A day in the life of a MawMaw

Hello

2009-08-21T08:16:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a long time since my last blog, again, but as I already have explained to family and friends, I am VERY busy. I don't just lie in bed, I also sit up and walk around. Seriously, I am goin' and a blown'.

The main reason for this entry is to share a new cooking blog: http://kitchen-gargoyle.blogspot.com It is written by Darrell Prather who wants very badly to open his own bakery. For years he has kept his family and friends supplied with delicious bar b que, cakes, veggies, well you name it.

He and my daughter have three children ages 12 - 16 who are all budding chefs, serious cooks, not just "can I stir the batter" helpers. In fact, the oldest one has been baking angel food cakes (from scratch) for a number of years.

Darrell is a computer person, his day job, and you wouldn't think a computer person could write as he can, but he does!

Everything but the teeth

2009-07-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

I'm doing so much better. I even drove myself to the dentist. And if you had a facebook page, you would know that when I went to get my new partial (I lost my old one sometime during my recovery), instead of fitting my partial, and me walking out young and beautiful, it was only the metal part. The teeth were still at the lab. Soooo, in about one more week, I'll be all set. But yesterday I walked out, instead, old and ugly! I'm sure the woman said what was going to happen when she called me to set up the appointment, but I was so excited, I heard just what I wanted to.

Funny Story

2009-07-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

When I say "funny", I mean funny in 5 to 10 years when I retell it. Right now it's just pretty embarrassing.

ANYway, sometime in the "calm", "restful", time after the second surgery, my upper partial got lost. Yes, I said upper partial got lost. How, you ask. Did you leave it at the hospital? That would be less embarrassing, but no. I didn't take it with me to the hospital the second time. It got lost here at home. I have searched, Jimmy has searched, the girls have searched, but nothing. It was ok when I was stuck in bed, or at least confined to the house. But when I started venturing out in public, it wasn't "cool".

Well, you might say, go get a new one. The problem was that I couldn't sit for very long. Good news, tho. Last week I went in for the impressions, and now I'm just waiting for them to call.

Poor me and Ann (the woman who cut my hair this morning), they didn't get here in time. We had to look at me for 30 minutes in that big honking mirror while I tried not to smile too big. Of course, everything that was said was funny!

Bottom line...if you see me "wobbling" out in public, don't say anything funny. Or if you do, be prepared to think I'm going to a taping of the Jerry Springer Show!

Farm Town

2009-07-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

My two youngest grandsons, Jake 9 and Nick 6, have just discovered Farm Town on facebook. I think my youngest granddaughter, Julia 11, introduced them.

I had had some farms a while back to give me something to do when I was spending so much time in bed. But lately I haven't been "tending" them. When Julia started hers, I decided I would get back to mine,so I could send her gifts. If you don't know anything about Farm Town, don't worry. It's just a interactive farm that you can run on facebook. It's fun, tho, especially if there are children in your life that like it.

ANYway, last night Jake was here until 10:30 waiting for his grapes to be ready to harvest. He could have harvested them at home, but he wanted to do it here. It was so much fun watching him check every five minutes or so to see of they were ready and checking how much money he was going to make. I guess I need to mention that he lives 1/2 block from me, so it wasn't a big deal that he was here so late.

I love grandkids!!!!

Wipeout

2009-07-16T05:20:00.000-07:00

Last night HJ and family, and Jimmy and I went to Pen's for dinner. Rocky made a delicious lasagna, and Darrell (who had to finish up some work and couldn't be there) made some of his famous ciabatta bread. How we all managed to waddle down to our house to watch "Wipeout", I'll never know, but watch we did.

Now, before anyone gets all judgemental on us, watch one episode with family or friends. I'm not sure why it's so funny to watch adults getting hit in the head with rubber things, bouncing off of rubber things, or hanging on to rubber things, but it is. And a good laugh with family is good for the soul.

Back from the "dead"

2009-07-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, Ok, Ok...I didn't really die, but there were times...

Since my last entry I have gone through two back surgeries, neither of which were major (according to the surgeon). Let me just say that if I put two sets of screws and a cage in his spine, and 4 weeks later put in four more screws to mend a stress fracture (all without anaesthesia) he would consider it major! I'm just kidding about the anaesthesia, but still.

I'm 2 1/2 months out from the second surgery, and I'm to the point of walking without any aids (walker, people's arms, walls, etc). One of my loving daughters said my gait was "Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down" lol But I'm getting better.

I have to get a little mushy here...If it weren't for my wonderful husband, our three wonderful daughters, and their wonderful families (did I mention they're all wonderful?), I would not be sitting here. Speaking of sitting, the picture is of the grandkiddos and me on Father's Day. It was the first time I was able to sit up for any length of time.

Talk to you later.

PS

2009-02-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

I have to add a ps to the last blog...

One of the things (I'm just going to call them doctor and nurse from now on. I'm not dizzy anymore, and I can watch tv, play computer games, and walk around without holding on to the wall) the doctor and nurse both emphasized was to drink plenty of water to rehydrate my brain and to FLUSH THE DYE FROM MY BODY. They said to drink plenty of water until MY URINE WAS CLEAR. I was so worried about that that I drank over 20 oz of water during the first hour home. That might not seem like much to a regular "water drinker", but to me it was, "try not to throw up from drinking so much water" seriously.

Well, every time I went to the bathroom, I would check my urine...clear, clear, clear. I was worried. I kept waiting to see some color in the toilet. I didn't know what color the dye was, but I was sure you would be able to see it. Finally about 4 o'clock I called the nurse. In a very patient, but amused voice, she said, "Ms. Causey, the dye is colorless. We meant we wanted your urine to be clear not ...wait for it....yellow from lack hydration".

To make matters worse, my formally beloved husband said, "I didn't know you were waiting to see the dye".

That's it. I'm over the test. Life goes on!

The Joys of a Myelogram

2009-02-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

A Myelogram, for anyone who doesn't know is:

Myelogram - an ancient torture device brought back to the 21st century to make us appreciate that torture is illegal (unless you happen to find Gitmo).

Actually, it's a test to check spinal blockage by injecting dye into your spine and then taking pictures of it. I got to do this yesterday. The doctor was kinda cute, used a tiny needle and was kind. He could afford to be kind because he had Nurse Ratchet (sp? It's Ratched, I just looked it up) to do the dirty work. She was very pretty, had a sweet little voice, and was the master of pain, well, not so much pain, I guess. I'll let you be the judge.

The doctor injected the dye and left the room, and with her sweet little voice, Nurse Ratchet said, "Ms. Causey, I need you to make three 360 degree turns on this "bed" (it was a platform about three feet wide) so the dye can get sloshed around. If I had known then what I know now, I would have said, "Just stick a chopstick in there and stir it around." Ahh, hindsight.

Now if anyone out there knows me (my daughter, my sister, my niece), you know that I get dizzy at the drop of the proverbial hat. People, it was the last time I walked alone yesterday. I slept with a wet towel pressed to my forehead. I don't know why that helps. Don't misunderstand me, I can lie in the bed all day with the best of them, playing games on my computer, watching TV, eating whatever Jimmy brings me, BUT I couldn't play games, watch TV, or eat! Everything made me dizzy. I STILL can't watch TV or play games. What the hell is that about? Yesterday I couldn't even stand to have Jimmy in the room. The only sound I could really tolerate was (get ready to impressed) a video of Pavarotti singing "Nessum Dorma". I tried a Neil Diamond and a Kid Rock, but no. The only reason I needed some noise in the room is because Maggy, our spoiled brat poodle who sleeps in my room during the day, breathes louder than Jimmy and I put together!

In closing, I don't stay in bed all day very often. Just when things refuse to work correctly.

Another bird story

2009-02-07T19:51:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I know. Enough with the birds already. I would agree with you, but my birds ARE cuter than everybody else's birds.

So ANYway...the other day I was looking out my bedroom window, and I noticed a small gray striped bird hopping around in the flower bed. I probably wouldn't have given him another thought, since he looked like one of the common sparrows that hang around our feeders all day. But then I noticed that it looked like he had gotten into some bright yellow paint. It sounds silly now, but at the time, that's what I thought. I grabbed my camera, took some pictures of him, and then called my husband.

Of course, eagle eye (no pun intended) that he is, he realized that big yellow spot was yellow feathers. So without further ado...

The pictures were taken through the window since it was quite chilly out, but you get the idea. I almost forgot...Our new visitor is a Yellow Rumped Warbler. He, like the Ruby Crested Kinglet is a migrator also. They make me hope Punxsutawney Phil is right, and there'll be six more weeks of winter.

Third Opinion

2009-02-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

Tuesday the girls and I went for the third opinion. I won't mention the dr's name, but suffice it to say...He was full of himself. He's one of those men who pretend to be controlled by the women in his life.

His wife "makes" him take a week off every 6 to 8 weeks to watch Sesame Street with his three year old daughter (he said he was an old dad - 52). He said he didn't schedule anything. His assistant told him when he was going to do what. Now I'm sure that it took a lot of training to get the women in his life to tell him what to do, and I'm also sure that he has gone through several women before he found the ones that told him what he wanted them to tell him. If you know what I mean. Having said all of that, I guess that's the kind of "god-like" quality you want in a surgeon.

Seriously, he said "Here's the problem, and here's what you do about it". He also said that he had preformed the same surgery on one of his partner's dad who is 94 a year ago, and now he's back gardening. He also said he and his partners do over 300 of these surgeries a year. He also said that this was one of the routine surgeries that he does. He also said that I would be able to play the piano after the operation. Just kidding!

I'm going for a test Monday for him, and a stress test for my regular doctor. Then I guess his assistant schedules the surgery. Hopefully we'll know something in a week or so.

Thanks for listening, y'all!

Cross your fingers

2009-02-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

Well, tomorrow Tam, HJ, and I go to get the third opinion from another spine guy. In case one of my MANY, MANY readers doesn't know the story...Sometime during my long and happy life (while I was apparently not paying attention) the little bones that interlock to keep my spine in place took a long vacation and allowed one of my unruly vertebrae to escape to a place where it can come and go as it pleases. The nerves (jealous of that freedom, I suppose) throw big fits when the vertebra barely touches them. I know this because every time they touch, I feel it. One of the "fun" parts is that there is different pain and different locations depending on the nerve that is aggravated. The truly frustrating part is that the pain is unpredictable.

Take tonight, for example. I was in bed for a couple of hours earlier in the evening, and now I can get up with very little pain. That means I can finish my washing and fix my dinner (what Jimmy and I eat at night is a VERY lose interpretation of the word "dinner", but at our ages...). Last night Jimmy had to bring me something to the bed. Sometime we can go to lunch, and sometime we have to turn around and go back home.

The reason for the third opinion is that one surgeon told me that my bones were too soft to hold the screws, and a second surgeon said he could do it. The man I'm going to see tomorrow is Dr. Kurt Von Rueden. He sounds important and smart, right?

I'll let my MANY, MANY readers what he says tomorrow.

Sixth folder / sixth picture

2009-02-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of Jimmy, as Danny, in Grease. He's dancing with some girl that someone else took to the dance. Of course, his MawMaw thought he was better than John Travolta.

2009-01-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

You know that the birds in the yard are a big part of our lives. Well, we discovered a new one. For about three weeks we've been enjoying (and taking pictures of) a little yellowish bird that we thought was a goldfinch in its winter feathers. Then on a blog about birding that I follow, I saw a video of a Red Crested Kinglet. It looked just like the little bird we had been looking at except that under the smooth feathers on the top of its head were bright red feathers that he would flash every once in a while. I thought that was a little strange that they looked so much alike. Then about two days after I saw the video, the little bird in our yard flipped its tiny red feathers at us. We got so excited, but then I found out they are only here for the winter. I guess we'll just have to enjoy them while we can, right?

Neti-pot

2009-01-20T08:59:00.001-08:00

Have you ever heard of a Neti-pot? Look it up if you haven't. Pen had to get one for Nick yesterday. He has a sinus infection + the ever present asthma. I'm going to copy two emails she sent last night after "they" (meaning him) used it, except I guess she tried it also.
"For Sale: One Neti-pot with 49 packets of sinus rinse."

When I asked her what happened, this was her response:
"It kind of feels like a controlled drowning:-)
Nick did it! But somehow he got some down his throat. He coughed it up and it was okay. He was laughing and smiling... like a nervous almost hysterical laugh. I said, "Let's do it again" and he got a funny look on his face like NO WAY. And really not a whole lot of "stuff" came out."

As soon as I saw what it was, I could have told her what the results would be! But she has gotten him to do some pretty yuky things in his young life. I'm truly impressed with the way he usually takes his medicine.

Good morning

2009-01-13T06:37:00.000-08:00

Again, I'm just posting this review for a while because I like the pictures I used, and so you can see how important I am to the catalog ordering world!

My Review of Only Necessities™ Petite Woven crinkle cotton bigshirt

2009-01-13T06:22:00.001-08:00

Originally submitted at OneStopPlus

Both of these pictures were taken at political rallies in Austin. The first one is with my husband and oldest grandson (who is president of the UDems on the UT campus), and the second one is with my oldest granddaughter on the UT campus. As I said, "I have that shirt in every color."

Woven crinkle cotton bigshirt in more sizes &colors. A flattering, easy-to-wear favorite by Only Necessities® with dyed-to-match buttons, patch pockets, shirttail hem. Machine wash. Imported. 28" long.

Sizes:
M(14W-16W), L(18W-20W), 1X(22W-24W), 2X(26W-28W),...

One in every color

By mawmawpurple from Austin, Texas on 1/13/2009

Sorry

2009-01-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

I've already apologized to the other person who reads this, so I guess I can continue posting but with less whining. Again, I blame Meredith for the last post.

Today I face the day with new hope...Ok, ok, ok, maybe not "new hope", but at least with a "maybe this will be a better day". Absolutely nothing hurts right now, YAY! And that's enough about that!

Yesterday the boys, Nick 5 and Jake 8, came over after school so their mom could get some planning done in her classroom. It USED to be that they wanted to come over to talk and play cards with us. Now, they barely get in the truck before they start talking about going to play with Tommy, Big Nick (We add Big because of our Nick. Tommy and Big Nick are both in Pen's class at school - 4th grade), Joseph, Jonathan, and Nathan. All of these little boys live within a block of our house.

After about an hour, most of the boys had to go in and do homework, so Jake and Nick came home and visited with Jimmy and me in the back yard. Nick wanted us to video Jake and him. We had a big time videoing them making animal noises. I tried to download it, but I guess it was too big.

It's now 1:54 am, and yesterday was my best day since the shot...YAY, again!

Good Morning

2009-01-07T01:11:00.000-08:00

Today I got a 4th cortisone shot in my spine for a condition called spondylolistheses. I haven't learned how to pronounce it, in fact, I just learned what it's called. ANYway, the doctors always tell you to monitor your blood sugar (if you're diabetic, and I am) and to call your doctor if it goes up.

Since it never has, I have forgotten what's too high. I couldn't sleep tonight, so about an hour ago I took it. It was 233. Ok, now what? I looked through all of the info they gave me, and all I could find is "if it gets too high". Now, I didn't want to wake up my doctor for no reason, so I called the All Night Nurses that my clinic has. Guess what, they now have a switch board for the nurses. Long story short, I woke up a nurse instead of a doctor. I now wish I had called the doctor. At least they make a lot of money and should to have to wake up during the night for a patient. Sorry nurse.

Now after all of this I need to go to sleep, take it again when I wake up, and call the doctor it it's above 300.

Wow, what a neat entry. Luckily no one reads it except Meredith. Sorry, Meredith, but you're the one who griped at me for not writing anything for a while. This will teach you to encourage me!

The after Christmas blahs

2008-12-28T15:33:00.000-08:00

Here it is the Sunday after the big day, I haven't seen any of our girls and their families since yesterday morning. That's when the Prathers came to pick up Julia, who had spent the night with us. But since then, no one!

This is after three days of non-stop family. We started Christmas Eve with the Clarks at the Prathers where we enjoyed Darrell's enchilada casserole. Then we met at the Talaricos to open presents. The next morning it was back over to the Talaricos for Christmas brunch of egg and sausage casserole and sticky buns. Now that was two days of goooooood eatin' and goooooood fun! The next day it was back to the Prathers to enjoy some N. Carolina BBQ that one of Darrell's clients sends him every year. Again, yum.

Now after all of that, no one invited us for a meal all day yesterday (well, HJ did bring me two Dunkin chocolate filled donuts when she picked up Julia) or today. That meant that today Jimmy and I had to eat the leftovers that we had from yesterday's lunch at Chedders.

Oh wait, I forgot to mention that it was Madeleine's birthday on Christmas day, so after brunch, we helped her celebrate (and eat her "cake" that was actually Scotch-a-roos shaped in an 18 and covered with chocolate icing).

Ok, ok, ok. I'm just kidding about the blahs but not about the fun and good food that we both enjoyed with the girls and their families. We have three daughters, three sons in law, and 7 grandchildren, ages 5 to 19. Now that's a great family!

Christmas cards

2008-12-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

Today is actually the 22.

Getting back to those Christmas cards...I saw an example of the candy cane a couple of years ago, and only had some tiny rick rack (ric rac ?) and only one color, black. When it looked like you know what, I said to myself, "Myself," I said, "the only reason that it's hard to do and looks so crappy is because the rick rack is tiny and black."

Then without another thought about them, I decided the first week of December that I was going to make the canes for my cards. Long story, short...Yes, the color looked good, but they were very hard to make, and they were VERY time consuming. Those little suckers twisted up and flipped around even after I glued them. I did like the final outcome, but next year the card is going to be a lot simpler. And if anyone actually does read this, PLEASE remind me about the "simpler" cards the second week of next Dec!

I HAVE BEEN BUSY

2008-12-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

It's really the 17th today.

Not really BUSY, just needing to be busy. Thank goodness I have several weeks to finish my Christmas cards, right?

Ok, Ok, Ok. I realize that it is only two weeks until Christmas. But good news...I finished all of them today, even have the stamps on each envelope.

Bless my heart, this is why I couldn't have a job any more. I started this SEVERAL days ago. I mailed my cards, and I have a cold. Soooo I don't really have much I can do, not that blogging isn't my first priority.

The problem isn't that I'm lazy, tho I am. It isn't that I'm busy because I'm not. It's just that often times when I'm in the middle of something, something shiny catches my eye and well, you know. Multiply that by the 5 things I start most days...

I'm going to hurry and post this before the shiny things come by...

The new president of the UDems

2008-12-03T21:50:00.000-08:00

Tonight Jimmy was elected the president of the University Democrats on the UT campus. He will be spending time at the capitol and having the time of his life.

How proud am I of him! And what a good job he will do!

The Real Thanksgiving Picture

2008-12-02T18:33:00.000-08:00

These are the pictures for this year. I've already told you about the day, so...

Thanksgiving Day

2008-11-30T16:23:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was a major fun day as usual (not to mention delicious!). We all went to HJ's and Darrell's for a late dinner.

Ok, get ready...Darrell baked the turkey, chestnut dressing and gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes with made from scratch marshmallows, and a new entry: broccoli rice casserole. HJ made an apple pie, and had her hand in everything else, I'm sure.

Tam and Mark brought the green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with a crunchy pecan topping, and Tam's pumpkin cake. They also brought veggie turkey, dressing, and gravy since everyone is their family is now vegaterian.

Pen brought a pecan and a buttermilk pie, the mashed potatoes, and the hot rolls.

I only had to make the cornbread dressing and gravy. Yay!

I have to say that everything was more than delicious. We went back to HJ's twice for leftovers, and things just got better and better.

After dinner the girls, kids, and I went to the park and fed the ducks and geese.

Well, I'll close for now.

Another typical day

2008-11-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

Today the boys, Jake 8 and Nick 5, are here. Their mom, our youngest, Pen, is still at school getting ready for the holidays. I say they're here, but actually they're playing with the neighborhood boys. They have a walki talki, and I have one. That way I can check what they're doing. Their mom said it's ok for them to play outside without by being with them since there is only one through street in our neighborhood, and we live at the other end of it. I'm doing a little better with them playing now. I used to sit outside with the walki talki AND a pair of binoculars.

Everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving. This year it will be at our middle daughter, HJ's. There are 15 of us all together: Tam, our oldest, and Mark and their son, Jimmy, and their daughter, Madeleine...HJ and Darrell and their sons, Clayland and Joey, and their daughter, Julia...Pen and Rocky and their afore mentioned sons, Jake and Nick. We all live within 15 minutes of each other, and that is the greatest blessing in the world.

I'll discuss Thanksgiving dinner after the fact if I can still get around.

Thursday afternoon

2008-11-20T13:25:00.000-08:00

Hi, it's me again. It's only been a year or so since I've blogged, so you know this is going to be good...just kidding.

But seriously...Today Jimmy (the better half of some 40 odd years) and I went to lunch at Fish Daddy's for fried shrimp. Before I start griping, I have to say that usually I love their food. With that said, today wasn't their finest effort. Besides the shrimp, which were delicious, the best thing about the lunch was the fact that someone waited on me, and I didn't have to clean anything up.

Tomorrow I'm going with my youngest daughter, Pen, and her two boys to watch their daddy, who is a defensive line coach at Stony Point HS here in Round Rock, play a district playoff game. It will be windy and in the 50's, but we'll have our long pants, long sleeve shirts, coats with hoods, gloves, and blankets, so we should just barely freeze. They should win!

Well, look at me. I've finished a blog, and I warned you that it would be good. Was I wrong? I don't think so.

2007-09-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

9/13/07
Well, I wrote the first post on my blog, and nothing happened. I guess that means I can continue to write, and the world will continue to rotate.

I just taught my 4 year old grandson, Nick, how to play Fish. Of course, MawMaw always lets the little ones win. Now this next part has never happened before, and I've done the same thing with 6 other grandchildren before him. ANYway, after winning several games during a week's time, he decided that he would let me win. I asked him how he was going to let me win. Without a moment's hesitation, he said that he would only play twice, and I would play (call) the rest of the time. Each time he gave me a card that I asked for, he said, "Here you are, my lady." When I had to "fish" a couple of times in a row, he leaned over and kinda whispered, "Ask for a nine (or a six or whatever card he had) What a kid!

2007-09-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

9/11/07

This is my first post, and it's pretty darn scary for an old lady. I thought this would be a good day to start because today I have just been told that I an enrolled in Medicare. I think this is the last milestone that I have left. Yea! I am officially old.

At least it didn't sneak up on me. For the last few months insurance companies have reminded me daily with letters saying that I would need supplemental insurance to go with Medicare. I had never felt so loved and cared for in my life. My husband explained that it would all stop in a couple of months and that they only wanted to sell me insurance, not be my friend. That can't be right. I'm sure these companies are interested in me as a person. I'm such a wonderful, kind, funny, generous, caring human being.

Having said that (my being so wonderful and all), I actually have been looking forward to reaching the age where I could be a real b**ch and not get in trouble for it. Mom is eighty two and gets away with saying all kinds of things. We all just say, "Bless her heart."

Well, I guess I'll close so I can get this first (and maybe last) posting under my belt.

Love,

MawMaw