Travels and Treadmills

Well, I went to Indiana to see our new Christmas grandson, and he is adorable. I got to see (and feel!) snow, and play with our toddler granddaughter and I had a great time. When I got back I had a couple of weeks of remarkable energy, and then I crashed with a vengeance. I experienced severe pain in my chest, back, left arm, jaw and even my ear felt as if someone were pinching it really, really hard, the way they did to kids in those old movies. Now I know why the kids always squealed! So another stay in the hospital, another cath, and this time they diagnosed Prinzmetal's Angina, or Coronary Artery Spasm. It basically closes down an artery with a severe spasm, slowing or stopping blood flow. It is probably due to the microvascular disease in the heart. If it does not let up quickly enough it can cause a heart attack and damage to the heart.

They tell me to walk a lot. But not by myself. And not outside. So I accepted the gracious offer of a treadmill and I'm learning how to use it. I intend to have some adventures related to my new treadmill, which I will share with you later. For now I'll leave you with a picture of my young granddaughter demonstrating the proper use of a treadmill - plenty of pillows to lounge on and something good to drink! (Disclaimer: She was not allowed to play on here as a rule. This was a fluke, and she was closely supervised. The treadmill could not have come on, as there were multiple safety features and careful adults. She's not allowed near it for the most part).

There and Back Again

Yesterday was spent at the beach on Sanibel Island. What a gorgeous day! Hit 80 degrees, sunny with a gentle breeze, puffy white clouds, and the company of my favorite person - my husband. Everyone was taking advantage of the beautiful day. At one point I counted 19 boats: Speedboats and fishing boats, boats of every size and description, and one ethereal sailboat. There were parasailers, too, and kayakers. The smell of the salt spray, the warmth of the sun and coolness of the breeze, the beauty, were all so peaceful and relaxing.

Tomorrow I'm flying up to Indiana. Gonna be cold, might snow. I'll have grandbabies to play with and a whole new type of beauty to absorb in the landscape around me. Life is good!

The title There and Back Again seems descriptive of what I'm doing. But it also reminds me of how much I am looking forward to the film coming out at the end of the year, around Christmastime 2012 - The Hobbit!!! I enjoyed The Lord of the Rings films, and I read the trilogy, but The Hobbit has always been my favorite. My uncle introduced me to Bilbo Baggins when I was 13 years old; he sent me the book, wrapped in a soft, rainbow-hued paper and accompanied by a lovely little drawing he did of the circular door of the hobbit house. I was transported in to another world! I can't wait to see what the film is like and fervently hope I will not be disappointed.

What are you looking forward to this year?

Wow, What a Week!!! Welcome to our Christmas Grandson

I hope you all had a marvelous Christmas celebration! I think ours was above and beyond this year! We had a lovely Christmas Eve at my sister's house, for a brunch. That evening we had our church service for Christmas Eve. Sunday, Christmas morning, we were getting ready to leave for church when the phone rang, and our son was telling us he and his wife were on the way to the hospital to have the baby! We went to church and in the afternoon we had a family party, and the day was interspersed with phone calls from my son in Indiana. A little before 2 o'clock we got the news that we had a Christmas Grandson!

Our little Timothy Michael was 9 lbs and 21 1/4" long, so Anna has a baby brother now. In January I am going up for a couple of weeks to meet the little fellow.

The rest of Christmas was special and fun, and I got spoiled by my family, as usual, which of course I love. Then the next day was my husband's birthday and he was actually off work for it, so we had a nice day together.

Yesterday, we celebrated our 33 wedding anniversary! Well, we didn't really get to do very much yet, but it was still special. Actually, the weekend before Christmas, he took me downtown to Fort Myers' historical River District, and we strolled around listening to the street musicians, enjoying the architecture, browsing in the lovely little art galleries, shops and boutiques, and he bought me a really lovely purse. Then we went to lunch. And this weekend we plan dinner and a movie. But the best part is just the privilege of being married to this wonderful man for 33 years! He's my best friend, and the smartest, handsomest, kindest, funniest, most romantic and thoughtful man I've ever met.

The cold I had turned out to be a lot worse than I had anticipated, so I spent nights sitting up in a chair, coughing my brains out, so that wasn't much fun, and I've had laryngitis so I couldn't talk to anyone, which I couldn't do anyway, or eat, without coughing... but I definitely think the good stuff outweighed the bad this past week. Here's a picture to prove it!

Perfect Beach Day

We took Anna to the beach today for the first time. We went to Sanibel Island on a perfect day. We saw dolphins, a parasailer, dogs swimming, and this lovely little sailboat. Anna loved the beach and we all had a wonderful time!

Good News All Around

I had a great visit with my new cardiologist today. I am released to exercise! That should help with all sorts of conundrums. Exercise helps regulate mood, blood sugar, weight, circulation - I am looking forward to getting back in shape.

I also found out recently that I am getting a super present this Christmas (or thereabouts). A new grandbaby! Anna will have a sibling soon. Don't babies just make you happy? Me, too.

Speaking of Anna, she and her parents will be here in just over a week. I am so looking forward to seeing them all. Hopefully this rain will let up a bit, so we can take Anna to the beach for the first time in her young life. Although I am certainly not complaining about the rain, which we needed quite desperately. I do feel a little sorry for the cows in the pasture behind our house, although I have to admit they seem to like it. Probably cools them off in this intense summer heat.

Wow, does it ever make the grass (and weeds!) grow - well, the flowers, too, though. But now that I can do things again, I hope to weed around the crepe myrtle plants and help hubby mow the lawn. So what's up with you these days?

Happy Birthday, Anna!

I want to say Happy First Birthday to our precious little granddaughter, Anna! I am a little stunned at just how much I love this little girl. She is a gift straight from the Arms of God. Being a Grandmother is everything everyone said it was and more. What pure delight! I just spent time Skyping with her and her mother, and she is learning and changing and growing more beautiful every day.

Back to Blogging!

Hello, my old friends! I have decided to begin blogging again - I've missed you all too much to stay away! I don't know if anyone is keeping up with me at Associated Content; I enjoy writing there, but it doesn't have the intimacy blogging does. So I'll be trying to catch up with all of you in the coming days. Ok, maybe weeks.

In the roughly nine months I've been away, a lot has happened, as I'm sure it has with you all. I turned 50. I like being 50! I think it is a good, respectable age. The half-way point! Not too young, not too old. And being a new Grandma, it seems fitting that I not be in my 40s anymore. Unfortunately, my body did not like turning 50, and my heart rebelled. I started the new year out by getting fit and in shape, but right in the middle of Turbo Jam I began having severe, radiating chest pain - this was back in February - and a 99% blockage in the main artery (the widower-maker!) was discovered, and, as I thought, fixed with a stent. But it turns out stents are more like a patch. Anyway, instead of getting better, I began getting worse, and just last week I ended up back in hospital, getting a stent within my stent - scar tissue had blocked it all back up again. So now we're praying that doesn't happen again, because if it does, I'm facing open heart surgery.

I also got to go spend some time with my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter this spring. My son was in hospital too, with pneumonia, flu, ruptured eardrum and possible cracked rib, so I went up to help out. It even obligingly snowed one day while I was there! A treat for a Floridian, let me tell you. I am happy that I avoided any tornadoes tho! My little granddaughter is the cutest little thing ever! I enjoyed her so much, and she was in major learning mode while I was there, which was a lot of fun. She's about to celebrate her 1st birthday, and then at the end of this month, they are scheduled to come for a visit, hallelujah!

Ok, that's enough for now, don't you think? I want to find out about all of you! Stop by and leave a comment, will you please?

"No Paparazzi, Please!"

Our little darling is learning to cope with constant photo requests. A girl's gotta get her beauty sleep!

Paradise Lost or Regained?

I live in what is commonly referred to as Paradise, i.e. Florida. After being gone for a month, I am truly enjoying being back home, even though August is not really Florida's shining moment. However, I was in another state, enjoying our very first grandbaby and in many ways that qualified as Paradise!

Our granddaughter is a calm, sweet, adorable little girl and we are head over heels in love with her. We've been doing everything possible to earn e-miles so we can fly up and see her frequently. These things take time. One of the things I've been doing is writing for pay. Unfortunately, that means I don't have much time to blog anymore, writing or reading.

I am sorry to neglect my dear blog friends, and I miss reading your posts and being a part of your lives. But I have run smack in to the old adage about there being only so many hours in a day. So all I can say is that I will do the best I can. Meanwhile, if anyone wants to, they can catch up with me a little more frequently by accessing my Associated Content articles, listed on the left top, with "clickable" titles.

As to recently, I spent a month in Indiana, 2 weeks of it helping out my daughter in law in the last weeks of her pregnancy and 2 weeks of it cuddling our new granddaughter. Another small vacation with my husband followed. Then I got sick. I am just starting to feel better, but now there are extended family health concerns to deal with.

On a good note, our youngest son went to Panama recently and had a wonderful week there, enjoying the beauty of the place and also attending a missions conference. He looks really good in his new Panama hat!

Our Precious Baby Granddaughter Has Arrived

I just got back from a very long day at the hospital, but all ended well. Our darling granddaughter is born, and she is just beautiful. 8 lbs 1 oz, 21" long and lots of dark hair, also extraordinarily long eyelashes! I appreciate any prayers that were offered on her behalf, because as it turns out, the cord was wrapped three times around her neck. But God is gracious and both baby and Mom, and my son the Papa, are doing quite well.

Any of you that are friends on Facebook can see a pic and name. I plan be in Indiana 2 more weeks, Lord willing, to hold our baby girl and spoil her parents. The baby is so, so sweet and calm. We are so blessed to have her here. Praise God, the creator of babies. 7/7/10

Waiting for the Birth of My Granddaughter

I am waiting for my first grandchild, a granddaughter, to be born. She is content to stay where she is at the moment and I am content too. It's so different with a grandchild. With my own children, I was much more anxious to hold them in my arms. Even though I long to hold my granddaughter, I am happy to wait until it pleases her to be held. I love her already, just as I did my own children. But while I just knew they would be perfect in every way, it's different with my granddaughter. It's not that I don't think she'll be perfect - it's that it just doesn't matter. She is. That's enough. She doesn't have to be perfect if she doesn't want to be.

I love that I'll get to play with her. I played with my own children, of course, but I also had so much raising and character-forming and teaching to do - I love that with my granddaughter I can just be. I'm interested to see what she will be like, but in a once-removed kind of way that brings ease with it. I even hope that her parents will discipline and guide her properly, because I know that will be best for her. But I like her just the way she is.

Even now, when the way she is, is unborn as of yet. When it pleases her to make her entry in to this world, I'll be waiting with open arms and uncritical approval. I'll be waiting, with time to play; with sympathy and a helping hand when she must work instead. I'll be waiting with pride, but not surprise, at her accomplishments. She has already brought me such joy!

I'm waiting for my granddaughter's arrival, ready to adore and enjoy her. I am a Grandmother and it is grand indeed.

Back Home Again in Indiana

Hello, all. I am in Indiana for a while, helping out before and after baby arrives. I'm busy and I don't have complete computer access, so I probably won't be able to visit much but I'll have a lot to talk about later!

I was born in Indiana, and even after we moved away, we used to spend a good portion of every summer in Indiana. There's a lot to love. I am enjoying being here again. The weather is gorgeous! People don't really appreciate it when they try to complain about the heat and I burst out laughing. But I can't help it. I can sit outside comfortably under a big shade tree on the soft grass and wave at everyone who goes by. Unlike sitting under a palm tree with the fire ants and the sandspurs, sweat pouring from every pore. Sometimes people do wave at home, though.

I am loving the fireflies at dusk. Magical! I have a wild urge to run around filling a jar with them to use as a nightlight.

I heard my first tornado warning siren today. Like a good little Hoosier, I ignored it. Later I learned they do this every Friday at noon. So as long as the tornadoes pick a different day, it's all good.

I'm also enjoying visiting with my son and daughter in law. But I've never been away from my husband more than a week before. But he'll come up after the baby comes.

And the baby is what it's all about!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend & 21st Birthday of My Son

We had a fun four-day weekend! But the above darling little clothes actually have nothing to do with that. These are from a recent shopping trip extraordinaire! I am not particularly enamored with shopping. But I wanted to get something for the new little one heading our way. So when I got not one, but two $10 off coupons (one from J. C. Penney's and one from Kohl's), I decided to do a spot of shopping. As it turns out, both stores were having huge baby clothes sales! At Penney's I got the above "romper" for "Daddy's Little Princess," as well as a deep rose colored onesie and a soft bib. At Kohl's I found the darling red sweater/jacket over a polka dotted onesie, and it included a little pair of red pants with a pink flower on the back! The original prices would have made this about $45 - the sales made it more like $23 - with my two coupons, I paid roughly $3.00!!! Now that's the way to shop.

As for the weekend. Friday night hubby was able to get tickets to the dinner theater to see "Ring of Fire," the musical revue of Johnny Cash's music and life. We had seats right down front; the food was good (particularly the warm peach cobbler over vanilla ice cream), and the show was fantastic! My hands hurt the next day from clapping so much.

Saturday I spent the whole day cooking and baking for a special celebration that night. My youngest son, who spent the day playing video games with his father, turned 21 on Memorial Day. This year we celebrated on Saturday, so we avoided the unfortunate gaffe we made a different year. I don't remember which birthday it was, but we went all out and had a Pirate theme. His oldest brother took him to the movies and the middle son helped us make the front porch look like a pirate ship, put his gift in a little chest and buried it in the back yard, and wrote clues that sent him all over the yard to find it. In our enthusiasm, we even ran the Jolly Roger, procured at the flea market, up the flag pole. It wasn't until later that one of us realized it was actually Memorial Day! Oops! Anyway, this year we had a quieter dinner and party on Saturday. Sunday was nice, church and a quiet afternoon, while the son went to a party with his friends. And Monday, his real birthday, we all went to see Iron Man 2. Quite spectacular. I kind of liked Iron Man 1 better, but this one was definitely worth seeing on the big screen, and the guys liked it just as well as the first one.

I've also been exercising and losing weight (although this weekend was a bit off the reservation, what with the desserts at the dinner theater and the fried chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy and biscuits and apple pie and ice cream for the birthday party) - and oh, that reminds me, if any of you live far enough south to have a Publix, then you ought to know that for a limited time only they have brought back Tin Roof Sundae Premium Ice Cream, which is their best flavor EVER and which they inexplicably discontinued a few years back. I am also cleaning the outside of the house (and even, on occasion, the inside!), so that's what I've been up to, among a bunch of other stuff... how 'bout you guys?

My Baby is About to be a Daddy

Me with our oldest, in 1981.

Beware the Grandparent Scam

I don't know if you've heard about the Grandparent Scam, because although it has been around for a while, the victims are pretty embarrassed and don't really want to talk about it. I'm not sure really why they are embarrassed, though. This scam doesn't tempt by greed; it preys on the love a grandparent has for their grandchild. My grandchild is still, as they say, "in the oven," and I would already do absolutely anything for her!

Anyway, the scam involves a frantic phone call from a young person to an elderly person; when the older person answers, the younger says "Grandpa?" and leaves them to say something like "Is this Johnny?" thus providing the name. Then the game is on. Supposedly there has been a car crash in Canada in a rental car; the beloved grandchild will go to jail if they aren't wired X amount of dollars within, say, an hour and a half; they are depending on Grandpa to save them! It's all rushed, panicked, and often Grandpa can't hear real well to boot. Plus the line gets conveniently crinkly if the grandchild is supposedly answering anything that would identify them as completely ignorant. If this ruse doesn't work fast enough, the a psuedo-lawyer comes on and really turns the screws. Oh, and they are always begged not to tell "mom and dad" because it would only worry them.

I know personally of two people who have fallen for this and I think others need to be alert. Even in the remote chance this is real, your grandchild can afford to wait until you verify the information. And trust me, chances are that it is NOT real.

So that's my Consumer Alert for the day. I have one month to "show the doctor what I can do" in the way of exercise and other health measures, before he begins monkeying with my medicine, so I'm off to the races, so to speak. I have a million things to write percolating in my head and eventually one of them will swim to the top, so I'll be back then.