can be expected due to his age and also due to long term diabetes. We were told he saw nothing to worry about. I asked about the fluid buildup and as I suspected, it is most likely due to the heart problem. The doctor thinks once the heart's normal rhythm is restored by the cardiac inversion ("shock") and some fluid medication is given, the accumulation of fluid should reduce greatly. He also said Dad is not at high risk for a stroke and that once the heart's rhythm is restored, he would like to see Dad come off the blood thinners, as he should not need them. That's a relief! Just hope that when we go back to the cardiologist on 10/13 we will be given a date soon after for the inversion so Dad can get on his way to feeling better.

In other "news" our new porch railings are up so we will be more secure going up and down the steps come winter weather. And my husband talked to the city attorney's office and now knows how to file a claim against the city for the damage being done to our house because of street problems. However, until the city actually corrects the street problem, there is no point in having any repairs done. We will be calling the streets and bridges department again to inform them that the longer it takes them to fix the problem, the more damage is occurring and that we have already spoken with city attorney and our insurance company. Just makes me so angry because we had just gotten the living room ceiling done about a month before all the house shaking began and now we will have to go through all that mess again to correct the damage.

Sorry to ramble on. Here is today's freebie:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_13.zip

Monday freebie

I expect to spend most of the day with Dad going to doctor and seeing to whatever else he needs, then calling family members to give them an update on his condition. Here is today's free zip of Grandmother's House:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_12.zip

I missed Thursday freebie? and now it's Saturday!

Thursday was a bad pain day but I thought I had posted. Oh duh! So here is freebie to make up for Thursday:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_10.zip
And for today:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_11.zip

Getting ready to go out to dinner with hubby and some of his former co-workers so I will leave it this simple. Hugs!

Nothing like the last minute for a freebie!

Today was My local Red Hat luncheon. We went to the Freemason Street Abbey, her in Norfolk, VA to do an early celebration of Betty's birthday. The restaurant really was an abbey in the past and is lovely. Their she-crab soup was so yummy but so filling. Afterwards, Mary, Joyce and I checked out a Halloween shop up the street in hopes they might have something that could be used in future Red Hat events. I got a pair of red lace fingerless gloves and a witch hat which I'm going to decorate for our Halloween Tea next month.

And here is zip 9 of Grandmother's House:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_9.zip

Freebie zip 8 of Grandmother's House and more family news

Wednesday already. Yesterday took Dad to hospital for the ultrasound of his liver. Was supposed to take about 30 minutes. Overall we were gone about 5 hours. After finding 2 "scars" on his liver, the tech called the ordering doctor who decided they should scan everything in his abdominal cavity. Dad was confused about why he might have scars on his liver. Like many, Dad thought that sort of thing only happened from alcohol abuse and he never drank. I was able to explain that hepatitis and even diabetes can damage the liver and liver damage could explain many of his recent symptoms. We will see the doctor who ordered the tests on Monday and will learn more. Meanwhile, the cardiologist's office called to reschedule that November appointment for October 13. Then they will tell him what to expect of the cardiac inversion which they should have scheduled by that time.

I did my follow-up today and hope the blood test will show my liver is clear from the Tylenol damage.

Today I have this for you:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_8.zip

Today's zip 7 of Grandmother's House:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_7.zip

Quick Monday freebie post

Heading out in about 10 minutes to take Dad to cardiologist. Here is today's freebie zip:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_6.zip

Saturday freebie

It was another hot and humid day today. Once I got back inside after doing some shopping, I managed to put a load of laundry in and put the groceries away and that was pretty much the end of me. Just got off the phone with Dad. Fortunately, I was here at the computer so I could do a little surfing which helped my patience with listening once again to the same things Dad told me two days ago. I know, shame on me. Dad is 87 and other than his health issues and news about his girlfriend, who has just left a nursing home for an apartment, there isn't much happening to talk about. I'm sure I repeat things too. We have been fortunate that until recently Dad's health was good, things like his diabetes in control, he moved around good except days when arthritis bothered him. Since about December, Dad has gone through a sudden aging. Before he looked about 30 years younger than his age! Now suddenly I'm looking at my grandfather. Arthritis in his hip and foot bother him more often and at times he even shuffles. Not used to seeing that. Monday we see the cardiologist again and are hoping he will do something about this heart rhythm irregularity. Get that straight and perhaps he won't be so exhausted. It's going to be a busy week. Cardiologist on Monday & grandson coming for dinner and football watching, liver function test for Dad Tuesday, Wednesday I have a follow-up doctor appointment, Thursday undercoating on new car, Friday Red Hat lunch at Freemason Street Abbey, and Saturday dinner with some of hubby's former co-workers at Outback. Sunday will be taking husband out for birthday dinner and then another round of doctor appointments for Dad in that week. Just a little busy.

Today's zip is pretty simple - a paper, a note, and a pin to hold it:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_5.zip

Lots to do and a freebie

Lots to do today and I got a late start so I'll just get right to the freebie:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_4.zip

Another free zip of Grandmother's House

I've got the pension blues today. Every time I turn around, I hit another snag. Needed to send proof of hubby's DOB and time running out but fax didn't do well. Got that straight. Then learned that divorce decree (from first marriage) didn't have anything about property settlement so it could take a month for that to be settled. Further investigation showed that decree said something about property settlement as per separation agreement. Bad news as I no longer have copy of separation agreement and after today Verizon has to send a new pension package to me to fill in all over again. Missed the deadline to have all in. Have written to ex to see if he can fax a copy of separation agreement (he's sure to have a copy). But it will be about 10 days before new package arrives so I can send that in. All supporting materials will already be there. At this rate it will be December or January before I get a payment but at least it's retroactive to March. [Big sigh!]

Today's zip:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_3.zip

Grandmother's House zip 2 freebie

Keeping it short as it is a bad pain day. Here is zip 2:

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/GH/ws_GH_2.zip