Grandpa and Surgery

We came home from the hostpital on Friday.

Grandpa

Exciting News!!!

I thought I would tell all of you, that we are going to have a new great-granddaughter in April. Crystal found out today that it was a GIRL Judy is over the moon and I and Poppi were happy. Jess wanted a girl really bad, so everyone got their wish. Also I will tell all of you that grandpa's eye surgery was postponed today, because of the SNOW! It came in the middle of the morning around two or three, and it was really cold. They had a big pile up on the I-5 at Goshen and stopped both lanes of traffic, so we couldn't get in, nor could the doctor, so they cancelled all of the surgeries today:-( Dad was really upset, now we have to dilate that eye for another week and do all of the pre opp all over. It is a pain for him, and me also, and who knows when they will be able to do it on the schedule. Dad has the hip surgery on the 7th of December and Tuesdays are the day for eye surgery. I will keep you posted. Hope you all have a safe trip down and that your Thanksgiving is delicious and Happy. We should be able to go to Vancouver tomorrow, it will be cold, tonight is supposed to be a low of 17, brr! but no snow, the road will probably be slick in places but they will keep it well sanded so it should be safe. Love to you all and God Bless

My Busy Life and Recent Struggles

I have been going to post for awhile, but haven't had the time. Life is too busy and things are too much of a struggle. I need to focus on more of the what I have and my blessings. But lately it seems as if I can't control any of my time. I got to go to TOFW and it was wonderful! But I came home and then everything started to happen, and the faster I run the slower I get. I loved our conference broadcast we had and I have loved church recently. I haven't been able to go to my quilting group for a long time, why you may ask, and I will tell you, listen and learn HA! My husband Ed has been dragging me from one appointment to another and a lot of them are on Tue, (my quilting day) which I resent but this isn't his fault as the doctors seem to schedule all surgeries on Tue. He can't go alone, as he can't really remember a lot of things they tell him and if he does he doesn't always get it right. What is he doing you ask? He had cataract surgery on last Tue, and a pre opp for that, plus two appointments to get ready for the surgery. He can't drive because his eye is dilated. Now we have to get ready to have hip replacement surgery on December seventh, and he has had to give his blood to get ready for that, not once but twice, as they need two units in case he needs it during the surgery. Today we went back to the eye doctor and on the 23rd of November he is having the right eye done. So we start all over again, and another week of eye drops four times a day, and watching him like a hawk so he doesn't bend down or lift anything, which is a chore for Ed Cook and a big job for me. We have another pre-opp appointment for the hip not to mention the one we had today, plus the eye doctor, so do you get the PICTURE? I am going CRAZY!!! I am not complaining mind you just explaining why I haven't posted lately. I love him dearly, but he just wants to get this all done asap and it is hard on us. When he goes to give blood, he needs a meal that contains a lot of beef and potatoes, etc, and the last time I almost forgot, so next week I think we will go out to Sizzlers so he can get a steak and a baked potato, sounds like a great idea to me. Hence I forgot to send Amy a b-day card and I didn't get Halloween cards off to the great ones, oh well maybe next year. I hope for Christmas. We are going to Judy's for Thanksgiving, which will seem strange without Ed Jr, but it is what it is. I forgot to mention that sometime around mid September Abe moved into the trailer, and he had surgery on his ankle, and I had him to take care of for a few days, but he is on crutches for two more weeks and gets around well, and is in and out now. Judy came down for a visit with us and stayed for three days right after he was operated on. He has a pretty good job now and is busy with that and a girlfriend also which keeps him busy. He has a good friend that drives him around, so we don't have that chore thank goodness. You can't drive with a cast or a boot on your foot or leg. Besides it is his right leg. I love you all and pray you have a wonderful reunion on Thanksgiving. I appreciate all of your posts and so enjoy all of the pictures. God bless and keep you Hugs and Kisses to all

I thought I would announce to all of you that Crystal and Jess are going to be parents, sometime in April next year. Which means that Judy and Ed will be grandparents and grandpa and I get to be even greater grandparents. Nicole is over the moon and I don't know how Abe feels yet. I thought this was great news indeed. Love to you all

Mountains

Sometimes life gives you some lemons and you can make lemonade, however every once in awhile it gives you a mountain that seems impossible to get over or around, so we have to count on God to help us, or carry us over. I am at that point at this time, and it is because of something I have no control at all. I have prayed for peace and serenity to accept the things I cannot change, but it is hard to accept things you cannot understand. I have loved and accepted all of my children and grandchildren and the great new little ones. I consider myself to be a broadminded person, with a lot of compassion for people and loved ones, but when someone you love and have loved so much takes a road that is a road or a path you do not understand or find hard to accept, it becomes an impossible task. I have read what the church has said about the situation and I still am in the most difficult place in life, that I don't know what path I am to follow. I do know that my job as a parent is to love with a Christ like love and support of the person involved, however I find myself wondering about my ability to do this and make no judgement and without reservations love the sinner and hate the sin. I think this may come like the song that says I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord, I'll do what you want me to do, but please help me to do what I find so hard . I think by far this has been the hardest year that I have had to live through, and I truly believe we are living in the last days, when men's and womens hearts will fail them. I know that Satan is running rampant over this world at this time. I feel that my heart is truly failing me. I believe this is the time of life when we have to be on guard and do what the Prophet says and read our scriptures, keep all of our covenants and pray so we can stay close to the Lord so that Satan has no power over us, if we aren't constantly on guard with the Lord at our side we will be caught up in the world, and go the way that Satan wants so he can cast us upon the wind and scatter us and we can be lost in just a few moments. My heart hurts for all of the terrible things that have come to pass and cast another family upon the wind to be tossed to and fro, so carelessly upon the earth to where they wonder what their real moral compass is and what path to take, when things have been so mixed up for them these past few years. May we all remember that we are their family, and love and be there for them if they need us. I love and appreciate you all and may our Heavenly Father be always at your side.

Interesting About a Bear

We went home teaching the other evening, and they told us an interesting story. Their front door was all scratched up and the living room window was broken, cracked. They said that they had been in Redmond the first week in May and when they returned they found the damage. Now they live in the cul-de-sec off Bradford road, just a ways from us. They said that there were paw prints on every window in the front of the house including the broken one. They asked the neighbors, and no one had seen anything, but the next door neighbor said a bear had tried to get in their house and the dog had barked at it and scared it. So they say it was a bear, early in the spring there was some talk of a bear seen around, but no one saw him again, and we thought he had gone up the mountains behind the neighborhood. But he must have returned and tried to get into the Petermans house. I suppose he is gone again now, things are settling and no one has seen or heard about him for awhile. They had a lot of bears in Florence last year around this time so I guess they wake up from their hibernating and are hungry so they try to get into garbage cans and any place else they can find food. I think there is only one, and it may be a cub, it seems like the older ones would be afraid to try to come in the houses or garages. O well so much for the excitement of the neighborhood. Catch you all later.

Weather And My Garden

I am hating the cold and the rain. It just doesn't go away, and I am quite sick of it all. It is so hard to get the garden to grow when the nights are so cold! It is supposed to get better, maybe a degree or two warmer next week but the nights are still in the thirties, I heard that this is the coldest May on record. I have some things growing, Pretty lettuce, herbs, chives, and tiny little beans peaking up. If the sun would just shine for a couple of days the beans would be 2 or 3 inches high. A lady gave me three beautiful Roma tomatoes plants the other day at the pool. I am so excited to put them in the ground. Then I plan to plant some pepper plants. Maybe I will try again to grow a yellow squash plant. I am going to grow some onions and garlic. I have a few flowers growing, I want a lot more, just have to get some at the nursery. I am so looking forward to not having to wear a sweater outside, and for sun to shine for days at a time. Enough whining!!!! We stopped at Jake's new house the other day, as he had some plumbing problems and wanted grandpa to help him out, and we were going to Fairy's 80th B-Day party, and so we stopped on the way. Miles is so sweet, and he and Ruby have grown so much since I saw them last. Miles didn't want me to leave, he kept saying he needed me to stay. So cute and so sweet. I am angry, I had posted a lot more and the computer lost it and now it is late and I can't even rem amber what I said. Sometimes I don't know what to think about computers, such a wonderful tool and then they act up and you'd like to hit them with a baseball bat! Oh well I think I was talking about Jake's new house and all of the work he has done and the work he is doing and going to do. I don't envy anyone doing remodeling and that is what he is doing. It will be beautiful when he is done. but it is a lot of time and WORK and MORE WORK. He is like grandpa so talented though and able to do it. Abe and his roommate are planting a big garden out by the pump house, and I am hoping to have a lot of things to freeze and can from there. They are planning to can, I'll have to see it to believe it. I am thinking of not working at the beauty shop so I can do water colors and more quilting, and other things I want to do around here. I want to can more peaches this year, we ate the last jar tonight, and I really will miss having them until they come in this summer. They are delicious and so are the apples only 3 more jars of them left sigh. Well guys the gospel is still true. I loved our Sacrament meeting today, and we had the most wonderful music. Hope yours was as wonderful. Love to all God Bless

Random Thoughts and The Things We Are Doing

Amy says I haven't blogged for awhile, I guess I need to more often. We are getting ready to plant a big garden here out by the pump house. Not grandpa and I but Abe and his roommate. They plowed up the space out there the other day and are coming back on Saturday to work on it some more. Nickell Abe's friend works at a seed warehouse and greenhouse nursery, in fact he is one of the managers, and really wants to do this. We shall see, I have a lot of raspberries I am getting from sister Perry that she has dug from her plants. We will plant them out there and they will be in full sun and grow well. They got a large load of sandy loam to plant in although the dirt is pretty good out there as grandpa with the help of some of the boys in the ward have gotten a lot of the rocks out of there over the years. It is hard for me to realize that we have lived here since 1993 and that makes it 17 years in November. It is funny sometimes I look at things I have done here and the time has gone so swiftly, the more mature you get the faster it flys. As granny Biggs used to say time waits on no man and it is so true. I can't belive grandpa and I will be married 57 years this December. Again time flys by and goes too fast. I have been busy lately doing a lot of work at the beauty shop and physical thearpy and regular massage. It is paying off as I have improved a lot as far as walking are concerned. Still walking outside with a cane, which I kinda like as it helps my knees a lot and supports me at curbs and steps. We are going to the pool at the club to walk in the water for me and for grandpa to swim and work his legs. We are going to go Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Unfortunatly I have lost a lot of the stamina that I had before the surgery. I guess wearing a cast and a walking boot for 4 months is hard on a person, so I am working on that a lot. It takes time and time gets lost for me, it seems I just get up and before I know what is happening I am going to bed again. No wonder I am a night owl I am conserving my time and the precious hours so I can do as much as I am able. I wish I could bottle up some of the energy that my great grandchildren have and I bet I could sell it on e-bay for a lot of money and become a millionare. But God knew what He was doing when he gave a lot of energy to the young they need it for all of the things they do and the places they need to explore. I heard through the grapevine the other day that they are throwing a big birthday party for Aunt Fairy it will be her 80th, again that old devil time and guess what she still has hair as red as when I met her. She says that as long as there is color in a bottle she will keep it red. I am glad my hair is gray and that I can get all of the help I can when I go to places as everyone is always so polite to me and opens door etc for me. I love it as those doors are sometimes heavy. I love, love the new Sunday School lessons and I hope you are all taking the time to read and study them as they are totally awesome. We have a wonderful teacher and that helps to inspire me. He is truly amazing and makes us all think. Something that isn't always easy for us more mature folkes, and we have a lot of ladies that are widows. Grandpa is really progressing on the piano and I find it hard to believe sometimes that he has come so far with it so fast. For those of you who are wondering I am still going to plant my garden up here at the house, I love being able to just go out and pick what I want right at my door so to speak. I truly love the blessing of having it so close. Well it is ten and so time for me to go to bed. I love and appreciate you all Grandma aka Nonnie PS Forgive the spelling here as the spell check has disappeared from Blogger why is that do you thing?

Finally Getting Better!

Went to the doctor today, and the sore is healed Yea!!!! after all this time we are going on the fifth month. I am still walking with a cane and I don't have a lot of strength, but I haven't had a lot for a long while. I will go to the pool and walk 3 or 4 days a week and that will help me gain some. I was just getting some when all of this started, and now I think my heart isn't up as good as it was before the surgery, by that I mean I 'm not able to walk as far as I used to be able to if that makes sense. I will gain it back by the end of the year I am sure, it just takes WORK. I am not the best person to exercise, but I will try to do more strength ones and walk in the water. I need to get back on a good healthy eating program also, I just haven't had the heart to go at it along with all of the rest I was dealing with. I haven't really gained any weight, but I haven't lost a lot either, about 5 or so lbs. I hope to get working on that next week or soon. I just need to eat healthy and not so much sugar. I feel lots better when I eat less SUGAR wonder why that is????? Could it be that it isn't really good for any of us. All kidding aside I truly don't have the joint aches when I eat less sugar. I cleaned all of my kitchen drawers and my kitchen pantry before Megan got here on Thursday night, and it is wonderful to have them straight and I can find things again. We had everything scattered and messy none of it where it belonged, from all of the good help of people not knowing where to put things, Ed helped a lot but the Cinnamon got to the cabinet over the stove and the pepper was over in the baking cabinet. I am grateful for all of the help I have had from everyone I have things organized again phew! So it is all okay . I truly am grateful for all that he does to help me, I couldn't get it done now without his help. He always changes the bed for me and vacuums the floors, and sometimes he cleans the kitchen and bathroom floors. I still have a few Christmas things to put away and I want to sew some things for little Elle soon. We have most of the sewing room clean and I need to organize my materiel's so I can find what I want to work with. You can tell I feel better as a month ago I just didn't have the energy to do anything, and was happy to get a meal on the table. Ed did most of the dishes in the dishwasher and emptied it also. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and the knowledge that I have that I am His child and I know that He takes care of us all. He is helping Sherry also as she is doing well at this time. She is done with the radiation and is still doing the chemo twice a week. She is using the kind you take by mouth. At this time they are somewhat optimistic that she is getting better. The frontal lobe cancer she had and the surgery she had really worked for her. Some people with that surgery are left with memory problems and seizures so she has been blessed. We are blessed, the doctor said he had a patient that just came in that was experiencing some re-growth of his cancer and it had been 3 and a half years, so that is good news. In the beginning they said she would be lucky to live a year. I pray she has more time, we all know that she is terminal, just don't know the time limit. But I guess none of us know what the time limit is really do we? We just have to live on Faith. I love all of you and so enjoy reading your posts on the blog, as it makes me feel close to you and know what you are thinking, doing and feeling. I am happy you like the Little Nellie Posts and I will try to do a few each month and when Amy gets down here again maybe she will help me post some pictures of those times. I do enjoy the memories and recalling those times.

About The Blog

I have a new blog, called Little Nellie, which are stories about me growing up. I have a lot more to publish, just need to find the time to post them. I have to admit that I had Amy's help on this, and I would never accomplished this without her . I hope you will check it out, I hope you like it. It has been fun doing it and I truly have enjoyed remembering all of these things that happened when I was young. I am so glad that some of you asked me to do it. My surgery is doing well and I am walking with a cane outside, but inside I seldom use it. I still have a small ulcer about the size of a match head , that needs to heal. It has been ever so slow, as there were some pieces of stitching left in. The walking is really getting much better and I walk a lot in the pool, and do a lot of stretching so it gets tiresome. I have had a rash around it and of course I scratch it and that is really a mess. I need to stop scratching it. We are having a lot of RAIN! right now, and it is the kind of cold that gets to your bones. I am praying for sun and trying to thank Heavenly Father for all of the rain, and please, please send us some SUN! I am still working down at the beauty shop but it is a lot less than I used to. There are a lot of things I want to do now, so I want to work less. I got rid of the nails, and am trying to grow mine. I got tired of the upkeep, and some of them were lifting. So one day I removed them. I hope all of you are keeping up with the resolutions that you made for this year and know that I love you one and all

My New Blog " Little Nellie"

My New Blog and Life

I thought that I would tell you all of my new blog called Little Nellie, short little stories of me as a child and growing up. I have written a few and with the help os Amy I have got the site posted on the grandma blog. So check it out and let me know what you think. I am doing a lot better, but I am still dealing with an issue which is a small sore where the scar is, that didn't quite heal. So I put antibotic ointment on twice a day. It is truly a darned nueciense. Lots of care and little to show for it. Ihope that all of you get to hafe what ou want of nrd?

It's A New Brand New Year!

I haven't posted for awhile, and I want to do a positive one and not a whiny one. It has been a tough 3 months. I have gone from feeling so grateful to the depths of despair, thinking I would never walk normally again. It seems a long time in a cast and I really got tired of dragging it around, and now when I go out I wear the fracture walker, which puts my foot and leg in an L shape. Things would have gone so much better if the surgery would've healed well but it didn't and so we are still dealing with a small ulcer to get closed so I can't exercise in the water, and that has been really hard. The reason they have a tough time with stitches in that area of the heel, is there isn't enough flesh to put stitches in so they can hold, and so they put dissolveable stitches in underneah and guess what some of mine didn't disolve. so the doctor, ended up digging some out and now it won't heal. If that isn't enough, I get an infection in the cells and have to take antibiotics for a month, and I get a rash, namely yeast behind the knee because of cast and boot and now I have it on both legs. But in all of this I am grateful for the fact that I am doing my Physical Thearpy and walking better each day, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In November around a week before Thanksgiving, we had some devastateing news. My beloved sister Sherry got a brain cancer and had surgery, and is now fighting for her life. I thought that with all Amy had gone through and Rebecca's problem and my brother-in-law Victor had a stroke, not to mention Grandpa's bi-laterel hernia surgery, that nothing else could happen. WRONG! Sherry is going to be doing radiation and Chemo at the same time. I think that will be the pits for her. She was 66 on Nov. 11th of this year, and believe me the feelings are the same no matter how old you are you still love those sibling as much as all of you loved Amy. So we are all praying for Vic and this comes on top of it all,and I have a hard time believing it. She called me today, and said she had met with the oncology surgeon and his crew and that the radiologst was really blunt. He told her she could live for 3 months or maybe a year if she is lucky. This made Linda and I really angry, as he isn't God and certainly doesn't have all of the answers. That is what I told Sherry, that she just needed to trust in God and not believe him, My friend Adeline has had cervical cancer for over 20 years and it is in remission for the third time, and they told her she had a year at most, but she says because of the prayers of family and friends and Priesthood blessings she is still here. I just think that you can't give up. We had a great Christmas starting with Amy's celebration and then we went to Ed and Judy's and had Christmas with them. I made a few things but not even close to what I usually make. I was just too tired and sick. I didn't get any presents out to my grand children this year and sent a little money to the great grandchildren this year and the card list was short. Not the usual 200 or so. I had no intenions of decorating anything, but Abe was here working with grandpa and he got my tree down and set it up and Nicole came the next day and she hung all of the ornaments on the tree, and Abe got down all of the snowmen, bears, and santas and so everything was pretty festive. Now I have to take it all down, it is times like these when I wish I had nose twitching power like Samatha so I could get it done in a blink. Wishful thinking. I just read on line or in a magazine that if you want to heal you need to eat lots of protien. I also need to finish this post so I can go to bed, as I continue to make too many typos. I love you one and all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!