Saturday, January 20, 2007
Sat., Jan. 20th, `07- a little of everything, a little of nothing!.
Here I sit, bored with nothing interesting being accomplish.
OH, I am accomplishing something as I do have the first load of washing done and now in the dryer. I also went out to turn the control on my overhead lights over my garage doors. Sometimes they decide to turn on, other times they don`t, so the sensor must be way off course. For about a week the lights haven`t been working. At first I thought maybe the sensor wasn`t working any more. After all, that double light set has been there for a good many years- I can`t even remember what year we put it up.
Then for some reason, the two lights came on yesterday and again early this morning. Now I am trying to figure out exactly what triggered the sensor. I know someone came out next door because the cars trunk was open and the car was running. Of course they often start the car from in the house to warm it up before they go out, but the trunk being open meant one of them had been outside. Maybe the sensor is now turned towards their driveway instead of my side porch and driveway where I prefer it.
So, I took my trusty paint roller handle with the long extension and was able to move the sensor further towards my house. But, now it is too light out for the sensor that triggers the lights on, so I will need to wait again till this evening to see if the sensor is where it will help me, or still helping my daughter next door. But, we are expecting more strong winds, so the winds might again turn it before I can get it tightened up-if it is now in the correct slant.
WOW, I suddenly couldn`t see out my window as the snow was flying so bad from my front yard. So, guess they were right about having strong winds and drifting snow. I just watched a car on TV
sliding and eventually doing a complete circle, just missing a truck driving behind it in the same lane he came from. Then the car started sliding across the outside lane as it kept spinning in a circle and then the back of the car started sliding backward off the side of the road just in time to keep another car in the outside lane from hitting it. Then they took it off TV so I am left wondering if the car was able to stop, or might have tumbled on down the bank where it was skidding towards. I hate it when they leave you praying the people in the car are ok. I didn`t even catch where it was happening. I do know it was earlier saying it was snowing and the roads were very treacherous in the county about 25-30 miles from where I live and it did look like our local North Way. My daughter was headed that direction to have laser surgery done on her eyes this morning. But, since it has been almost an hour, she should have already arrived at that hosp.. They have 2 cell phones with them if they ever need to reach me, or I need to reach them. Walt always told me I was a worry wart- to use his words. To an extent I guess I am.
Saw a fire truck going up the main road a while ago. Heard the siren for quite a while, so must have gone up a ways from where I live. I live just about a mile from the Fire house and soon the new building will be finished putting the Ambulance service back in the same area- across the street and a bit closer to me. They were once located in the same building, but when they built the newer Fire Dept. building a few years ago , they moved the Ambulance nearer the mountain about 4 miles above me. Soon they will both be close to each other. I expect they will need to add another light like the one in front of the fire dept, in order to be able to stop traffic when they are driving out.
I can remember years ago when we had plenty of vacant areas and loads of wooded areas all around my area. Today it is so built up and the traffic that we seldom saw is as bad as a city main road. We used to be able to watch the main road for hours and might only see one or two cars in that time period. Today if you look out at the main road there are cars behind cars almost constantly. What a difference the last 40 to 50 years has made. Now, they are digging the cellar on my road to build a 4 family place. There was a time when we owned almost all of our side of my road. It is a short road but still has plenty of traffic as most come down to our road before joining the main road. Last year I turned over to a daughter -the second house and the lots on the other side of the house- total of 90 feet back x 120 feet road frontage. She had paid her father and I rent money for almost twenty years, so we felt the house should be left to her. To be sure the others never gave her any trouble ( a step son didn`t approve) I turned the property into her name last year instead of after my Death as the will had said.
I still am paying taxes on my own 90 x 100, plus we had bought the lots on the other side- 60 x 100, so it left me with plenty of room to live comfortably on and know no one can build on top of me. I was offered the property on the other side of my road consisting of the corner house and property plus where the area where they are now building the complex home, but I felt we were too old to buy more property. I felt that by the time we finished paying for it, we wouldn`t live long enough to make our money back let alone making any profit.
Of course I could have bought it and broke it up into sections and made more money that way, but that would have only brought more homes and traffic to our streets. Now, the new place will probably bring that extra traffic.
Life moves on and neighborhoods keep building up. They are slowly driving the wild animals from the woods by cutting them down to build on. I did keep a small grove of trees on my empty lot, but when new ones start growing I do keep clipping them to keep it looking neat. I once dug up a white birch and replanted it in my back yard. All went well for a few years and suddenly it died. I only moved it because it didn`t have room to grow straight where it originally was. I never did find why it died. Could have understood it the first or second year after re-planting, but this was about the 4th year and it must have needed something that I wasn`t feeding it. In my back yard I have a real huge and tall tree that I dug up from the old family farm woods about 40 years ago and it is still growing, blossoming full every year and lots of beans after the flowering is finished. I do have to keep pulling up new ones that keep seeding in my flower beds. I do have one good sized one that I let grow on the other property. So, if this one here ever needs to be cut down for any reason, I can still see the beautiful flowers on the other tree. A lot of work keeping up both properties, but at least I don`t have to worry about repairs on the other house as the daughter is now responsible for that home and extra land. Lots less grass to cut on my land. But, then they often borrow the riding tractor and mow all areas. Sure wish i could find a way to start my electric start push mower easier. Took it back to Sears for better adjustment a couple years ago and it still is just as hard to start. At first I wondered if I just wasn`t pulling it fast enough, but my boys found it just as hard to start- new plugs and all.
They have added new exercises to my Therapy sessions. I have been doing lots of exercises including the hand operated bicycle. The new one resembles my rower machine, except that on theirs the seat stays put. I told him this machine was easier than using my rower. I can now work the rower with my arm, but it`s still too much for my arm trying to use the skier.
Then they gave me a long board type object that you need to keep both ends flopping up and down as you move your arm outward in front and later up and down to the side of you. Now, that one had my arm telling me off again. So, couldn`t hold the arm out very high in front of me while shaking it, nor to high to the side. They also are now using stronger elastic belts for me to use and a bit higher pressure on the hand operated bike. So, things are getting better, a little at a time. But, I am getting very impatient to get back working on the large 5 foot by about 3 foot work bench I had about half finished before I fell. This bench has 2 shelves on about 2/3rds of the 5 feet width and 2 large deep drawers on the last 1/3rd, plus a small section where I am adding some peg board to the inside of the 2x4 framework on one side. That is where I will hang my extra table saw blades, extra scroll saw blades, plus many other small items and tools. When it is finished it should help me a lot in cleaning up my shop and having a place to put everything off the bench when not in use. Lately I have been rethinking my bench plans and instead of finishing putting the second drawer together, I might change it into two not so deep drawers as they might be more useful than having a second real deep drawer. Just a thought.
Well, there goes my dryer buzzing at me, so guess I better stop writing and get the clothes from the dryer.
Back again. Clothes all folded and put away till the next load.
Sassy is back at the door to be let in.
Back again. letting Sassy in I noticed her long chain is piling up the little snow and leaving it on the driveway closer to the house.
So, I decided while I was out there I should push that little snow ( about an inch high) off the driveway while it is still light enough to just slide the shovel across the driveway and not need any tossing done. So, I now have about 2 car lengths cleared from the garage to the porch. The rest of the driveway will have to wait. When I came in my fingers were so cold that I put them under cool water to warm them up. Then I saw the few dishes still in the sink and figured as long as I was at the sink I might as well get the dishes washed. So, that is done till I decide what to cook for lunch.
So, rest time again and I can now sit down and check out my e-mail before it gets too far ahead of me. Having fun again as one of my grandsons, who lives in Germany, often writes part of his letter in German for me to figure out. I never learned any German except for what might show up in crossword puzzles, but thank God for the internet where I can decipher what he writes and even am able to add some written in German in my reply to him. Who knows, I just might learn more German this way. I do now know some of the words. In school I only took Latin and then only because I felt it would help in Nursing since most Drs write part of their prescriptions in Latin. So learning a Foreign Language is new to me this past year. Who ever thought I would be learning new words from other countries at my age. Thanks to my Grandson and some of my wonderful blog friends I am learning new words from other countries. I think it is fun to be able to understand more about other countries even if I will probably never get the chance to visit there.
Well, the sun is trying to shine and it does look so warm out when looking thru the window at the sun, but actually it is only 6 degrees outside right now-- so very cold. Sun does brighten the day by reminding me that sun shine warmer weather will eventually be back again. We just have to grin and bear this cold weather to get to the warmer months. But, if we never had cold weather, how much would we actually appreciate the warmer weather when it arrives? I guess up here in the northern part of the state, we wouldn`t know what to do with ourself if we never had to shovel again, or freeze our fingers and toes . I am sure others in the other colder states would understand this better. But, I wouldn`t trade our cold weather for the terrible storms they get in the hotter climates. But, I still can`t wait to see our warmer season arrive in a few more months.
OH, I am accomplishing something as I do have the first load of washing done and now in the dryer. I also went out to turn the control on my overhead lights over my garage doors. Sometimes they decide to turn on, other times they don`t, so the sensor must be way off course. For about a week the lights haven`t been working. At first I thought maybe the sensor wasn`t working any more. After all, that double light set has been there for a good many years- I can`t even remember what year we put it up.
Then for some reason, the two lights came on yesterday and again early this morning. Now I am trying to figure out exactly what triggered the sensor. I know someone came out next door because the cars trunk was open and the car was running. Of course they often start the car from in the house to warm it up before they go out, but the trunk being open meant one of them had been outside. Maybe the sensor is now turned towards their driveway instead of my side porch and driveway where I prefer it.
So, I took my trusty paint roller handle with the long extension and was able to move the sensor further towards my house. But, now it is too light out for the sensor that triggers the lights on, so I will need to wait again till this evening to see if the sensor is where it will help me, or still helping my daughter next door. But, we are expecting more strong winds, so the winds might again turn it before I can get it tightened up-if it is now in the correct slant.
WOW, I suddenly couldn`t see out my window as the snow was flying so bad from my front yard. So, guess they were right about having strong winds and drifting snow. I just watched a car on TV
sliding and eventually doing a complete circle, just missing a truck driving behind it in the same lane he came from. Then the car started sliding across the outside lane as it kept spinning in a circle and then the back of the car started sliding backward off the side of the road just in time to keep another car in the outside lane from hitting it. Then they took it off TV so I am left wondering if the car was able to stop, or might have tumbled on down the bank where it was skidding towards. I hate it when they leave you praying the people in the car are ok. I didn`t even catch where it was happening. I do know it was earlier saying it was snowing and the roads were very treacherous in the county about 25-30 miles from where I live and it did look like our local North Way. My daughter was headed that direction to have laser surgery done on her eyes this morning. But, since it has been almost an hour, she should have already arrived at that hosp.. They have 2 cell phones with them if they ever need to reach me, or I need to reach them. Walt always told me I was a worry wart- to use his words. To an extent I guess I am.
Saw a fire truck going up the main road a while ago. Heard the siren for quite a while, so must have gone up a ways from where I live. I live just about a mile from the Fire house and soon the new building will be finished putting the Ambulance service back in the same area- across the street and a bit closer to me. They were once located in the same building, but when they built the newer Fire Dept. building a few years ago , they moved the Ambulance nearer the mountain about 4 miles above me. Soon they will both be close to each other. I expect they will need to add another light like the one in front of the fire dept, in order to be able to stop traffic when they are driving out.
I can remember years ago when we had plenty of vacant areas and loads of wooded areas all around my area. Today it is so built up and the traffic that we seldom saw is as bad as a city main road. We used to be able to watch the main road for hours and might only see one or two cars in that time period. Today if you look out at the main road there are cars behind cars almost constantly. What a difference the last 40 to 50 years has made. Now, they are digging the cellar on my road to build a 4 family place. There was a time when we owned almost all of our side of my road. It is a short road but still has plenty of traffic as most come down to our road before joining the main road. Last year I turned over to a daughter -the second house and the lots on the other side of the house- total of 90 feet back x 120 feet road frontage. She had paid her father and I rent money for almost twenty years, so we felt the house should be left to her. To be sure the others never gave her any trouble ( a step son didn`t approve) I turned the property into her name last year instead of after my Death as the will had said.
I still am paying taxes on my own 90 x 100, plus we had bought the lots on the other side- 60 x 100, so it left me with plenty of room to live comfortably on and know no one can build on top of me. I was offered the property on the other side of my road consisting of the corner house and property plus where the area where they are now building the complex home, but I felt we were too old to buy more property. I felt that by the time we finished paying for it, we wouldn`t live long enough to make our money back let alone making any profit.
Of course I could have bought it and broke it up into sections and made more money that way, but that would have only brought more homes and traffic to our streets. Now, the new place will probably bring that extra traffic.
Life moves on and neighborhoods keep building up. They are slowly driving the wild animals from the woods by cutting them down to build on. I did keep a small grove of trees on my empty lot, but when new ones start growing I do keep clipping them to keep it looking neat. I once dug up a white birch and replanted it in my back yard. All went well for a few years and suddenly it died. I only moved it because it didn`t have room to grow straight where it originally was. I never did find why it died. Could have understood it the first or second year after re-planting, but this was about the 4th year and it must have needed something that I wasn`t feeding it. In my back yard I have a real huge and tall tree that I dug up from the old family farm woods about 40 years ago and it is still growing, blossoming full every year and lots of beans after the flowering is finished. I do have to keep pulling up new ones that keep seeding in my flower beds. I do have one good sized one that I let grow on the other property. So, if this one here ever needs to be cut down for any reason, I can still see the beautiful flowers on the other tree. A lot of work keeping up both properties, but at least I don`t have to worry about repairs on the other house as the daughter is now responsible for that home and extra land. Lots less grass to cut on my land. But, then they often borrow the riding tractor and mow all areas. Sure wish i could find a way to start my electric start push mower easier. Took it back to Sears for better adjustment a couple years ago and it still is just as hard to start. At first I wondered if I just wasn`t pulling it fast enough, but my boys found it just as hard to start- new plugs and all.
They have added new exercises to my Therapy sessions. I have been doing lots of exercises including the hand operated bicycle. The new one resembles my rower machine, except that on theirs the seat stays put. I told him this machine was easier than using my rower. I can now work the rower with my arm, but it`s still too much for my arm trying to use the skier.
Then they gave me a long board type object that you need to keep both ends flopping up and down as you move your arm outward in front and later up and down to the side of you. Now, that one had my arm telling me off again. So, couldn`t hold the arm out very high in front of me while shaking it, nor to high to the side. They also are now using stronger elastic belts for me to use and a bit higher pressure on the hand operated bike. So, things are getting better, a little at a time. But, I am getting very impatient to get back working on the large 5 foot by about 3 foot work bench I had about half finished before I fell. This bench has 2 shelves on about 2/3rds of the 5 feet width and 2 large deep drawers on the last 1/3rd, plus a small section where I am adding some peg board to the inside of the 2x4 framework on one side. That is where I will hang my extra table saw blades, extra scroll saw blades, plus many other small items and tools. When it is finished it should help me a lot in cleaning up my shop and having a place to put everything off the bench when not in use. Lately I have been rethinking my bench plans and instead of finishing putting the second drawer together, I might change it into two not so deep drawers as they might be more useful than having a second real deep drawer. Just a thought.
Well, there goes my dryer buzzing at me, so guess I better stop writing and get the clothes from the dryer.
Back again. Clothes all folded and put away till the next load.
Sassy is back at the door to be let in.
Back again. letting Sassy in I noticed her long chain is piling up the little snow and leaving it on the driveway closer to the house.
So, I decided while I was out there I should push that little snow ( about an inch high) off the driveway while it is still light enough to just slide the shovel across the driveway and not need any tossing done. So, I now have about 2 car lengths cleared from the garage to the porch. The rest of the driveway will have to wait. When I came in my fingers were so cold that I put them under cool water to warm them up. Then I saw the few dishes still in the sink and figured as long as I was at the sink I might as well get the dishes washed. So, that is done till I decide what to cook for lunch.
So, rest time again and I can now sit down and check out my e-mail before it gets too far ahead of me. Having fun again as one of my grandsons, who lives in Germany, often writes part of his letter in German for me to figure out. I never learned any German except for what might show up in crossword puzzles, but thank God for the internet where I can decipher what he writes and even am able to add some written in German in my reply to him. Who knows, I just might learn more German this way. I do now know some of the words. In school I only took Latin and then only because I felt it would help in Nursing since most Drs write part of their prescriptions in Latin. So learning a Foreign Language is new to me this past year. Who ever thought I would be learning new words from other countries at my age. Thanks to my Grandson and some of my wonderful blog friends I am learning new words from other countries. I think it is fun to be able to understand more about other countries even if I will probably never get the chance to visit there.
Well, the sun is trying to shine and it does look so warm out when looking thru the window at the sun, but actually it is only 6 degrees outside right now-- so very cold. Sun does brighten the day by reminding me that sun shine warmer weather will eventually be back again. We just have to grin and bear this cold weather to get to the warmer months. But, if we never had cold weather, how much would we actually appreciate the warmer weather when it arrives? I guess up here in the northern part of the state, we wouldn`t know what to do with ourself if we never had to shovel again, or freeze our fingers and toes . I am sure others in the other colder states would understand this better. But, I wouldn`t trade our cold weather for the terrible storms they get in the hotter climates. But, I still can`t wait to see our warmer season arrive in a few more months.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Bad weather, reminded of some bad times
Boy! The house seems especially quiet here today.
The Daughter that lives next door is off to another
state to attend a wedding for her future sister-in-law.
Left early yesterday morning , cominbg home tomorrow,
It`s funny why it makes such a difference to me here
at home when there is noone in the house next door.
I am used to living alone as have been alone since
July 2002 when I lost my wonderful husband. But it
gives me more peace of mind knowing a daughter is
next door. I only notice it when she is gone for more than
a couple days. Part of the worry this time is because we are having an ice storm which is supposed to be worse Monday when I am expecting them to be driving home. I am hoping they decide to wait another night and come home on Tuesday
when the weather and driving is supposed to be good.
I also have another Therapy session tomorrow afternoon and
my oldest Daughter is driving me there. If the roads are too icy,
I will cancel my apt. so she won`t need to drive.
I just let sassy out and had to yank on her chain to loosen it from the ice before she could get down from the porch. It was already frozen to the steps and ground.
This icy condition reminded me of the winter storm we had back in 1994 when we thought we had the flu, which turned out to be carbon monoxide poisioning from our fuel oil furnace. Walt went into the Hospital and shortly after arriving there he went into a coma. The Dr wanted to also put me in bed, but I refused to leave Walt`s bedside. So then the Dr ordered the Nurses to set up one of those chairs (that go into a bed ) in the waiting room for me to lie down on. He insisted on two pillows to raise my head so I could breath easier, plus extra blankets as I was feeling very cold at the time. I tried a couple of times, but I got so worried that I just ended up back in Walt`s Hospital room with him.
Well, after a few days Walt came out of the coma and started doing ok. When he first saw me he thought I was an Angel standing by the window. You see, he said he thought I had died on the couch since I hadn`t moved for two days. He said he couldn`t understand why none of the kids noticed when they stopped in.
Then my Dr told my daughters to take me home for a nights rest. All this time Walt and I had thought we had the Flu. We had attended my younger brother`s Funeral while feeling so sick. We were also going to my brother`s home to help his wife and kids. We worried about giving them the flu, but when you are needed this badly, you do what you need to do to help. It was a few days after the Funeral when I awoke on the couch feeling like something was wrong. So, I dragged myself to the bedroom and found Walt in a semi-conscious condition. I had heard a sons car starting at my Daughters home, so I hurried to the door , yelled to him to get his sister , that I needed them fast. We called the Ambulance for Walt and I rode to the Hosp with my kids, and once we reached the hospital, my daughter phoned all the other kids to meet us there. Noone expected Walt to make it thru the night, and the Dr`s were baffled on what was wrong with him. As they said, just the Flu wouldn`t cause the coma condition. I was so sick that I forgot I was worrying about the furnace before we got so sick. Carbon Monoxide poisioning makes you unable to think straight or remember anything. Everything was like a blur as far as thinking went.
Well, after Walt was doing ok, that first night that I came home for the night, one daughter remained at the Hospital to check on her Dad for me, while the other Daughter came to spend the night with me. The next morning the Daughter with me woke up with a splinting headache. She told me she had some mighty bad migranes, but nothing like this. Thats when my mind cleared enough to remember that I had been arguing with Walt over the furnace before we go so sick. I told him the furnace didn`t sound right. He insisted it was ok. But, I was the one in the house all day so I knew the furnace sounds better than he did. Well, after my daughter mentioned her headache, I called one of my sons to come help me open the furnace door so I could check on it. Well, I actually asked him to go check it as I didn`t think I could safely walk down the cellar stairs. I had tried checking on the furnace before, but when the door catch broke, Walt wired it shut and with my arthritis I couldn`t undo the twisted wire. My son came back up and told me I needed to see the furnace, so he walked in front of me and with my hands on his shoulders for support, I managed to get down cellar.
WOW!! There was thick soot covering everything inside and just a small opening left to look in thru. It`s a wonder we weren`t both dead , it was that bad. I called our furnace man to come clean and adjust the furnace. I will never forget what he said to me when he arrived. He said " I just missed the end of the movie I was watching. I better be back in time to see the other Movie." I wanted to kick him out of my house, but I didn`t have a choice as the furnace had to be taken care of immediately. After that, Walt had someomne clean and adjust the furnace every year, even after we ended up buying a new Furnace the following winter. The Furnace we had owned first was one I learned how to adjust the nozzle and how to measure and set the firing and fuel joints real well. But that second furnace I never did learn about. Must admit that I also never learned the settings for the newest one either and am still using this one. We had bought three furnaces over the years. Today I not only have the fire detectors everywhere, but also two carbon monoxide detectors, one near the heat register that is closest to the furnace, but also one in the kitchen near my gas stove.
Well, to get back to the sleet storm that year, we had about 3 inches of ice, covered by about 4-6 inches of snow, which was covered with about 4 more inches of ice and lots more snow over that. The third day after that I thought I felt good enough to start driving myself to the hospital, but I couldn`t open my garage doors. So, after a Daughter drove me to the hospital, my youngest son and one of my nephews used a pick axe and a tree chopping type axe and chopped all that ice in front of my garage plus enough from my driveway for me to be able to get my car out of the garage and yard. Was a lot of chopping to open up the two 4 foot wide doors all the way out so my car could back out. That was our last bad ice storm.
It is still hailing out right now and freezing on the road and driveway as soon as it hits. They say it will get lots worse tonight and tomorrow. I keep hoping the weather report is wrong. It sometimes looks like the sleet might be going to change to snow for a while. Just hoping not like it did back in 1994-- first sleet, covered by snow, covered by more ice and still more snow. We sure don`t need another bad storm like that one where everything closed up and you were told to stay off the dangerous roads.
Just let sassy out again and now the snow is gone and it is back with freezing rain. There is just a thin coating of snow over the origional ice. but now forming ice over the snow. I thought everything had stopped as you couldn`t see the freezing rain thru the window.
More to worry about. Two of my sisters just dropped by. The youngest wanted to let me know she was going back home with our oldest sister and will be gone till some time in March. I`m sure going to miss the yopunger sister as she is the one I see the most of. The youngest lost her husband 2 years ago from an accident and the oldest just lost her Husband this past year, so this is her first winter alone. I know it is good for them both to spend the winter together. My worry is that they are planning on driving the 3-4 hours tomorrow in the bad weather.
I am hoping they decide to wait till Tuesday to leave.
It is changing to half snow and half sleet right now. Guess it still hasn`t made up it`s mind yet. It was just about a week later than this in the Jan. `94 storm. My bro passed away on Jan. 16th and the storm was shortly after that date- 11 yrs ago this month since that last real bad one. We have had a lot of bad storms during those yrs, but just not one that went from sleet, to snow, to sleet and back to snow again all in the same storm.
The Daughter that lives next door is off to another
state to attend a wedding for her future sister-in-law.
Left early yesterday morning , cominbg home tomorrow,
It`s funny why it makes such a difference to me here
at home when there is noone in the house next door.
I am used to living alone as have been alone since
July 2002 when I lost my wonderful husband. But it
gives me more peace of mind knowing a daughter is
next door. I only notice it when she is gone for more than
a couple days. Part of the worry this time is because we are having an ice storm which is supposed to be worse Monday when I am expecting them to be driving home. I am hoping they decide to wait another night and come home on Tuesday
when the weather and driving is supposed to be good.
I also have another Therapy session tomorrow afternoon and
my oldest Daughter is driving me there. If the roads are too icy,
I will cancel my apt. so she won`t need to drive.
I just let sassy out and had to yank on her chain to loosen it from the ice before she could get down from the porch. It was already frozen to the steps and ground.
This icy condition reminded me of the winter storm we had back in 1994 when we thought we had the flu, which turned out to be carbon monoxide poisioning from our fuel oil furnace. Walt went into the Hospital and shortly after arriving there he went into a coma. The Dr wanted to also put me in bed, but I refused to leave Walt`s bedside. So then the Dr ordered the Nurses to set up one of those chairs (that go into a bed ) in the waiting room for me to lie down on. He insisted on two pillows to raise my head so I could breath easier, plus extra blankets as I was feeling very cold at the time. I tried a couple of times, but I got so worried that I just ended up back in Walt`s Hospital room with him.
Well, after a few days Walt came out of the coma and started doing ok. When he first saw me he thought I was an Angel standing by the window. You see, he said he thought I had died on the couch since I hadn`t moved for two days. He said he couldn`t understand why none of the kids noticed when they stopped in.
Then my Dr told my daughters to take me home for a nights rest. All this time Walt and I had thought we had the Flu. We had attended my younger brother`s Funeral while feeling so sick. We were also going to my brother`s home to help his wife and kids. We worried about giving them the flu, but when you are needed this badly, you do what you need to do to help. It was a few days after the Funeral when I awoke on the couch feeling like something was wrong. So, I dragged myself to the bedroom and found Walt in a semi-conscious condition. I had heard a sons car starting at my Daughters home, so I hurried to the door , yelled to him to get his sister , that I needed them fast. We called the Ambulance for Walt and I rode to the Hosp with my kids, and once we reached the hospital, my daughter phoned all the other kids to meet us there. Noone expected Walt to make it thru the night, and the Dr`s were baffled on what was wrong with him. As they said, just the Flu wouldn`t cause the coma condition. I was so sick that I forgot I was worrying about the furnace before we got so sick. Carbon Monoxide poisioning makes you unable to think straight or remember anything. Everything was like a blur as far as thinking went.
Well, after Walt was doing ok, that first night that I came home for the night, one daughter remained at the Hospital to check on her Dad for me, while the other Daughter came to spend the night with me. The next morning the Daughter with me woke up with a splinting headache. She told me she had some mighty bad migranes, but nothing like this. Thats when my mind cleared enough to remember that I had been arguing with Walt over the furnace before we go so sick. I told him the furnace didn`t sound right. He insisted it was ok. But, I was the one in the house all day so I knew the furnace sounds better than he did. Well, after my daughter mentioned her headache, I called one of my sons to come help me open the furnace door so I could check on it. Well, I actually asked him to go check it as I didn`t think I could safely walk down the cellar stairs. I had tried checking on the furnace before, but when the door catch broke, Walt wired it shut and with my arthritis I couldn`t undo the twisted wire. My son came back up and told me I needed to see the furnace, so he walked in front of me and with my hands on his shoulders for support, I managed to get down cellar.
WOW!! There was thick soot covering everything inside and just a small opening left to look in thru. It`s a wonder we weren`t both dead , it was that bad. I called our furnace man to come clean and adjust the furnace. I will never forget what he said to me when he arrived. He said " I just missed the end of the movie I was watching. I better be back in time to see the other Movie." I wanted to kick him out of my house, but I didn`t have a choice as the furnace had to be taken care of immediately. After that, Walt had someomne clean and adjust the furnace every year, even after we ended up buying a new Furnace the following winter. The Furnace we had owned first was one I learned how to adjust the nozzle and how to measure and set the firing and fuel joints real well. But that second furnace I never did learn about. Must admit that I also never learned the settings for the newest one either and am still using this one. We had bought three furnaces over the years. Today I not only have the fire detectors everywhere, but also two carbon monoxide detectors, one near the heat register that is closest to the furnace, but also one in the kitchen near my gas stove.
Well, to get back to the sleet storm that year, we had about 3 inches of ice, covered by about 4-6 inches of snow, which was covered with about 4 more inches of ice and lots more snow over that. The third day after that I thought I felt good enough to start driving myself to the hospital, but I couldn`t open my garage doors. So, after a Daughter drove me to the hospital, my youngest son and one of my nephews used a pick axe and a tree chopping type axe and chopped all that ice in front of my garage plus enough from my driveway for me to be able to get my car out of the garage and yard. Was a lot of chopping to open up the two 4 foot wide doors all the way out so my car could back out. That was our last bad ice storm.
It is still hailing out right now and freezing on the road and driveway as soon as it hits. They say it will get lots worse tonight and tomorrow. I keep hoping the weather report is wrong. It sometimes looks like the sleet might be going to change to snow for a while. Just hoping not like it did back in 1994-- first sleet, covered by snow, covered by more ice and still more snow. We sure don`t need another bad storm like that one where everything closed up and you were told to stay off the dangerous roads.
Just let sassy out again and now the snow is gone and it is back with freezing rain. There is just a thin coating of snow over the origional ice. but now forming ice over the snow. I thought everything had stopped as you couldn`t see the freezing rain thru the window.
More to worry about. Two of my sisters just dropped by. The youngest wanted to let me know she was going back home with our oldest sister and will be gone till some time in March. I`m sure going to miss the yopunger sister as she is the one I see the most of. The youngest lost her husband 2 years ago from an accident and the oldest just lost her Husband this past year, so this is her first winter alone. I know it is good for them both to spend the winter together. My worry is that they are planning on driving the 3-4 hours tomorrow in the bad weather.
I am hoping they decide to wait till Tuesday to leave.
It is changing to half snow and half sleet right now. Guess it still hasn`t made up it`s mind yet. It was just about a week later than this in the Jan. `94 storm. My bro passed away on Jan. 16th and the storm was shortly after that date- 11 yrs ago this month since that last real bad one. We have had a lot of bad storms during those yrs, but just not one that went from sleet, to snow, to sleet and back to snow again all in the same storm.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Thursday,Jan.4th, 07-Sassy`s check-up.
Here it is the 4th of January already. The start of a brand new year. Where did last year go?
Well, I took Sassy for her Distemper shot and a check-up today. Vet told me she looked real good, not too skinny or too fat. Her teeth were in perfect shape, but as I suspected she does have cataracs on her eyes. I told him that was my worry since I saw her sniffing the floor to locate a treat that she had dropped and couldn`t find it. Thats when I was sure her eyesight wasn`t real good. The vet told me that other than the cataracs she was in very good condition for her age -11 yrs old on March1st.. He also clipped her toenails while we were there. He was surprised how good she stood there while he clipped her nails. He said most dogs don`t obey that well while being examined.
Now, I worry that as the cataracs get worse, will she be less trusting when kids hug her so tight if she can`t see them well as they walk towards her? Now, she loves it when the little ones hug her up. Even when they are almost choking her by hugging her so tight, her tail wags like crazy. She just loves attention.
She is feeling better. I know this because she is back trying to jump on my lap like she was a tiny puppy. Can`t you just see a large 50 pound Border Collie trying to get onto your lap!! She has this habit of trying to get my attention while I am trying to type. She pushes her head under my right arm and just keeps moving her head up and down bouncing my arm up and down so I can`t type. I had to stop earlier to play with her because my right arm isn`t up to her jumping it yet. Tomorrow is therapy day again.
I pray the cataracs don`t get worse for a long time, but I can already notice the glassy look of her eyes, especially her right eye. She is such a good dog and a good protector for me living here alone. I would sure miss her if I lost her.
Walt wasn`t a great dog lover, but he sure loved playing with her. Before Sassy we had a small Beagle for many years. Granddaughter names her Flopsie because she had such big floppy ears. Flopsie was the first dog that Walt got attached to , and then he also fell in love with Sassy. He had this habit of standing in front of Sassy and just telling her to "back up" and she would back up just like a horse does. She would continue to walk backwards for as long as he kept saying back-up. Her tail would be wagging all the time. As soon as he stopped, she would run to him for more attention. She moped around here for almost two years before she wanted to play in the house again. She might have been my dog, but she was also attached to him.
This past few weeks are the first time she has walked into the front room since losing Walt. Walt spent a lot of time on the couch watching TV and she would either lay on the rug at his feet, or lay under the table behind where I sit at the computer.
At least she is staying in the house nights so I don`t have to worry about her freezing in her coop on cold nights. I did put hay into her coop to keep her warmer when she is in it.
Well, guess I have rambled on enough about my wonderful pet.
I am getting stir-crazy wanting to be able to get back working on my large shop bench. Had it half done when I fell, so it is just waiting for me to finish as soon as my shoulder is healed. Hope it won`t be much longer before i can start doing more.
Well, I took Sassy for her Distemper shot and a check-up today. Vet told me she looked real good, not too skinny or too fat. Her teeth were in perfect shape, but as I suspected she does have cataracs on her eyes. I told him that was my worry since I saw her sniffing the floor to locate a treat that she had dropped and couldn`t find it. Thats when I was sure her eyesight wasn`t real good. The vet told me that other than the cataracs she was in very good condition for her age -11 yrs old on March1st.. He also clipped her toenails while we were there. He was surprised how good she stood there while he clipped her nails. He said most dogs don`t obey that well while being examined.
Now, I worry that as the cataracs get worse, will she be less trusting when kids hug her so tight if she can`t see them well as they walk towards her? Now, she loves it when the little ones hug her up. Even when they are almost choking her by hugging her so tight, her tail wags like crazy. She just loves attention.
She is feeling better. I know this because she is back trying to jump on my lap like she was a tiny puppy. Can`t you just see a large 50 pound Border Collie trying to get onto your lap!! She has this habit of trying to get my attention while I am trying to type. She pushes her head under my right arm and just keeps moving her head up and down bouncing my arm up and down so I can`t type. I had to stop earlier to play with her because my right arm isn`t up to her jumping it yet. Tomorrow is therapy day again.
I pray the cataracs don`t get worse for a long time, but I can already notice the glassy look of her eyes, especially her right eye. She is such a good dog and a good protector for me living here alone. I would sure miss her if I lost her.
Walt wasn`t a great dog lover, but he sure loved playing with her. Before Sassy we had a small Beagle for many years. Granddaughter names her Flopsie because she had such big floppy ears. Flopsie was the first dog that Walt got attached to , and then he also fell in love with Sassy. He had this habit of standing in front of Sassy and just telling her to "back up" and she would back up just like a horse does. She would continue to walk backwards for as long as he kept saying back-up. Her tail would be wagging all the time. As soon as he stopped, she would run to him for more attention. She moped around here for almost two years before she wanted to play in the house again. She might have been my dog, but she was also attached to him.
This past few weeks are the first time she has walked into the front room since losing Walt. Walt spent a lot of time on the couch watching TV and she would either lay on the rug at his feet, or lay under the table behind where I sit at the computer.
At least she is staying in the house nights so I don`t have to worry about her freezing in her coop on cold nights. I did put hay into her coop to keep her warmer when she is in it.
Well, guess I have rambled on enough about my wonderful pet.
I am getting stir-crazy wanting to be able to get back working on my large shop bench. Had it half done when I fell, so it is just waiting for me to finish as soon as my shoulder is healed. Hope it won`t be much longer before i can start doing more.
