New Decor — So Overwhelming!

 Feeling pretty good these days and we are in my absolute favorite season so I want to make the most of it and not waste a second of it so I decided to do some online looking for pillow covers and cozy things.

WELL…..I have never been so overwhelmed!  My colors are the same sorts of colors I had when we first got married.  Why you say?  Well, because I still have a lot of the stuff I had when we first got married — 52 years which put us in the early 70’s and we all know what colors were popular then — greens, golds, and orange/rusts.  But, since autumn is my fav season it still works for me.  So, I visited several places online to see what sort of pillow covers I could find and I did find them — lots of them — lots and lots of them — all this for the person who really does best with only two choices — the right one and the wrong one!

So, I am watching a youtube video called “Fine Living” — a vlog based in New England and the say has lots of vintage furniture and decor and it is a really good resource if you, like me, still have a house full of Early American furniture.

Tomorrow I am making a Target run and I am going to look at some new throw pillows — my husband hates them but nothing cozies up a room more than pillows so we will see what I come home with, if anything.  And I have to go upstairs and get my favorite throw.  It was a gift from my cousin and it is so cozy and useful — you can cover up in the recliner, use it like a shawl or drape it over the sofa — it is a lovely caramel color so I need to see what pillows will go best — even though my brain is thinking rust, my heart goes to sage/olive green.  

It will be a surprise!

Book Banning

 Hi, all!  How are all my bloggy friends this almost-autumn-Wednesday morning?  I am doing well — had a lengthy bout of aFib yesterday so doctor changed my meds, I feel tip top today.  This will all get sorted out — still healing — it is a process and I think I am doing well.  

In recent months we have had an issue here in our community concerning book banning.  Parents want certain books banned from the school library — some I understand, some I feel are an overkill.  So, a young woman (age 16) was talking to me about a book she had to read for school.  She goes to a private Christian school where you feel like the standards might be different than public schools.  The book is called “Unwind” by Neal Shusterman.  I hadn’t heard of the book, much less read it, but the girl seemed to be a bit disturbed by it so I decided to check it out.

I won’t go into the book here since I haven’t read it — yet — but I have bought it and intend to read it.  The synopsis, however, is disturbing.  I will probably not get through the whole book, we will see.  Is is dystopian in genre and involves some pretty grisly story lines.  I don’t generally enjoy dystopian novels and I have read a few but really not my preference.  This one is part of a series and I doubt I will get past the first but, if you decide to look into it, just know there is more than one.

Has anybody read this book?  If so, opinion?  

I have never believed in public book banning.  I feel like it is up to the parents to know what their children are doing, watch, reading, etc.  I mean, whose place is it to decide what I let in to my life other than me. I know, controversial view point.  Your thoughts? Is banning a good thing or a bad thing?  Who should be allowed to make that decision and where do you draw the line as to what is banned — i.e. The Holy Bible.  Does banning squelch our kids ability to make proper choices?  It is a sticky wicket for sure.

Anyway, as I read the book I will post again to let you know how I feel about it.  It looks icky, to be honest but we will see.  

Well Darn, the sequel

 Last post had me recovering from a cardioaversion.  It lasted a month.  Back into aFib and back into the hospital — chemically converted.  I did it a third time but converted by myself on the way to the hospital.  Spent a couple of hours there and was sent home — with an appointment for an ablation.

I had the ablation on 8/21.  I will spare you the gory details because there weren’t any.  It was a simple procedure that went well and they are confident they got all the “spots”.  I have felt really good, much more energy, sleeping well, and, aside from a few flutters and thunks, my heart is behaving much better than it has in the last 25 years.  

So, in case you have been wondering where I got off to, that is what is going on.  I am still on top of the dirt and feeling much better thank you.

The first week after I just sat and rested and binge watched “Everwood” and “Heartland”.  I finished both series and would recommend both as well.  Clean, family entertainment — well Everwood has it moments but still pretty universal — and have now moved on to Chesapeake Shores for the second time.  

After two weeks I was back in the doctors office for a follow up and was declared doing well.  Went back to church because the Bean was giving a program on her Girl Scout Bronze Award that she has been working on.  We go to an older church — 100th anniversary this year — and it comes with a complete and complex disarrayed set of archives from several rectors during that 100 years.  So, her goal, as laid out by our current rector, is to organize and catalog all the hit and miss records, talk to the Adult Bible Class about her efforts and show some of the more interesting documents and photos that she found.  I would include a photo but I can’t seem to get it to work — ah, there we go!

Anyway, life has gottten pretty much back to normal.  I am back to climbing stairs and doing housework — who knew I would be grateful for housework but I am — and life goes on.  Hopefully I will stay in as good of shape as I am right now.

I really didn’t abandon my blog — I’ve just been kinda busy!  Question tho, why can’t I post a pic?  Have they changed things? Never mind, I figured it out.

Well, Darn!

 Ok, the last post was about Bean’s birthday.  We joined her for her party and the next day I went into raging AFib.  I was hospitalized on 7/1, they tried to correct my heart rhythm with chemicals — it didn’t work — so on 7/3 I had a cardioaversion and zapped my heart into submission. 

AFib runs in my family — both my parents, my aunt and two cousins had/have it.  

I am fine now.  If it does it again I will have an ablation which isn’t as quick as a cardioaversion (10 seconds).  So far so good, hoping it stays that way.

So, I thought I should check in. 

Can’t believe school is almost ready to start.  Doesn’t seem possible.

Birthday Girl!

 I don’t usually post pics of the kiddo but since it is her birthday I will make an exception.  She was born at 9:42 in the morning and each birthday her mother takes a photo at 9:42 and posts it.  So, here was today’s photo—

Good Morning! It’s Been a Hot Minute

 I am still here.  WE are still here, Things have been going ok, trying to stay busy and not worry — that is me — Hubs is definitely staying busy and not worrying about anything and sort of driving me crazy but I will take it.

Yesterday was our “First Date Anniversary” — June 26, 1965.  That evening we went to the movie at the neighborhood theater and saw “Dr. No” and “From Russia With Love”.  Every year we celebrate watching one of those movies — last night it was “Russia”.  Fifty Nine years ago —- where did it go?  

Tomorrow is Bean’s birthday.  She will be 14.  FOURTEEN!  YEARS1 OLD!  Again, where did it go?

She will start high school in a month.  She has a boyfriend — her fourth since the 7th grade — but this one seems to be sticking — a frightening thought.  He has even started going to church with her and has trained as an acolyte and they acolyte together.  Who knew?  God works in mysterious ways.  But, fourteen?  

It is hot here in Cowtown — or Funkytown — whichever you prefer.  I mean really hot — heat index of about 112.  I don’t go out.  Well, except when I have to.  I miss my young life in San Antonio where it was hot but not so hot that we didn’t spend lots of time in the lawn chairs outside.  Not possible here unless it is October. 

I FINALLY finished “Homewreckers” by Mary Kay Andrews.  I generally like her books but this one just didn’t grab me but I don’t give up easily so here we are.  Do I recommend?  Sure, it was ok, maybe it was just me not being able to settle my mind down.  But, it is done and now on to the next thing.

So, all in all, life is going on as usual.  We aren’t dwelling on Hubs health, or the weather, or the kid growing up — we are just putting one foot in front of the other and getting on with it.  Hopefully I can get back here better than I have been.  

Update

 Yes, it has been a month — and what a month it has been.  Long story short all the grafts from my husbands bypass surgery have disappeared — they are gone.  He only has one working artery in his heart, everything else is completely closed up.  No place to stent and not a candidate for more bypass.

Things have definitely taken a turn …

So far, we are fine

Update

 Ok, so we visited our cardiologist yesterday to get the lay of the land for the Hubs.  Seems there is an issue with one of the grafts from his previous bypass surgery.  They don’t last forever and it appears one is failing hence causing a blockage of some sort.  So, on April 4 he will be going in for a heart cath and possible a stent.  He has had a catherization before so it isn’t totally foreign, this will be the first stent.  I expect favorable results.  Of course there are risks but hopefully he will skirt all of that.  He is pretty strong so I expect a good outcome.

Now, breathe, Melissa.

Catching up, Checkin in —

 Hi, all! Happy belated St. Patrick’s Day!  It was a lovely day here, a bit cool, but dry which is good because we have been getting a lot of rain lately and I don’t care for that, well, not as much as we have had.

Hope all is well with you.  Things here are ok.  I am pretty much the same except I took a tumble a week or so ago and fell on my bad knee.  Needless to say it has been hurting since.  I have taken to wearing my brace again, however, which is helping.  

A month or so ago my husband and I had routine echocardiograms.  Mine was ok. He was not so ok.  He was tentatively diagnosed with CHF, but we don’t know much yet.  We have a follow up appointment this afternoon so we shall see.  Am I terrified?  Only a tiny bit terrified.  We have been married 52 years and he started having health issues, blood pressure specifically, before we ever got married.  That was an ongoing situation until 1990 when he was diagnosed with diabetes.  He was 43.  He was told he had had it for at least five years probably longer.  So, in a way, I am used to “health issues”.  It ' has been a part of our daily life for the majority of our lives.  However, I would be lying if I said I was just taking it all with a grain of salt.  I am not.  I am trying to look at the bright side in that he has none of the typical symptoms of CHF, he has a good energy level, a great appetite and a good outlook.  All positive things.  I have been told that it is at least partially reversible.  Don’t know what that means or entails but I guess we will find out today.  Prayers and good thoughts welcome.

The school year is zipping right along.  It is so hard to believe that in 10 weeks I won’t be on school pick up duty anymore.  It is something I have done daily since Bean was 3.  It is unimaginable that she is going into high school — not possible.  I will say that this is going to be somewhat of a learning curve, a shift in my existence — no reason to have cookies in the house, no need to make special treats….

Pretty sure I am not going to do this very well.

Bean did have a good time the first part of spring break.  She and her mother participated in the 8th grade school trip to NYC.  It was quite the busy four days with their activities running from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. every day.  There were fifty spots for students, parents and teachers and it seems a good time was had by all.

,

Apparently when this photo was taken her social battery had died and she was on silent mode for the almost the rest of the trip.  Ah, to be a young teen again  — no thank you!

So, spring break has come and gone and life has gone back to normal, whatever that is.  It is a lovely, cool spring day, our girl possum is pregnant and I think maybe one of our foxes is as well.  When I see evidence of  it I will share!

Oh My Goodness! I have gone into slacker mode!

 I can’t believe I haven’t been here in almost a month!  Well, what can I say, life has gotten out of hand.

We have been caught up in health issues.  

The weather has been lovely so we have been out and about.

My arthritis issues are worse so that is keeping me down but I decided this morning not to complain, just get one with it.  Nobody likes a complainer.

I am off my reading routine which is disturbing and not like me at all.

I have ditched my anxiety journal which isn’t a good thing for me.

And, yeah, I think I have just been lazy.

So,  yeah, trying to get back into my groove.  

I have watched a bunch of movies — I actually watched The Hunger Games and I didn’t hate it.  Odd.

So, yeah, that has been my February so far— so boring I am even boring myself!

Reviews — Books and Mugs

 Today I am going to review two things — a book and a mug.  Hmmm,,, which first.

Ok, the mug.  As I mentioned in an earlier post I was looking for a mug to make toting a cuppa upstairs easier.  I decided on the hydroflask 12 oz mug in black.  The cute little, ever popular pink one was going to take two weeks to get here so I vetoed that because I am an instant gratification sort of gal.

So, I ordered, it came and so far I am impressed.  It is insulated, supposedly BPA and lead free, with a lid that can be completely closed.  I am having my first up of coffee in it right now and it is staying toasty warm even though I don’t have the lid on it.  It is very lightweight which is good for me because my wrists, especially my left, don’t handle bulky, heavy cups well.  The handle is easy to grasp and feels good in my hand.  It holds 12 oz which is a nice, good cuppa.  I am pleased and, so far, recommend.

As you know, I read a lot.  I list my books on my Goodreads page and also this blog.  I don’t usually take the time to review books, really but I am going to this time.  I follow a facebook page that talks about nothing but books and great selections come up multiple times a day.  One book that has been making the circulation is “Things We Never Got Over” by Lucy Score.  In a nutshell it is the story of a set of twins, one good and one evil.  It is a good story, engaging plot, great characterization, picturesque setting — all the things I love in a book — and I give it three stars on Goodreads.

Why only three if it was that good?  Well, I have certain standards with the books I read.  I won’t read books about cruelty (the Holocaust for instance), crimes against children, grisly murders, you get the picture.  I usually do a good job of checking out the books I read so I don’t get involved in things that I know I am not going to enjoy.  I mean, if that happens and it is a library book or one I have borrowed from Kindle Unlimited then I can just return, but I am not going to pay good money for something that I am going to really dislike.  

However, with this book, it was so popular and so well received that I just didn’t question it.  I got it off Kindle Unlimited and forged ahead.

From the beginning I noticed that there was a lot of language that I don’t use and don’t like hearing.  I realize we live in a much more casual world but old habits die hard and it just isn’t something I grew up with in my day to day life.  But, because I was invested in the story, I just sort of let my eyes fly past the words and went on - it only got worse.  

Then, a little past half way, the graphic sexual encounters began.  Now, it wasn’t anything illegal or heinous, not criminal, completely consensual but…..I didn’t need to hear about it …at least in such detail — more than once.

Now, maybe in my younger years I might have found it scintillating but at my age now - yeah, that ship has sailed — give me a good story and leave all that stuff out.  Honestly, the story was good enough that it didn’t need the graphic illustration of what was going on.  I am not saying the romance should have been left out, of course not, it was integral to the story but the details needed to be taken down a notch or two or 10.  

This was the first book in a series.  Don’t you hate it when that happens?  What happened to stand alone books?  Anyway, I am pretty sure I am not going to move forward with the rest of the series.  I would love to know how it progresses but the language and the graphics were just too much for me.

I am now reading “Stargirl” by Henry Winterfield.  It is a children’s book about Mo, a little girl alien who finds her way onto earth and meets new friends.  My cousin had the book, when we were children, and I always read it when I went to her house.  I have a physical copy but I now have it on my iPad and I intend to enjoy it to the fullest!

I look at it as a literary palate cleansing after the last one I read!