It's Good To Be Home Again

We traveled south last week to work on the house, catch up on doctor appointments and get a baby shower together. I left poor David there to continue his work and the dogs and I came home where the weather is cooler, less humid and the house is much more comfortable. I had forgotten what it is like to live in a construction zone! The little house is pretty much torn apart however it will look great when it is done. David is busting his butt to complete it so he can come home and stay home.

I did receive a clean bill of health at my oncology appointment. My liver enzymes are back to normal and the 'thing' that I found on my neck appears to be a benign lymph node. Doc is watching it closely so back I go in three month's time.

The shower was a huge success, good food, lots of fun, very nice gifts and great company.

Sharing pictures-

The group

The games

Guess the baby food. Lenny smells it

And the dogs eat it!What's in the diaper my Aunt Sandy wonders as cousin Kim and David look on

Undress, diaper and redress the baby...with one hand...for the guys only. My oh my it was an interesting diapering/dressing process!

After the party game...what is this thing called....a form of horse shoe I guess.

Opening the gifts. Lenny surrounded by all of that pink! No GI Joe's here.

The apple does not fall far from the tree??? This little tee says it all.

Once again thanks a ton to our friends Chrissy and Brent for letting us use their garage, helping me decorate, make food etc etc for the shower.

It's An Interesting Thing

This life of retirement. We are finding ourselves able to put down what we happen to be working on to...take a drive to a town festival, bump around at local garage sales or just take a walk with the dogs. Most of you won't believe it but we have actually been able to balance work and fun...in fact we may be working less and having much more fun! Did you ever think you would see the day Mikey?

Our latest project has been the making of a creek bed. The rain from our roof is directed (via downspouts) to the creek bed and it runs from beside our house, past granny's tree, through the woods and then into Tackla's pond.

The preliminary creek

And with rocks just in time for the rain fall. It runs just as it should.

Lots of work to do on the creek yet oh but it will be nice.

We are going to pump the water from Tack's pond up to a smaller pond by the house so that water can then run back to the pond via the creek. David is going to make a filter to keep the water in the pond nice and clear. Can't have Tack swimming in green water you know!

Yesterday before going to a local auction these deer showed up at the edge of our woods. Rather than scaring them off we watched them forever until they meandered off on their own. We haven't seen our momma deer for quite a while. Hopefully she had her fawn and is just laying low.

Stopping to smell the flower?

Today we decided to take the dogs for a walk along the Zoo Line Trail. Jan if you ever make it up here we will have to grab our cameras and hit this trail.

Wildflowers galore

Butterflies

Fabulous colors, interesting shapes and textures

Even some wild raspberries that were yummy.

I have even taken the time to work on a quilt and yesterday for the first time in a long time I picked up my knitting needles. When David was back last week I sent him to the Tangled Skein to pick up yarn for me...a scary endeavor for sure....David picking our yarn for me...NOT. I called ahead and warned Lori and I think she may have helped him along a bit.
Anyway it really feels like home more and more each day.

The Lights Went Out

Have you ever noticed how quiet it gets when the electricity goes out? It gets even more quiet up here in the woods especially since David is gone working on the little house....just me and the dogs and no noise. I did have my hearing aids out so it was quiet anyway but it is unbelievably quiet without the fridge, fans, TV...etc running.

Since I had been working on a quilt and the sewing machine is electric the dogs and I busied ourselves on a long walk and then to a near by lake for a swim. on our way home we stopped by a neighbor's house. As I knocked on his door I heard a swoosh swoosh. There was a flock of hummingbirds (do hummingbirds come in flocks??) flying in and out of his five feeders. Having my camera in the car I took a load of pictures of these beauties. I have never been this close to them much less seen this many in one place.

Glen wasn't home and there I stood on his deck with a camera snapping away. I decided I best quit looking like a weird peeper and come home. After all what would you think if someone was standing at your front door taking pictures...gees huh?

Anyway, two of my favorites-

The electricity came back on at 7pm...the world is once again appropriately noisy but I still don't have my hearing aids in!

Especially For Mikey

I know that you will appreciate these pictures Mikey....

It started with David hooking his fly rod fly on the anchor rope. He finally got it unhooked, went to the back of the boat and immediatly caught his hook on the BACK anchor's rope! He got that unhooked, began to cast a few and found his line totally wrapped around his ankle. By this time I was laughing so hard I didn't even think about getting the camera back out again! AND THEN.....

He backs up and hooks himself on a daredevil...for this I did get the camera....note that look on his face.

Since the only thing that David caught was David we decided to just enjoy the night.

These two loons were not a bit afraid of us and allowed us to get quite close.

As the sunset with rain in the horizon

Another couple fishing bass and enjoying the sunset...wonder if they caught anything?

And wait...David's troubles didn't end last night. Today he intended on clearing out our walking path through the woods with the bob cat. It was a bit muddier than he thought and ended up burying one side of the bob up over the tires. The mud was like quick sand... the harder he tried to get out the more 'stuck' he became. After loads of digging and yanking with the jeep we finally got it out....but guess what...he got it stuck again. This time however we got out with just a few 'jeep yanks'. Even though it certainly was not how we intended on spending the day it was an interesting day!

The Past Three Days Spent On The Water

We have spent the past three days on the water, just little lakes around us that are fun to be on. Our friend Jan always says that catching fish is a bonus. That is certainly true....and thankfully so as the fishing has been pretty slow.

Peeko and Tackla enjoying the ride

Navigating the way our Peeko

Proof that David can actually catch fish

This perch appears to have flown out of the water into Peeko's waiting mouth.

My doggie and I

And the wonderful flowers of the water-

White Lilly

And a splash of purple

The Week In Review

We arrived 'home' last Wednesday and ended the trip unloading the trailers and vehicles. As much 'stuff' as we got rid at the garage sale how oh how can we have this much left!

My gardens look good. I was afraid that they would have dried up but they really look good. When we left the last time the beets looked pretty tough but they perked right up while we were gone.

Prior to coming up I dug up perhaps 8 perennial plants to plant up here. The second day here was spent planting planting planting. Those eight plants were split up and turned into about 40 plants and all were planted in one day! I now have 6 flower gardens along with the three raised bed veggie gardens, two additional veggie gardens and two barrels of potatoes! Oh my momma, uncles and mother in law would be so proud! So if you are wondering what the heck I am going to do with myself up here....you will find me out with the bugs, sweating like crazy tending to the gardens! I used to hate weeding flower beds but for some reason I know like it. It is relaxing being out with the bugs pulling weeds.

We actually took a day to go fishing. The plan was to go out in the am for a few hours. We went out early on this little piss ant lake...Mikey you would love it...tons of bass. fun to catch but yucky to eat! Anyway we worked hard catching the fish that we did catch...all sunfish...and it took all day to get eight fish!

I caught the first fish, the biggest fish, the smallest fish and the most fish! My count was five...David's was three.

David finally took the fly rod out and brought in his three contributions.


The plan was to go back out the next day to pull in a few more so that we would have enough for a meal. The weather didn't cooperate however, it rained like crazy. So instead David got into the groove....

The flowers are blooming.

I spotted an old abandoned farm house behind a field of flowers.
On Sunday poor David headed back to work on the little house so here I am by myself me and the dogs. When David is here Peeko hardly ever barks...but when he is gone and we are alone he barks at every little thing. Creeps me out a bit as he has me wondering who in the hell is coming up the driveway. There is never anyone and he is probably barking at deer, or raccoon or whatever the hell but I wish he would quit!

Today Peeko met his new groomer lady. Buttons and Bows is the new place. They did a nice job.

However, Peeko seems to think that looking nice and smelling good is over rated as the minute we got home he ran to Tackla's swimming pond and got himself dirty, oh well.

I have spent the rest of the day hauling mulch, rocks (nice big rocks) and branches to the flower beds. Hey Kel L....look what I got for father's day. Yup my very own dump garden wagon. David says it was my father's day gift so that I no longer bother him when he is on the bob cat. I now no longer have to manually haul huge rocks to where I want them but can put them in the wagon and drive them there. HOWEVER I still have to pick the damned things up and get them in the wagon.


The dogs love it here. If they aren't in the pond they are in the grasses 'hunting', all that can be seen are the wagging tails.

We have been watching a very pregnant doe for the past month or so. She comes out every day (sometimes twice a day) to eat. I haven't seen her for the past two days and am thinking she may be holed up with a new fawn. When they do show up I hope to get a picture.

Tomorrow back to getting things put away in the house. Between that and the shed it will take us the first year to get organized...IF we ever do.

A True Surprise

We had a wonderful get together with friends and family and were successful in surprising David.

Even though the party was right next door and Chrissy and I had been working on it all week...he did not have a clue. In fact he was asked to come over to help move a picnic table and saw Mikey and Jan there...he still did not get it. Earlier in the week Chrissy told him that she was having a retirement party for her dad. David took the bait hook line and sinker! He just thought that somehow Mikey and Jan were related to Chrissy (only a man...only a man!). Chrissy then asked him to check out the cool cake (it was decorated with a deer scene and said, Happy Retirement Dave'). He still did not get it...says he was too busy looking at the scene and really didn't read the words. Chrissy then asked him if he could read it. David said well sure he can read it. I asked him to read it out loud then! He did and FINALLY got it. It really was the ultimate surprise!

Sharing the day with photos:

Immediately after he 'figured it out' hugging our friend Jan

Long time friends Wes and Karen and daughter with Marky to Dave's right

Carol and Jess

Four generations. A pretty good looking group

A proud Grandpa

Rachel and Dezbah.

This little lady is always on the go and is such a good girl! She is quite cute as well!

Lenny and Kelly

Auntie Etta, Uncle Dood, cousin Lisa and Auntie Sandy (my mom's side of the family...by the way David you do know that she is smiling down on us don't you?).

There is always a lot of BS and noise going on when we get together. And it is always a laugh a minute.

Uncle Dood (80 something) and his daughter Lisa (not 80 something!!!) roared in on their Harley's. Dood has been riding for a few (not many) years and Lisa for the past year. Lis MADE herself learn to ride so that she could enjoy time with her dad. How cool is that! PS Lisa, folks wondered who you were as they said you and I looked a lot alike!

A party isn't a party without a good game of cards. Shoot on the far table and cribbage with David and Len.

This is the entry that may make me cry...shush it's my blog and I can be sappy if I want! We all have neighbors and know who they are well enough to say hello (or maybe not...). It is not often that your neighbors turn into not only friends but family. Our little cul-de-sac has become quite close over the years and I consider my neighbors both friends and family. We take care of each other's dogs, walk right into each others houses, cry together and bitch together. They have supported me through a lot of tough times over the years and have shared in many joys that David and I have encountered. What do you say about people like this except we love you guys and will miss you terribly.

Chrissy, Jess and myself. We are certainly not trying to be 'sexy' with this pose (yeah right huh??) instead we are trying to hide our most unfavorite body parts that have gotten larger and sagged over the years! Notice the saddle bags are turned to the back and the arm flags are tucked to my sides!

Thanks all for helping me pull off the surprise. David and I are truly fortunate to have the friends and family that we do.

And The Verdict Is

Doc D called this morning. As we suspected it is a benign cyst on the thyroid gland. My entire thyroid looks good as well. That little worry is put to rest.

However, the zit on my face is getting larger and becoming more red...and that baby really thumps! Oh to have such maladies to crab about huh?

Tests Tests...And Why They Don't 'Jump' To Run Them

And I am not talking about SAT's or midterms!


About a month ago I felt a funny little deal in my neck. It actually feels like a vein that is just a bit large. At my oncological appointment a week ago I mentioned it to Doc C. He felt it and felt it and felt it. Thought it was nothing but wanted me to see my surgeon to get his opinion.


Now I really like my surgeon and never mind chatting with him and I trust him completely. But I totally understand now why the docs don't run every test in the world on you after having had successful cancer treatments. There was a time right after my chemo that I would feel this or have that ache and would have preferred Doc C to do whatever test needed to rule out the big C return. He refused saying that there are too many false positives etc etc etc....AND running unnecessary tests just make a person nervous for no reason.


Now I get that whole way of thinking. I was not a bit wigged out about this funny little deal that I had been feeling until my surgeon walked in the room and began to palpitate the nodule. He didn't think that it was anything to worry about but wanted me to have an ultra-sound just to be sure.


I got in right away for the ultra sound and became even more nervous. Lots of self talk going on let me tell you......'I don't think it is anything but if it is we will deal with it' yadda yadda yadda. The tech begins the procedure. I ask her how it all looks and of course she says that she is not at all qualified to give an opinion...Ok so that adds to my nervousness. She then takes way longer than what I felt it should be taking. She finally asks me if I am hanging in there....and I say yes I am but that she is making me nervous. She wonders why so I just tell her that it is taking so long so I am wondering if she is finding something and needs to look further etc. Well of course she says no no no. She just wanted to get more pics because the little nodule is so close to the thyroid gland. So she did a full thyroid scan or some silly thing. After it was completed she then asked me to stay put until she talks with the radiologist...about now I am jumping out of my skin thinking...Ok here it comes.... She came back in to say that I could go. The radiologist was pleased with the pictures (still didn't make me feel any better as pleased with the pictures only means that she got good images...). She did say though that he stated that it was 'unremarkable' and that my surgeon (Doc D) would call me with the results in a day or two.


Now I am no longer nervous and am sure that it is nothing...but Doc C was right...running too many tests is too nerve racking if you really don't need them. Crap, I barely thought about cancer until today....now that the scan is done I can just quit thinking about it again so there!

OK on with life and after Doc D calls to tell me it is nothing I will blog that as well....I am actually more concerned (and really crabby) about this big huge honkin zit that has appeared on my cheek...damn thing pulsates and I want to squeeze it I do!