She is My Heroine, Too.

When I was newly married and living in an apartment in Pacific Beach, Jean Tippetts and her children picked me up and took me to Church.  We only had one car and Richard went to an early Priesthood Meeting.  She and her children were always so kind to me and she became my idol.  You will see why when you read this.  She just passed away and this is the beautiful tribute written by one of her children.

Jean Hulme Tippetts Smith

April 27, 1924 - June 25, 2010

Our mother is our heroine. She was totally dedicated to our individual sense of fulfillment and happiness. We did not discover this in hindsight, we knew it all along. Friends who came into our home couldn't help but be envious of our good fortune. They were welcome to stay a night or a month. The food would be great and the activities, fun. Whether it was the rowdy play of her twin boys or the messy "projects" of her creatively-minded girls, she was not one to put a damper on any of the things we enjoyed. Our dreams had her full support "she was both our mother and our fairy god-mother." How many times did she save the day by catering our weddings, making our prom dresses, financing our missions and being a faithful correspondent to each of us, writing weekly after we left home? Her magic letters helped us through our hard times.

Jean Hulme Tippetts Smith was born in Bloomington, Idaho, the only daughter of Ben and Louise Krogue Hulme. She was sandwiched between two older brothers, Harold and David and three younger brothers, Russell, John and Paul. She lived in the following cities, all located on Highway 89: Bloomington, Logan, Panguitch, Paris, Manti, Ephraim, Orem, Salt Lake, and Provo. She lived for 33 years in California.

Jean graduated from Manti High and Snow College. At Snow, she was the first female student body president and valedictorian, earning her tuition by playing piano accompaniment for the college orchestra. While teaching at Manti High, she met her husband Joyce Tippetts, a recently discharged naval officer from Ephraim who was the son of one of her favorite professors at Snow College. They both played in Lenny Myer's dance orchestra, he on bass fiddle and she as pianist. They were married on September 3, 1946.

Joyce's career in campus planning took them from Berkeley to UCLA to BYU and then to UCSD. While in San Diego, she graduated as one of the top three students at San Diego State in 1963, earning her the privilege of shaking President John F. Kennedy's hand, who spoke at her graduation. Jean started teaching elementary school that year, later earning a master's degree as a reading specialist. Jean's first marriage lasted for nearly thirty years. After their divorce, she found enjoyment in her children, church assignments and teaching, but she was thrilled to open a new chapter in her life after being introduced to Don Smith, whose wife Evelyn had died in 1980. They were married in 1981 and had nearly thirty happy years together, embracing each other's families, traveling, and enjoying BYU cultural and athletic events. Jean loved her involvement in Literary League, BYU Women, DUP, and Kiwanis. She always asked us "What would I ever do without Don?" She never had to find out, dying unexpectedly just 10 days after his funeral.

She is survived by her children: Leah Smith (A.J.), Laura Harmon (David), Tom (Lisa) Tippetts, and Tracy (Elizabeth) Tippetts; and step-daughters Karen Griggs and Susan (Byron) Purves. Don and Jean together have 28 grandchildren and 55 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents and three brothers.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, July 1, 2010 at the Pleasant View Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 650 Stadium Ave., Provo, Utah. Friends are invited to visit with Jean's family at the Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 E. Center, Wednesday evening from 6 until 8 and at the church Thursday from 11-12:45 p.m. prior to services. Burial will be at the Provo City Cemetery.

Our heartfelt thanks go to Don and Jean's wonderful ward neighbors. In lieu of flowers, any donations could be made to the Humanitarian Fund of the LDS Church.

Iris Blooms!

Last year Mary Anne gave me a lot of Iris to plant and three of them have actually bloomed. I have very little sun in my yard so this is quite an accomplishment.

Lovely Linda has a Birthday!

 I think it was during WW II that this song became famous.



Beautiful Linda Sue.

When I go to sleep
I never count sheep,
I count all the charms about Linda.


And lately it seems
in all of my dreams,
I walk with my arms about Linda.


But what good does it do me for Linda
doesn't know that I exist?

Can't help feeling gloomy,
think of all the lovin' I've missed.


We pass on the street,
my heart skips a beat,
I say to myself, "Hello, Linda."


If only she'd smile,
I'd stop for a while
and then I would get to know Linda.

But miracles still happen
and when my lucky star begins to shine,
with one lucky break,
I'll make Linda mine.

I knew exactly what I was going to name our first daughter.  When I lived in Glendive, there was a college girl who lived a block away and her name was Linda and she was so pretty with long pretty hair.  I was just in grade school but I always loved the name Linda because of her.  It was so much softer than my name Janet.

Linda was one of those remarkable children who always wanted to do the right thing.  She enjoyed sleeping, she enjoyed eating, and except for always wanting her Binky with her when she was a baby, she enjoyed being anywhere we went.  She didn't have to be at home to sleep.  Johnny never liked to sleep anywhere.
 So this was most refreshing.  

She was always ready to do whatever Johnny wanted her to do.  In fact, I remember so well when I asked her what she wanted and she said, "What does Johnny want?"  Linda was always sweet and eager to please.  John was often obstinate and wanting his own way but Linda was thoughtful and accommodating.  At fifteen months she was the wonder of the hospital ward as she trotted herself to the potty.  (They found she had a double kidney on one side.)

From the time Linda was a tot she was a little homemaker as well as a peacemaker.  She helped with the cleaning, dishes, baby tending, willingly and well. She always liked to make her own things and began to sew and cook at a very early age. 

It seemed whatever Linda tried, cooking, sewing, crocheting, knitting, quilting, whatever, she could do it and do it well without a lot of supervision and she had the desire to do these things, always busy.  We always knew Linda would be a great Mom and housekeeper.  What we didn't know is what a wit Linda had.

So many time she would quickly say the funniest thing.  And then in college the letters she would write home, I would just laugh at laugh at the things she would say.

Linda would be the one who would tell everyone when something on tv was inappropriate to watch.  Linda always gravitated to the good.  She was never drawn to the baser side of life.  She also likes to see the good in others and always tries to say something kind, she reminds me of my mother in that way.

What a blessing Linda has been in my and Richard's life, from day one, and also to her husband and family.  Always so dependable, so kind, so sweet.  "I count all the charms about Linda".  And as Craig said, she is really Christlike.  She is also very capable in the office, in the home, in the church, in the community.  Happy Birthday, Linda, you are loved1

Good News?

Wesnesday I had my blood tested to see how I am doing on all my medication.  Cholesterol was lowered to 188--lowest I have ever had it!  Everything else looked good except blood sugar was up!  Too much carbs???  Will see how it checks out next month.  My blood pressure has been lower also so guess the meds are working.  The newest medication is Aggrenox to prevent a major stroke.  I will only know if it works if I don't have one.

Friday I woke up feeling so great, so I fertilized, watered, and then came in and cleaned the house thoroughly.  I thought, wow, I must be getting used to the meds, I feel good.  Then I noticed my pills were still sitting on the cabinet where I had left them when I forgot to take them the night before.  No wonder I felt so great!

My meds definitely make me feel achy, lethargic and gloomy.  Which does what I am not sure but I don't like it.

Jeanne told me she is on 80 mg of lipitor.  That is so extremely high I cannot believe she tolerates it so well.  Amazing!  And Marilyn says she is on 80 mg zocor.  I must not tolerate meds well at all because I really react to them although, Marilyn says she has the achy legs also.

Oh, well, time to read my good book "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" and forget about the pits of old age.

What's New?

Oh, Oh, here comes Bandido!

I better have a quick drink...

And then get out of here fast!

I can't believe it, for the first time since the rhododendron was planted it actually has blooms on it!  Wonder how long before the deer discover them.

Fathers Day Talk at Clear Creek Branch 2010

The father of five children had won a toy at a raffle.

He called his children together to ask which one should have the present.

"Who is the most obedient?" he asked.

"Who never talks back to mother?"

"Who does everything she says?"

Five small voices answered in unison.
 "Okay, dad, you get the toy."

President Gordon B Hinckley gave his appreciation for all of the obedient and righteous LDS Fathers at Conference in 1999 and a part of it was printed for Fathers Day.  Let me share part of it with you.

"There are hundreds of thousands, now reaching toward the millions, of boys and men of the priesthood who love the Lord and who walk in obedience to his commandments.  These husbands and fathers govern their homes in kindness and with a spirit of love and appreciation.  They answer every call to serve in whatever capacity as such calls come from the Church.  They are good citizens of the governments under which they live wherever they may be across the world.  They are good neighbors in their communities.  As employees, they are loyal.  They work with diligence and with honesty and integrity.  They are men who live chaste and honorable lives, men who love the Lord and are loved by him."

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the goodness of your lives.  I thank you for your examples before your families and before the world.  You bring honor to this Church.  You bring happiness and peace and security into the lives of your wives and children.  You indulge your generous instincts in giving to the poor, in befriending the lonely, in standing up for the very best in our society.  You are the sweet fruits of this beautiful gospel of the Son of God."

The Book of Mormon contains numerous stories of righteous fathers who set positive examples for their children. Today I would like to share three stories about three fathers from my family who set positive examples for their children.

First Story...

My ancestors joined the Church in England and Sweden in the mid and late 1800s so my Mom and Dad both ended up in Ogden, Utah and working at the same department store after high school graduation. When they were 20 they were married and by the height of the depression in 1934 they had five children and my father had lost his job as Asst Manager at J C Penney's and was working for $20 a week at a butcher shop and they had rented a home for $20 a month.

Then a great opportunity come to him. He could manage a department store if he would travel to eastern Montana to do it. They were elated but it would mean leaving all their family and the comfort of the Church in Utah. As my Mom said, it seemed like the end of nowhere when they stepped off the train. But they had faith it was the right thing to do and followed their faith.

There were no Mormons there and they were advised to not let anyone know that they were Mormons. But they never hid the fact and began to make friends and take part in the community. He and my Mom saw that we all attended the Congregational Church And Bible School and my Dad sang in the choir. When the missionaries came a few years later we would have cottage meetings in our home which eventually led to a Branch and finally a full-time Ward some years after I was married and living in California.

Though a quiet man, my Dad was always a leader, a teacher and yet such a gentle man, so full of love for everyone. As a child I remember him taking us on picnics, fishing, to Silvergate, to Yellowstone, to visit relatives in Utah, and lug us back and forth from college when we were older. He was never a selfish man though he loved hunting, fishing, golfing and could have just gone off with the guys. Most everything he did was involved with some or all of the family.

He was a very hard worker and was looked up to in the community as an honest, wise, and fair person. He always lived exactly who he was as far as I know.

My friends all loved him, too. He would take us girls to as many out-of-town football and basketball games as time and money would allow. He was always in the audience strongly cheering "our" high school heroes. He was generous with his time and what little he had.

He taught us to work --One of the first things he taught me as I began to seek jobs in junior high was to "always be worth more than what you were paid".

They say one of the best things a father can do for his children is to love their Mom and that he did. He loved my Mom and it showed--we had our big meal at noon, everyone coming home from school and Dad coming home from work and one of my fondest memories is his dancing Mom around the kitchen and then giving her a big noisy kiss before he went back to work each day.

In high school we found some of his love letters to Mom and we read them out loud and he just grinned. He was quite the romantic.

He occasionally raised his voice, but not often, and he never raised a hand in discipline though he raised six children, six children who pretty much stayed in line all the time. All have been to the Temple, all have stayed active in the Church and raised their children in the traditions of their father.

He was a good listener but didn't try to preach at you, just let you know he was there for you.

Dad had about three children in college at a time for a long time. We were always expected to have part-time jobs but that didn’t pay for a lot.

Being the leader in our little Branch of the Church for so many years could not have been easy. He had to prepare so many talks and guide so many people while he ran a store, was a leader in the Elks, on the school board, head of the Chamber of Commerce. He was a leader who served well but never for his own glory, always modestly, doing whatever was needed.

A kinder, gentler more caring father could not be had. A better example for his family and community I am sure does not exist.

He was a good, good man. And I remember he most always had a smile on his face. Happy Father's Day, Dad, you were the best!

Second story…

When my husband passed away I asked my son James to speak at his funeral. He was looking through Richard’s things trying to get some ideas on what to talk about. Now Richard did not have a lot of stuff like I do, he was not a collector. But there was the old Book Box that was filled with all of the floral cards from his father’s funeral. Richard always said he knew the exact minute his Dad died. He was at the Chapel practicing for the Sunday Primary program. You remember those days when Primary was on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon.

He suddenly became very still and quiet and even though there was lots of noise going on around him he just sat there and quietly thought about his Dad. It wasn’t long before one of the teachers came and told him he was to go home. He didn’t live far from the Chapel. When he arrived he was told his father had died. Richard was 11 years old.

As James was looking through the box at all the cards he saw there was some index cards also. He got them all out and arranged them in the numbered order and lo and behold it was a talk that Richard, his father, had given in Church on Easter some years ago, about 9 years before he passed away as far as we could figure.

In this talk Richard was expressing his feelings on finding this box with all the names of relatives and friends that he knew who were honoring his father. He had very tender feelings as he thought about actually having a reunion with his father and all these other relatives and friends at the time of the resurrection.

Now Richard’s father must have been very loved. I counted 47 floral cards—all with several names on them or a group name. You would have thought he was a very important person. Actually he was a very important person, the custodian of the Las Vegas High School, evidently a very beloved custodian. Richard had great esteem for his father and I had catalogued along with other letters a poem he had written to his mother when he was attending BYU.

I won’t read the whole thing—you are probably familiar with it---his mother was probably very worried about him away from home. He wanted her to know he would not do anything she or his father would be ashamed of.

“I follow a famous father,
His honor is mine to wear,
He gave me a name that was free from shame
And a name he was proud to bear.
He lived in the morning sunlight,
He marched in the ranks of right
He was always true to the best he knew
And the shield he wore was bright.


I follow a famous father
And him I must keep in mind.
Though his form is gone
I must carry on the name that he left behind.
It was mine on the day he gave it,
It shone as a monarch’s crown.
And as fair to see as it came to me
It must be when I put it down.”

Just as Richard had great esteem for his Father and the things he had been taught by him and about him now James was reading about the testimony that his father had of the Gospel.

It was like Richard was sharing his belief in Jesus Christ and the atonement, and his understanding of the gift of the resurrection and eternal life with his son James. He talked about the free agency that Heavenly Father has given us and the choices we all must make and the need to continually seek our Father’s guidance and keep going in the right direction until that final day of resurrection when we will all be together again.

My son James had just the material he needed for the talk about his Father and it touched all of us at the funeral as he shared this experience and others with us.

Boyd K Packer said, "It should have great meaning that of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that could be given him, God himself, he who is the highest of all, chose to be addressed simply as Father.

Third story happened just last year.

When I moved here in 1999 I bought this little house with this huge lot and though it was fine to leave it mostly as dirt there was this area below the deck that always turned to mud that Bandido and I tracked in the house, so I drew a plan for a kidney shaped patio out of brick or flagstone or something. My neighbor told me I could put it in sand. I pondered how I could do this alone and then John, Marjorie’s son began to bring up river rock to her house and I liked that idea.

The Thiessens said they would show me how. They drove me to the river and showed me what kind to gather and helped me gather rock in their red truck. Wow, those rocks are heavy and it was going to take a lot more than I thought. Marjorie helped me gather river rock. My Grandchildren helped me gather river rock. I was accumulating quite a few but I had no sand base to put them in so I began to use them for a path instead of the patio. In the meantime my grandson dug out and flattened the mud hole in anticipation of the patio. The Thiessens lent me their stone making forms as a possible way to get to a patio sooner. I bought some cement but that seemed like too much work for me, too, so I gave the stone forms back and just kept gathering rocks.

By last August 9 ½ years after I moved here I had a fairly flat kidney shaped dirt base and a 150 river rock path that led from the front to the back and about 5 river rocks for my patio. My daughters family was coming for a boating trip which they had begun to do every other year since I had moved here. She asked me if I had any projects that needed doing while they were there. I said, "Well, there is the river rock patio".

Gary, Linda’s husband counseled with me about the patio after they arrived. We concluded we needed sand and we also needed a truck to carry the sand. His son-in- law Mike had a truck with him for the weekend but he had to leave Sunday evening to go back to Reno for work the next week.

Gary borrowed the truck without saying anything to anyone and drove into Chester. He scoped it out—now this was late afternoon—He found a place to buy sand and went there but it was closed but while he was parked there a man comes up and asks him what he wants. He explains about the mother-in-law and the river rock patio and only a week to get it done and the need for sand and the truck only for the weekend. The man was the owner and he filled the truck with sand.

Gary calls the family and tells them to meet him at my house and with the few shovels and rakes I had they emptied the truck, put the black plastic down and then the sand and Gary flattens it all out and makes a kidney shaped patio out of sand. And then each day after they had been boating and skiing Gary takes the children to the river and they gather river rock and put it into his fancy Van that he keeps so clean and they bring them to my house and leaves them at the edge of the patio. Sometimes they made more than one trip and every day while they were boating I would put them in place and the next day they would bring another load.  It was going to take a lot of rocks!!!

Now here was a Father who had always expected his children to work – on Saturdays the cars were washed, the lawn mowed, the house cleaned. If they were going somewhere on Saturday, the work was expected to be done on Friday afternoon. I have seen also, if the work is not completed before they went to bed, they must finish it first.

This was a family who had a lot of trips and fun together but who also worked together Their father expected they would do this and there was no fuss, no complaints.  It was done and by the end of the week there was only one little area that wasn’t complete and another grandson finished that. I once tried to count the rocks, there is probably around 500—that is a lot or rocks to gather in a week.

I even heard them say it was one of the best vacations they ever had.

As a great father King Benjamin told us from the Book of Mormon ‘When you are in the service of your fellow man, you are only in the service of your Lord.”

You know we are living in a day when many fathers are working to build material legacies of homes, boats, and bank accounts for their children. We, however, have been taught from the Book of Mormon fathers, the importance of leaving eternal legacies for our children. What more could we hope for than to leave our children the spiritual tools of  self-control, of love and service to their fellow man and the faith to become witnesses and disciples of Jesus Christ? Think of Lehi teaching his sons Nephi and Jacob, Jacob teaching his son Enos, King Benjamin teaching his three sons, Mosiah teaching his four sons, Alma teaching his sons, Helaman teaching his sons Lehi and Nephi and Mormon teaching his son Moroni and my husband’s father teaching him and Richard teaching his son James and Gary teaching his children.  All are fathers leaving eternal legacies to their sons and daughters through their words and through the lives they live.

I will finish with President Hinckley’s final words to all the fathers on Fathers Day 1999. “God bless you. I pray for you, that there may be peace and love in your homes, that you may be prospered in your honest endeavors, and that when the times comes you may stand before the Lord and receive his welcome ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

It's for the Birds!

Matt did a great job of renovating the Home Sign.  (The Great Escape actually refers to Bandido and I getting out of the city and coming to the mountains.)

The Lady Bug

The Apple Inn

Haunted House
(Bruce barks at it)

The Bee House

 The Montanan

Country Cottage

Matt's House
(made it in Shop years ago)

The School House

The Boat House

The Farm House

The birds will have new places to choose from next spring--wonder if any of them will move in???

Matt has been busy working on my yard.  Really looks great!

River Rock Patio made it through the winter!

Another Weekend in Lake Almanor--Sun is Shining!

I bought the thermometer for the wood stove and it is supposed to get up over 230 degrees to be out of creosote territory.  It never got over 200 degrees!!  Now what is that about--I pulled the draft all the way out.  Not enough wood at one time?  Too warm outside?  I don't know.

Saturday I awoke early and fertilized the front yard (did the back and side last week) and then actually washed my car after being here for three weeks with bugs all over it.  The fact I felt like doing it is monumental I think.  The sun is out!

Saturday, I also recorded some movies and watched "Mutiny on the Bounty".  This was the color version with Marlon Brando.  I do not remember watching it before though I must have seen the old black and white.  It was over three hours long but excellent.  It is hard to understand the inhumanity of some people. Where does that come from??  I think the Tahitians had a happy, simple way of life.  I doubt it is still like that there.

Matt spent the day in the sun and his friend Leo and children came up.  At night he went to Susanville.

I have my reading project for the summer, "Jesus the Christ"--over 700 pages but Talmage puts it all together so well, I am enjoying it.  It was years ago that I read it.

This morning my blood pressure is extremely high.  I took the machine in and tested it with Dr. Natali's and they were less than 10 pts apart.  The assistant said that was good.  Dr. Natali is switching the medication.  He says it has to come down lower.  Very puzzling.  He said that Dr. Hemp mentioned how bad my right artery was.  Dr. Hemp keeps telling everyone that.

I said to him that I feel like a healthy woman.  And he says I am except for the vascular disease.  I read all the copies of reports they gave me on the last day I was in the San Diego office.  It is very interesting to read how they write everything down you tell them.  I was amazed how well they remembered everything I said.  It was also interesting how they stressed that they had told me all the negatives of the surgery and I was "anxious" to proceed.  Really, anxious, huh???  More like, well, what else can I do?, I think.

Poor Bandido, he appears to be so miserable.  I think I better take him in and see what Dr. Bob has to say.  Maybe he can give him something for his discomfort.  Bandido and I are falling apart together.

Another Test Ordered!!

Now they really have me worried!  I have to have a CT angiogram on my artery on Monday in Chico.  I am not sure why Drs never get the messages intended for them but once they get them they really act. 

I talked with Dr. Rubenson's Assistant today, Dr. Hemp, and Dr. Natali and they want to get the bottom of this left hand problem I am having.  I have to go up to 325 aspirin per day and if it happens again, go on plavix.  Once Dr. Hemp gets the test he will decide what I need to do.  I hope I don't have to go to San Diego again.

Dr Natali also did a biopsy on my spot on the arm that never heals.  He never got the message Dr. Hemp was trying to reach him to know where to get the test.  This is the second time this has happened.  I can see Dr. Natali is very frustrated with the new office staff since he and Dr. Ware merged.  He does not get his messages obviously.  I called Dr. Hemp on my cell and acted like the receptionist and got the two Drs together finally!

Marjorie has severe problems with her back and has to have another test also.  We are hoping she can do it on Monday, also and Matt can drive us old ladies down and back and no stress on us.  We both need a keeper!!! 

In the meantime, the rain keeps coming down but I notice that the plants are growing by leaps and bounds with all the rain and sunshine periodically so that is good.  At least the rain held off till Matt could deliver his fourth load. 

Also I need to record what the cute chimney sweep guy told me yesterday so I can read it and remember.  I need to find a gauge for the stove that will tell me how hot it is--I already forgot today when I was in Chester.  I need to burn my fire hot, hot, everyday if possible to keep the creosote burning and not sticking to the sides.  I must be sure it has burned very hot before turning it down for the evening.  Since I have a small house, my fire gets the house very hot.  I should crack a window and it will be more comfortable.  Also I can start my fire with paper--do not have to use wood starter each time.  And this is a very good stove and I do not need to be afraid of it burning so furiously hot.  Matt cut the cedar tree from the other neighbors today.  We are going to try and put a birdhouse on part of it and build a bench from part of it and use the rest for firewood.  Cedar wood is very attractive and smells good, too.

That is the end of my adventures in the mountains today.  The lake is looking so full and beautiful...a nice place to be.  Just hoping for more sun.

The Montana Years--not to be printed...

After chatting with Blog2print yesterday I realized I cannot print 'The Montana Years' the way I have it.  This is good to know. 1--Their template cannot recognize the difference between picture captions and your regular dialogue, so all captions need to be printed on the picture or on a separate page.  2--Even though you choose to not have Dates or Posted by on your blog, their template picks it up anyway and prints it.

So, Blog2print will not print my history the way I have it.  So I just printed it off and put it in my photo album, but at least it is finished now, my 23 years up until I leave Montana and move to San Diego in 1956.

Someday, if I choose, I can print my whole life in LDS Journals.  For now I just have a super photo album with part of my life and more detail than anyone else really cares to know.  Se la vie...

In the meantime, Matt has fixed my watering problems, laid down new soakers, and cleared more yard debris.  He borrowed his Dad's truck and is transporting the needles and branch waste to Lassen landfill today.  What a worker.  Now I don't have to rely on any men from the Church helping me.  That is good.  Appreciate you, Matt.

Hard Times Are Here

There are definite signs of economic stress here, which is so sad.  I ran in to Donna, the gal I used to work for at Fidelity Title, and she said their office had been closed.  "The only houses selling are foreclosures and short sales."  Donna had such a following it is hard to believe but several of the real estate offices have been closed as well.  Businesses have been closed, too.

I was interested in a remark that my Mom made in writing her history.  She said she felt the depression of the 30's went on longer than it needed because people who had money were too embarrassed to spend it.  Interesting thought.  Wonder if that is happening now?

Another hand dropping incident--on the way home from Marjorie's on Saturday, about 8 minutes.  Scaring me.

At least I will have some wood in the following years.  Matt was here trimming my tree that fell and two neighbors with fallen trees said we could have all the wood if we wanted to cut them up and take them.  Matt is so fast at chain sawing, the hard part will be moving and stacking the wood for future use.  Surely appreciate Matt.

Good Ole' Betty Crocker

My first cookbook was by Betty Crocker but the cookbook I used most was Mom's Dorcas Cookbook from the Congregational Church.  From this came the famous Spanish Rice which we cooked over and over when we were first married.  I came upon it recently and decided I must try it again.  It is a time to live cheap!

6 slices of bacon, chopped
1/4 c finely chopped onion
1/4 c chopped green pepper
2 c canned tomatoes
3 c cooked rice (l c uncooked)
1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper

Fry bacon until crisp; remove and add onion and green pepper; cook slowly until onion is soft and yellow.  Add remaining ingredients and bacon.  Bake in greased casserole in moderate oven (350) about 30 minutes.  if desired, 1/4 c grated cheese may be sprinkled over top before baking.  Serves 8

But back to Betty Crocker and not living cheap.  I tried her Gluten Free Chocolate Cake and it is so moist and delicious!  It also makes 14 nice size pieces to freeze for dessert (with homemade Fudge frosting on it, of course).  So far Betty Crocker gets A+ for her Gluten Free Desserts.  The only one I have not tried yet is the Brownies.  Maybe next week.

Mother Nature on a Rampage

Mother Nature had her fun during the winter and sent a huge windstorm to our area.  One of my trees broke at the top and smashed down on my neighbors fence so we need to do the clean up.  Matt will be here next week and will bring his Dad's chainsaw I hope.

So the fence was totally destroyed in this section.  My insurance company says his insurance company will have to pay for the fence because it was a natural disaster and not because of my negligence.  It was not a community fence and is totally on his property.  We can use the firewood, that is good.  Now I am wondering if the damaged tree will rot and be a threat and need to be cut down.

And my chimney needs cleaning--it is sending out strange burnings and I am concerned about a chimney fire.  Oh, the joys of home ownership.

A Class Act

Kelly, Kristi, Tanner, Amy, Sarah, Craig

I was reading Sarah's blog and came across this classic picture of the Pulsiphers.  I have no idea when it was taken but I love it.  What beautiful grandchildren.

Complaining Old Ladies, That is Us

When Marjorie showed me the ward bulletin Sunday that she and I were scheduled for cleaning the Church in the month of June we got the giggles.  Talk about the lame leading the lame!  She has aches and pains from her shoulder all the way down her back and and legs can hardly manage to do what she has to do at home.  She is currently pursuing medical advice to see what can be done.

And me, well I am still barely operating at a old lady level for strength and energy and have one foot in pain and one hand in pain and another that will or will not function occasionally.  I keep myself going with a little help from family but am not ready to hire myself out, that is for sure.  Plus I am still being monitored by Dr. Natali for high blood pressure and reaction to medicine for my heart. 

Anyway Marjorie is elected to ask the Bishop to switch us out.  Marjorie is the oldest one in the ward and I am second.  She always talks to everyone and acts so vital and young at Church but she is hurting, they do not realize that.  And I just went through major surgery and haven't done anything physical for months because of my foot. We don't like to be complaining old ladies but when do we get to retire?  

Living Gluten Free--Not So Hard After All

Today I had pancakes that tasted normal, now I will have to try the gluten free flour for making Swedish and Grandma's pancakes.  This week I have had my favorite tuna pasta salad, hamburger stroganoff on pasta, corn bread, chocolate chip cookies and I have in my Gluten Free Pantry chocolate cake mix, brownie mix, french bread mix, cheese and pasta, pie crust mix, rice and noodle soup...

I found the Super Walmart in Reno had the most complete and cheapest Gluten Free products but IGA in Susanville had a lot and I know the Holiday in Chester has quite an assortment.  Yes, they cost a little more but for a happy indigestion, it is well worth it.  And think of the money I am saving by not buying commercially made products.

While in Reno after taking Linda home, we also shopped at Costco and I bought a bunch of bananas for $1.29!  I always think anyone who shops at Costco and does not buy the bananas is a little bananas themselves but what do I do with a whole bunch of bananas when 1/2 banana a day is about my quota?  Ah, I made two batches of sugarless raspberry jello and filled it with bananas.  I have enough dessert for two weeks.  Sometimes my brilliance amazes me.

Father Day Talk

Mary Anne came up to me on Sunday and said, "You are probably not going to like me after this but Relief Society is to speak on Father's Day, how about you?"  I said, "Sure, I had a great father, I can do that."  I mean really, if you have to take your turn, what better time than on Father's Day when you have such an easy subject.  In fact, here is where blogging comes in handy, for the last few years I have blogged about my Dad on Father's Day so all my thoughts are all ready written!  Plus a few more quotes from you know where and my talk is prepared.

Of course, I did just give my last talk just before I left in November and that was on women but now I won't be asked for at least a year or more...

Last night I had another one of those hand dropping weakness in the left hand which sent the Drs to do another doppler before I left.  I am thinking it is related more to nerve problems than heart though.  It was in the left three fingers and they were totally unusable for almost 8 minutues.  I know, I was looking up information and could hardly use the keyboard in my left hand.  I sat and squeezed a ball in my left hand the rest of the night.  It seems I am truly falling apart one piece at a time. 

But what can you do but keep on, keeping on...and get your life in order.

Home Again!

I've been home a week and it is so good. Linda was kind enough to drive me home (I helped a little) and then proceed to organize and clean my house, drawers and everything, wash the windows etc. My house has never looked so good. It would have taken me weeks. Oh, and yes, first we had to take down and put away all the Christmas decorations! Good job, Linda. Could not have done it without you. Thank you so much.

 Matt, my grandson, had already been here a couple weeks and had raked and cleaned the whole yard. It looks so good. Really appreciate all the hard work, Matt. Thank you, thank you.

 Since Linda has gone and I have been doing some work myself inside and out with all my projects and I am feeling more energized and healthier than I have in a long time. I am happier, too.

So what is it I love so much about being home? Here is a partial list anyway:

• 
  
  My own bed
• 
  
  Bubble Bath every night
• 
  
  Remote Controlled Music to put me to Sleep
• 
  
  Recorded Programs on TV
• 
  
  Good Reading Lights in Every Room
• 
  
  My Own Little Kitchen and Freezer
• 
  
   All My Projects to Keep Me Busy
• 
  
   View of My Back yard
• 
  
  View of My Trees in Front 
• 
  
  Absolute Stillness Around Me
• 
  
  The Big Trees All Around Me
• 
  
  Yard to Work In
• 
  
   A Friend Nearby
• 
  
  Comfy Couch to Watch TV
• 
  
  My own Office with Everything I Need

 

Going Home

Yea, I am headed home on Saturday.  I will need to return when I come to San Diego in January or so next year and have a doppler test again.  This last one showed some narrowing but it is edema rather than plaque so should continue to get better.  My blood pressure machine is misreading about half the time and it may be because of irregular beats?  Hopefully it will continue to go down once I get in my own peaceful habitat.  So Lake Almanor, warm up, I am coming home!

Dave called and they are back home in Idaho and freezing!  What happened to spring this year?  He told me a very funny story about the helicopters that came because of an accident near Hoover Dam and what happened to him...ask me or him.  It is much funnier when he tells it.

James, Camber and the children have been marvelous to me while I have been here.  Too bad I am leaving just as the pool is warming up.  I will miss the children but Kelsi is talking about visiting me and having a playdate so hopefully it will happen.

Johnny says he wants to visit and see where I live, hopefully that will happen, too.  Maria and Johnny took me to the Dr today.  This was my last day not driving.  The good thing about it is that I really accomplished alot while staying put at the computer.

Linda will drive home with me and I appreciate that so much.  Accolades to my children for all they do for me.  Hopefully this will be the last for a long while.

Oh, yes, Matt called and he has my yard all cleaned up.  Mine and Marjories, good for him.  He is off to Colorado and then will back again for a couple of weeks so I will think of some projects for him before he heads to Tahoe for the summer.

I get along with a little help from my friends...

Final Meeting with Dr. Hemp

I had my final meeting with Dr. Hemp. He said the stitches are self-absorbing. The hand weakness I had for a short time could have been caused by something breaking off ?  If it happens again for longer than a few seconds, be sure and call.

The doppler showed 50 per cent closure but it is from edema, not placque and should lesson. They don’t usually look at it this soon.  I had gone in because of the huge swollen edema on my neck.

But because of the hand drop they needed to look. He said my plaque went up further on both ends than usual but the edema is in the center area.

He said at the branch part one artery goes to the brain. The other artery just goes to face and doesn't matter.

They numbness in my face is from the nerves to the face being touched during the operation and should get better.

They want me back in January for a relook.
In testing my blood pressure on my machine it was 192 compared to 160 on theirs so no way it is accurate. Could be I am having irregular beats when I am taking it and then it will measure wrong.

The blood pressure medicine should immediately start working--go over everything with Melinda about it and how the lipitor affects me.

I am free to go home as far as he is concerned and I can drive now.

Mother's Day 2010

Mother's Day started with Linda spending the day with me on Friday.  My  blood pressure was so high they wanted to check it at the hospital before giving me a prescription.  The cardiac doctor Dr. Rubenson visited with us as well and then ordered the doppler test done again on both the left and the right side.  So Linda took me to lunch and the documentary 'Babies' before going back for the tests at 3.  I appreciated so much her staying with me the whole day, we had lots of good conversation.

On Friday evening the Hardy children gave me lovely cards they had written themselves.

On Saturday Maria, James, Jacob, Lea, Jimmy, Kelsi and I had lunch at Rubios (I tried the new Mahi, Mahi) and then saw the documentary 'Oceans'.  We all enjoyed the movie very much except for Kelsi.  She only likes "kid shows" so James spent a lot of time outside with her.

On Sunday James and Lea took me over to Ben and Sharon's home where Sharon's Mom, Sister and their families were getting together and we were meeting Maria and Johnny.  Ben and Bob (Johnny's father) grilled really tender chicken, so good.

We practically raised our children side by side in our early days.  I will never forget our Disneyland trip and many, many trips to the beach and other places.  Ben and Sharon just happen to be Johnny's aunt and uncle.  Small world!  I didn't get a picture of Johnny's parents Bob and Suzie but Suzie reminded me we had had a baby shower for her in my Pacific Beach home when she was pregnant with daughter Michelle! 

Camber gave me a bouquet of roses.  So sweet of her.

Johnny gave me a bouquet at Sharon's house along with his Mom, Aunt, and Grandmother.  So thoughtful of him.

 

Lea picked roses from around the yard and gave me a lovely bouquet. So nice of her.

It was a lovely Mother's Day weekend and so fun to see old friends and children all grown up with their children.  I should have gotten pictures.

Journaling to Printed Books

I did it.  I organized and ordered hard cover books on my blog for 2005-6, 2007, 2008, and 2009.  I expect that some of the pictures will not be great and I learned a few things so I think the next one I do will be better but I am glad I made a decision and did it!!

Now I just have to start a blog on the rest of my life (which I can take from many journals and Word documents) so I can book them as well and then my journaling will be up to date!  Should only take the rest of my life to finish but the parts of my life that are most vacant from journaling is when I was raising my children. 

Hmm, where could I get accurate memories of that?  I am thinking, not from my children as each remembers things differently.  Strange how that works.

Generations

Another interesting show I watched this morning was Generations on the BYU Channel. Presented today was a Hawaiian lady who researched the validity of the oral history on her grandmother and with help from others found some things which were true and some that were not.

In the 1800s the Hawaiians were subject to diseases brought from other places as they had not built up immunities.  Thousands were sent to an island with leprosy.  One of these was her grandmother who lived there from the time she was 24.  She married one of the other lepers and they bore five children.  The laws at that time had the babies immediately sent to relatives or a orphanage away from the island.  They were married some time after arriving on the island in 1894.  He was declared cured in 1908 but he did not leave until after she died in 1917.  Then he went to Hawaii, reunited with his children, worked as an architect, married again and bore two more children.  It was quite a love story and a reminder of the sadness and happiness we live in this earthly life.

The lady had written and sung a beautiful love song about this couple and of course, she has recorded for future generations the history of this ancestor.  It is quite amazing the tools that are available for research on our families.  Interesting program!

BYU

I just watched a fascinating video of the Builders of BYU on the BYU Channel. What a powerful story. I was there in the Pres. Ernest L. Wilkinson years and attended Firesides in his home and had him visit our Heritage Halls apartment--even patted my head as he showed off our unit to Mr. J C Penney. I enjoyed my years there so much--so very appreciative to my parents for sending me. It was a pivotal time in my life and much, much more than I had expected college would be. I am so glad I was able to live on campus most of the time. I had 29 room mates and lived in four different places while I was there but my favorite was the Heritage Halls--we were the first ones to live in the apartments after they were built.

Some of us were photographed for an article about the new living apartments.

In front of Heritage Halls--BYU junior in my Squaw dress-- made by my New Mexico roommate's mother.

They look different inside today and I see you couldn't have any door-to-door solicitation but I made extra money by collecting the dry cleaning from everyone in the apartments and saving for an employee of a cleaning company to pick up.  Oh, yes, this was my bad cut and perm...

Early Morning Walk

I surprised Bandido with an early morning walk--first time in eight months--no wonder I could hardly get him out of bed!  I must be doing well.

Energy Up!!

Today I was out playing ball and other games with the Hardy children.  Energy I have not had in a long, long time.  Thumbs Up!

Jacob as a Nerd

Jacob went to the final Cotillion dance tonight and it was costume. He was dressed as a Nerd. Cute Nerd!

What's New?

So what is new in hospital care after 40 some years?  First of all the catheter is totally different--don't even feel it.  I used to hate that thing.  Secondly the elastic white stockings to prevent blood clots are gone.  There are loosely wrapped quilted white cotten pads wrapped around your legs.  They are attached to a motor and you get a mini massage on alternate legs all through the night.  I liked it.

The bed was very comfy also and it was nice not to hear each other's tvs.  Since everyone has a cell phone now, there were no phones ringing.  There are definitely more male nurses, a lot more.  They are so sweet and caring.  Very nice.  I will never forget the one that called me a skinny minny.  All in all I thought the medical care was super.  I was on the 11th floor where they monitor you carefully so there was no shortage of nurses. 

One scary thing happened when my Nurse was talking to me from the bottom end of my bed.  A patient saw her and told her his roommate had just had a seizure.  She hurried from the room but soon came back to calm me.  She said the roommate did not have a seizure but this patient was a little weird and had already gone into one female's room and to call her immediately if he wandered in...

The only problem was since I had no room assigned to me when I went to surgery we couldn't find what they had done with my clothes.  The clothes were sent to the 7th floor locker because it is the cardiac floor.  I wasn't assigned a room until 7 o'clock at night on the 11th.  Everyone claimed to be calling for them from the 11th floor but you know--not your responsibility kind of thing on the 7th floor.  We finally asked my male nurse if Linda could go down to the 7th floor and see if they were in the locker at 10:30 AM.  He appreciated it and she had them immediately. 

It takes a special kind of person to want to work with sick people.  They have to be patient and cheerful and caring.  I was very impressed.  I liked my surgeon from the moment I saw all kinds of pictures like John had of mountains he had climbed on his office wall--very healthy physically and a good sense of humor patient bedside manner.  Hats off to the medical community--doing a great job under probably very trying circumstances.

Do I Look Smarter?

All hooked up and ready to go to surgery.

Seven hours later--still smiling.  More blood to the brain.  Am I smarter?  Look more tired but I actually felt great.

All night long they tested me for stroke.  One of the tests is a smile--can't be crooked, Stick out the tongue--must be straight, etc.  There are a lot of other tests and the nurse takes them periodically all night long.  Good thing I was watching TCM.  We (my bed partner) each had a separate head nurse and the same assistant.  We could ask for anything we wanted.  My partner asked for a Margarita, she settled for Ginger ale with a Tuna Sandwich at 3 A M.  She kept telling him she wanted to stay for a few more days.  It is fun to be catered to once in awhile.

When the Dr came in the next morning he told us why the surgery took so long (3 1/2 hrs) my artery was twisted and he had difficulty untwisting and cleaning and reattaching.  Lucky I had been referred to him.  He evidently is an expert.  One nurse said he was the best.  And he did not do the newer stent surgery from the groin which could have been a problem with a twisted artery I am thinking.  It was 80-90% narrowed (more than they thought) so I should have more energy and be more alert with more blood flow to my brain.  Yea! Rosie, my last nurse, reminded me again and again how fortunate it was Dr. Natali caught it with his little stethoscope and that I ended up with Dr. Hemp as my surgeon.  Feeling very blessed.

Oh, yes, view from the 11th floor with a full moon and colored lights of  Hillcrest was quite lovely.

That Day is Here

This morning I go to surgery--not looking forward to it at all.  One more "Do what you have to do when it has to be done" kind of thing.  Just get through it and move on and hope it accomplishes what it should.

Jean Martin told me that Dow Lewis passed away.  I feel so sad for his wife Judy.  They were having such a wonderful life working in the Temple, his successful car businesses, vacation home in Lake Almanor, great family.  Why does it all have to be cut short too soon.  Judy will miss him terribly and it sounds like he was well loved and respected by the community of Yuba City. 
And then some people live on and on, way too long.  There are so many things that are so unfair in life.  I always remember what Sister Parmley said, "The Lord didn't promise you it would be easy, only that he would be with you always."  My heart goes out to Judy.  She will be so lonely.  He was always such a cheerful, positive guy, I had no knowledge he was ill.  So sad.

Had a nice Sunday at the Pulsiphers--Amy and Craig were home and look so good.  I always enjoy their ward and going home to their dinners.  It cheered me so when Kate looked so happy to see me at church.  I was going to have James give me a blessing but he would have had to call someone else to come over so I asked Gary to do it and Mike assisted.  It was a very comforting and complete blessing.  Priesthood blessings have been a very important part of my life for as long as I remember.  I so appreciate being able to call on that power in my life.  It brings the peace I need.  I remember the one time I was called to Texas when I was not feeling very well and I called my home teachers to come.  They wondered if maybe I shouldn't go, my age and all, but they gave me a beautiful blessing and I really was just fine the whole trip.

So onward and upward, hope I get energized with a new zest for life after this is all over and I am finally going home again.  As Dorothy said, "There's no place like home."

Carotid Artery Surgery Tomorrow

Oh, yes, they moved up my surgery to tomorrow.  I hardly ever get phone calls and I get into the movie on Friday afternoon and I suddenly get three phone calls in a row so I decide I better find out what is so important.  I am very nervous about this.  I have trust issues, always have.  Trusting a surgeon to cut into your neck after he has had a long heart surgery or even at all is very difficult for me.  I tend to imagine the worst happening like nipping the wrong thing.  Did he actual tell me all the risks and then say it hadn't happened in years like it actually did at some time?  I am not sure but I didn't want to ask for details.  I have probably watched too many medical shows which makes it worse.  But it does seem that they don't get much time to study the individual patient.  They look at the file for the first time (it appears) when you are sitting there in front of them and then start looking at the screen at all kinds of tests and then make a decision what they are going to do (0h, if you agree, of course).  Very unsettling to me.  They make it appear like it is your choice but after telling you all the risks, is it really your choice? I don't think so.  Anyway if I am still here on Tuesday I will report how the whole thing played out.  I have tried very hard to avoid doctors and hospitals for a long time but the last two years I have seen too many.  Hope this is the last for awhile.

Seven Dwarfs

I didn't whittle my Seven Dwarfs beds but I did make them with a saw, sandpaper, glue and paint plus I hand sewed little mattresses, pillows and covers. I also created a table, stools, a tablecloth, painted some dishes and made pots of flowers. Amazing what you can do with lots of time, Michaels and becoming a child again.

The Anderson Relative's Roost--Silvergate, Montana

This is a picture from fun trip to the Cabin in 2005--you can see the beautiful mountain view in the window reflection.

Below is an old picture from Kristi, Richard, me, Meagan, James and Camber at the Anderson Cabin in Silvergate, Montana.  The area to the right is the proposed area for the renovated bunkhouse as described below.  Richard and I first went to the cabin as a family when John was one year old.  My Dad put a fishpole in John's hands and he loved it and he loved the cabin and came to love fishing.  Not many of our California relatives use the cabin but my descendants are entitled to two weeks a year so it is a trip everyone should plan for at least once or twice in their lifetime and see Yellowstone Park at the same time.

 From my sister Carole:

"It has been over 50 years since any major improvements to the cabin. Fuqua'a have patched the roof on the shed but now there is a serious leakage between the porch roof and cabin. It is a good time to redo the porch roof and enlarge and enclose the porch into a Bunk/Game Room or should we call it a "cousins" room. I asked Randy Smith, certified Montana cabin builder, grandson and heck of a nice guy to take charge and be the contractor. He has accepted and is now checking out prices etc. He hopes we can do this for around $3,000. If every family of the major families could contribute $600 plus or minus as you are able, we could get this project going. Dustan Diede, certified jouneyman, will do the electricity and hopefully the volunteer carpenters and worker bees will show up. We will let you know the designated weekends.

A cabin is a family history. Ferrell Anderson and 2 carpenters built the cabin in 1960. Stan Thayne put in the fireplace. Ferrell's brother-in-law put in the plumbing. Ethel Anderson, grandma, made them put in the picture window the following year. We still have much talent in the family. Randy is a cabin builder in Montana, has the know how and supplies, tools and will do an excellent job if he has help. We hope to accomplish this in several week-ends and have it available by when the time-frames begin. We will let you know the weekends so you can bring your truck, power tools and happy dispositions.

I know this seems fast but it has to be done and we have been thinking about it for years. We do not want a lodge, we want our cabin as it has been for the last years with only just a little more room. I hope we have all your cooperation and that we can continue to enjoy our little spot of heaven for many, many more years."

We hope everyone contributes.  It is amazing how well the cabin has been kept up and shared with over 100 descendants of the builder, my Dad.  He passed away in 1968 so had a short time of usage in his lifetime but he must be thrilled to know how many have come to love and use his cabin. 

Silvergate has not changed that much since I first went there in the 40's and that is the beauty of it.  The view from the cabin is unbelievable of the Montana mountains and there are so many places to hike and fish in the surrounding area.  Meagan and Matt have come to love it.  I hope others plan to use it someday also.

 

Happiness Box

Thursday Maria and I met at Chevy's and had our favorite Flautas--50% off during Happy Hours 3-7!!!  From there we attended a Women's Night at the Del Mar Ward.  There were two speakers--one a Counselor who spoke on our Happiness Box and the other speaking on Love and Logic.  I love the Love and Logic but my children are raised and I probably did it all wrong so no use fretting over it and hearing how wrong I did it--but the other Happiness is a Box intrigued me. 

The theory is that each of us is to carry our own Happiness Box and not expect someone else to carry it for us.  We are responsible for our own happiness.  It reminded me of the talk I heard at Rick's College years ago when Maria and I visited Linda there.  The speaker emphasized to the girls that it was not up to their husband to make them happy.  My gynecologist used to tell me I wanted to live like a Princess and that I would feel just fine if I was going off on a magical vacation.  Hmm, I must have been expecting Richard to carry my happiness box and he tried to, I believe.  The question is...what makes me happy now?  What do I need to do to be happy?

I have been thinking a lot about that and I know for one thing.  Not feeling well does not make me feel happy at all so first I need to figure out what I need to do to feel 100% physically well.  For one thing I know I do not feel well taking that statin drug they gave me.  I feel so tired I can't get going until it is almost worn off.  My joints ache and I feel weak.  So first thing Monday I am discussing that with my PA at Scripps. 

Secondly I need to walk even more and work through the leg pain.  Yes, the orthotics and new shoes are working but they make the body feel differently and I need to adapt.  Question is will I ever be able to wear my boots or sandals or wedgies or heels again without my foot hurting???  Within the next six months I can order other orthotics for each pair at $200 a pop.  Yeah, sure, I will do that, ha.  So how to be happy walking and getting dressed up if my foot hurts???

Anyway being physically well is most important right now and that is what I will work on and think about more later.  I was impressed with the blog I read of  "Life on the Green Line" by a young couple living in Boston.  Google was touting their blog and it is really good.  Anna was listing all her goals and it was most impressive the way she detailed it.  I have all my goal lists and things I want to do before I die, etc. but I had never detailed them like that.  I may work on that.  Never too late to plan for a happy life.

The Matter of the Heart

This is written for me, because out of sight is out of mind and I must remember everything they told me.

After a month of tests I met with the PA of my cardioligist and my thoracic surgeon.  Good news is that the plaque in my heart and limbs is about what would be expected of a 77 year old woman--not too bad.  Bad news is my right carotid artery is even worse than the doppler test showed so I will have surgery on May 3.  It will take an overnight stay and a revisit on the 18th which means I can't go home till May19!!!  I also need to start taking a statin drug and they want me to monitor my blood pressure and if it is still high after I get back to my normal home environment I will have to treat that as well.  I think a lot of my problem has been that since I have had this metatarsal problem I have not been exercising as normal.  Hopefully I can change that now with my orthotic and great walking shoes.  Must start walking and work through the leg pain.

Actually my cholesterol is better than it was for years but the damage has been done and they feel it is a genetic problem so it must be treated.  The high HDL is not enough anymore to avoid the drugs, so they say.  They want to check in two months to see if the medication has helped.

It was also reaffirmed I have thoracic outlet syndrome which I was told back in the 70's.  The Dr thought of trying to help it with a stent in my right shoulder but decided against it so I will just go back to what I have not been doing.  Mainly not sleeping on my stomach with hands raised, not doing things like painting that raise my arms above my shoulder and I also found out, stay away from weight lifting or any heavy lifting. 

PA also reaffirmed that sugar is not my problem but if I want to lose weight just gradually cut down (she said not to stop totally as that just increases the craving).  I have already cut out totally or partly dairy, gluten, and red meat which cuts out a lot of fat.  My sleep problems are all stress related.  Hopefully when I get back home my depression and stress will be eliminated???  Maybe I will have to stop watching the news as well?

So prescription for a healthy life--
   Carotid surgery on right side (hope for no complications)
   Statin drug every day (check results in 60 days)
   Continue 81 mg aspirin each day
   Exercise, especially walking (if leg pain increases, call)
   Keep up the healthy diet, cut down on sweet snacks (keep avoiding fats)
   Avoid raising arm and weight lifting activities and no heavy lifting.

Oh, yes, smile and be happy.

Update on the Twins

Seven months old and eating and smiling and sitting up.
 Life is Beautiful.

It's Those Darn Weekends!

"Saturday night is the loneliest night of the week, cuz that's the night when my sweetie and I used to dance cheek to cheek.

I don't mind Sunday night at all, cuz that's when folks all come to call.

And Monday through Friday goes fast, and another week is past.

But Saturday night is the loneliest night of the week, cuz that's the night that my sweetie and I used to dance cheek to cheek."

This was a popular song in WWII with all the guys off to war, but I thought of it this weekend--it is the weekends that are the loneliest as any widow, divorcee, single, etc. will attest to.

With me, it isn't Saturday night so much, as Friday night.  That was date night and we often stopped at the Hilton in Mission Bay for dancing before coming home from the movies.  I miss that.

But I see these older couples with each other who act so bored it is sad.  However, the last time I was taking tests at the hospital, there was another lady taking somewhat the same tests and we kept crossing paths.  Her husband was with her all the way and so attentive.  That was nice to see.

All I know for sure is that nobody gets it all in this life--you need to appreciate and enjoy the moments when they come and not be forever looking for that better day--you may have all ready had your best days.  Enjoy!