* NINE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS?! *

Yes, Virginia there IS a Santa Claus....and yes, Becky is still alive and kicking! 😉

My 5 talks at the assisted living centers became only 3; I missed one because of illness, and the other was cancelled due to a large snowstorm we had.

I was a bit rusty in talking, but it seemed to go well. People laughed and smiled at the proper times.

I brought door prizes, print-outs of helpful online sites for writers, and lots of books to sell.

I sold Five Books 😞

Oh well... it was a great experience and I met some wonderful people. That's a gift in itself. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have I mentioned that Ron and I are moving again?? In August, we bought a used double-wide mobile home in a lake community and hope to actually move in next month! It was a mess and we're totally rehabbing it and it will be like a brand new home. If I'd never seen some of those make-over shows on HGTV, I would've never agreed to buy it. It was that bad! I'll share some before and after photos after we've moved in!

I'm not sending snail mail Christmas cards this year...first time in over half my life, but I just couldn't find the time or energy to do them. So, please don't think I've forgotten you, I wish all of you a

Very Merry Christmas!

May 2019 be a year of good health
 & happiness for us all!

* MERRY CHRISTMAS 2016 *

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

 

 

(December 2008)

 

from Ron and me

 

 

 

and...

 

(December 2016)

 

Charlie (waiting for Santa to fill his stocking!

 

* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday!

 

 

 

Yay! It's October and we've finally had some cooler temperatures here at the new homestead. I LOVE fall, as I've expressed many, many times on my blog! The leaves aren't changing colors yet, so I'm posting photos from times past....thus, the Nostalgic Sunday post. :)

 

 

 

 

These three pictures were taken on November 13, 2012...almost four years ago. It seems like a lifetime ago, and it seems like just the other day. Our lives were in the midst of changes, big changes, and the downsizing began.

 

 

I miss that house sometimes, and the happy memories that were made there, but one of the best things about "happy" memories, is that they go along with you, no matter where you are.

 

When I think all the way back to every house/apartment I ever lived in, I miss every one of them for various reasons(except the two crappy apartments in Germany...thank goodness we lived in nice ones the majority of those years) And even during those years of unhappiness and loneliness spent with my first husband...I have fond memories of the places we lived, because I enjoyed so much of how I made each of them into a "home." Does that make sense?

 

I've told Ron many times over the years that I would be happy living anywhere with him, no matter how small or old the place might be, and that's how it's always been and I know it always will be.

 

 (P.S. The new background photo is one I also took around the same time.)

 

 

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

* ♪ I'M WORKING MY WAY BACK...♪ *

Well, I've begun my way back. Back to my "normal" self. (Hey, I hear those snickers out there. I know I'm not "normal," nor would I ever want to be! Ha!)

Eeeeek!!

People tell me I've been through a lot the past couple of months. I really hadn't looked at it that way, especially because of the sorrow and sickness some of my friends have been experiencing lately. But, however, all the worry and tension and grief that I thought I was "handling," hit me when I let my guard down, and it finally took a bit of a toll...

And now...I'm working my way back...to myself. And it feels really good to smile and laugh and be goofy again J

~~~

* CAN I REST A BIT NOW? *

I brought Ron home a couple of hours ago. He'd been in the hospital since the morning of June 1st. I'm so happy to have the love of my life back home with me.

 



Ron and Becky February 1983

 

 

(Yes, he had pneumonia.)

* I'M HANGING IN THERE, AND STAYING STRONG *

Can you believe it is already June 2016?

 

I don't know why, but it seems to be part of human nature that as every month and year goes by, we all say, "I can't believe it is.....fill in the blank...already!"

 

Although I really do enjoy all the little things in life (Mr. Robert Brault!) and savor as much of each day that I can, life just gets in the way sometimes of our "plans." It's kind of like watching or listening to the weather forecast for the upcoming week. Don't bother making your outdoor plans according to those predictions. They usually change.....

 

Case in point: About six weeks ago, neither Ron nor I could have predicted what our lives would be like during these first few days in June. About a month ago, Ron had part of his right lung removed due to a cancerous "nodule." The surgery was successful and there was no chemo or radiation involved. Thank goodness! But during his recovery at home, he wasn't getting much better, and had trouble breathing. But when he went for his follow-up appointments to his lung surgeon and lung doctor (yes, two separate ones) both said things like: It takes time. You're doing all the things you're supposed to, etc.

 

Then, over the weekend of May 14th and 15th, Vern rapidly got sicker and our vet said without a doubt we were making the right decision to say goodbye to our sweet, beloved, senior guy. As most of you know, we'd had Vern just over five years and he would've been 15 years old this August. Although Vern was our third dog, Ron bonded with him much more than he ever did with the first two, and it really hit him hard. For me...I'm grieving about the same as I did for our other two, much-loved fur babies. I have my good days and my bad days.

 

So, a couple more weeks went by, and I kept telling Ron I thought he had pneumonia. I've had it enough times in my life to know the sounds and symptoms. It's not "normal" to wheeze and rattle when you breath! But, did that happen when the doctors listened to him with their stethoscopes? Of course not. One of them looked at me a bit patronizingly at that point, because I had voiced my "knowledge" but he wasn't "hearing" it.

 

....................................................... To Be Continued ...................................................

 



* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday!

I don't think I mentioned I've been working a LOT of hours lately. I still love my new job, at Imogene's, and honestly enjoy being there, even though my "schedule" started out being two days a week, Tuesdays and Fridays. The word schedule is in parenthesis because I've actually never had a consistent schedule! But that's okay, too. (One of the words that describes me is Flexible! As long as I don't have any other mandatory activities, and I'm needed...I'm there for ya!) So, I worked this past Thursday, Friday and yesterday, mostly on the sales floor...so mostly on my feet...for our Spring Fling...and in between did some of my office work, too. The shop and tea room is closed on Sundays...thank goodness, so today I'm home recuperating. I go back again tomorrow, Tuesday, and Wednesday because one of the employees' last day is Wednesday and she has things to still go over with me...She is moving to Kansas City, and I'll be taking over some of her duties and I'll get my own office. 

So, what does that have to do with Nostalgic Sunday? Nothing, really! Except that because of my job, I attended a three-Saturdays-in-a-row QuickBooks class at our local community college....and that experience, my friends was the one and only college course I've ever taken! (If you've read my memoir, you are aware of the fact that I never was able to go to college, even though I desperately wanted to. And I dreamed about going someday....being a 40-year-old freshman, etc. But, as the quotes at the top of my blog reveal....sometimes, we become the person we never knew we could/should be!)

In honor of the occasion, my sweet husband surprised me with one of the college T-shirts. He said he thought it was something I should have. Now, that's why he's a "keeper" even when he thinks I say "polka dots" when I really say "tiny squares!"

Our Wedding Day - February 1983

 

Awww...so young...!