CHRISTMAS

We are at the end of Christmas Day and my family will be coming over to my house tomorrow for my Christmas party. So many other obligations for all my children and grandchildren that I felt one day late would be best this year. I will do better next year as each day I grow stronger.
I hope everyone likes their presents.

Diane

ROSE

Today we went to a birthday party for Rose. Rose is 5 years old, smart, and lovely.
A wonderful time was had by all. Homemade pizza, strawberry cake, and s/c/v ice cream, just as requested by the birthday girl.
It is so great to celebrate a grandchild's birthday with them.
I can't help but remember how last year I was too sick to go to Rose's birthday and though she understood, she was very disappointed. When it was time for Jedidiah's birthday last year, he and his family came to me as I was staying with his aunt due to my illness and was to have an
operation the next day. I survived the operation, and I am here to praise God for his gift of another year on this Earth to enjoy my family and the simple pleasures of God's World.
Diane

I'm Back

I'm back with a laptop of my very own. The one I had been using quit, just quit, without so much as a goodbye. And so it goes. . . .
This new hp laptop is simply wonderful. I am very lucky to have found it at a great affordable price. I will be back writing with some sense in a few days.
Thank you all ever so much for your extensive patience.
Diane

library instead of paid tv

Over the years, while analog tv channels were available from long distances away to me, free, just because I live on a hill with few trees and a good view, I had no intention of purchasing satelite tv. It was not even considered. Now with the end to analog, I was sent the coupons from the USA government for the converter boxes. I bought one. It is a little better now, than
in June with the initial switch over to digital. I still get my ABC, CBS, NBC, WB, PBS, and FOX. I have no desire to pay for satelite. I have always been an avid reader. Using money to buy books that I can learn something from, enjoy reading, recipes to cook from, craft books, etc., purchases from thrift shops, twice a year friends of the local library book sales, book clubs, book stores, online bookshops for used and new at greatly reduced prices.
My eyesight is getting bad so I did recently stockpile reading glasses.
The money that I have saved by not giving into peer pressure shows in my extensive book
library, pattern, and fabric stash. I am never bored, for I always have something to do, something to read, something to learn, something to make, and it is fun to me.
Each to his own, I always say.

new to me greenhouse- maybe

I am getting excited about having a greenhouse in my backyard to grow seedlings in and keep plants out of the frost,extending their productivity. The greenhouse in question is not new, however, is new to me. As my DD1 is moving to a rental and doesn't want to move it there, and the soon to be ex did gift it to her and does not garden himself, and when asked I did really like the idea. I was not able to do much gardening other than pick herbs for seasoning my cooking, out of the herb garden planted in 2002. Don't you just love perrenials!
My two sons have advised they can move it wherever I want it to be! Did I say I was excited!

Holidays are coming! I get to enjoy this year's events

I am looking forward to the holidays this year. So much has changed in the last year. Last year, I did not think that I would have this year. I was so scared when I was told the tumor was malignant and massive. The doctors' were not sure until after the tumor was removed by radical surgery last December whether the cancer started in the colon or in the bladder. By the pathology report, the cancer did begin in the colon and spread to the bladder. Prior to surgery, I had two circles drawn on my abdomen for stomas/ostomy drainage. Luckily Dr Tyler was able to resection my colon, so as it turned out, I have only one ostomy, for urine drainage. The bladder had to be completely removed.
It has been an adjustment, living with an urostomy, however, much better than not living.
My children and grandchildren are happy to have me around. Each day I thank the Lord for the extra time he has given me. My family gives me encouragement and offers assistance as needed, as I get stronger, I can do more for myself than for the last two years when I was deterioting right before their eyes. By the grace of God, I got to Duke University Medical Center in time to be diagnosed and treated.
I will be making gifts this year. I am so excited. This is going to be great.
Diane

Another bookcase, please!

I have been thinking of covering the wall of the other living room with bookcases. The short end wall already has three bookcases with one on the window wall side in the corner. The long wall, however, has been reserved for the TV and entertainment center. I wish to have that TV moved to the front living room where the TV needs to be replaced and just have one TV in the
house with the DVD, VCR, Around Sound all hooked up in the one room. That would leave a long
wall for just bookcases, and what a joy to have the storage easily reachable.
This room has the best lighting for reading, and working on my sewing projects. I have started
furniture repair in this room also, because it is such a long room. I have several furniture items purchased at estate auctions that I would like to recover, refinish, and recane.
With winter coming soon, I will not be leaving the house as much. My body aches in damp, cold weather, and with the fluations of the barometer. The pain is sometimes unbearable and I don't attempt to get out of bed, just stay with my heating pad and microwave-heated herbal rice bags.
Some people would say that I was lazy on those days,however, those people do not feel my pain. I never in my life smoked, didn't drink, lived a clean, decent life and still colon cancer was discovered a year ago and radical surgery took place before Christmas.
Hey, I am alive to be mother and grandmother to my loving family who need me to be here for them and I am getting stronger every day. I still ache, though, and that's from the car accident that happened on the way to work in 2003. I always have to clarify that with my cancer doctors'. The pain is distinctly different than the cancer pain.
I am getting off subject of bookcases and will stop for now. . . . Diane

I am as I am

Can we fix it ourselves ? This is the first thing I ask myself when things are not working properly and, or need to be repaired. If I can I do.

If I can't, I go to my go to people . . . son, Josh can fix many things. Josh recently replaced the kitchen sink along with faucets, pipes, and now no leaks in drainage or intake pipes or faucets. Josh had to replace alot of pipes this summer from last winters' freeze.

When I spotted a stain on the ceiling in my bathroom, it was Josh who climbed on my roof to check what was going on with the shingles. He advised me to buy two bundles and knew the exact color and type, along with the correct nails, the roof was repaired in that spot and all the shingles that had blew off over the last few years were replaced.

I in turn sew up splits in jeans, replace zippers, sew on buttons by machine or buy hand as needed. I do alterations of long pants to shorts and adjust the length of sleeves by taking off the cuff, cutting off the excess fabric, and replacing the cuff.

Time and know how goes a long way, and of course, the desire to do it for ourselves, rather than pay someone else to do these sometimes tedious projects, knowlegde if power. My son, TJ, has in the past changed my oil in my vehicle, replaced brake pads, and replaced headlight and taillight bulbs.

TJ turned his backyard into over an acre vegetable garden. I had asked for enough okra to have some to freeze. I have several 2 gallon bags frozen for this winter and had okra all summer to eat fresh, and the okra is still going strong. TJ used his pressure canner to can green beans, irish potatoes, beets,and water bath canned tomatoes, and pickled cucumbers, beets, and okra.

I am so blessed to be alive. . . to have my 4 children . . to have my 7 grandchildren . . . to have
my family that loves me and accepts me as I am . . . . Diane

Cooler Nights

Now that autumn is upon us, we are getting much cooler nights. I do not have to use the furnace at all, nor, do I use the air conditioner. What does this mean? Lower power bill, that's what it means. I am ever so grateful for the relief in bill paying if only for a little while.
We have been making soups from scratch recently. That goes over well, and is delicious.
Sunday night it was potato with onion, seasoned with salt, pepper, and dill. This has always been one of my grandchildrens' favorites. Monday night it was chicken vegetable with egg noodles and seasoned with rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. We did have store bought regular saltines available for those that must have their crackers with any soup.
I am thinking pinto beans with side meat tonight. We'll have to see what the rest of the family thinks about that.
I have too much to do today to stay online. . . .Diane

Rainy day and Monday

Today is both Monday and a rainy day.
I am not going to let it get me down.
I have lots of sewing and baking to do today.
An apron challenge with friends at down-to-earth, Halloween costumes for grandkids.
Skirts for Gretel and beautiful dresses and slips for Rose and Lily.
I am designing, too. Its a wonderful life.
Have to get to it. . . .

October

October is finally here. I am alive and so much better than a year ago. Maybe I will get to stay around a little longer. There is so much in this life I have yet to do. It is so wonderful to be grandma to such great grandchildren. I am planning a party to celebrate and I'm working on the menu. Of course, homemade cheesecake will be on the list, along with roasted chicken with rosemary and sage ,and greenbean casserole. I am still in the planning stages . . . it will be a
wonderful day.

short trip to beach

Today as an ode to summer, went to beach with daughter and granddaughter. . .
very different from the June beach trip, as boardwalk mostly closed down. . .
only fudge boat open for business. . . the flounder fillet sandwich, however, at
the old pier house restaurant was awesome. . . .