Jan 28 - Feb 11, 2012 My Mind Says It's Right; My Heart Aches!

Saturday I took corn chowder to soup and baked potato supper (one of my favorite events!) When I came home, opened my refrig and there was no light - didn't know if the fridge wasn't working or if the light was just burned out. There wasn't anything I could do at 8:30 at nite. Of course, I wasn't even sure where the refrig plugged in since it is in so tight, can't be moved out since I replaced the RV fridge with a household fridge. I'd have to get a repair guy (that put it in) to come get at it thru the back -what a mess - needless to say, I was a tad bit PO’d!

By the time I was ready to go to bed, went to turn on the oxygen and it didn't work. Felt the crock pot with the left over soup - it was cold. Problems with an electrical circuit? Breakers OK - fuses OK. Then I remembered, the 'trip' plug (GFC - or whatever they call it) is by the bathroom sink. Sure enough, it had tripped. Pressed the reset and all was working and I was a happy camper! Not sure how it got tripped but has been fine since.

Pam and Geoff (from Canada) got in Friday. Pam came down with a migraine and the first I had a chance to visit with them was at the soup supper. So nice to see them.

Stayed in Sunday. Going to the soup supper Saturday night did me in; that and waking to a 45 degree morning! I brought less than ½ of the corn chowder home so I added some left over fried chicken to it – Yummy!

I've been looking for a home for Tinga for quite some time; just not in enough of a hurry to let her go to just anyone. When Deryl & Elke mentioned Lindsey and Daniel, it just kinda clicked; that would be the place. She does create lots of dust. I'm going to miss my 'breakfast buddy' when she leaves. We do breakfast together each morning!

After talking to Deryl and Elke, I decided to offer her to their grand-daughter Lindsey and her fiancé, Daniel. Not sure when they will be down from San Antonio; he is a full time student at University of TX in San Antonio and she has a full time job. At least I know she is going to a good home that can deal with birds (they already have a couple.)

Caleb is quieting some, but I know he stirs up the dust, too. He's a typical bouncy terrier! I’ve even hired a cleaning lady. It will be a big help, I think.

According to doc, my lungs are clearing; I'm just in the allergy mess now. Deryl & Elke suggested I take the trailer and go somewhere for a month or so. Not sure where I'd go, central TX would be worse! I know I'm getting some better every day. I'm just to the point where I get so paranoid it will settle back in my lungs, I don't do much. Spend a lot of time reading and on the computer! And, when I don't do much, I get weaker and weaker so now, I have to get some strength back.

Monday I got off to a late start. The sun forgot to come up and shine in my bedroom window and I didn't crawl out of bed until almost 8:30! Even the critters didn't wake me up! Didn't plan on buying much at the grocery but came home with a big slab of beef ribs - the big ones with not too much meat left on them - but they make good soup stock! Got a bunch of info from Iowa Dept of Tourism in the mail so I can start planning my day trips!

Tuesday started with 64 foggy humid degrees. No ladies coffee for me. By the time I took the dogs out and got my propane tank out to the street that was my morning energy quota! Propane truck came in the AM and right behind the truck was Cleo to put it in for me and hook it up! I'm really getting spoiled!

Definitely needed more bedding - now that I share the bed with 2 days and a cat! I went to Castaways and found 3 king size flat sheets in good shape (not even faded!) and got'em all for $10! One is a heavy flannel one that I will use as a blanket. How lucky is THAT!

But here is the best part of my day...stopped to get fuel ($3.79.9/gal!) and bought a cup of coffee while I was in there. I didn't even get pulled out of the gas station and onto the highway before I spilled about 1/2 of it in my lap! Can't believe it didn't drip all the way down my shirt. Just hit the seat; of course, I was setting in the seat so I ended up with WET BRITCHES! Been a long time since I had wet pants! GEEZ! Not only can't I walk and breathe in this foggy air, I can't drink coffee and breathe without spilling it! And they have really good coffee at that gas station!

And here comes February! Time flies when we are having fun! Four more months and I'll be gettin' ready to head north! Off to a really late start this first day of Feb; I sure do sleep in when it's foggy. And now, even Caleb has learned it isn't nice to wake up Helen until she is ready! He just lays there at the foot of the bed waiting for Li'lBit to do that job!

We are finally getting our morning schedule down. Li'lBit likes to go out when she first gets up. Caleb would stay out all the time if he had a chance but he doesn't pee until after he eats - and then he pees gallons! So we go out on Caleb's schedule. Li'l Bit will come in and go out a dozen times a day with her little dribbles, but Caleb won't go again until after supper and then he will pee a few more gallons. He must have a "bladder from hell!"

65 degrees and foggy. When the fog lifts, plan on going into town to see Kathy’s new-to-her 5th wheel out at Shady Oaks RV park south of town and then meet up with Donna for lunch at Shempy’s.

Groundhog Day – foggy – no shadows being seen here! Guess I haven't left my closet doors open enough! Sure does smell musty in there. Pulled stuff out and check all over, nothing is wet, doesn't even feel damp. Just smells musty so back to leaving the closet doors open!

Went to Deryl & Elke’s for fish fry Saturday. Deryl can fry up some tasty fish! My belly is always miserably FULL and happy when I leave their place! Loved the meal.
Sunday was pick up day for Tinga. I made the mistake of trying to corral her to clip her wings. Not smart! The price of flapping feathers and dust was cough, cough, cough, sneeze, sneeze, sneeze, gasp, gasp, gasp, wheeze, wheeze, wheeze! And I never did get her clipped. She hasn't been clipped for years and she wasn’t one bit happy!

I was really excited for Tinga and Lindsey (and Daniel, too!) Tinga needs a place where she can get more attention than I can give her since I can’t have her out flying about with the dust like she used to. But now Tinga’s gone! My head say's it is right; my heart aches! Took most of the rest of Sunday to pick up that corner and vacuum up the seeds and dust so the cleaning lady can hit it good on Monday.

February 6th 47 degrees, cloudy, breezy. My first day with one less mouth to feed and no one holler at me "I'll come out now!" I guess it'll take a few days for me to get used to the quiet!

Tuesday brought more heavy humid air, foggy and 54 degrees. Kinda nice waking up to clean floors – all of them clean at the same time. Not just one section today and another tomorrow! Should have gotten a cleaning lady long ago. Sure glad she changed my bedding - Li'lBit got sick last nite - so guess who had to change bedding! Fortunately, she didn't mess up much other than a light flannel blanket and one sheet! Bless her heart, she just can't see to get down off the bed in the dark (even with the night light on) and I just didn't wake up to set her down. I knew she was nudging me, but I just rolled over and went back to sleep; I'll not do THAT again!

Not even gonna try walking up to coffee. Met Donna at Panjo's Pizza for lunch, ran some errands, got my hair cut, came home exhausted. Enough activity for one day!
Need to figure out something to do for Terry. He came by the other day and washed my windows on the outside and wouldn’t take anything for it…..I’ll think of something! Have I mentioned I love this park and the folk here – always willing to help (even before you ask!)

Wednesday brought more 57 damp dreary degrees winds picked up about noon, then when the front blew thru - some sun! Gotta get busy and get this box of paperwork sorted! Odds and ends of mail I've kept and probably all needs to be tossed, but gotta go thru it just to be sure. It is tax time!

Pizza soup in the crock pot. I have some left over pizza sauce from when I made snack pizzas out of tortillas, some left over Italian sausage, plenty of peppers, onions, etc. Tossed it all in the crock pot with some broth and let'er cook. It was very good – will have to remember that recipe!

Thursday headed into WallyWorld to pick up critter food and pee papers! Story of my life – critter food and pee papers! I don’t like going into town on Friday, Sat or Sun – Winter Texans are here and they really “muck” things up, you know! Hehehe!!
Seems I just can't 'get it together' before 10 AM and by 4 PM I'm already pooped. My breathing treatments aren't working like they should. Not getting the "uumpf" from them that I used to and just when I think this crap is getting outta here, it comes back to remind of it hasn’t totally left! At least I'm feeling some better than I did last month!

It was too chilly and damp for me to even think of potluck! The winds picked up by the end of the day and it just kinda chills to the bone! I know, when it is 50 degrees, it is hard for you suffering with sub-freezing wind chills, to understand 'chill to the bone at 50 degrees!'

Nice gentle rain Thursday night made for good sleepin' weather! 55 sunny degrees - 15 mph 'breeze' - but that's OK. Had my crock pot going with hamburger soup! Time to clean out the veggie bin in the fridge so hamburger soup takes care of that! Another one of those ‘no recipe’ soups – beef broth, hamburger, whatever else is in the fridge that needs to be eaten!