TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

My schedule for/with Chewlee has changed for the next week.  We are having a double sleepover between tonight and tomorrow night.  The Princess will then be picking her up early Sunday morning.  I won't get her again until Wednesday.  Her mother is taking Thursday off and will be attending the special Bible study with the Beast.  On Friday, the Beast will pick up Chewlee from school and she and the Princess will be leaving for Tennessee after the Princess is done working.

She is going to visit with her girlfriend from middle school and her little boy.  Chewlee loves to visit with them and loves the little boy.  She keeps calling him her *little brother*.  Or is it her *little bother*?    It's the Princess's girlfriends birthday on Sunday.  When Chewlee heard that, her first response was *Birthday cake!!!!*.    Then she told her mother they had to go to the store and buy a birthday present for her.  I love how she makes her eyes really big when she's excited.  She looks so cute.  But, of course, I'm very prejudiced, aren't i? 

Chewlee loves the idea that she is spending two whole days with us and TWO sleepovers (as she told me....like I had no clue!).  She wants to sleep with me, the Beast and Baron in our bed like she did the last sleepover.  The Beast bought himself a new feather pillow so Chewlee will be able to have her own pillow this time and not one of mine.  She liked that when I told her and she wants me to mark it so Papa will know it's Chewlee's now and not use it. 

We had a nice thunderstorm earlier and they say we will have another some time during the night.  If it starts thundering, I'll have Chewlee sleeping on my tummy again and she will want my arms tightly around her.  That behavior is new to her.  When she was younger, it never bothered her but then she was with her mother when a tornado hit two years ago.  She and her mother were in a friend's apartment when it hit and it blew out the windows.  Everyone that was there felt lucky to escape serious injury but it was that same tornado that scoured her old car and even the windows had to be replaced.  I guess I can't blame her.  After the Beast and I were in a tornado years ago, I couldn't sleep through lightning and thunder for several years.  And I was an adult.

The weather was wonderful up until the rain.  Even so, it stayed comfortably warm.  Chewlee went with the Beast to Walmart to pick up a few things I asked the Beast to get for me since he was going to be in Birmingham this weekend and that would leave me without transportation.  They got the food items I asked for AND my prescriptions so I am set.  The Princess picked up some Mudslide for me so I am in GREAT shape.....LOL.

Love you all.  Have a fantastic weekend.  Chewlee will have the big TV all day tomorrow so she will be ecstatic  (and so will I).  Drive carefully, take your time.  Remember, life is too short to try to rush through it. 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

I took a walk out in the yard today to inspect the progress of the garden.  It's amazing!  We already have blossoms on the tomato plants we bought the other day AND....we have an incredible amount of strawberries on the plants, especially the ones from last year.  Not blossoms...little strawberries.  Plus, we have tiny clusters of grapes on one of the grape vines.  They are adorable looking.  So tiny but recognizable as grape clusters.  I would love to see the concord grape vine do as well as the green grapes.  I will post it when and if that happens.

I also saw the tiny little cherries on the trees.  I just hope they don't go the way of the other fruits like last year.  Our Alberta peach tree seems to be progressing nicely.  It has small peaches on it and I am crossing my fingers.  The asparagus is looking good except for some of them falling over.  They are slim so far but that's to be expected.  This will be the first year we will get a crop from them.  It takes two years.  The Beast needs to get more dirt in the planter and then stake them up until they thicken up and can stand on their own.  My mouth is already watering. 

The blueberry bush is full of blossoms.  My rose bush is starting to leaf out.  I was worried about that because the Beast got rambunctious when he cut it back on me.  It's my yellow rose bush and it's got the most incredible smelling roses when it blooms!  The rose tree and my American Beauty roses out front are doing just great.  There are small buds on both.  I have to tell you that the grapes and strawberries really shocked me.  I didn't expect them to take off the way they have.  I can hardly wait.  If they keep doing this well, I will be able to get a few nice pints of strawberry jam this year.  **Grin**  I'm not sure how the white grapes will be for jelly or jam but I'm definitely going to give that a try.  Even if only half the clusters do well, I will have more than enough for lots of jam and/or jelly.  I don't know how much the blueberry bush will actually produce but I think the Beast plans on us just using them as is.  One bush, as young as this one is, won't be making much I'll bet.

Chewlee was in one of her more excitable moods.  Between running around in back with the poor tiger cat in her arms, chasing Baron around the house and asking me if I liked farts after she just HAD to announce every time SHE did (I think she does that only because she's not sure if I heard them or not).  I told her I thought farts should NOT be announced but she COULD say *excuse me* and people would know why she was saying that.   She said, *Oh, you mean everyone would know I farted then?*  When I said *probably they would or they would guess that was why she was saying she was sorry* and she got this look like she just had an epiphany.   Why are little kids so fascinated with their bodily functions?  It's really too funny.

The Boy actually has a buyer for the old house (the Cave, as Bratfink called it).  The gentleman that wants it is someone they know but didn't know he had gotten a divorce.  He has custody of his two girls (the house is a two bedroom remember) but he wants a house for them NOW.  He's going to be buying it on contract so the Boy will get more money for it than they thought AND the attorney the Boy has on contract will draw up the papers.  Plus, this guy wants to do all the interior work on the house that the Boy has thought he would have to do.  I'm so happy that things are going well for him on this.  He'll have a nice income every month and his biggest worry is getting it emptied out.  He'll be doing that mostly on Saturday because Bratfink's friend, KP, is going to come and stay with Bratfink while he's doing that.  He didn't want to leave her alone....just in case.  She has a tough time even getting into and out of the recliner.  Plus it's her right arm that's in the special sling/cast and that makes doing most anything for herself difficult to say the least.  And she will get to have a nice visit with KP.  Usually she breezes in and out but this day was a planned one and she will be staying longer.

Tara came by bearing gifts.  She brought us some chicken and noodle casserole with Fritos on top (delish!), some green beans and some apple pie.  It was so sweet of her.  She brought Chance with her and that made Chewlee happy.  She got paper and pens for them both and they sat at the kitchen table drawing together.  Chewlee came and got one of the butterfly and flower pictures she made the other day and gave one to Chance.  She does love her cousins and she also likes sharing.  She can be so damn cute at times with how she interacts with little ones.

The Beast yelled at Chewlee today when he saw the cat in one of his flower beds.  I have to give Chewlee credit.  She took the cat out of the planter then marched up to him and told him SHE didn't put the cat there.  The cat got in it ALL BY HIMSELF!  It was then that the Beast saw it jump up into another planter and he knew she was right.  She hadn't seen it get up in the planter because she was playing with Baron.  I thought it was cute how she stood up for herself.  I had to applaud her on that.  After the Beast grabbed the cat the second time, he put it over the fence so it would go home.  Even HE knows when he's not wanted....LOL.  The cat, I mean.

Yesterday, Chewlee marched into my computer room and told me I needed to call her Uncle Brother and then let Grandpa talk to him.  When I asked her why, she was already flying out my door to tell the Beast that *I* was going to call the Brother and then HE had to tell Uncle Brother all about the GREAT DAY she had!  The Beast came in with this surprised look on his face and said, *Did I understand her right?*  We both just laughed about that and Chewlee was a bit upset at first because she was SURE that Uncle Brother would just LOVE to hear all about it.  The Beast finally convinced her that he would be sure to tell the Brother all about it when HE called US.  She also made him promise that SHE could tell him if he called when she was here.  In fact, she wanted us to tell him he had to call when she was there so SHE could tell him all about it!

Well, time to get this posted.  Rain and thunderstorms for us a little later tonight so I need to get this posted for you all.  Love you all and have a great Friday.  Be good and have a little fun this weekend, ya hear? 

*****Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.*****

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

My meeting with the doctor today was great.  The abdomen is totally healed now.  No more bandaging on it.  The doctor says now the foot wounds need to dry so they can complete healing.  He's changed the bandaging again but this will probably be the last time.  He said we are definitely on the downward run now.  He said we might see both wounds totally healed within the next four to six weeks, which I consider fantastic news.

My blood pressure was very high but it was my own fault.  I hadn't taken any pain medication and should have.  The doctor proved that to me by giving me a shot that killed the pain and then retaking my BP.  It was down to normal.  He actually made me promise to take them and not try to *tough it out* any more.  He gave me another prescription so I wouldn't have to worry about running out.  He also told me that what was causing the swelling in my legs was being on my feet more than I had been.  I told him that it was true.  I've been so tired of being mostly chair bound when I want to be able to do more around here that I have been getting up and doing more, including more cooking.  He told me the swelling and edema will eventually pass as the bypass gets used to carrying the load.  He checked out the sounds in my legs and said they were just fine.  I have noticed that the coloring, which was rather redder than the other leg, has been slowly receding and not covering as large an area as before.  I guess that's part of the adjusting the leg is doing. 

The Beast, Chewlee and I went to Lowe's together where I shocked Chewlee by getting out of the car so I could pick out a nice Jalapeno plant for the garden.  She tagged along with the Beast since he had the flatbed and she could ride on it.  He was picking up more dirt (aka Miracle Gro garden soil) since he said he was a few more bags short.  When he went to get the car to drive it closer, Chewlee thought he was leaving us.  She sounded so matter-of-fact and blase' about it that she made me laugh out loud.  Then she wanted to know why I was laughing at Grandpa leaving us. 

I called Bratfink just to talk to her for a bit and Chewlee insisted on speaking to her, too.   I got mad at her for being a pain when we first started talking together and told her if she wasn't good, she wouldn't get to talk to her at all.  Wow!  It really worked.  She became very quiet and very good.  Guess she really was afraid Bratfink would hang up on her (which she had told me to tell Chewlee).  Bratfink is doing as okay as anyone in her position would be but she will be very glad when she can actually use her right hand AND sleep normally again.  I am anxious for her to see the doctor again and find out how she's doing medically.  I miss talking to her online. 

Sister Cee's birthday is today.  I sent her an E-card (haven't we gotten lazy since computers have entered our lives?) and will call her once I have this posted.  We avoid discussing our ages any more.  Old is old.    Actually, it's because we don't feel as old as our ages might indicate.  Or maybe we feel older....LOL.

Love you all.  Have a great day.  Be good and drive carefully. 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

Today the Beast started on his normal Spring routine and actually sprayed some of the trees in preparation for his being disappointed...again.  He already knows most of his efforts will probably be for naught but hope springs eternal!  He also worked on finishing up cutting the grass.  Bratfink said the Boy was out working on the yard and, if you have followed any of the Boy blogs, you know just how much he hates yard work.  He loved it when the guy in the neighborhood was doing that for him but....he discovered the soft spot the Boy has and started taking advantage of it.  Even the Boy knows when *enough is enough*.  So now he's got to do all that stuff by himself and this yard is much bigger than the old house's was.

I actually made us some chipped beef today but....the Beast bought some dried beef instead of the Buddig beef I've always used.  It just doesn't taste the same but it was filling and still tasty.  It just didn't hit my *spot*.  **Sigh** 

It looks like we are going to be in the high 70's and low 80's for the rest of the week.  I pulled out my shorts even though I won't wear them where anyone can see me except the Beast, Baron and probably Chewlee.  I'm going to try to get some sun for a change and maybe even do some outdoor stuff....like get my hummingbird feeders out.  Chewlee loves to watch those although with the cat hanging around because he has a thing about Baron, I'm not sure how the hummingbirds will feel about THAT! 

I've been working on getting my room neatened up.  I would love to do some ceramic painting and maybe even letting Chewlee try it out.  We can always work on some of the things I have packed away out on the deck.  I use mostly acrylic paints.  I think she would get a real kick out of that.  I can put different colors on the pallet for her to help avoid the mess she could make.  It would also give her choices and all kids like that.

I actually had somewhat of a normal type day.  The Beast did some wash (his) and I folded it so we could put it all away.  I washed my hair and took my standard P.T.A. bath.  If you don't know what that means, ask your mother.    Until my feet heal, showers and baths are OUT of the question.  I am going to take a good, long shower or bath the first chance I get, trust me.  I'm not a bath person but I could do it just to get rid of the dead skin on my feet.  I do what I can with creams and lotions but there's only so much you can do even with a pumice stone.

I had a kind of epiphany today while listening to the television while I was folding clothes.  I realized that becoming *old* means you start listening closer to a lot of information about medications.  You pay more attention to what they are for and what the side effects COULD be.  Mostly it's because you want to be informed in case you come down with something and your doctor gives you a prescription for a medication that you might not have ever heard of.  This way, if it's one of those, you will know whether or not you want to take a chance on them.  There are always alternatives and doctors tend to use the new stuff, thinking it may be better or faster.  They don't seem to remember the side effects so you think YOU had better remember those just in case.  LOL.

The Beast bought a bunch of fresh and canned fruits since we both seem to be fruit hungry.  I ate an apple, had some cottage cheese with pineapple tidbits and then ate some delicious strawberries as a late night snack.  Yum!  They were huge but didn't need any sweetener.  It said they were locally grown but it had to be in a greenhouse.  Heck, the starters are just out and the Beast bought one that is in a pot that allows them to even grow out the side! 

It's starting to feel like spring is really here to me.  The Beast is looking at various veggies and checking out the asparagus we planted last year.  This should be the first year we might actually get some but we can wait if we must.  It's not a quick crop.

He did get me some cucumber and I told him I would put up the string for it to climb so it doesn't sprawl all over.  Besides, they don't grow right if they aren't allowed to climb.

Well, it's late.  I want to get this posted and done with for today so I can put my foot up.  No unexpected nose bleeds today even though we didn't get any rain.  Even without it, our humidity was up.  I don't understand that but, hey, who cares?  Tomorrow is both a doctor day and a Chewlee day.  I miss her when I haven't seen her for a couple days.  She will be full of news, as usual.

Love you all.  Hope you have a fantastic day for Hump Day.  Cheer up!  The week is half over! 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

Leave it to Bratfink and the Boy to have even the neighbor animals be weird.  Have you ever heard of a squirrel stealing off with a ribbon?  Yep.  Tore it off the scarecrow that people put up in their yards as a cute little attraction or to frighten off birds.  The Boy's mother had one in the yard that the Boy just left in place.  It wasn't bothering anything or anyone.  However, it fell over either from the high winds or the ground softening and the stuffing in the head getting soaked and heavy.

While reading in bed, the Boy's attention was caught by this one rather large squirrel they've seen often in their trees.  It was busy doing something so the Boy looked closer and saw it was trying to get this one ribbon off the scarecrow.  It finally got it and ran off down the road to it's nest, he supposed.

Later, it was back.  The Boy figured it was after another ribbon but....imagine his surprise when he realized it was trying to drag off the head of the scarecrow!    Now what in the world would a squirrel do with anything that was damn near the same size as it is?  It finally gave up...for now.  But I will bet you that, as it dries out, the squirrel will make other attempts.  I would almost love to see what it will do with it if it DOES manage to drag it back to it's nest.  The Boy said it wasn't pushing it; it was holding onto it and trying to drag it.  That has to be a funny sight.

Our day was pretty lame.  The weather was nice so the Beast got on his John Deere and started mowing the yard and that kept him occupied most of the day.  He's still not finished.  He only started on the other lot before he was hungry and parked the lawn mower.  I saw where he parked it and knew he was done for the day.  He always parks it by the barn instead of at the bottom of the deck stairs.

Me?  I saw the HH nurse today and she redid all the bandaging, including on my feet now.  She said to me that my abdomen is pretty much healed now and it won't be long before the amputation area is done, too.  She told me my blood pressure was a bit higher than normal and I knew it was true because it was just a couple hours later that my nose suddenly started to bleed.  I caught it quickly and happened to have some ice water nearby.  I grabbed up the ice, put it in a washrag and leaned my head back with the ice on my sinus area.  It's been so dry (low humidity) and then, since I had my space heater on in the room with my door closed, that was just ASKING for a nose bleed.  I have no idea why my BP was high.  Maybe I'm tireder than I thought and should have gone and taken a nap.  I DO know that I am very tired of not being able to do the things I want to do.....and should be able to do.  Maybe it's just frustration.  I don't know.  I'll just discuss it with the doctor on Wednesday.

I think we might have some rain in our forecast that will actually show up.  My satellite keeps going in and out so I guess I'd better get this posted while I can.  Love you all.  Have a great day and be careful driving. 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM (AND BEYOND)

If nothing else, today we got a few laughs in for different reasons.  First of all, Sister Cee got to go home a day earlier than she expected.  I guess she passed all her tests (she was always good at test taking) so they said she could go home if she wanted.  Wanted?  Hell, she probably would have flown out the window if she could have.  I know she was tired.  You do NOT get to sleep well in the hospital.  THAT is a fact of life.

So, she calls Frankenstein to tell him they are letting her go home.  He's ready to jump in the car but she tells him to wait because there's paperwork to do, she has to get dressed and see her doctor one last time when he makes his rounds so she can get her prescriptions and then she will call him.  He agrees and says to call as soon as she thinks she will be ready because it takes about a half hour to drive to the hospital from their condo.

So, about an hour or slightly more later, she calls and Frankenstein says to her, *You may have to stay because I took a pain pill and I don't want to drive.*  She goes ballistic and who can blame her?  She yells at him, *You couldn't wait a half hour to take a damn pain pill?  Well, bite me, Frankenstein.  Don't worry about it.  I'll find my own way home.*  At that, she hangs up and calls a taxi, knowing they will be the fastest means of getting home.

Now, *I* know where the hospital is and just how far it is from there to Sister Cee's condo.  I said, *OMG!  That had to be one expensive taxi ride home!*  In a very quiet voice, she just said, *It was.*  When she got home, she told Frankenstein she was no longer going to give him a ride to his doctor's appointments nor pick him up.  He could find his own way via Medical Transport like the others in the condo do.  I could almost hear her blood pressure rising and I told her to calm down because she didn't need that.  I said, *You are out of the hospital, at your own home now and you can relax.*  She laughed a little and I could hear her calming down.  Frankenstein KNOWS she is pissed.....and she has every reason to be.  I think that Frankenstein is actually getting senile because he kept saying they were waiting ALL DAY LONG for her to call.  BS!  But, like a man, he will convince himself...eventually.  But, I know Cee.  Frankenstein will be making his own way to his doctor's appointments...for some time to come.  She doesn't forgive easily. 

The Boy also had one of his *moments* that turned into a bit of a nightmare.  He never does anything by half, that's for sure.  It started while Bratfink and I were talking on the phone.  I wasn't sure at first what was going on and had to call back after a bit to clarify things.  Get this!

Bratfink and I were talking about comfort and suddenly the smoke alarms are going off.  To Bratfink, this is not unusual.  Her comment?  *Oh, sounds like dinner is ready!*  Whenever the Boy makes himself *square steaks* (cube steaks), he insists on cooking them on high and it results in the kitchen...and more....filling with smoke and the smoke alarms go off.

Now, remember, they have an alarm service.  So the Boy is talking to them and he can't remember his code word.  He never told it to Bratfink for whatever reason (it's supposed to be a secret) so she couldn't help him out.  As a result, he's jumping through hoops, giving answers so they will finally believe he IS, indeed, THE BOY.  Here's the fun part.  When a smoke alarm goes off, it doesn't just go to the alarm company, it also notifies the fire department.  After the Boy hangs up from the alarm company, he doesn't give anything another thought until there's all these sirens and then pounding on their door.  The cats are terrified and running all over to hide; the dog is barking his head off, Bratfink is trying to cover herself up and the Boy has this vacant, puzzled look on his face as he answers the door to find all kinds of firemen at his door and all over the lawn.

He apologizes, tells the firemen that he thought the alarm company would have let them know it was a false alarm.  Since it was right around dinner time, Bratfink is sure that they were pulled away from their own dinner to take care of the Boy's inability to fry up a cube steak without creating myriads of smoke.  They were not happy.  I can't blame them either.  I'm sure the Boy's neighbors got a kick out of the two big fire engines on their small street.  The dog, Woofie, is walking around with a smug look on his face now because *he* chased away two BIG FIRE TRUCKS!  By himself.  If I can catch Bratfink when she's not laughing her ass off at how embarrassed the Boy was about the whole thing, I may have more news on this.  But, ya know.  I don't think it needs any embellishing, do you? 

The Beast picked up Chewlee to take her with him to bible study today.  Afterward, he took her to McD's for her chicken mcnuggets that she loves.  She had to be in hog heaven.  The cute thing is that Chewlee truly loves to do things with her grandfather.  She would ride with him on his John Deere all day long.  Or on the ATV.  Or even just the scooter.  She will go out and help him pull weeds or dig holes for some new plant or other.  She doesn't care, as long as she is with him.  Of course, the key is also *outside*.  It's like *outside* is for things to do with grandpa.  *Inside* is things to do with me.  Too funny.

Well, time to get this posted.  I don't expect anything exciting to happen the rest of my day and it's almost dark now.  Love you all and I hope you had a great weekend.  Have a great week and I wish you all the best of weather. 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

I actually spoke with Sister Cee today.  I waited until I figured she would be ordering lunch (I remember the hospital schedules like it was just yesterday) and ended up having to call back because her line was busy.  So, I called before her lunch got there and she told me she felt okay but....her neck was swollen to twice it's normal size, which I am sure was an exaggeration.  At least, I hope so.  If it was swollen that much, her head would look really strange.    She is also having to wear one of those 24 hour heart monitors which she said she could slip in her pocket.  I think she only does that when she goes to have a cigarette.  The upscale hospitals usually have an open atrium or some such place where you can go.  I didn't ask her because we then talked about how late she was going into surgery.  She said she wasn't hungry at all but she was so thirsty.  When she first woke up afterward, she asked for ice chips because she knew they wouldn't give her water.  It WAS the first thing she asked for when she got into her own room, however, I'm sure.  By then, they aren't worried about her vomiting stuff up.

I wanted to speak to her again this evening but the two times I tried to call once I got my phone charged up, her phone was busy.  After that, Chewlee became a bit of a pain, demanding her own attention so it finally got too late.  I'll call her tomorrow because she may have a better idea of when she will be able to go home.  Hopefully, her neck will have reduced in size, too.  I know Cee and she will hate being seen like that.  I seem to recall when the Beast's uncle had to have that done, it went down quickly for him.

Chewlee was in another of her rare moods today.  She was very sweet most of the day and drew me lots and lots of hearts.  She did a pretty good job on the first few.  After that, she got in too much of a hurry and they looked less and less like hearts but she's still a kid.  Quantity, not quality, counts!   She brought bath toys with her today (hint! hint!) and couldn't wait until I would finally let her take one.  Of course, it's easier to get her into a tub than out of one.  But that's most kids, too.  At least when her mother got here, she could go home, get into her jammies and go right to bed.  Good thing, too, because her mother sat at the table, chatting with the Beast for about an hour.  It was late when they finally left.

The Beast was just bored and decided to look and see what Craig's list was all about and it figures he found something he really was interested in.  Turns out the guy was interested in a trade of any of several different things.  One of which the Beast happens to have and isn't using at all these days.  I cautioned him but he will do what he wants.  As he always does.

The temp has dropped a lot and I had to close my window in here and turn on my little heater.  My poor little finger is KILLING me now.  It's the one with arthritis and, when it gets cold, feels like there's an icicle in it instead of a bone.  **Sigh**  Now it will take a couple days to feel better.

Love you all.  Have a nice Sunday.  Spend it with family if you can, otherwise some friends perhaps. 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

Sister Cee was scheduled to be at the hospital, ready for surgery at 9:30am.  That means she didn't eat or drink anything probably from about 9pm or so the evening before.  Like often happens, her surgery did NOT go off as scheduled.  It was a clear case of a) over-booking, AND b) more emergency surgeries than anticipated.

I had called about 6pm to see if I could talk to her or at least the charge nurse.  BUT, I was told that she was still in surgery.  The person I talked to had no idea when she actually went in for the surgery so I was stuck in a kind of limbo.  I didn't anticipate the worst, however, and that was the right thing to do.  When the doctor called Baby Brat afterward, he apologized for the long delay but said Sister Cee was in ICU for a few hours but would be moved into her room once she came out of the anesthesia fully.  Thank you all for your prayers and good thoughts.

Baby Brat said she sent out emails to the family but I didn't get one so I have no idea if the others found out that all is well yet.  Bratfink asked me to just send her an email when I had news and we would talk tomorrow.  I gather she went to bed.  She WAS going to talk with me tonight but her phone had a low battery and was going to run out.

I talked to Buttmunch today and she told me a story about Sheepie that made me laugh.  I think we mothers have gone through the same thing including with our own kids.  When I was young and working, I had to work come rain, shine or snow.  Many times I had to walk the distance with an umbrella or try to get there with a hooded jacket.  In the winter, I often slogged through several feet of snow.  It was just a price I paid.  There was no asking my mom or dad for a ride.  My mother was a disaster waiting to happen in a car and my dad worked long hours and six days a week.  My kids only had to contend with South Florida weather (heat, rain, sometimes a bit of cold and the occasional hurricane).  Now they all live in areas where they must contend with ice and snow during the winter.  Go figure. 

What happened today was that Sheepie had to go to work and it was raining.  It wasn't raining hard and she was hoping for a ride from Circle.  But he was working a job he couldn't leave and Buttmunch told her that.  She suggested Sheepie take an umbrella but I guess, among the young, it's not *cool*.  She got ticked off and said she would just wear her hoodie and take her bike.

A little bit after leaving, she called the house and told her mother that it was pouring a few blocks away.  Buttmunch told her to grab the bus then.  They all have racks on the front to put the bikes.  She got all huffy and hung up.  Later, Buttmunch found out that she had called Circle and tried to get him to come get her but he told her he couldn't.  I could almost imagine her wet dog look by the time she got to work sans an umbrella.  I'm sure her hoodie was soaked and so was she.  I couldn't help it.  I laughed at the vision in my head.  She IS working towards getting a car and this may help motivated her even more in her savings.

I miss the weather in Florida but I sure don't miss the people.  I would love to have my house in Margate here in Alabama but it would seem very much out of place and different.  But I wouldn't care.  I really loved that house.  I wouldn't have minded even having the house we built in Port Charlotte here but with a pool or, at the very least, a nice hot tub.  Yeah, a hot tub would do it for me.  **Grin**  I told the Beast I would love a hot tub HERE but we would definitely have to expand the deck out back for that.  He would never do it.  I will probably have to wait until he dies.  **Sigh**  Now, if HE was the one that wanted it, KABOOM! it would be done in a flash.

Love you all.  Have a wonderful day.  We had some nasty weather here and even a tornado but it was north of our area, thank goodness.  I haven't heard how bad it was yet and won't get the news for another 45 minutes or so on our local news.  I hope you didn't get any bad weather and that your shopping this weekend is an easy drive.  Be careful out there and keep an eye on the weather. 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with Bratfink today.  She called me after reading my earlier blog.  I guess she misses me, too.  She did most of the talking and talked about how uncomfortable the couch was, which she was trying to use to prevent her from making the attempt to sleep on her right side.  However, where two of the cushions meet is exactly where the pressure on her hip is enough to keep her from sleeping.  No matter what she tried to do to that area (pillow, blanket, etc.), it didn't help.  So tonight is the new experiment....sleeping on the recliner so she can stretch her legs out flat.  I've been there and felt that.  I've spent the last two days with one leg elevated on pillows while I slept and woke up with both feet on the pile of pillows.    Guess my legs like to be together these days.

I finally decided to put on one of those pressure stockings on my right foot/leg.  The kind that go up to the knee and are a real pain-in-the-ass to put on.  I used the one that has a hole in the toe area and the trick the one nurse showed me using a plastic bag to help get it on.  Then, when you are ready to pull it up to the knee area, you can take OFF the plastic bag by pulling it off thru that toe area.  It's still a pain but less than with no plastic bag at all.

I think it's helping out somewhat.  At least my ankle is more flexible and I have been doing that exercise several times all day long.  I'll find out in a day or so.  The bad part is that the HH nurse will now be changing my bandages on both foot injuries on the days she comes.  At least I have some of the blue stuff she needs to do it and the rest is just gauze pads and tape.  Nothing special.

Tara brought over some spaghetti sauce (and even some cooked spaghetti) for us today.  She said she made waaaaaay too much yesterday.  She froze some for her family to make a meal with down the line and brought us a container, too.  The Beast wasn't thrilled with it and, when I ate it, I understood why.  She used tomato paste, which is on the sweet side for him.  I just threw some garlic powder and parmesan over it and it was just fine.  He just loves my *Irish spaghetti*, as my brother calls it, with the onion, green pepper, hamburger and Italian sausage mixed together and made with chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce.  The rest is spices and garlic.  I grew up around a lot of Italians in my neighborhood so Tara's sauce wasn't unfamiliar to me.  I enjoyed it.

She also brought over the peach pie she promised the Beast which was awesome.  She got the filling from the bakery that is one of her clients and just added more sliced (canned and drained) peaches since she didn't think there was enough.  Whatever.  The pie was just fantastic.  Very, very tasty.

Sister Cee is having her surgery tomorrow.  She dropped us an email and we have no idea what's changed since she hasn't seen the doctor about that low sodium level.  She was just trying to get things ready for Baby Brat and Frankenstein so there would be no worries about doing anything except heating up dinner.  You can't trust Baby Brat to cook because of her memory.  As young as she is (she is the youngest of us kids), she actually seems to suffer from early *Oldtimers*, as our dad called it.  Sister Cee wants to know she will have a home to come back to when she's released from the hospital.   I hope she made arrangements for medical transport because I could see Frankenstein getting lost trying to get home.  His mind isn't all that clear these days but he is either in his late 70's or older.  I forget.  He's just OLD and he gave up driving a couple years ago.  Well, almost.  He DOES drive himself and Baby Brat to the gym but that's located only a couple blocks away so there are few worries there.

It's been raining off and on all afternoon and this evening.  That means my internet comes and goes so I want to get this posted while I can.  Love you all.  Have a great day! 

TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

It's only two days but I truly miss chatting online with Bratfink.  It's how we keep in touch with different things taking place around us all the time.  We sometimes don't say a word for an hour or more because we are reading news or our email but we know we are there.  She will often comment on news or send me a link in the chat space for something interesting in one way or another.  I tell her things that I don't put in my blog because it seems like old news by the time I write it.

She will tell me weird things that the cats or the dog are doing or have done that day (or while we are *chatting*).  She also will tell me things that the Boy is doing or has done.  They are little things but it makes ME feel like we are really visiting each other.  Now I know she isn't able to be on the computer because of her arm.  Even putting the keyboard in her lap wouldn't help with her right arm immobilized and her thumb in a cast.  I miss her so much that it seems weird to me.  I find myself on the computer less just because of that fact.  It almost seems dumb to keep my Yahoo messenger up because others that I talk to (like my son, Mustachio) don't get online and on Yahoo all that often.

I used to chat a lot just a few years ago when we were playing bingo on other sites, for example.  Now I just don't say much when I am playing the games on Pogo.  I just haven't played with people that are all that interesting.  Know what I mean?  I would love it if I could talk to my kids daily but my son, Marcus Aurelius, doesn't use Yahoo messenger.  I don't know if he even uses any of the messenger sites available.  I would love to be able to talk to them on a daily basis.  Is it just that I am weird or that I am getting old and need that kind of contact more? 

I was thinking about the Beast and his prostate cancer.  It's scary because we have to wait so long to find out about how bad it is and what choices we have to make for him.  I think about the fact that all the cancerous tumors he has had have been virulent ones.  While we are waiting, who knows how much more damage his body is experiencing?  That is the truly scary part.  I know the Beast and he hates not being able to control what effects he will end up having to live with....or die.  If he ends up being as helpless as he was after his strokes, he could become suicidal.  I remember how bad it was back then...at first.  But he knew that he COULD overcome the problems with tenacity.  And he is as bull-headed as anyone you might meet.  Maybe more so than anyone you WILL ever meet.

He's lived with daily pain without the help of pain-killers.  Although he is able to do most anything he wants, he pays a price for it.  His left side has never fully recovered and he has a tendency to drag that leg to this day.  It constantly tells him that he has a type of brain damage that destroyed parts of his control that will never be recovered.  Even the thought of that bothers him.  But the alternative was unacceptable to him.  It's part of the reason that he MUST keep busy and do things he probably shouldn't.  He's got something to prove...mostly to himself. 

I believe that he has now turned to God because he's seeing that there is going to be a day when he will possibly be facing his maker and have to answer for his sins.  He told me more than once that he doesn't really believe that there is anything that goes on after you die.  You just die and that is all there is.  Now he seems to be trying to do things that God will approve of to redeem himself and embrace the idea of an afterlife. 

I have always had a strong belief in God.  It's organized religion that I have no respect for and my reasons are myriad.  I despise the ones that try to isolate you from family and friends unless they are also *believers*.  I also hate the ones that are always saying you must give money...give, give, give and God will bless you for it.  You know what I mean.  Somehow, I don't think God needs any money.  Support the financial needs of whatever religion you profess but you don't have to make them rich.  That is UN-godly as far as *I* am concerned.  It almost makes me sick to my stomach.

I also despise the ones that profess to be *Christians* but they look down their noses at people in dire circumstances.  Or the uneducated.  Or ones that seem *weird*.  I don't like their gossiping and spreading rumors that can really HURT someone.  Especially when there is no evidence that it's even true.  And, OMG, feeling so self-righteous about themselves even as they spread those rumors around.  It gives me a headache to think that they don't feel like they are doing wrong, even if they find out those rumors aren't true.  They will shrug and say, *Oh well.  It's what I HEARD and I had no reason not to believe it.*  Heck, you had the choice of taking the news with a grain of salt and KEEPING YOUR MOUTH SHUT, JERK!  That would have been the real Christian thing to do.  Feel a bit of pity, sure.  But so much of that kind of thing is just because of some kind of envy.  Either to get to be the center of attention by seeming *in the know*.  That's usually because they envy someone who doesn't have to be spreading rumors to be the center of attention.  Maybe because they have a talent that is envied.  I could go on and on.  Before you spread a rumor you've heard or talk about something you *suspect*, stop and think.  Then ask yourself, *Would Christ say or do this?*  If you can't imagine HIM doing it, why should/would you?

Ack.  Sorry but I guess getting old makes you more introspective about many things.  On a high note, I called our ex-sister-in-law, Kay, to bring her up-to-speed on what's going on with Bratfink and it was really nice to talk to her.  I haven't talked to her in almost a year.  She really wants me to come and stay with her and the new hubby (he's a doll) and to get as much of the family to come to her house one day while I am there.  Chewlee talked to her for a bit and she (Kay) got a kick out of her.  Now Chewlee wants to go with me to Aunt Kay's so she can swim....if she wants to because sometimes she likes to go in the water and sometimes she doesn't.  I told Kay that, once Chewlee gets in the water (if it's not real cold), we wouldn't be able to keep her out.  I would like to teach her how to swim while we are there.  That would shock (and please) the Princess who was a *water baby* herself.  She learned to swim early because we always had a pool at our homes except for the house in Port Charlotte.  We had the room for it and the house was designed with the idea of putting one in but the Beast balked at the last and decided he wanted fruit trees instead.  That was the mini-Brat farm but, boy, did we have some fantastic fruit from those trees.  I miss that.

This one, if we ever solve the fungus problem, will be heavenly with the trees we have.  But, until then, it's just sad.  We got one great crop before this fungus problem started and we've been fighting it ever since.  Keep your fingers crossed although the Beast says he's seeing green mold on some of the tree trunks in one area of the property.  I told him go bring some samples of things to the state Agricultural people and find out what we can do to help solve the problem.  Even if we have to pay for the service, it would be worth it.  We'll see what happens.

Time to get this blog posted.  Love you all.  Sorry I sounded off about such weird thoughts but it goes round and round in my head at times.  Have a great day.  You deserve it.