Pictures in blog posts!!!

Here is Mally at the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in Panacea, FL.

Hi everyone! Guest post by Mary Beth to show Mom how to include photos in blog posts. Look for more soon!

Also, this is her 200th post, so give a cheer!!!

MRI report

Well, family and friends, things aren't looking so good here. I had read the MRI report and knew there were problems, but didn't realize that I have "pushed the limit of my luck" with my back. I have an appointment with the neurosurgeon mid December (I will call and ask to be pushed up if there is a cancellation) and see when he wants do this surgery. There are 4 discs involved and one is in a disastrous position, so I am to be careful and not go near a chiropractor till this is over. My doctor was just wringing his hands. He did say he didn't want me to go go Dallas for this shoulder after the back. Said to remember he has two patients in this family and he doesn't want dad having to drive back and forth from Denton to Dallas every day. I may have to anyway, but there is a possibility of a new ortho person at the other hospital who has the experience to do a reverse shoulder replacement. First things first, however.

I'd hoped I was through with all this operation stuff. Maybe someday.

I hope you all are having a magnificent Thanksgiving this Thursday. Scooter, Nancy and children and we are going to Big Lake to Scooter's cousins ranch house. We've been before and really enjoy being there. Lots of people, good food and good company.

Prayers for all of you who are traveling over the weekend. You Barnes who are all in New York, give Susan an extra hug from us.

Blessings on you all......

Enthusiasm

A quick note here. After the sermon this morning, one lady was so excited she stood up and began to clap. Lot's of us felt like it, but pastor went right on as if it hadn't happened. Why can't we stand up and clap for a particularly meaningful message? I was so awed by what he had said I hadn't entertained the idea of clapping.

I am already tired of 'happy holidays'. My response is 'and a very blessed Christmas to you!' Holidays indeed!

a phone call

When I heard from my sister the other day, it was a great suprise. We had talked briefly a few times since we left Florida. She's in a really bad way and I will phone our mutual cousin to try to set up some help for her. This situation is one of those generational things. We were abused both physically and emotionally as children, but we responded very differently. I didn't buy into the control the abuser needed, and was able to break the cycle later in life. My sister didn't, and her first husband was a physical and emotional abuser. Now she is married to the king of emotional abuse. I had never realized the exent of this until I talked with Mary Beth about it - she was able to clarify it. My mom was also abused as a child. Blessedly, I was able to raise children who put up with no crap from anyone. I pity anyone who tries to abuse any of them! Sister didn't and she and her children are totally estranged.
I need to credit my father who helped me break the cycle and get out of it. He was also a victim, to some extent.
So, if I can help sister Nancy get on Medicaid, get food stamps and find a free lawyer (legal aid, perhaps) who may can help her protect herself. Maybe. That's about all I can do but pray and I do that without ceasing. At 73 I am not sure she is able to even understand how she got into the mess and I'm also not sure she is not too afraid to try to get out.
May the good Lord take care of her and strengthen her.

PS Just had a phone visit with said cousin. She is all set to find all the things Nancy needs. Thank you God for family who love us.

a really good day.....

Saturday, Nancy dropped off Saxon for a while so she could take the others to the mall (gag!). We had such a glorious time, that when she came to get him dressed for a wedding they were going to, I asked if he couldn't just stay. She asked him if he really wanted to go to the wedding and he had spent the morning telling us how much he didn't want to go. She let him stay the whole day and they drove off with Spencer shouting that he didn't want to go to the wedding either. It's his turn next. It was an eye opening day. First we played Up Words (for those not familiar, it is Scrabble with a third dimension variable ) And he Won! By a lot! One of his words, I just had to challenge - he went to the computer and found it. It is really Latin but is used contemporarily so much that I allowed it. Really humiliating to be the 'words person' gran and be so stomped. But it makes me proud too. He is a joy to be around. When I ask for help, he is up and ready to do whatever I ask. We cleaned out the jewelry chest so it can go and live in Mally's room. He was even impressed with some of the jewelry (costume, fer sure).
About this time, he found my magnifying glass and after receiving assurance that it was indeeed glass, and not plastic, he raced out ahd burned holes in many leaves. Not sure if he tackled the ant bed or not. I cautioned him as they are fire ants and they really mean business.
Then the Preppers lady came (pre packaged meals ready to cook, and frozen. He put some in the freezer and told me there was no more room for the rest. I showed him how to make room. There's always a way. He wanted to make a pumpkin pie but I was unprepared with piecrusts and eggnog. Both boys and I usually spend a lot of time in the fall making these and gobbling them down.
Grandaddy took him over to the club house and they played pool and a form of table shuffleboard. It seems that he slid a puck and it stopped and then, unexpectedly it moved some more. He wonders if this is magic. And the crowning event! He is now taller than I am! So I am looking up to these last grands.

Meanwhile, grandaughter Susan is having our first great grand. A girl, and I need to finish this baby blanket. We are pretty excited, though we won't see her much as they live in New York. Pictures are always good, though and if they come to Houston, we will try to go over and see them.
At the family reunion before last I was able to hold twin great, great niece/nephews. Amazing to see the generations come along behind us.

Next, one of the other grands will come for a day and I will tell you all the exciting things we do. These days are really high points for us.

chortle, chortle

:) :) :) :) --- also yippee skippee and huzzah!

I have been cut off from my computer for two days! It demanded a password which I didn't have and couldn't get. The clue was daughter. I tried all of your combinations, including the names of all of you at once, and no go. A wonderful computer man just came out here for slightly over an hour and found it - it was "marybethie" of all things. Now I don't need this pw any longer. He found massive infections and removed them, adding a new filter syster. He also checked for the parental control blocker and couldn't find it. So now I know to look at my spam before I ditch it.

Honestly, this has been almost as bad as nicotine withdrawal. I have felt cut off, desolate, etc. But this loverly man has said to call anytime and ask any questions I have. He does a lot of work out here and is kind enough to come to our homes, being that we are all doddering.

First, gotta high five for Mary Beth for her new, wonderful job. I still expect books from her one of these days. I know they are in there. She will really enjoy this work.

Otherwise our lives are moseying right along. We are preparing for the day when we will have to leave our church building. It may not happen, since the suit is still in action, but it may. We are trying to identify what we have purchased so that we take only that which is ours. We have several options of where to go while we finish the court doings. Then we either get our church, or we go find or build another one. Whatever.

Kudos to Katie for selling all those scarves for me! You are greatly appreciated, Katie! If you have any suggestions as to what sort of thing sells best, do let me know. Sarah just called with a couple of new orders, but I have to go out and chase down purple eyelash yarn. If it exists, Hobby Lobby will have it there. We don't have a proper yarn shop in SA. Sanger, I think, is the school with purple and gold for colors. I make these, changing colors half way through (behind the neck). I'm not knitting as much as my hands get tired sooner than they did. NOt fun. But I can still play with the yarn.

Blessings..........