A Pre-Introduction

So it seems that pink is the color all around.....Len and Kel are having a girl as well and they are naming her Julia Bernice. Julia was Kel's grandma's middle name and of course Bernice is Lenny's granny.........it is hard to express how much that means to me.

I have permission to share the first photos

The profile

The face and Kel says, 'Look at that chin'!

Two eyes a nose, mouth and pudgy cheeks

I guess this is the gender photo! Couldn't prove it by me...LOL

Gonna be like her daddy...long long legs!

The other news that I have pales in comparison to baby news!!!! BUT David and I are officially homeless as of today. The papers are signed and thank goodness Renee is letting us rent the upstairs from her until June 1. We will then shuffle to the little house next door until we can go north.

Pink Pink Pink all around Pink.

Oh and happy birthday to Melvin, Rachel's husband. Sorry Melvin that you took a backseat but I am sure that you understand...haha. Anyway we hope your day is great.

A Successful Garage/Moving Sale

Despite the winter like weather!

The garage had been cleaned out-yes it really was absolutely clean and organized...however at least two loads have been taken north and I am fearful of seeing what THAT shed looks like!

We then filled the garage with household items in an effort to downsize in prep for the move north. Now the house is empty as well as the garage.

The sale was a huge success, we sold almost everything. Friday was the opening day and two hours prior to opening people came....and bought!

Saturday we woke up to 2 inches of snow on the ground, it was windy and damned cold...but people came and bought!

Sunday we opened at 8am and people came....and bought!

Thanks a TON to Chrissy for staging the sale (she really is in the wrong line of work. Needs to be on HGTV as a garage sale stagger!) and sitting with me in the cold helping to keep up with our customers. Even David enjoyed himself as he slashed prices continually!

One more sale to go to get rid of the few things that we have left and then we are ready to move north!

79 Years Ago Today

A very special lady came into this world. She grew up on a farm, poor as can be, with a loving mom and dad and many great siblings.

Everyone who knew her loved her. She persevered through many tough times..., her dad committing suicide when he was a young man, a daughter who was a daddy's girl when little (and was not so nice to her momma), she fought alcoholism and quite drinking at about age 70 and smoking as well after having smoked for over 40 years, her mom and some siblings passing at early ages and she herself fighting a battle with lung cancer only to lose the fight.

This lady loved her grandson and her son in law, her friends, family and of course me...her daughter.

She loved to go camping with us and had a campfire going from morning til night (see where I get it Jan!), she loved our annual vacations to warmer climates, and her vacations with her sister Etta as well as going to the casino with her nephew John.

My momma was a fabulous person and I can only hope to be half of the person that she was. I woke up this morning with a smile on my face realizing that it was her birthday. I celebrate her life and the life that she gave me. I feel the hug.

The Text Message Read

'It looks like a girl'.

Ryan and Jen had their ultrasound yesterday and it seems that we will have a new grand-daughter come September.

Lots of pink going on so far in the family....wonder if Len and Kel will carry on the pink or will we have some blue as well...

Family Treasures

My Grandma Grace passed in the early 70s, I was very close to her. When Lenny and I moved to StPeter my mom gave me Grandma's beautiful dinning room oak table for a keepsake.

As we are moving and no longer have a spot for this family treasure, I just knew it needed to be kept in the family.

The table is going to my cousin Deb, who 10 years ago, lost everything in the famous tornado...including everything that she had from her folks who are no longer with us is.

After looking at the table Deb immediately decided that she would take the keepsake and keep it safe. I know the table will be loved, in good hands, and be kept in the family. Mom and Grandma would be pleased.

As Deb was leaving we both had tears in our eyes.

Family Treasures.

One Of My Favorite Places

To shop and just 'be'.

The Tangled Skein was instrumental in my maintaining a positive attitude during and after chemo. It is a warm welcoming place that feels safe.

As most know I have suffered some cognitive impairment from the chemo and my ability to learn, remember and just think has been comprimised.

I found the TS and began to take knitting classes there. After the first class I came home in tears because I just could not 'get it' and I felt like I had no brain at all. However, I kept going back and the gals (Lori and Anette) were awesome and supportive. I continue to have a difficult time 'getting it' but with their help I have been able to knit knit knit. Not as professionally as these gals, but it sure is fun.

SO, I wanted to share this site with you all. I am very appreciative to them for hosting a money raising event for The Cure.

If you are a knitter, or know someone who is...please remember the Tangled Skein.

Hummmm, I am going to just try those danged socks and see how I do...lots of different stitches going on in them. If I am able to complete them I will certainly brag about it here!

A cure will come and with your help we will get there sooner than later.

http://www.thetangledskein.com/whatsnew2.php

By the way both Lori and Anette are teachers and both had Lenny in class. Interesting huh? Rachel I think Lori had you as well.

Ah Spring...Finally

And a great day to take a walk with a good friend and our doggies! We did decide however that because our walk was a 2 hour one that it was considered a hike rather than a walk!



7 mile park was our destination today. It is always an adventure when we go with my friend Mary and her dog Yoni (is that how it's spelled Mary?). Someone usually trips and or falls and one of us gets to laughing so hard that well...Bugs you know what the result of that is! But it is always fun.



7 mile is full of trails, streams, bridges and plants of all types.

The dogs appreciate the streams. A refreshing dip and drink of water

The trails can get difficult...yes Mary and Tack we go up and up and up

A bridge within a bridge

And our first fully bloomed flower. Jan do you have any idea what this is? The flowers are actually pink

Tomorrow a new adventure.

On My Way To The Doc Today

It seems that my bad cholesterol is elevated and she wants to talk to me about medication options. As I am driving to the clinic I think what the hell happened to the poor old bod?

Post-chemo and post 50 AND post-menopause has not been good on my body! Nothing seems to stay in place these days.

I always had the good ole saddle bags but now I have the god awful underarm flags. These are worse even than the saddle bags. You can hide those with jeans...but these flags are there hanging out for all to see.

And now despite eating fruits and vegetables daily and eating right in general as well as getting 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 times a week...I have to go on meds to lower my cholesterol.

Those brown spots on the skin...well there are getting to be so many of them that I could pass them off as freckles.

And allergies...for goodness sake aren't you supposed to grow out of allergies. Oh no not me...I grew into them. Never had them as a kid but as a falling apart adult they are here full force. And not just in the spring but all year long.

And the memory and confusion..well that goes without saying? Who are you again?????

As long as I am griping I may as well gripe about the worst of the worst. One would think that when you have reconstructive surgery and get new boobs, that they would be perfect! Uh huh.....these babies of mine are not at all symmetrical, they wrinkle (saline implants tend to do this I guess) and the one that is sitting under my arm has flipped itself around entirely so that the patch on the backside of the implant is now on the front of the implant and is visible through my skin. It looks like a 50 cent piece was left under my skin!

Oh and lets not forget about the hips. My hips ache constantly especially at night...wakes me up in fact (between that and the having to pee thing).

I know there is more but with the memory (or lack of) I just don't seem to be able to think of them at the moment.

So...what was that I said a post or so back...something about embracing the changes in your life....

It really isn't all that bad, just feels good to bitch once and a while! I actually enjoy my life but a few years back, when David rolled over and said, "I feel just like my mother and I hate it" meaning that he had aches and pains all over and was feeling his years....I thought to myself...HA I am glad it's you and not me.....that one bit me in the butt didn't it?

Despite it all I am happy to wake up in the morning and happy that I am here to be able to bitch about getting older. The alternative is certainly not desirable.

PS, this really is intended to be light hearted so I am hoping that a few of you did laugh about my malady's (is that a word Jan)?