Hello, again!  I thought I had better check in and let you all know that I am still here.

   Hubby is back to work after healing from his broken leg.  He still has swelling and pain, but he`s doing great.  Even though we had to use all my retirement and savings, we managed to weather the storm of disability and all our bills are paid.  Thank you, Lord.

   I am still working, which is probably a good thing in these troubled financial times.  Can you believe the prices of groceries and gas?  I have noticed higher prices on just about everything we need to buy.  It really makes you think before making a purchase.

   I have been recruited to sing in a barbershop type a cappella group.  Rehearsal is on Tuesday nights.  I can`t see to drive in the dark so I need someone to take me.  A girl in the group has graciously offered.  I can`t wait to sing and learn about this style of music.

  It has been in the 90 degree range today.  I`m so glad I was at work in air-conditioning. I still want to be a stay at home wife, though, but my minimum wage job has gotten us through the rough spots.

  Well, I don`t want to be too boring, so I will tell you that I will try to update a bit more often.  I love all of you, my friends!

   Here`s something for you.....

         from "THE MONTH OF JUNE'

It is the month of June,

      The month of leaves and roses,

When pleasant sights salute the eyes,

       And pleasant scents the noses.

                                         N.P. Willis 1806-1867

                               That Girl

   I can`t believe I have to go back to work tomorrow!  I`ve been so busy taking care of Hubby and cooking and cleaning and catching up with things around here that the week has just flown by.  I have enjoyed every minute of it.  I go to bed totally exausted....but it`s a good tired, a happy tired.  Hubby is doing okay, but still has a lot of pain if he gets up to go to the bathroom or anything.  He is supposed to keep the leg elevated as much as possible.  We had a lot of company yesterday and some today.  This is funny because we hardly ever get any visitors, but I loved it.

  Hubby is pretty good on the crutches but has had a lot of close calls of almost falling.  Part of the reason I don`t want to go back to work is because I don`t want to leave him alone yet.  I will go home for lunch, though, as long as the roads are good to fix a quick lunch for us and go back.

  I so love taking care of Hubby and home.  Right now though, my measley little check is the only money that we have to live on till his disability starts up, and that is a way smaller amount than his real pay.  We will fall behind, and I`m afraid it will be difficult to catch up. I am relying so much on God`s strength to get us through all this.  What do people do that don`t put their trust in Him?  It`s got  to be so much harder for them.

   Well DD is on the phone, gotta go!

                      That Girl

Hubby is home from the hospital, he came home yesterday.  He is staying in his recliner with pillows under his leg because he is supposed to keep it higher than his heart to avoid pain and swelling.  It is still painful even with the pain meds he is taking.  He has to go back to the doc for it to be checked on the 29th.

   i am enjoying being home and taking care of him even though it is tiring because he always needs something and when he gets up I have to foloow him, I`m so afraid he is going to fall.  He did fall yesterday, right into me, knocked me into my recliner and I hit my hip on the arm of the chair, and he went on down to the floor. I have been cooking and cleaning a lot, now is my chance to get caught up on things before I go back to work on Monday.  I made chili with Fritos and blueberry muffins and cut a banana in half lengthwise, half for each of us, and drizzled chocolate syrup on it for dessert.  He wants homemade chicken pot pie and homemade bread tomorrow.  I don`t ever want to go back to work, I love being home!!!!!

                                   That Girl

Hubby`s ankle surgery went well.  It didn`t take as long as expected.  They put the metal plate in and 8 screws.  There is also a screw in the foot joint.  This will stabilize the foot .  It will stay in for 4 weeks and then he has to go back for day surgery to get that one out.

  My Sweetie DD did all the driving for us today.  To the doctor, home, to the hospital, she went to have a wisdom tooth out, andcame back to the hospital to pick me up and take me home.  We both have whopper headaches tonight.  I am going to bed soon!!!

                                            That Girl

  Valentine`s Day was so nice.  I came home from work and found 2 doz. red and white roses on the Kitchen island!  Now what is unusual about those roses is that they are artificial and they are the roses that he gave me last year.  I have them in my tea room on the top of my hutch that I display all my tea cups and tea pots.  I just chuckled because I thought he was just being funny.  When I looked closer, I saw all these little pieces of paper stuck in the roses.  He had written little love poems on them that he made up himself!  It was so special.  He even wrote one from my cat!  So, I did the same.  When he came home from work at 11:30 p.m. he had a bunch to read, too.  Sweet and inexpensive.

   So, yesterday, we went to DD`s for lunch, and pulled in our driveway about 1:30 p.m.  There was a new telephone book that had been delivered hanging from our mailbox, which is right on the curb of the road.  Hubby just stopped the truck and got out to get it before driving down the rest of the driveway to put the truck in the garage.  On his way back to the truck, I heard a whoosh!  then I heard him go AAAAGGGHHH! and I didn`t see him.  I got out of the truck and tried to get to him but it was all ice.  I was hanging on the side of the truck trying to walk.  I got back in thinking I could slide through the truck and get out on his side, where he was lying on the ground.  He got up and got in and said his left ankle hurt, and he has a standard transmission, so it really hurt to push in the clutch.  We got in the house and he laid down on the bed and I got his boot and sock off.  It was a bit puffy, but not bruised.  It started really hurting so I called his Best Bud to see what he thought.  He came right over and decided we needed to go to the E.R.  Two and a half hours later, we were home.  He had broken his leg, right above the ankle. 

   Today he had an appt. at the orthopedic surgeon and we got to see the x-ray.  It was broken in 3 places.  But he was most concerned about the large gap in the joint of the foot and ankle.  So, tomorrow he is going into surgery.  They are going to put a metal plate in there.  I guess it`s supposed to pull everything back in where it belongs.  He will have to stay overnight.  He will be off work for 3 months.  They even wrote out a paper for me to take to work so I can be home all week to take care of him.  When he fell, he also hit the back of his head on the driveway, but all there is is a little bump there now, so it`s okay.

   I think I should just quit my job so I can be available to who ever needs me!  So far this year I have been off 2 days when my step-mom was in the hospital, one day when I hurt my back, and now a week for poor Hubby.  The first of the year is usually when I do take most of my time off, but it`s usually because I`m sick.. I hope I stay in good enough health to be there for eveyone I need to be.

  I need to go check on him now, he`s upstairs and I`m downstairs.  I will let you know how surgery goes when I get a chance.

                      That Girl

When I was taking care of my Dad last week, I noticed that my eyes were itchy,runny and chapped.  The skin under my eyes was red and on the corners (like toward my ears)  it was like wide red lines.  Because I work at an optical lab, I asked one of the bosses what he thought it was.  He didn`t know but gave me some nice, soothing drops that seemed to help for Friday.  On Saturday, I got up and it looked like I had been punched.  They were really irritated and wouldn`t stop running right down my face.  We did a little shopping then went to Red Lobster for lunch.  Then we stopped at my eye doc`s, the one I used to work for.  It was so nice because even though he was busy, he took me right in.  I had just had an exam in October and everything was fine.  So he checked my eyes out, and told me I have a bactieral (sp) infection in both eyes.  How on earth did I get that?  Maybe from my cold or bronchitis or maybe from work or cleaning at Dad`s and then touching my eyes.  Stress may even have something to do with it.  So, he wrote me a prescription for some kind of steroid cream to put on them.  I have to put it on twice a day for 10 days.  It was very expensive...$50 for a teensy little tube.  But it is working.  He said I should notice a difference every day while using it, and I have.  I just look like a shiney, greasy eyed racoon when I go to work.  But it`s a good thing I went because it wouldn`t have gotten better on it`s own.  So, the running count is I have had 5 things since November....shingles, bronchitis, severe back pain that kept me home from work, a juicy cold and now this eye infection.  Enough already!

                          That Girl

   I was in bed Wednesday night and the phone rang.  It was 10:20 pm.  It was one of my step brothers.  He said that my step mom was just taken to the hospital and I needed to go there to watch my Dad.  I guess she had fallen out of bed and was incoherent.  There were so many 911 hang ups made (either her or Dad trying to call for help) that along with paramedics, the cops were there, too.  I can`t drive in the dark and told step bro that I would be there by midnight when Hubby got home to drive me.  I called DD and she went down to keep an eye on Dad till I got there.

   After we got there, DD and I went to the hospital to see her.  It was 1:00 am. by then.  She looked awful and it actually scared me.  The doc said she had pneumonia.  They admitted her.  So, now that meant that I had to stay with Dad, and I had to not go to work.  I missed work Thursday and Friday, and we brought her home on Sunday.  Hubby took 2 vacation days to stay with me, and I just lost the pay.  It was very stressful.  I had to figure out all of Dad`s meds and pray that I did them right.  We finally brought her home late Sunday afternoon.  She didn`t have pneumonia.  She had a serious bladder infection, that was starting to go into her lungs.  If it wasn`t caught when it was, it would have also surrounded her heart, and who knows what would have happened.  She hadn`t been feeling well since Nov. and wouldn`t say anything to anybody.

  I am still a wreck.  This family needs to have a meeting and discuss what will be done when something like this happens again.  They need constant care and are now alone together.  They both have dementia and are diabetics.  I love helping out but I can`t be the only one that has to miss work when something happens.  I will never allow Dad to be left alone, I will miss work if I have to.  But if I got a little help it would be nice.  I went from Wed. night to Sat. without  a shower  or seeing my kitty.  Their shower has  has too much stuff in it to move out of the way to get in.  My kitty wasn`t eating when Hubby went home to feed him because he didn`t understand where I was.  Finally, DD watched Dad for 2 hours so I could go home shower and give my kitty some attention.  I am Dad`s only child, but I have 4 step bros and 1 step sis.

   This is just a quick report of the last 5 days.  I am very tired.  I went back to work today.  I averaged about 4 hours of sleep a night because Dad is a nightowl, and we slept in chairs there.  The first night we didn`t have any blankets and I froze.  Hubby went home and brought some of ours back, but how good do you sleep in a chair, or on a short loveseat?

   I love my parents and will do all I can to take care of them.  But this has been very difficult.  I know it will probably happen again.  If you are at the age that you may be taking care of your parents, my advice is to have a family meeting and get a plan in place, don`t be like us, and panic when something happens.

                           That Girl

When I left for work today, everything was covered with a layer of ice!  It was nearly impossible to take a step!  I walked out to get the newspaper and it took me 6 minutes to go up and down the driveway to the road to get it.  I just slid my feet and shuffled in baby steps.  It was raining when I left for work and I thought oh, good, it`s warming up.  I got about 3 houses down form my driveway and my windshield iced all over!  I had to pull off and get it defrosted before I could go on.  The roads weren`t bad, mostly just wet.

   When I got to work, I put one foot out of the car door, and it went sliding right out from under me, luckily I was still mostly sitting down.  I closed my door and waited for my friend Don to pull  in, he parks near me.  When he got out of his truck, I opened my door and yelled to him that I couldn`t get out.  He came sliding over to me and got me out, shut my car door, carried my purse and lunch and held my hand all the way into work!  What a Sweetie!  But we are supposed to have more ice on Friday morning.  I think if we do, I`m not going to do this again, it`s too nervewracking.  I might just wait at home till it melts.  I don`t think a $.10 above minimum wage job is worth wrecking your car or yourself over.

   What a morning!

                         That Girl

  I have not been posting lately, this is not a good time of year for me.  I have been reading blogs, though.  I can`t be without that.  I just do `nt like the months January through August.  Wow! You say!  I know it`s a long time to not like but it`s so blahhhh!  Nothing is going on.  I don`t get a day off now untill Memoriel Day.  Nothing to look forward to.  My real mom passed away New Year`s day 1970.  Not good for January.  That`s why Hubby tries to keep something nice going on for New Year`s eve and New Year`s day.

   February has Valentine`s day. I do like that, but what I need is some time off.

   March is my Dad and my step-mom`s birthday, still no day off.  April, Easter, it seems like Easter isn`t even acknowledged anymore.  Something is terribly wrong with that!  May I do get Memorial Day.  June, nothing.  July---I have 2 weeks vacation and my Sweetie Son is coming from Texas to visit.  I am very excited and can`t wait.  I do not like hot weather, just nice and warm, like 70 to 75 degrees.  August is my birthday and my best friend`s birthday.  I do look forward to visiting her and her family for a weekend.  Then when September gets here, it starts to cool down and I know that the holidays will be on their way.

  I think it`s pretty sad to go through your days waiting for something, and not living for the present.  I do not want to waste my life.  Every day as the work day draws to a close, I think it`s just another wasted day.  A day that I could have been doing something at home or with my aging parents.  I could do my crafts, practice singing, work out or bake something for my parents.  but when I get out of work, I`ve got nothing left.  No energy, no enthusiam, no time.  I just do the basics like get things ready for the next day, clothes, coffeepot, lunch.  And then it starts all over again/

   Maybe I feel so bad right now because it has not been a good day.  I got in an arguement with someone at work, and almost started another with someone else.  Everyone at work must think I`m stupid and live in a cave.  I`m the person that they had to find a place for because a robot machine took my place, so I`m the one that gets blamed for things that go wrong.  I`m really tired of it.  And according to a remark that someone made, must be I`m too old to watch tv or live in a cave with no electric or something.  They were surprised that I knew something about a tv show they were talking about.

   I have now vented.  I could probably go on, but I won`t.  We have spent the last 3 weekends at home because I have been sick and I love being home, but now I feel better and I think it`s time Hubby and I went out to eat or someting soon, maybe that will help.  I want to be home all the time.  I can`t keep up with everything, even though Hubby is a big help, I don`t have time for it all.  And then there`s what I want to do.  I want to spend more time reading my Bible.  5 minutes in the morning before work dosen`t do it for me, and I get up at 5:00 am.

   This is probably my wintertime depression talking.  I did get up this morning feeling like an explosion was going to happen.  I guess it did.  I don`t want to go to work with those people, I want to stay HOME!

                                         That Girl

Hello, everyone!  I had a wonderful Christmas and New Year`s.  And, as I do every year (it`s getting to be a tradition) I got sick.  I had bronchitis.  I got over that, and did something to my back and missed work yesterday.  It happened a little after midnight Wednesday morning, all I did was reach for the toilet paper and ZAP! the pain shot through my lower back.  I made it back to bed and started shivering something awful!  Then I started having to go to the bathroom every half hour or so.  It took me 10 minutes to get in and out of bed because I couldn`t sit, stand, lay or walk.  Hubby put Ben-Gay on it and I finally fell asleep around 4:oo am.  I woke up at 6:30 am. and called my boss at home to tell her I wouldn`t be in.  Hubby kept me greased up with Ben-Gay all day and I wore my flannel jammies and my big heavy robe to keep it warm.

   This is about the fourth or fifth time I have done this.  The first time I went to therapy for it.  So, this time as with the others, I knew what to do. At therapy, they put moist heat on it, and infrared massage. So, Ben-Gay, then a heating pad(but not both at the same time) is what I used.  Today for work, I put one of those Ben-Gay heat patches on it and it kept it warm all day.  I had my doubts about even going to work today, because I was still in a lot of pain and it was difficult to walk, but a warm shower and the patch helped.  Getting in and out of the car was another story, but I did it.  As the day went on, I worked out some kinks and felt a bit better.  I hope I didn`t over do.  I hope this saved me a trip to the doc or the E.R.

   I get 5 sick days a year, and it always seems that I start using them in January, and it makes me mad, although I never use them all, I don`t want to blow them right away!

   Well, I need to get out of this chair before I can`t, so, I`m glad to be up and running again.

                           That Girl

   I would like to say Merry Christmas to everyone here at Homesteadblogger and to everyone who reads this.  I probably will not be posting, but I will be reading when I get a few moments, after all, I am addicted to this blog thing.  I wish you lots of love and laughter this Christmas!

                                               That Girl      

   This year I have been trying to keep it simple.  Fewer decorations make the house feel more festive, takes less effort and time, and doesn`t look like a circus camping in the living room.  I decorated the tree to be something like we both remember growing up.  Old fashioned ornaments and colored lights.  A simple lighted garland running accross the front deck railing.  A few decorations in every room, not tons of stuff all over.

   One thing simple that I did not plan was my baking.  I always come from work, dive into the flour and sugar and bake, bake, bake!  This year because I have not been feeling so well, that hasn`t happened.  I made one batch of cookies to share, and 2 batches of Chocolate Christmas balls to divide among neighbors, parents and co-workers.  This proved to be all we really needed anyway, because we don`t eat much of the stuff, and if it`s not in the house, I won`t get into it.

  We have no plans for our time off except we might go out early for Christmas Eve dinner instead of cooking and then take the long way home and look at the lights.  Christmas day will be dinner here with Hubby`s best friend.  We will be having chicken and beef fondue, which is a leisurely, relaxing meal that will be done by candlelight and kerosene lamps.  (the non-stinky kind of kerosene) and soft music.

   I have learned a lot about keeping things simple this year because I don`t have the energy or time for more.  Having just gotten over shingles and going right into bronchitis I am tired, and don`t have an appetite right now.  I just want to sit back, relax and take in the feeling and sounds and wonderfulness of the season.  I think my lesson will last a long time.

                           That Girl

Well, I felt so awful this morning that I didn`t even go to work.  I woke up early and instantly started coughing.  I went out on the couch so I wouldn`t disturb Hubby, but after an hour of coughing, even honey didn`t help, I gave up.  It tired me out so much.  My doc. appt. was at 10:30a.m. and I did get right in, but after the nurse took my blood pressure and some info, I sat there shivering for 35 minutes.  He said I have bronchitis (again)   So I got some anitbiotics, only 3 pills, one for each day.It`s zithromax.  We came home, Hubby made lunch and I put my jammies on, and I am going to relax and maybe try to sleep a little.

   The doc also said I have a skip in my heartbeat.  Three years ago when I had bronchitis I got an extra heartbeat from it.  I think maybe being sick is just affecting me that way, and I should be okay.  I also need to lose some weight.  That really gets me because when I was little they tried to get me to gain weight.  I had to drink half and half instead of milk, and eat, both of which I hated.  Now, I am sitting here trying to figure out what I am going to do.  Where do I cut back?  I really don`t eat that much anyway, I don`t think.  I do like my treats, and sweets, I see that as a place to start.  But, can I cut them out or cut them down?  What am I going to do?  What are some good snacky things that are good for work? I don`t like things that are hard to bite and chew at work because I`m afraid I will crack a partial denture that I have.  HELP!!!  If I get too hubgry, I start to shake and get sick, otherwise I`d just stop eating at noon, which is when we have our main meal, even at work, I will pack a supper-type meal so I won`t eat a lot later. 

   I haven`t exercised lately, since before the shingles, I just don`t feel good enough to yet.

   I am going to try to go to work tomorrow,because it`s the first of our parties and I don`t want to  miss it.  First problem.....there will be sooooo many goodies for the rest of the week.  Do I eat some and just say the heck with it?  Maybe in moderation and get serious at the beginning of the New Year.  I really need motivation and some good advice.  That`s where the doc doesn`t help.   I need to lose 25 pounds.

                           That Girl

   I went to work today, still not feeling too good.  At work, I was SO cold all day, but there are a lot of cold drafts swirling around.  I started getting really tired toward the end of the day.  I was coughing and blowing my nose every 2 minutes.  Right before it was time to leave, I got an awful pain in my left ear.  Oh, no!  Now I`ve probably got an ear infection.  It`s a good thing that I have a doctor appointment tomorrow morning.  It was just for a routine check-up, but now it`s for my cold, too.  It`s funny because I was to have this appointment at the end of November, but I re-scheduled it.  How about that timing?  I guess God knew I was going to get sick, so He made my appointment for now.

   I`m going to get some hot tea because I am still freezing.  I`ll let you know what the doc says.

                                    That Girl

   I am feeling a little better today and decided it would be good to make the goodies I need to take to work for our department party on Wednesday.  A few people requested that I make the Chocolate  TruffleChristmas Balls that I made last year.  I actually wanted to make something more like real food because there`s always so much junk at this time of year.  So, today I made a batch of those balls and also a batch of peanut butter chocolate coveres balls.  The recipe was one that my MIL mad last week when we were there.  It was a mess!  It didn`t harden so we added more confectioner`s sugar.  Then for the coating it said to just melt choco. chips.  I should have known better than to do that, because I know you need to add a bit of shortening to it for it to melt and coat right, but I didn`t, at first.  By the time I had chocolate all over the island, the countertop, and up the windowsill (don`t ask me how!) I decided that that was the last time for that one.  My Choco. truffle balls turned out perfect, as usual.  My Hubby helped, he actually made the peanut butter ones.  So they are done and decorated.  I am really tired now and there`s a Christmas movie coming on I am going to watch.

   I hope I don`t have to make anymore goodies right away, but, HA! I need to make some goodies that have been requested by Hubby`s best friend for Christmas dinner.  Oh well, at least it should turn out right because I made it before.  Goodnight!

                    That Girl

   I have a terrible sore throat and it even hurts my ears.  My nose is running and even my teeth hurt!  I do think I`m coming down with something!  I really don`t feel too bad yet, maybe I won`t.

   Work has been good, wow, imagine ME saying that!  I have been wondering why my jaws have been hurting lately and I finally figured it out.  It`s from smiling and laughing so much at work because I have someone that I work with that talks to me and makes my day.  She is my age, too, so we have a lot in common.  In fact, her father-in- law lived accross the street from my Dad.  They moved the girl that used to do that job and put her there, so, even though I can`t be home, where my heart is, I did get an answer to my prayer because now I am not so miserable at work.

   I have a doctor appt. on Tuesday, our department Christmas party on Wednesday, finish party leftovers on Thursday, and our company Christmas luncheon on Friday.  The week will fly by.

   We are going out to eat at a new Chinese restaurant tomorrow.  It is going to snow starting tomorrow evening.  I think we are expecting 10 inches.  Guess DD will be taking me to work again!

   I am going to go have some hot tea and try to unstuff my nose. 

                                 That Girl

I only have a couple minutes, so I am going to write a mini-update. 

   My shingles are all gone, boy do I feel better!

   Last Thursday at 4:20 a.m. I got a phone call from my Stepmom.  It scared me because I was still sleeping and right away I thought it was about Dad.  Not this time.  She needed me to watch Dad while she went to the emergency room.  I told her I couldn`t come till it got light out (I can`t see in the dark) and I would be there about 7:00.  So by the time I got there her son had taken her there and she was home.  She has to follow up now with her own doctor.  I stayed awhile and had coffee with them then went to work.

   We are expecting six to ten inches of snow tomorrow.  I am tring to line up a ride to and from work so I don`t have to drive.  I am terrified of driving in the dark in snow or ice.  I just don`t like driving, anyway, especially after totaling my car a few years back.

  Okay, laundry is done, and so am I!  Thanks for stopping by!

                                                                       That Girl

Sorry it`s been so long since I have updated.  I have been trying to spend less time on the computer because I can`t seem to get things done around here.....i am hooked on the computer.

   I was feeling so achy, like I had the flu, but without any other symptoms, just every joint and all my bones ached.  Then my skin around my waist got really sensitive to touch, clothes rubbing on it hurt. I felt like maybe I was getting a bladder infection because it took so long to go to the bathroom.  I started itching and the skin on my butt was feeling like it was on fire.  Then I felt HUGE blisters and they were firey red.  I was taking baking soda baths to soothe it.  I thought maybe I was having a reaction to some bubble bath I used.  It hurt so bad I made a doctor appointment.  She told me I had shingles!!  I was stunned!  How?  Why?  I got a very fast education on it.  It is not just something elderly people get.  It is not contaigous.  It can only be caught by someone that has never had chicken pox.  So why did I get it?  When you do get chicken pox, it never really completly leaves your body.  If it decides to become active, Itwill find a nerve to attach to, and follow that nerve.  Mine happened to be on my inner leg and butt.  It also causes a lot of pain.  I had pain shooting down my leg.

   Why did I get it?  It can be triggered by stress and being tired.  I didn`t think I was either one of those, but when I thought about it, yes, I am stressed at work, and I never even get 6 hours of sleep a night.  Also, as you get older, your immune system isn`t as strong, and you get it easier.  I got a prescription but only needed to take it for 2 days, because it was starting to go away.  But I noticed today that I have some sensitivity on my arm, and I see some red spots.  So, I took another dose.  I might be overly cautious, but I sure don`t want that again.  Rest and lots of liquids help.  If you do get it again, it will not be as bad.

   So, I didn`t get to spend Thanksgiving with my parents, I couldn`t risk being with them, even though I might have been perfectly safe to be around, they are in their middle eighties.  We spent a quiet, restful Thanksgiving here at home.  We had 4 days off and I rested a lot, but when I went back to work today, I got tired real fast.

  So, that is what has been happening with me.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

                             That Girl

  I know it`s been awhile since I posted, it`s just been crazy and I get so tired!  But I want to tell you about my Best friend`s visit.  I t was so much fun! 

   She and her Hubby got here around 10:30 Sunday morning.  We talked awhile, then I put the lasagna in the oven.  I had made it the day before, and partially cooked it, so I finished cooking it then.  Oh, by the way, I make my lasagna with regular noodles, and I don`t cook them first, and it turns out just perfect.  i make a big pan of it, and use lots of cheese and ground meat and 2 jars of sauce.  We also had garlic bread and salad.

   After we ate, we all went to the motel where they were staying the night to check them in and look at the room.  We sat around in the room, checking things out for awhile, looking at everything.  What a silly time it was!

   Then we went back to our house and exchanged out friendship gifts.  I had just purchased a little electric ice cream maker that makes 1 and 1/2 quarts and so we made chocolate ice cream.  It was soooo goooood!  It was custard-y and smooth, just the way we all like it.  We also had little vanilla mini-cupcakes.  We ate all the ice cream, oink, oink!

   We visited some more and they left about 8:00p.m.  I scurried around to get to bed by 10 so I could get enough sleep for work the nexy day.  In the morning, they left from their motel to get their beehives, and then went on home.  I miss them so much, we had so much fun!

   I am going to get to make Thanksgiving dinner this year, I am so excited!  Usually we go to Steve`s parents but this year we are going to make dinner for my Dad and Stepmom.  If they aren`t able to get here for dinner, if the weather is too cold, Dad can`t go out, we will pack it all up in my crockpots ( I have 6) and take dinner to them.  I love holiday cooking.

   It`s been busy at work and every night I come home achy and very tired, so I kind of have been slacking in the blogging.  I guess as it gets busier, a quick update will be good just to keep in touch.

   We usually do our Christmas decorating the day after Thanksgiving, but Steve said since maybe Dad will be here for Thanksgiving, we should put the tree and decorations up this weekend while we have nothing planned.  I`m all for it. We bought new decorations because this year I want to celebrate in old fashioned style.  We have beaded garland and I found just the ornaments I was looking for.  The kind we grew up with, the old funny shaped ones that we both remember so well.  We are not buying anything on credit this year either.  We are going to make whatever we can for gifts.  Most everone loves to eat, so we will be giving away lots of baked goodies and jarred food mixes.  I want Christmas to have the meaning it`s meant to have.  I want to put a wall around us to keep out the commercialism and keep Jesus in.  It will be a special Christmas.

   I have laundry waiting to get out of the washer, so I better stop chattering now.

                        That Girl

   As of Tuesday.....he had a heart catherization on Tues. and they found 2 blockages.  The one was 90% blocked, so they put in a stent and fixed it.  The other blockage was 75% blocked, but they left it alone because they said if they went in there to fix it, it could cause him to have a heart attack.  So, he was to come home on Wed. and rest and he can go back to work on Monday!  I think it is amazing that it was so fast!  They think they can still make the trip to visit next weekend.  If not next weekend, the weekend after.  I am so happy!  Thank you all for your prayers, they are so appreciated.  Prayer works!!  I may be talking to her in the next few days, so if anything is new, I will pass it along to you.

   It was a tiring week at work, but it was an alright week.  I only got upset once this week, and then it wasn`t too awful much.  Tomorrow we both have eye exams.  I know my prescription has changed because I am having trouble reading the prescriptions and info I need to see at work. Then I think we are going to have lunch at Chili`s!  We usually go out to eat once a week on Saturday.  It gives us a chance to relax and talk about our week.  Because of our work schedules, we only see each other about 15 munutes a day, so this little indulgence is a nice way to start the weekend together.

   I am doing some laundry and should be doing some cleaning, so maybe I better get to it, but I would much rather be here!

                         That Girl