Category: Life

The light outside that automatically comes on when I walk the doggies at night, burnt out. What this means is that Hubby has to get the large 2 story ladder out and go up to change the bulb. I asked him if he could turn the light sensor just slightly, so the light comes on more easily.

You see, it was turned just enough the opposite way, that I would have to run out in the dark a ways until the lights turned on.

In the winter this doesn’t bother me at all. However, while the bears are about, I worry about close encounters with them!

But the light is good and I think the bulb is even brighter. Hubby says it really isn’t, it’s just clean! lol!

Don’t forget all you USA residents, it is time to “fall back”. So hopefully you turned your clocks back before you went to bed last night.

Hubby and I decided to take some time and go off to see “Captain Phillips”. All I can say is that I was literally on the edge of my seat throughout the entire film! The movie is two hours and fifteen minutes long, and usually I’m not one to want to commit to that much time in an uncomfortable seat, but this movie went so fast, that it did not seem like I was in the theater that long!

I don’t go to the movies a lot, but this year there have been a few that I have actually wanted to see. As well as a few books too! I must finish up the book I am reading now so I can start a biography of a writer I truly admire. He is Pulitzer Prize winning author, and has led a truly remarkable life after he was paralyzed in a diving accident, in his first year of medical school.

He went on to finish medical school and eventually became a Board Certified Psychiatrist, before embarking on a writing career. A truly amazing man

• Next week I go for my annual eye exam and to get new glasses. I need to get very light weight frames and lenses, as my nose gets irritated from my current glasses. I hope I can find something I like.

• It is so cold here tonight, I think I will be breaking out my winter pajamas! Of course I am lucky to have three dackels to cuddle with in bed.

• I’m enjoying my book “The Husband’s Secret” by Liane Moriarty. It is totally not what I expected! (In a very interesting way!)

• I went to visit my neighbor today. I decided to take Greta with me and all I said was, “Greta, let’s go see, Aglaia” and she raced up the hill! Greta adores Aglaia!

• I found a great recipe for schnitzel and I went to take out some pork to make it on Thursday, only to find, I have no pork in the freezer! I need to get some soon so I can make the recipe!

To you all I wish you a happy Friday and a great weekend!

A good friend of mine in Australia, Keith has passed away. I have known him since 1995. We were both dachshund lovers!

We traveled with Keith and his wife, Jill and they visited our home twice.

Jill & Keith

I’ll miss his crazy sense of humor and talking to him on the phone. He always seemed to be making us laugh.

Rest well, dear Keith!

For those of you who have been following my blog this year, you will all recall that I had to have a Mohs Surgery and reconstructive surgery after. You also will recall the horror of seeing my face for the first time, and then the second time after that surgery.

After going to Boston and meeting a fabulous plastic surgeon there, I decided that the hospital should know what had been done to me.

My first attempt was to drive over and meet with Patient Relations, bringing my unfixed face, and pictures of the first two surgeries. I was patted on the head and told that “Sometimes these things happen”.

So, I wrote them a letter. I sent it to my daughter first to get her advice. She cleaned it up, and in the end produced a fantastic letter!

I sent it off, registered letter in July, and then waited. In fact last night Hubby and I were talking about how strange it was that we had not heard a word from the hospital.

Then on Tuesday in the mail, was a letter from the hospital. It was filled with apologies and concern on one hand and then a disclaimer on the other.

The one really laughable paragraph is when the doctor says he spoke to me in the OR before the first surgery. I think if you check dates on the blog you will see that the Anesthesiologist had me snowed under before I left the pre-op area.

Anyway, their letter showed me two things, 1) they realized that the original plastic surgeon could cause them real problems, and 2) they were covering their butts!

Hubby still isn’t happy, but I told him if I caused the surgeon one sleepless night, then I was happy. At least now they know why I did not come back for further treatment, and perhaps that surgeon will think twice about butchering someone else like he did me.

So, tell me. Have you ever had a doctor do something that either made you angry/uncomfortable/etc.? Did you alert the hospital to let them know what had occurred?

My current plastic surgeon Dr. P. is always up front with me and explains everything. Now that I have local anesthesia, he even tells me what he is doing while he is doing it.

Should doctors be accountable so that they teach their patients via slideshows, what they will do, so the patient will not pass out from the shock when they wake up in the recovery room?

The last few days I have had trouble thinking and/or writing. My mother is lingering, just on this side of life and she is still suffering.

My sister is still suffering too. She is unable to go forward in her life, while Mom lingers. For her to see my Mom in pain…oh I pray that Mom is released from this life soon.

Mel spends so much time at the Hospice with Mom. The nurses have become concerned and now friends and family are circling Mel to take care of her.

I’m also worried. You see Mel and my Mom have always been closer than close. Over the years they have done so many things together, and I worry for Mel’s health.

Being this far from everything offers me some relief, but even I have found it difficult to sleep at night and to organize my thoughts.

So forgive me for not visiting your blogs or writing you a note. Right now, just cooking Hubby’s meals and taking care of the dogs is almost more than I can handle.

Tonight (Friday) Mom is in even more pain. I am praying that the good Lord will take her home soon.

Just a little clip to make you smile.

There are three things I seem to have a lot of trouble with. Bed pillows, laptop computers and coffee makers. It seems like there is some grand scheme to keep me from being able to buy one that lasts past the warranty!

The other day the coffee maker went. I mean literally, it stopped working. It’s the second one I have had of that model, and since they only last right up until the warranty expires, I will not be getting another Cuisine-Art one. I liked the features, but I also would like a machine that lasts longer than 1 year or two.

My problem with pillows is that they get flat too fast. I bought a nice one a month ago, but it is already flat. There is no guarantee about the fluffiness of ones pillow, so it is a lose, lose.

The whole laptop problem I solved by buying the extended warranty package. and so far, so good.

But I do need to get that new coffee maker tomorrow. The old, back-up one really makes lousy coffee!