Friday, August 02, 2013

OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED

First, let me just get this off my chest - my husband and I have to come to some kind of compromise about his listening to the radio at night. This is a fact. It's part of my life. Should anyone read these posts in the far after after I've stopped or been transported upward, I want to let it be known this is a thorn in my side. I thought I had my sleep problem solved with the CPAP, which does work 95% of the time. (I think I need a new mask - life of a mask is about 2-3 months and I'm starting on my third month. They're made of silicone or something and lose their firmness. It leaks some around the edges. This does not help with sleeping. I'll take care of that tomorrow and get a new one at the drug store.) For about three years I've taken something to help with heart rythym, especially at night for some reason, which has worked well, but when I have to take an extra dose of that, I am not a happy camper the next day, nor do I feel well, nor am I nice to be around. Sometime early this week I have pulled/irritated my sciatic nerve and that IS the last nerve to have upset. So... I have had a combination of things that have not been conducive to good sleep. "We will compromise on the radio - be sure I'm asleep before you turn it on - or I will just have to move to one of the other bedrooms." Now since we have a nice, nice king size bed, I'm not real willing to give that up. So we will compromise, or I'll cut the radio cord off. And it's a satellite radio dock...

Now. That's real life, not all bliss and beautiful trees and clouds here in the country. But I am feeling better - it is nearly 4:00 so all my morning grouchiness is about gone.  

I returned a book I ordered (used), but it had a huge slash on the front cover. No, not paying that much for a used book with a slash. Priority mail so it'll get back to them by Monday and not get caught up in a mail bag somewhere outside the 30-day return policy... I paid our gas/water bill ($34.24), and got an inspection sticker ($5). Yes, we still have inspection stickers. Show driver's license, pay $5, get a new sticker for the year.  Paul got new tags today - not just renewals - but the actual tags had to be changed - Mississippi has changed the tag logo from lighthouse to "Birthplace of America's Music - Celebrating Mississippi's Creative Culture." It has a banjo in the center of the tag.  I want my old tag, though, because it is the first MS tag I've had in 50 years. 

Getting old pictures off my phone, other events have about gotten lost in the last week or so. My great nephew Tyler's second birthday (birthday July 12) party July 13 - lots of kinfolks, young and old, cousins, friends. He's two years old! Kiley told me he liked Sponge Bob Square Pants (which I think is the silliest character since I can't think since what... I don't know what it's relevant to. Kids, I guess. Not fogies like me! Cute cake, though - G'Mommy Marsha made and decorated it.

Love his expressions.




Grandmommy Marsha helping him blow out candles.

Granddaddy Mike handy with the iphone.

Mike and Marsha's mom Sue - "sworn enemies." Yeah, right - you can tell.

Ben and Heather (Mike's son and dil). Their baby girl due November 27 - Tuesday Sara-Grace (for his and Morgan's older sister who died as the result of a car accident.) Erica pouring a soft drink.

Morgan (mom) holds Tyler and G'Mommy Marsha helps open. Fastest gift opening I've ever seen. I don't think he got to realize what one was until another popped up! But it kept him busy and not attached to one so he could see them all quickly.

Steven (dad) did a great job grilling hot dogs. Ball Park beef franks - I got some after this. They are good.

Cousins on the slide.

Cousins on the seesaw. Tyler's great grandmother and father behind; dad Steven beside Tyler.

Paul shucking corn we got from Mr. Daily. Sweet corn - so good!

Sher shucking Diane's sweet corn she sent home with us. Just as good. I cut it off, scrape the cob, fry it in bacon grease and butter. Oh, man!

Here's the marquee to the drive-in.

Thelma has Barney in a headlock. 

But not for long. Wish Lucy knew how to play like this. Tommy didn't play and Lucy was interested in computers and sewing techniques... I'm sorry she misses that now. We have "lap-time" in the evening. Loves to cuddle. With me.

Barney inspects this guy strolling across the yard.

Bird house in need of a face lift.
So I gave it a "wash."

Thelma thinking cat-thoughts about the hummingbirds. She has no idea how futile this is. She is, after all, a cat.

Lucy likes the protection of Paul's Camaro.

Rose of Sharon in the back yard.

Barney checking out the rain water caught in my bucket.

And liking it. He drinks a lot of water.

Rain drops on the handle of my watering can. Love to hear rain falling in it.

After-the-rain sky.

Just west of our house where the road forks at the end of Paul's garage drive. This is the right-hand turn out of our driveway, and the road goes off in two other directions. Our CR is the one in the middle, and continues on to a T stop. There is actually a left hand turn here but you can't really see it. It's about even with the pole, and turns back left (south) on what we call "the lane." Sometimes I see these wonderful clouds and imagine what they look like over the flat fields of the Arkansas Delta. I've seen some beautiful sunsets there, too.

At the end of our driveway. Crabapple tree already turning red. Some red sumac across the road.

Northwest of our house.

Big puffy clouds at dusk after the rain.

More puffs. Love looking up at the huge sky. Out here we can see so many stars, too. No town lights. 

Paul and I took Tommy out to eat last night for his birthday and it was nice. Talked about work, policies, management, etc. He bought another CPA's business last spring. As we talked I remembered aspects of my job and could not believe all I used to do - how quickly it is almost forgotten, deep in the crevices of another life era gone by. How on earth did I ever keep up with it all? No wonder I was stressed. I think sometimes I still can't sleep because of the bad sleep I had then - I would wake up around 2 a.m. and things from work and just life would go over and over in my mind endlessly - PTSD! I do miss my wonderful friends. I wonder what it would be like if we'd stayed in Wynne, but not for too long. I miss it, of course. It is a wonderful place to live, have lived. I would not be who I am today without Wynne, without my friends there, without our life there. I'm glad to be back here in this little hill town - when I was reading the "Mitford" books, I imagined Iuka to be my Mitford. And it is.

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