Category: My Life

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Annoying

Poison Ivy! All I have to do is look at it and I get it! Which is why, it is annoying!

The after Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches seem to be getting to me. (burp!) During the afternoon on Monday, I began to literally feel quite ill. Not the “uh-oh, I have food poisoning” kind of ill, but the “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing” kind of ill.

I started with a tall glass of Alka Seltzer. I swear it made me feel even worse. Next I tried some Tums and even those couldn’t cure the beast brewing bile in my belly. Then I tried some Pepto. Nothing was working at all, so I decided to just quit eating.

Well, technically I didn’t quit. I made myself a bowl of Cream of Wheat for dinner and some toast. I’d hoped that would sit okay, but I could feel those little gurgles that told me, all was not well.

The thing is, I’m having to face the fact that I’m just getting old. (At least my stomach is, anyway.) I simply cannot eat what I used to. I’ve always loved spicy foods, in fact, the spicier the better, but lately I’m lucky if I can hack salt and pepper on my eggs. So what gives?

There simply has to be an up side to getting old. I mean, you get wrinkles, gray hair, a bulging waistline, and arthritis. Now I have to suffer the inability to eat spicy food as well? This just isn’t fair!

Somehow your golden years should be full of wild parties, spicy foods and food orgies, the ones that you couldn’t indulge in during your youth because those oh so small and derrière hugging jeans would simply not allow it.

Nearing the age of 50, one should be able to enjoy their life, and eat what they want, without the repercussions of acid reflux.

When (if), I get to Heaven I plan to have a really serious talk with the “Big Guy” about the design of the average middle aged woman!

As today is my birthday, I was trying to gather my thoughts and put into words why it’s great to be 48, when I found myself sort of stumped. Sure, I could start with a joke like:

It’s great to be 48 because you never have to worry about getting carded when buying liquor and having to dig around in the bottom of your purse and not being able to find your ID. (Trust me, no one asks to see it anymore!)

But I don’t drink so the joke was somewhat contrived and hollow. Then I thought of one that was a little bit funnier:

It’s great to be 48 because menopause hits and you no longer have to spend thousands of dollars on vacations to heat up your body in the Caribbean. A hot flash at 2 AM does the same thing for free!

But that didn’t do it for me either.

I think the best way to describe why it is great to be 48 is that I am all grown up. I know who I am, what I want in my life and I love the people and the pets I am sharing my life with. My life is good, I am happy and in return, I am well loved.

I remember in my youth thinking that 48 was VERY OLD, one foot in the grave, but now I feel young and vital and full of life. 48 is just the beginning!

Yes, it is Great To Be 48!!!

My birthday is tomorrow, so today is my birthday 13. I called my mother and interviewed her. Here are some of her comments and mine.

1. I was Born November 17, 1958
2. At 12:01 PM I was born ready for lunch!
3. I was born in Wareham, Massachusetts. At that time it was the closest hospital to Cape Cod where we lived.
4. I weighed in at 9 pounds and 1 ounce! I know, this is big!
5. I was 21 inches long. I think this is average.
6. My mother was in labor for about 5 hours, but says it wasn’t bad. Of course back then they knocked you out so her memories are more of the nice sleep she had than of actually delivering me.
7. I was born a few days early. This is due to my intense love of turkey and the fact that I was hoping for my first turkey dinner. I didn’t get it for an entire year!
8. I had white blond fuzz on my head and very dark eyes that quickly turned brown.
9. If I’d been a boy my name would have been David Arthur. Needless to say, I am happy to be a girl.
10. My grandmother was already down taking care of my brother and sister, but my Aunt Betty and Uncle George drove down with Janet to see the new baby.
11. My mother stayed in the hospital until just before Thanksgiving. Back then they gave you almost a week to “recover” from giving birth.
12. My sister was thrilled with my arrival. She wanted a little sister. She was 5 and 1/4 years old, and I was her living doll.
13. My middle name is Jewel, which I have always thought was pretty strange. Then again, I have never met anyone with this name, except a dog.

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.

We all have things in our lives that we like certain ways. You know, steak cooked medium rare, ketchup with our salted french fries, dark chocolate as opposed to milk chocolate. However, there is one area of my life, so Hubby tells me, where my specifications border on being an obsessive compulsive………….That is MY PILLOW.

A few years ago I started waking up with a crick in my neck. After a few weeks of this, I bought a new pillow. After all, my old pillow was very flat and it was well used. The new pillow failed after about three weeks, maybe a month. So I went out and got another one, but that one also failed after a few weeks.

It became an obsession for me to find a comfortable pillow. I started reading ads in catalogues and I searched online for information. My family started giving me advice on a pillow comfort solution.

I bought a latex foam pillow, but found it gave no support for my head (which is large and heavy, sort of like a bobble doll). I tried a memory foam core pillow wrapped in polyester fiberfill, but it lost its memory after a week. I tried feather pillows, but they flattened out in 30 seconds.

What I needed, I determined, was an overstuffed, hypoallergenic, fiberfilled pillow. My quest began.

I tried the Internet, read ads and looked in bed and bath shops, but I found nothing. Then yesterday I was in Wal-Mart, and I saw a pillow that had it all. Overstuffed, extra firm, king sized, and hypoallergenic. Best of all, after all the money I have spent on the other pillows, this one was only $15.00!

I was filled with anticipation as I tossed this pillow into my cart. When I got it home, I carefully put on a pillow cover and pillow case, and placed it with great reverance on my bed. I stared at it for a moment, and I could feel myself begin to tear up.

After that I could hardly wait for bed. At 10 o’clock last night Greta and I hit the sheets and when my head fell onto my new pillow I could feel the joy well up in my heart.

So much for one night. Ask me again in a month.

I was up fairly early at my sister’s on Sunday and since this was the day to drive back north, I decided to hit the road once I had showered and had some coffee. I was on the road by 7:30 with almost no traffic. It was sunny, cold but clear for the drive home, thus it was enjoyable. What wasn’t enjoyable were the state police, sitting out every 10 miles or so waiting to nail unsuspecting drivers. I’m a “Granny Driver”, so I was safe. I managed one stop for gas 15 miles from home, and still made the trip (usually a 4 + hour drive) in 3 hours and 45 minutes!

When I entered the house, Emily was here, pup sitting, and when I entered Fritz and Greta went crazy! Especially Greta. Then I nearly fainted when I saw how much her belly had changed!

Emily also took a few pictures of Greta today. She is changing in so many ways, not just her ever growing belly. She seems quieter and just wants to snuggle with blankets.

I can hardly wait for Friday when I take Greta to the Vet’s and we get official word on her pregnancy!

Meanwhile, it’s really good to be home!

Today for family day, all of Mel’s kids and grandkids, were due to come over along with my folks for dinner. Mel was making my favorite turkey dinner, with chestnut stuffing, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, gravy and of course, lots of turkey.
However, when the doorbell rang and I went to open it, thinking it was Taft or Luke, there stood my daughter, Amanda! Oh I was so surprised and I started to cry! No sooner had I stopped crying with happiness then my Uncle George and cousin, Janet arrive too! I was so shocked by this surprise party for me!!!
I am afraid I am a real emotional person. All of this love and caring for me, struck a very soft place in my soul and I cried like a baby.
I have dreamt of someone giving me a surprise party all of my life, but I am such a detective that no one has ever even tried to do this. My sister planned well and I didn’t have a clue!
We had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings. This is my favorite meal and at one point Maria, my niece said that it felt more like Thanksgiving than some Thanksgivings that they’d had. This made me feel even better because here we were, all of the family together for the first time in many, many years and it just felt so right.
I’m still floating on cloud nine right now with so much happiness. I fear I am over using that word right now, but happy I truly do feel!
To end, here are some pictures from my day.

My Uncle George hugging a teary eyed me.


Me, Amanda, Uncle George and my mother. (Janet is in the background)


Taft, Abby and Luke.


Getting ready to blow out those candles!

My daughter, Amanda.

My sister, Mel, Taft, helping me open my gifts and me.

A very happy me.

Taft and me.

My parents, my sister and me.

Amanda and Janet

Me with my favorite cousin!

My parents with me and my daughter.

Halloween was a busy day for me. I used the day to shop. Mmmmm. My very favorite type of sport. I’ve been called a “Power Shopper”. True. Given a deadline and a list of people to buy for I can get the job done in half the time of most mere mortals. Today was just that kind of day.

I was blessed with a beautiful day. Bright sunshine, warm temperatures and great sales. So off I went to enjoy myself. Which is exactly what I did. Osh Gosh B’Gosh, Liz Claiborne, Wal-Mart and grocery shopping too. All of this was done in less than three hours with everything on my list acquired!

It’s quite funny, but I truly am obsessed with Greta and her pregnancy. I realized this when I was leaving Wal-Mart and the alarm went off and I found myself telling the security lady all about Greta, and even showing her pictures!

So, what do you think?

As I finished up my shopping I looked at my cell phone and realized that Hubby would be about finished at his health club, where he is doing rehab on his knees. I called his phone but got no answer. Oh well. I no sooner had hung up, but my cell phone rang and it was Hubby! I invited him to lunch and he accepted!

We met at a Chinese Buffet nearby and enjoyed a quick lunch and conversation and then we said good-bye. He was off to the dentist and I was off to the Vets to get Greta’s food and then to the Post Office to get the mail.

When I arrived at home Greta met me at the door much the same as she did yesterday. Happy, but a tad frantic.

For our Halloween dinner I made boiled Maine lobster and asparagus! Yum!

Everyone can come on over for some Halloween candy. We didn’t have even one trick or treater this year!

And how was your Halloween?

We drove down to Boston to see Dr. W. on Monday. My appointment was at 1, so we arrived early and grabbed lunch at a local Chinese restaurant, took a walk and then arrived at the office. My eye was tested and examined and at the end of the appointment it was decided that I still have to keep my stitches in. My next appointment isn’t until January, so they’ll be in through the holidays.

On the way home we saw one accident after another. It was rush hour and the traffic was horrendous! I’m glad that Hubby decided to drive me because they dilated my eye and I couldn’t see very well.

We were about half way back when the cell phone rang and Emily called because Greta wouldn’t go out to do her business. All she did was lie around. That got me worrying about my little girl.

We got home and Greta met me at the door with these little cries and yelps. I thought for sure that she was ill. But I got her outside, and then brought her in and fed her. She was ravenously hungry and ate her dinner quickly. She then tried to edge out Fritz for his dinner. So, I decided that perhaps she needed more food.

Greta has finally settled down and relaxed. I sure hope she is okay when I go away on Thursday to see my sister and her family.

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Every morning when I get up, I look carefully at Greta and ask her the question we all want an answer to.

“Are you pregnant?”

So far she hasn’t answered. She just looks at me, like I have lost my mind rolls over and then goes back to sleep.

Still, I look at that belly and I see how much she is sleeping and I think that the chances are very good that she is.

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I go to the Ophthalmologist’s in Boston on Monday. She will look at the stitches and the healing in my eye and determine if I can finally get the stitches out. Since the stitches don’t bother me at all, it really doesn’t matter if they have to stay in longer, but I would be thrilled if they could come out and I could see light at the end of this post operative tunnel.

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It was cold and windy here today and we even saw some more rain. Ah, summer is gone and winter is on it’s way. I can feel it in my bones.

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We went to see Flags Of Our Fathers yesterday. What a truly amazing movie. It’s a Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg production (Eastwood directed). I was so impressed with not only the direction, but the cinematography as well. And the acting was great. I’m not one for war movies, but this is a must see.

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Who among us forgot this was the weekend to “fall back” time wise? I admit, we totally forgot and found ourselves up early. It gave me a good excuse to make French Toast!