Random Musings

Today was one of the days I took a relative to a medical appointment. We were heading into the rehab/recreation area at WakeMed. Coming off the wheelchair ramp I decided to cut through an area, my foot hit the slight raised area (which I didn't see because I was reading signs), and my ankle turned. Before I knew what happened I was on my knees with my purse and hair hanging over my head. It took me a minute to get up, and by the time I was standing two therapists were by my side wanting to know if I needed help or needed to be checked out. I told them I was fine. One of them didn't believe me and said she wanted to see me walk before she left. By this point I am VERY embarrassed, and told her I was okay, just a skinned knee, and I needed to get my balance before moving. I told Bobby I should have told her the only thing hurt was my pride. And while my knee is a tad sore, I am thankful it was on a carpeted area. Meanwhile construction workers started putting up the privacy fen...

One of Bobby's nieces is having a really tough time at school right now. When she called to wish him Happy Birthday, she confessed that she'd cried at school every day last week. So I gave her the gratitude challenge (in her case, to find 2 things to be thankful for during every class), and the next day we texted her during the day, including a passage of Psalm 3:  But you O Lord, are a shield for me, the maker and the lifter of my head. And I've needed that verse so very much myself this week. 2017 is starting much the way 2016 ended...surrounded by hurting people. Yesterday we went to visit a friend at the hospital. I bypassed the information desk for the restroom. On my way out of the restroom, I rounded the corner and found his wife leaning against the wall outside the chaplain's office, trying to text someone and not cry. I don't care how much you've watched a loved one suffer, there's a small part of us that never wants to realize we're pages a...

We weren't able to hear all of the President's farewell address last night. What we did hear was a speech very similar to others he has made in the past: some good points, some very biased/almost racist points, some very divisive points, some practical advice, and a loving tribute to his family. Even though I fall on the opposite spectrum of the President's political viewpoints, there are things I do appreciate about him and his family. For starters, he has always talked about personal responsibility. It might not be in the same way my family presented it growing up, but the theme has resounded throughout his eight years in office. Don't like something? Get involved to change it. (And the double irony here is that people have done just that, and many of his policies are "depend on the government not on yourself"). I've also appreciated many of the statements Michelle Obama made in her speeches, with "When they go low, we go high."  being one of...

I felt like last year was such a whirlwind that it has been more than nice to have several days of being unable to go anywhere. I've actually done some fun things - pulled out a puzzle (printed on 2 sides and double cut....what was I thinking?) and have spent several hours in my sewing room.  Granted, there's been the everyday life chores, and the unexpected winter chores (carrying hot water out to the dogs and chickens to thaw out their water bowls), but overall these last few days have been nice. In December one of the quilt groups I belong to was skipping our traditional meeting (I think only me and one other person had not finished the quilt top for the month) and were going to do the jelly roll race as a fun meeting night. With all the family coming in for the wedding, I ended up missing it. Since I already had my roll, I decided on Saturday to go ahead and make my quilt top. It didn't turn out as I expected (I modified the plan a little), so I've still got some ...

I am an ideas person. Pinterest is that friend who is fun to hang out with but you really, truly shouldn't. I think you know where this post is headed. About 30 years ago my parents bought a television. Long story short, I acquired it when I was 26 and was very thankful to get it. Fast forward to June of 2016. The above television is STILL working with the help of a digital converter box, but the picture compared to our tiny high definition television was terrible. Being the practical people that we are, we kept saying "When this one breaks down we'll pick out the one we want." Except this television never broke down. Not ever. I even watched it during an electrical storm hoping for a repeat of the death of the tv that happened when I was 5, but no such luck. So in June of last year when it started messing up a little with the volume, we were not disappointed. I verbally informed Bobby I thought this holiday season when everything was on sale we would get a new...

Urban farming, hobby farming, off the grid...I hear those words a lot in various places. Living off the grid is clearly not for me, no matter how much my husband used to tease me about being a hermit. (Although, his actual statement was "If hermits had electricity and internet, I think you could be one." He knows me well.) But today I learned that I can absolutely not be a true urban farmer. We had to finish hatching out some eggs late this summer. And since it's impossible to sex the eggs before they hatch, we wound up with several roosters. Five, to be exact. A month ago that began to be a problem. They were fighting each other, debating whether or not to challenge the head rooster (their dad), and were attempting to all mate the hens. We ended up locking up the main rooster and all but two hens (those hatched with the roosters and refused to join the other hens in the big hen house) so the hens could recover from all the trauma. Within a week they were starting to re...

There are some random details that just stick in my brain for odd reasons.  Last night/early this morning is the time my grandmother died several years ago. I don't remember the year, but I remember the phone call from my sister and my Dad. We were in north Raleigh trying to get the account on Bobby's phone settled and add me a cell phone, and spent almost the entire day (okay, three hours, not counting the time driving there) trying to get the whole mess straightened out. We were finally on the way home when my sister called Bobby's cell. The family had been trying to reach me all afternoon. When I called to talk to my Mom, Dad angrily told me to get a cell phone. The irony of it all still makes me shake my head. She was the last grandparent I had living. We were all thankful she died on the 2nd, as the 1st is my Uncle's birthday, and I can't think of much worse than losing a loved one on your birthday or anniversary. I think of her at random times...when I'm...