I felt pretty good all day. The pain is back tonight though.

Sis took my car and got the annual safety inspection this morning. One of the headlights was out, which I hadn't realized because I don't drive at night very often. So after that was replaced, the car passed the safety inspection.

Sis made a loaf of bread in the bread machine this afternoon. I love warm freshly baked bread.

I didn't sleep more than 2 hours total last night. Then at church I was in a lot of pain and could hardly sit still. When the service was over and I was heading back out of the sanctuary, I nearly fell. My right ankle was aching so badly that I could hardly drive home.

We didn't go out to eat, but reheated the leftovers from the turkey dinners we bought at the Lutheran church fundraiser and finished that.

I tried to get some sleep this afternoon and did sleep a little bit, but then a former neighbor called and chatted for awhile. Later, our two brothers called from VA and talked for awhile too. By that time I was wide awake again and haven't slept since.

I hope tonight doesn't turn out the same as last night.

It cooled off quite a lot overnight and is expected to get even colder tonight and tomorrow.



It was really raining hard when I got off work at noon today. Naturally I didn’t have an umbrella with me, so I made an emergency rain cap out of a trash bag liner. I believe we got about two inches of rain.



Sis had an appointment to have an MRI/brain scan at the hospital this afternoon so I went along with her. She said that was quite an experience – one she hopes not to have to repeat. She's had a couple of mini strokes in recent months and the doctor sent her to have this test.



We stopped at a fundraiser supper on the way home and had spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, and bread sticks. She had been fasting for the MRI, so was quite ready for a good meal by that time.



Then we came home, put on a pot of coffee and had peach pie with it.

I've tried lying down two or three times since we got home, but my arthritis is bothering me so much that I can't lie still. Icy Hot or Aspercreme helps a little bit, but pain pills sure don't.

Pumpkin Patch Pix

child in a bumble bee outfit. So cute.

A nearby church had their annual Thanksgiving fundraiser dinner today so Sis went over and picked up two take out meals for us. My arthritis has been bothering me more today and I got only two hours sleep last night so when I got home from work this afternoon I went right to bed and slept for a few hours. Of course that may cause a vicious circle of little sleep again tonight. But I've got to get sleep when I can.

It is 84 degrees here right now. What is really amazing is that I just saw a picture posted on Facebook of a friend's home in Washington state - with snow covering the ground around the home.

I didn't get much sleep last night so when I got home from this work this afternoon I was really tired. I went right to bed and slept for nearly 3 hours - skipping the early news, Jeopardy, and the 5 o'clock news. I must have been really sleep-deprived.

Sis is helping out at the pumpkin patch at a nearby church but should be home in about an hour.

Today was a beautiful but extremely warm day.

We had 36 people at church this morning. Unfortunately that is pretty much the norm lately. Our attendance has been rather low for awhile.

Sis was out of town all weekend on a mission trip, but she got home this evening.

I did a little shopping yesterday - got a new pair of shoes, some sunglasses and a few groceries, but my foot has been bothering me a lot, so I spent most of the day resting.

I got my hair done Friday and decided to try a weekly appointment again for awhile.

An update on the lady who fell at church last Sunday: She had a broken collarbone, had to have 8 stitches to close the wound in her head, and is wearing a sling because of pain from the collarbone. She didn't have to stay in the hospital though, and expects to be able to get out and about again in a couple of weeks.

We had a nice day today although a light rain is predicted for tonight.

Everyone having fun at the pumpkin patch this afternoon. Cindy and Dawn wearing owl caps that Sis crocheted.

More Pix

We ate lunch at Bill Miller BBQ this afternoon. I had a delicious BBQ brisket plate with beans, home fries, cole slaw, and iced tea.

Another prayer shawl made by Sis

Unloading pumpkins yesterday afternoon and setting up for the pumpkin sales at Epworth UMC.

One of the women at church fell this morning and we had to call an ambulance to take her to the hospital to be checked. She is an elderly lady with Parkinson's disease and she just lost her balance, but fell hard and hit her head, which was bleeding although not profusely.

We ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel restaurant, then went to Wal-Mart and did our weekly shopping.

When we left there, we went to a Lutheran church on that side of town that was having a fund-raiser dinner. We bought two dinners and brought home to have for supper. Each dinner had sausage, potatoes and green beans, sauerkraut, applesauce, and bread. It was quite good and generous portions of everything.

They were also having a rummage sale, so we looked through that and Sis found a few things to buy.

This afternoon we went to Epworth UMC to help unload pumpkins for their annual pumpkin sale.

Then we came home and I did my laundry.

The property tax bill came in today's mail, so I made out a check to pay that.

So far we haven't gotten the rain that was forecast for today.

I got 4 packages of Advantage II flea treatment for the kittens and put it on each of them.

Callie - sitting in my laptop computer case. The picture looks kind of dark because I don't have the ceiling light on and it is 6:30 p.m.

I worked until noon today, then went to the beauty shop and got my hair cut and set. That sure makes me feel better.

We went to Best Buy after work and I got a new ethernet cord for my computer. The kittens had chewed through the one I had and I was unable to get onto the internet.

Then we stopped at IHOP for supper.

My arthritis hasn't been bothering me much for a few days, but now my right foot is really giving me a lot of pain, day and night. I think the horrible bunions have caused problems with the nerves in that foot. I haven't been able to sleep tonight yet.

The office was closed today because of Columbus Day. Sis and I went to Bud Jones for breakfast, then to Wal-Mart and stopped at Goodwill on the way home. On the way back to the car, I tripped over a speed bump in front of the Goodwill store and fell. Sis and several people near immediately came to my aid and helped me get back up. It made me feel really bad to have fallen, but I am not as mobile lately and I would have had a very difficult time getting up without their assistance. I was very grateful. I went back and sat in the car while Sis stopped at another store in the same strip. I scraped my knee, but when we got home I swabbed it with peroxide and put some antibiotic ointment on it and an ice pack. It isn't sore now.

Sis holding Buffy.

More of the owl hats

We had a definite cool front come through last night. Today's high was only 58. It is normally 85. Another cool night is forecast, then it is expected to warm back up to more normal temperatures for this area.

We ate at Snoga's after church. I like their turkey dinner which is one of their regular Sunday specials.

That shelf tipped again this morning and another glass broke. I took everything off the shelf and examined it. One of the little "doo-hickeys" that holds the shelf up is broken. I'll have to see if I can get a friend to replace it. In the meantime, I'm leaving that shelf empty.

The Lions Club was having their annual breakfast at the Presbyterian church near us this morning, so we went and had a nice breakfast of pancakes, sausage, coffee and orange juice.

Then we stopped at the grocery and picked up a couple things we didn’t get at Wal-Mart yesterday.

I did my weekly laundry and some house cleaning and that was about all I could manage this morning so I took a little nap.

Sis fixed fried chicken livers and fried potatoes for lunch. We had mixed berries in vanilla pudding with it.

This afternoon we had a near catastrophe. I was standing on a 2-step stool, putting dishes on an upper shelf in the cupboard. I laid my hand on the middle shelf which was full of drinking glasses. It tipped and a bunch of glasses fell down onto the tile floor and shattered. I had no shoes on – just socks, so I yelled for Sis to bring me some shoes – and a broom. She had to sweep all around before I could even get down off the stool. Broken glass was everywhere – in the sink, all over the counter, stove, the steps of the stool, and down on the floor. It took a lot of cleaning and I’m not sure we didn’t miss some here and there. I don’t know how many glasses broke, but quite a few. I think we need to go back to using aluminum tumblers like the colored ones that were popular in the 1950’s.

The pickup was acting funny so Sis took it to the repair shop, but they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Every now and then it would quit on her at a stop sign and she would have to re-start it.

In the meantime, I picked her up there when I got off work at noon and we went to Bud Jones for lunch, then did our weekly shopping.

This evening we had our lawn mowed. After all the rain a few days ago, it had really grown (mostly weeds instead of grass though).

I've got an extra day off this weekend as the office will be closed Monday for Columbus Day.

Sis and I went to the Spirit Sisters meeting last night, but there was a mix-up and no one else showed up. We waited awhile, then came home. The leader of the group called later and apologized. She had to take her mother to the hospital for a checkup and got held up there much longer than expected.

Sis had an order for this owl hat, so she made it tonight.

We got a new copier at the office today. It is really nice and has a printer/scanner with it.

This is another hard-to-sleep night. Actually, I sleep, but wake up every little bit with the arthritis pains keeping me from laying still, so I get up until it wears off.

The kittens all come out to the computer room with me and lay around and keep me company. One is usually beside me on the desk as i'm typing. This time it is Louisa.

It was another long day. There was a funeral reception at church late this afternoon. We had expected the family to get there by 4 p.m. at the latest, but it was closer to 5. We had begun to wonder if anyone would show up at all and we had lots of food prepared and ready. They finally got there. The funeral had been held at a funeral home a few miles away at 2 p.m., then a graveside service at the cemetery.

I was the only one there who had the key and codes to lock up after it was all over, so by the time I got home it was about 6 p.m. I had been there since 7:30 this morning so needless to say I was pretty tired. I lay down for about an hour.

Callie and Louisa

Pictures of "owl caps" Sis has been making

We got an unexpected rainstorm this evening. I was at church for a late meeting. Several of us went ahead and left and came home before the meeting ended. Some of these meetings just go on and on and on.

I had been at church since 7:30 this morning and by the time I got home this evening, I was really wiped out. The rain was giving me a sinus headache. It has gone away now though.

Sis had supper ready. We had salads and later ice cream and cake. Sis had made a chocolate cake and it really turned out good.

I wonder if I'll get any sleep tonight. I didn't get much last night and I've been up and down several times already tonight. Now I'm getting a little idea of what Mother went through with her arthritis. But mine isn't as bad as hers was and I hope it never gets that bad.