February 28, 2012-Did Not Watch The Kids Today

Nina called at 3 pm to tell me that she wouldn't be teaching tonight because Salena was sick. Jessi wanted to come anyway but I told Nina that she might be getting it also and I didn't want to be catching anything. I told her to tell Jessi that I'd see them next Tuesday. I thought maybe Salena just ate something bad but Nina said she was starting to feel sick yesterday. So that means she's caught something and it will probably go right through the family. I can't afford to get sick.
I was tired today anyway. I went out last evening to get some groceries. Also stopped at Aubuchon to get a bag of Bird Chow. It was warm so I wanted to get out before this snow comes. It was colder today but a nice day. By tomorrow we will be getting snow. This might be our largest snow fall this winter. I'll love it from inside! And the temps will be back to 50 next week so it won't last.
My older daughter called today. I guess she's okay. She won't tell me much. She said she's never talked to Vanessa since she left but has talked to Heather a couple times. And she said she had talked to the boy's father, Dave. Who knows what is going to happen there. Maybe she'll let Dave take the boys or maybe she'll end up going back with him. It's so hard getting any information out of her though. But I'm glad she called. She calls to see how I am feeling.
I had some discomfort in my lower belly and groin area today. It comes and goes. My knee wasn't too bad today either. I thought it would be killing me after going tot he store. But thank God it wasn't. It only hurts when I first get up from sitting, then I can walk on it. Good thing I have the walker. Sometimes I lean so hard on it though I'm afraid it will break. I don't like using the scooter unless I really have to.
That's all I have to report for today. It's bedtime. Take care everyone.

February 26, 2012-Windy And Cold-Now Sunny

Nina, Jessi and Jordan on the 22nd.

The wind was wicked yesterday, the 25th. We didn't get much snow though. It went all around us as usual. It's a bright, sunny day today but cold. Only in the 20's. By tomorrow all this little bit of snow will be gone again. Going to be near 50 again.
I haven't been feeling so great the past few days. One day my knee was so bad that I had to use the scooter for the first time. But by morning it was better again. It comes and goes. I'm having a lot more discomfort in my lower right belly area and that growth is getting larger. Today it isn't bothering me much though. My knee only hurts when I first get up. My right leg keeps swelling on me. I have a hard time keeping it up in the air though. But I'm trying.
I got to see Jordan for a few minutes on Wednesday night. Nina had to drive to Barneveld to get him so he could stay overnight at her house and watch Jessi on Thursday and Friday during the day. He was so tired though and didn't talk much. He was just about falling to sleep while he was here. He had been up all night with his friends I guess. So the only pictures I got were him with his head hanging..Ha!
I might be watching the girls again this Tuesday. So I'm hoping I can get out tomorrow to get a few groceries. They always want to eat when they are here. And I like to have treats for them also. But they can't have any sweets till they eat their veggies and rice or whatever I cook for them. Sometimes Nina sends them with those awful Raman Noodles. Then I always cook broccoli for them to have on the side. Then they eat dinner when they get home at night. Poor kids are always eating dinner after 7:30. I think that's too late but it's not my business. What can Nina do when she's working late all the time?
I love these sunny days. The birds always look so much prettier. Amnd I still have all three red squirrels out here. I love watching them too. Haven't seen anything else yet. The fox is coming after dark yet. Soon the females will be in their dens with babies. The males do all the hunting at that time. I hope I see baby foxes again this year.
Enjoy the day everyone. Take care.

February 22, 2012-Babysitting Jessi

Nina and the kids at Sumo's. Jordan is getting something squirted into his mouth. I guess they do that to whomever wants it done. They use alcoholic stuff for the adults and some kind of orange drink for the kids. I love this pic of all of them.

I watched Jessi yesterday and will be watching her this afternoon also. The kids are off this week from school but Nina still has to teach at college. Salena went up to her dad's for the week so there's no one to watch Jessi. Jessi is a lot better when she's alone. When Salena is here with her they tend to bicker a lot and it tires me out more.
Nina took the kids out to a Japanese Restaurant for Jordan's birthday last Saturday. They took a few nice pictures. I collaged them and am adding them here.
Not much else going on. The weather is beautiful today! It's already 45 at noon. And mostly sunny but more clouds are moving in because it's going to rain tonight. The rest of the week will still be above freezing. Up north they finally got some snow so the snowmobilers are very happy.
I've been searching through the year books that Classmates has on their web site. I found some old high school pics of my daughters that I have never seen. Nina has never seen them either. I printed them out for her and also have them on Facebook.
I've mostly just been messing with photos and searching for old stuff online. I don't sit at the computer too long because of that growth in my groin area.
I started taking a few different supplements that Dr. Oz suggested.. I'll try anything that might help the cancer from growing too fast. There's a few more I'm going to order also when I get the money. Anyone can go to his web site and look up anything he suggests for cancer.
I now have three Red Squirrels around. Awesome!
Have a nice day everyone. And Happy Birthday Aunt Bev!

February 18, 2012

I went out last evening at six pm to get a few groceries. I thought I'd get out before the snow but it had just started as I was leaving. Huge snow flakes! It looked so pretty and thank heavens it was warm enough that it melted when it hit the ground. I stopped at Aubuchon Hardware first to get my critter food. And then over to Walmart for the groceries and other items. I was lucky and got a parking spot right near the entrance. And there was a cart right by the car so I didn't have to drag my crutches out. It was 8 pm by the time I got home and got everything out of the car and inside. I am always happy when I get back inside where I'm safe. My knee did okay. Hurting a bit this morning, as usual.
The lump in my groin area is getting bigger. It's not bothering me very much so I'll leave it alone. Now and then it stings a bit but that's when I'm sitting in my computer chair too long and squishing it I think. Or if I try to stretch that leg out in the morning I pull it and it hurts for a second. But I'm still here! I never did send my doctor a card yet. I keep forgetting.
A girl is coming down from Hinkley today to buy my Paper Shredder that I had advertised on Craigslist. One more thing I can get rid of around here.
I guess I'll be watching Whitney Houston's funeral on TV this afternoon. Part of it anyway. Just to see who speaks.
It's colder today and we might get some snow this afternoon but it won't last. Then the sun will be back out they say.
Have a nice day everyone. Be back soon.

February 15, 2012-Finally Got To See Grandkids

I guess the only reason I got see Salena and Jessi is Nina needed me to watch them last night. So the kids were here from 3:30 to 7:30. Salena is doing real good and doesn't need her crutches any more. She's walking normal. I am so glad of that. But she really should be careful for another couple weeks I would think. She's not supposed to do any running but she told me she played soccer in school. But the doctor says she's healing faster then most kids do.
It was nice to finally get to visit with them.
I gave Nina Jordan's birthday card. He will be at her house this weekend. I told her why I didn't mail it. Jordan was 14 years old on the 13th. And I told the girls they should at least say thank you when they receive gifts. Nina thought Salena had thanked me through Facebook and she also thought that she had kept me informed about her hip recovery. Now she knows. When I asked Salena for her cell phone number she was worried I'd call her and waste her minutes!! Damn kids anyway..Ha! So I never did get her number but I gave her mine and told her there was no excuse not to call me now and then.
Nina's boyfriend's mother died down in Virginia so he is away at the moment. That's why she needed me to watch the girls. Usually he's there early so they can stay home. Next week they have off from school but Nina doesn't so I might have to watch Jessi a couple days. Jessi is good when she's alone but she and Salena bicker constantly. I don't like that. Salena is going to her father's for the week I guess.
Things are okay as far as I go. I'm not feeling any worse. My knee seems a little better. When I first get up I have a hard time walking. Feels like the knee cap or tendons are caught on something. I try to be real careful when I'm in bed to so I don't twist that knee.
We still haven't gotten any snow. It's been going to the north or south of us I guess. We are supposed to get some on Thursday I think. I guess maybe I'll try to get out tomorrow for a few things. I'm doing good. I've been getting out every Thursday lately. But that's because it's always been the warmest day of the week.
My little red squirrel is still around. Saw it yesterday and today. I'm happy. I watched it this evening. It was getting dark and she was outside yet but then she ran up into the trees and I tried to see where she went. I lost sight of her though. But now I know which way she's going home.. It's up in the back woods where all the other squirrels head at night.
Now I will have to make Nina a birthday card too. Her 43rd birthday is on the 20th. So many birthdays this month it seems. It's hard to remember them all.
That's all for now. Take care everyone.

February 10, 2012-Catching Up

I finally got the new refrigerator on Wednesday. It's almost like the old one but has a little more room in the freezer section I think. But it's a bit taller and now I can't reach the top to dust it. Will have to drag my stool into the kitchen when I do. The guys didn't come till 2:00 so my birds were having a fit being locked in their cages all that time. They got a couple hours out before bedtime. It took the guys a little time to change the doors to the right side. There sure were a lot of nuts and screws to change. Nothing is easy like the old days. At least now I won't have to worry about all my stuff defrosting. I had to throw away all my salmon and shrimp. Didn't dare eat that stuff. Not sure how many times it might have defrosted and refroze. Good thing I hadn't gotten groceries yet.
I went out last night at 7 pm to get my groceries. By the time I got everything inside it was 9 pm and I was so tired. I had taken two Ibuprofen because of my knee hurting. I sure feel it today. The bones are crunching.
I think the cancer is starting to spread now. I'm having more pains in my lower right side. It's not as much on that large lump but all around it. I really haven't felt that area too much but did last night and I can tell it's sore inside. So I guess it's just a matter of time till it gets real bad. Not sure how long I'll be able to go before it starts hurting real bad. I just hope I don't suffer too long and it kills me faster. I'm not looking forward to the pain but I'm not afraid of the dying part.
Now I've really got to get my act together and start getting rid of more stuff around here. It's so hard to clean out closets now. I can't lift my arms and I get so tired. I haven't told any of my family how bad it is yet. Nothing they can do and I don't want them worrying that they might have to do things for me. I'll sign up for some home health aids first. To help me clean and to get some groceries. It's getting harder and harder to go shopping now. Just getting out of my car is such a struggle for me. I keep forgetting to get a board for my seat to lift me up a bit. The pillows just sink. I need something stiff underneath them. I guess I'll have to give up the car soon.
I still haven't heard from my daughter or grandchildren. It's Jordan's 14th birthday on Monday. I am not going to send his card till Tuesday. I don't care if he gets it late. None of them have thanked me for their Christmas gifts. I just can't understand their mother not teaching them to have better manners when it comes to that stuff.
I haven't seen my little red squirrel for the past two days. Now I'm worried about her. That damn big Cooper's Hawk is out there all the time now. Most of the day I never see any birds or squirrels now. That hawk must be living close by now.. I'll stand at the window and look and look for that hawk but I can't spot it. My bird will get on my shoulder and look out too, wondering where all the BlueJays and little birds are. It really seems weird when nothing at all is out there. last evening I spotted that hawk way up high in the tree. Then he flew to another tree. He had a very large wing span so I know it's an adult. They will get the squirrels too. That's why there are no squirrels out there. They run and hide. But that little red one runs along the ground so I sure hope he hasn't gotten caught. especially since it's the first one that's been out there in four years.
I see another chipmunk out there too. But the male one hasn't been seen for two days now. It sure is a tough world out there.
I'm trying not to sit at the computer too long because when I do that lump hurts more in my groin. I'm sort of squishing it when I sit I guess. It's good to get in bed and stretch my legs at night. I'm still getting woken up too early by that woman upstairs though and am not sleeping very well. I don't even get five hours of sleep in one night. I wish I could take a nap during the day but I can't.
I guess that's all for now. Take care everyone. We are going to be having a few days of colder weather and maybe a little snow tomorrow. It sure has been a mild winter.

February 7, 2012-More Odd Pains

That lump in my right side near the groin area but more to the right, is getting larger. It's about the size of an egg now. It's not real hard though. It might be just fatty deposits. Or a hernia. At least that's what I'm telling myself..Ha!
My leg and knee pain is still with me every day. It gets worse when I'm walking on it too much. Yesterday it was 49 degrees here and a bright, sunny day. I wish I had felt like going out but I didn't. So I enjoyed it from inside. I finally went out last night and got the rest of the stuff out of my car trunk. My water was frozen but hadn't burst, thank heavens.. It wasn't frozen solid because of the warm day. More like slush. And my bags of critter food. By the time I lifted those 20 # bags of bird chow and water and hauled them inside and then had to take all my garbage and trash down to the trash room, I was tired and my leg and knee were throbbing. That lump was throbbing also. The lifting caused that I think. Other than that I guess I'm doing okay. Still fat and probably getting fatter. I'm still eating candy and cookies when I want.
I did cook a whole chicken and made soup for the week. That tasted good.
Today I noticed my refrigerator wasn't coming back on so I checked the freezer and it was way up in the danger zone. I called the Maintenance man right away. I've had a problem for a year. Last time I called the office and they told me it was just the defrost cycle so I let it go. But this time I did not like it getting that warm in there before freezing again. No wonder my food is tasting odd and the shrimp is all freezer burned. I shook the refrigerator and cleaned under it and turned the dial way up and down and up again. It finally came back on and started to cool down again. The maintenance man came by and he is getting me a new refrigerator. It will be here tomorrow. Now I won't have to worry about that any more. That one is over 15 years old now anyway. And quite a few in this building have already been replaced.
I think the mold and mildew is getting to me in here also. I heard that they have home kits for testing that now. I'm going to buy one to see what it says. The kits are about $15. Then I'll have proof for the landlord and Rural Development. Something has got to be done outdoors and inside this apartment before another tenant can live here.
I wish I could move this computer to another spot. Just have to wait for a day that I feel up to it. I need to clean the dust out of the tower also. It must be loaded inside of that thing. I do keep those foam filters on the outside of the fan area and they get covered with dust pretty fast. So I can imagine what the inside is like. I've only opened this tower up one time to put more memory in. And that was over two years ago.
I haven't heard from anyone so have no idea what is going on with any family members or my daughter. Salena still hasn't answered me.
Well, today it's back to cooler weather and gloomy skies again. A few flurries were in the air this morning. It's going down into the single digits tonight they say. So winter is still here even though we have no snow on the ground.
Take care everyone.

February 3, 2012-Got Out Last Evening

I decided to go out last night to get my critter food at Agway and then to Walmart for some groceries. I didn't want to go today or over the weekend. It would be too busy, being the 3rd of the month and Super Bowl Sunday coming up. My knees held up but I sure am sore today and had a back ache all day too.
I'm just not getting much sleep lately and it's starting to get to me. A blood vessel broke in my right eye too. Just something else to bother me. I woke up this morning and that eye was blurry. It made me nervous for a minute but it went away. It was the stuff in my eye. It's a little sore. Not sure why. But it is all red in the corner.
I didn't do much today and tried to stay off my feet as much as I could. I've got two gallons of water in my trunk yet. It's below freezing at night and I'm hoping they don't freeze and burst in there. I just wasn't up to going out there to get the rest of my stuff last night or today. Hopefully tomorrow.
My little red squirrel was out here today. Something was scaring it though and it was shaking and barking. I think the girl upstairs was out there with her dog.
That's all I have to report for now. Take care everyone.

February 1, 2012-Haven't Been Anywhere

I'm still staying in this week so far. My knees aren't so good. Been having some pain in the right foot too. It only comes now and then but when it does it takes the whole strength away. It's in my Achilles tendon. Scary.
I thought I was having a heart attack the other morning. I got up with pains in the middle of my chest. It went away after about an hour and I haven't had it since. I have so many weird pains in my body that I never know what is going on. The Post Polio causes a lot of it.
I'm hoping to get out soon. The weather is nice. Was up to near 50 yesterday and today also. Rained today. All that snow we got has melted away. It was pretty for a while. Now everything is back to looking dirty.
Jeanne came over Sunday to visit for a while. She has gotten done with one of her jobs. She's busy two days a week with her granddaughter. She has to take her to school and pick her up and keep her till her father picks her up. Jeanne's been having a few back pains in her lower back. But she doesn't have any insurance and will never go to a doctor anyway.
I still haven't heard anything from my daughter. I do see Salena on Facebook sometimes but she hasn't written back to me yet.
I haven't seen the little red squirrel for a couple days so I'm worried about it. Hope the hawk didn't get it. I do have a chipmunk out already though. He's been around all week. Guess I should have killed that rat when I had the chance. Now I can't. But I haven't seen it all week . Hopefully it's gone. Wishful thinking..LOL
So that's it for now. Take care everyone. It's Ground Hog day but we've had such a mild winter that it doesn't matter what he does now..ha!