Like crazy!

Like crazy too!!

Me too like crazy!!

Smart alecks!!! But, you did make me laugh reading your posts (like crazy!).

All my kids left at the same time, and now this house is SO quiet! I think everyone had a good time. There were 6 adults, a 10-yr. old and an almost 3-yr. old, plus 4 dogs, and a big rat snake that came onto the back porch last night while the dogs were out there!!! My sons went out there armed with rakes, hoes, and flashlights to capture it. Talk about excitement! Everyone inside ran back and forth from the living room windows to our bedroom windows trying to help the guys locate a dark gray snake in dark mulch in the dark! It was hilarious. They finally captured the snake and drove it miles away and released it into a creek.

I ate like a queen this weekend. My sons are fantastic cooks these days, and we ate ribs, potato salad (with bacon, tomatoes, and cayenne pepper & mayo), lots of corn on the cob, and of course, birthday cake - ooey, gooey chocolate cake with chocolate icing! Last night was burgers, weiners, and boudain, plus pasta salad and cornbread with Hatch peppers in it. OMgosh, I feel stuffed! Then they took us out for lunch at one of the Mexican restaurants today before they left. Great time was had by all!

Okay, now I've posted (like crazy!), so I hope to come back later (after a much-needed nap!) and read some indepth posts. :-)

I just got home from the hospital. My husband passed out walking out to his car about 1:30 this afternoon. He had gone into work earlier, then felt badly, so he was trying to come home. He's had lots of tests and xrays since he arived at the hospital at 2:00. His cardiac enzymes are good, but he has now had 3 seizures which they can't figure out. He's having abdominal bleeding, so they've scheduled scopes for tomorrow afternoon. He's resting in ICU until then because his hemoglobin count is low and needs constant monitoring. They also found a cyst on his pancreas on one of the xrays.

I'd appreciate any good thoughts you have to spare. I'll keep you updated as I learn things. I'm a little anxious, but all I can do is trust what the drs. have told us so far.

TIA!

(((Milkdud))) Will be thinking of you and your DH. Really hope they can figure out what's wrong and take care of it.

milkdud, I agree with marci - you and your husband are in our thoughts and prayers. Take care.

Milkdud~ Wow. It's so amazing how things can change in seconds. I will be thinking about you and hoping everything turns out all right. ((((((((HUGS))))))))

In-laws are still here. MIL wasn't getting any better after her fall down the stairs at the B & B, so a trip back to the doc and they found out the staff misread the x-ray. She has a broken hip. Who knows when she'll improve, but she is NOT getting better and the pain is increasing. FIL is getting REALLY crabby and rude. Tension! But I stopped eating potato chips for brekky at least. Back on the coffee...no end in sight.

I've been reading but didn't want to be a downer and post my trials and tribulations with the in-laws. Yesterday got the best of me...so here I am today...lol.

Again, BIG HUGS to Milkdud. We're here for you. And Besh, if you're out there--and I know you are, ya little farmer, you---CHECK IN so we know you made it through the "rain" you were having.

Patti: Calling all mobstahs---don't forsake us for FB.

XXOO, you guys!

Good Tuesday all,

And this thread started off with such fun and silliness!

Milkdud, so sorry to hear about DH. You can count on us for hugs and prayers and lots of them. I hope they can get to the bottom of this soon.

BJ, tisk, tisk, you know you could never be a downer to us! Come here and vent and scream all you want. I just hope you took Raeanne's advice and stocked up on wine! LOL

Besh, I am thinking of you. I had Lobster on Saturday night! More than any person has a right to have!! LOL My family endearingly refers to me as the lobster sl-t!! How is that for a title?

Patti, I can't believe you haven't checked in in so long! BJ is right, don't forsake us for FB.

My poor SP is still lame. No sign of the abscess breaking through yet. She is not all that uncomfortable right now which is good. I need to get her in condition for the 40 mile weekend in Tunbridge, VT at the end of the month!

On a very happy note I have a family of Blue Birds at my house. Mom, Dad and four fledges (3 boys and a girl) they are scouting out nesting sights for next year. I hope they stay for a long time! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. It's so much fun watching them as they dive bomb to the ground for bugs! Such stunning blue which these photos don't really reflect. Enjoy.

Papa Blue:

Young Male Blue:

((Milkdud)) prayers for DH and you...let's hope they find what is causing this very, very soon and get it taken care of.

((BJ)) broken hips are slow...many hugs to you. Sorry you are back on coffee but off the chips is good so a 50% improvement?? We have to stay positive!

Suzanne, great pictures, thanks for sharing. I will keep SP in my thoughts and prayers.

Besh, still thinking of you and offering prayers.

Hi and hugs to all - stay safe - be good.

Donna

I just wanted to post a quick update. Bob had the scope today, and he has a bleeding ulcer and is pretty anemic. He's been receiving transfusions, and we're hoping that helps with the passing out he's been experiencing. He hopes to be scheduled for the biopsy on the cyst on his pancreas either tomorrow or Thursday. He's still in ICU since he's still so puny. Plus, it seems that he has diabetes, and that's having to be monitored carefully. I left him dopey from the meds but happy because he finally got to eat and drink this evening.

His daughter is driving in from Jackson MS tomorrow evening, so I need to do a few things around here before bed. But, at least I'll have some company, and just maybe she'll be able to get him to understand the importance of taking all this seriously. I'm going to bed early because I'm wiped out from just sitting in the different waiting rooms today.

Thank you so much for the prayers and good thoughts. I hope everyone is doing well. I hope to be able to do some reading/catching up very soon.

((Milkdud))- Even though they found some things wrong, at least now they can be addressed. Keep up your strength and hang in there. Each medical issue can be taken care of and hopefully this will have scared your DH enough to make him realize he has to make better choices for the sake of his health. I will continue to keep both of you in my prayers.

(((Milkdud & Hubby))) Thinking of both of you and sending prayers and positive thoughts your way! You just never know what the day is going to bring.

BJ, I did check in the other day. I am doing much better and I thank you for your concern. That silly farm game is so addicting!!! Is everyone in your house off to school now?

Marci, hope the start of the school year is going smoothly for you.

Raeanne, isn't it sad that boating season is just about over. I am so depressed. :-(

Donna, thanks. I am really feeling much better...other than the cold weather depression I am feeling! LOL

Suzanne, you are a great photograper. What wonderful pictures. Hugs to your baby!

Wodka, keep up the good work. I think you are the queen of weight loss around here lately!

Dee, are you still on vacation? Did you do the New England trip yet? Did you make it to Salem?

Maddie, thinking of you!

Today is my day off and I have to clean. The house is a pit and DH has customers coming tomorrow night to look at our windows. I am grateful for the customers, but not for the viewing!

oxox Besh

Milkdud, I am hoping that today brings you and your family goods news! I am thinking of you and you can count on my prayers and positive thoughts are going in your direction. I think we all believe in the power of prayer here! ((((HUGS))))

milkdud, I hope you and your husband were able to get some rest last night and that today looks a little brighter for you.

nhsuzanne, I love your bluebirds! Hope Sweet Pea is on the mend.

besh, glad you are doing better. Thanks for the kind words re: weight. I've not been too good these last few days. Blame it on Labor Day? We also didn't have a meeting because of the holiday, and I really need those meetings more than I realize. It didn't help that we have these Sam Club size bags of candy that my husband bought two weeks ago "for company." Yeah, right. Chocolate is my biggest weakness. Oh, well, I'll find out next Monday and if need to, get my head on a little straighter!

Any tennis buffs out there? Tonight's US Open match with the young girl from Georgia, Melanie Oudin (?), should be exciting. The girl she is playing is also young and plays in more or less the same style as Oudin, so it will be interesting.

We also have a new So You Think You Can Dance starting, as well as the new show, "Glee" on Fox. Finally, something good to watch. It's been a boring few weeks!

09-09-09 A MAGICAL DATE! YAY!

NHSuzanne! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the bluebird pics---made me smile! Thanks for taking the time to post them. The nature society is trying to bring back the bluebirds here, so it is big news when the young are born!

Wodka!!!!! YAY on yoru weight loss. I just keep thinking that if I could jump start myself and stay committed, I could be like YOU! Then I think, well, after the in-laws leave...lol.

Milkdud: You are in my thoughts. Hope you get some rest and it's great to have someone visiting you to lean on!

I have been going up and down on the scale, but haven't been at my STOP THE MADNESS weight yet! I was there a couple months ago and have been eating more sanely since.

VENT AHEAD!!!!! >>>>> My FIL scrutinizes EVERYTHING we do, eat, and buy. SERIOUSLY scrutinizes it and SAYS whatever crictical thing he thinks. He has Asperperger's Syndrome/OCD and it drives me crazy. He also follows me around the house, asking me question after question and asks me to do whatever he wants to RIGHT NOW. He is like a 3 year old.

"How much butter do you guys use a week?"

"Can you come out to the garden and look at it right now with me?"

"God, you really waste a lot of the vegetable when you cut it up like that."

"Did you use the heavy duty foil when you cooked this on the grill?-you really need to use the heavy duty foil, ya know."

"You need to buy every size of ziplock baggie---you don't have ALL the sizes."

ARG!!!!!! And he calls me at work 6 or 7 times a day to ask questions, tell me what's on his grocery list, and ask me to meet him somewhere to look at something. (I can't.) I am VERY patient with him, but I honestly don't know how my MIL lives with him. He will honestly spend a half hour running water and scrubbing the kitchen sink--he is obsessed with having a sterile sink! If there are any dirty dishes in the sink, he fills them with water and sets them on the counter AROUND the sink so nothing's actually ever IN the sink. I tell ya, I am a dishwasher-loadin' lady NOW! lol!

It's been 3 weeks and I am popping a cooler every night almost...just to be mellow with him. There's no meds for Asperger's, so this is how it is, 24/7. And DH is becoming a DVD watching, work-a-holic just to escape! It's the FUNHOUSE on steroids!

Okay, AAHHHHHHHHHHH, everything is perfect the way it is...right, NHSuzanne?

SJDonna--Thanks for the POSITIVE spin for me! Love it!

Wodka: I don't have TV, but I have been following tennis in teh news. I love the pics of Oudin--she is a tough cookie!

Besh: I'm happy things are better for you. I totally can relate to cold weather depression. Mine's a rainy region, so I am about to go "light-box" here!

Oh poor BJ! This too shall pass........ommmmmmmm try to feel the vibration of the universe. ((((HUGS))))

NHSuzanne~ Thank you! I NEEDED THAT HUG! :-)

((((Milkdud and Bob)))

(((Besh))))

(((BJ))))

Will check in later - you are all in my thoughts and prayers.....stay safe.

Donna

Hey! Bob's daughter got in late this afternoon, and she's still at the hospital with him. I'm trying to stay awake for her when she gets here, but it's getting rough. I'm plain tired tonight.

He's doing better today, but not great yet. His hemoglobin count is rising, but nowhere near the safe level yet, so he remains in ICU for the present. He's had 4 bags of blood so far, and I found out this afternoon that our insurance doesn't cover that! I've got a call in to our blood center down here to find out if he's covered under my donations, but if not, his plant has already started a blood drive in his name. It takes 10 donations to equal the cost of one bag of blood given to him. Who knew it was that costly?

No biopsy yet - not until his blood count reaches at least 14 and stays there for 24 hours. He's on clear liquids until then, too, which makes him grouchy.

That's all the news for now. (((((HUGS))))) for everyone tonight!

Good Thursday all,

Let's have great big squeezy hug (((((((hugs))))))) for everyone today!

Milkdud, I hope you got some rest last night. Glad to hear that things are going in the right direction! I never knew about the cost of blood either. How nice of Bob's plant to organize a blood drive. That is really super.

BJ, I hope you are finding moments of serenity for yourself. You really need to carve out those moments for yourself to get centered. You will go crazy if you don't! DH needs to put his feet to the fire and step up to help! It is his parents after all! Ommmmmmmmmm

Jan are you pleased about the US open results?

The vet is coming out to see Sweet Pea this morning and hopefully we can get to the bottom of her lameness. This horse has a heart of pure gold.

Good morning,

milkdud, continued prayers and hugs that today is a good day for your husband and your family. I hope the blood drive is very successful and your husband's count is up soon. By the way, I love the name, Bob. My father was Bob, my brother, Bob, Jr., and my husband is Bobby. My father has been deceased for almost 3 years, yet my brother is still referred to as "little Bob," and he will soon be 58 years old!

suzanne, I think I'm pleased with the US open results. I would have liked to seen Melanie Oudin come back, but she did so well and should have a very bright future. The young Swedish girl who beat her is a dynamo, (won't even attempt to spell her last name, although it begins with a "W") and I hope she is able to continue in victory. (I love her fashion sense - I read that she models for Stella McCartney's tennis line!)

The guys - I would have loved to see Andy Roddick, once and for all, make it to the finals. Roger Federer should win it all, he's so darn good, but upsets can always happen. Nadal is super, too.

Found out last night that one of my young nephews, who is 13, has swine flu! I'm getting ready to check and see how he's doing. They live out of town, where my mom and other sister live, but they haven't been around him in a few weeks, thank God. His started with his legs hurting, then high fever, then the nausea. Hopefully, he'll be okay.

Take care, everyone.

Looks like a lot of hugs are needed here.

((((((Milkdud & DH))))))
(((((SP)))))
(((((BJ)))))
((((Jan's Nephew)))))

Mercury has to be retrograde!!! I had the symptoms of a UTI the last 2 weekends, went to the Dr. and couldn't find anythng, dropped off a specimen at the hospital and waiting on their findings. I feel fine now, but it is weird to have it come and go like that.

I don't have time, but saw that hugs were needed all around here. Love to all of you.

Here's a Thursday update, then I'm really going to bed. I've been busy on the phone and on the internet lining up donors at our local blood center and with LifeShare in Beaumont where my son and his family live.

THURS. UPDATE: Bob's blood count is up to 9 this evening after receiving 2 more bags of blood this morning. That's really good! He was able to sit up in a reclining chair for a while this evening. He's still on a clear liquid diet. He may get moved to a regular room tomorrow, depending on how he does the next 12 hours. If his blood count stays at least this high, he may only need 2 more units of blood. That means the ulcer is beginning to heal. We're working like crazy to get donors so that we won't end up feeling like part owners of the local blood center.

Just checking in to see how everyone is doing.

Milkdud - Glad to hear a good report on DH. Continued good thoughts coming your way.

Hugs all around to those who are in need.

Have a good weekend!

Marci

Good Friday all,

Milkdud, I am glad that DH continues to improve! That's really good news. I really hope you can get the blood DH needs. I hope you are getting some rest but I know it's hard.

Sweet Pea continues to improve too and I hope to ride her this weekend.

QOD: We know what Milkdud is doing this weekend how about the rest of you?

Hey, y'all!

Good news: Believe it or not, Bob's on his way home from the hospital as I type! His daughter went there a while ago to donate blood and visit, and the cardiologist and the gastroenterologist both came in and told him that he was ready to be discharged! Straight from ICU to home? Go figure! His hemoglobin count is up to 9.8 today, and they both felt like he was safe to come home without anymore transfusions than the 6 he had through yesterday. I'm getting things ready for him here and have fixed a few 'soft foods' things for him to have this evening. I felt odd not being there to bring him home, but he didn't mind as long as he had his daughter there with him. She and I will drive to his plant tomorrow and bring back his car that's been there since Monday. She has to return to MS on Sunday, so I'm just letting her have all the time she wants with him, and he with her. My job this weekend will be to configure a diet for his coronary artery disease, Type 2 diabetes, and now this esophageal ulcer. Will that narrow it down to toothpicks and water???

I need to get dinner cooking before they get here because they're both starving. Thank you for being so supportive this week. It made me happy and not so alone.

P.S. This weekend I hope to read everyone's posts in-depth and respond accordingly. Thanks for putting up with me this week.

Great news Milkdud! We never have to put up with you! I am glad that things are going so well. Maybe now you will be able to get a little rest. After all, toothpicks and water won't be much to prepare! LOL

Hope everyone has a great Saturday. It's raining here which is giving me the excuse I need to stay in and get some projects done inside.

Milkdud, glad things are going better. You and Bob remain im my prayers.

Suzanne, glad SP is on the mend.

Weekend plans.......hmmm, it's raining so cleaning up the yard from yesterday's violent storms is out of the question. Maybe I'll clean out a closet and work more on clearing out the garage. Tomorrow will be yard clean up...branches and leaves everywhere. Not much fun but it has to be done.

Enjoy your weekend and stay safe!

Continued hugs and prayers to all who need them.

Donna