Stunned by Life

Sometimes, life happens and leaves a person stunned....I recently found out my best friend of 35+ years son has stomach cancer. He is 29. Mo

Shoulder Update & Miscellaneous

I got in to the physical therapist today, due to a cancellation. Yea! I told her my shoulder was much improved (doesn't that figure - the minute you make an appointment, you feel better?) The PT said, after moving my arm around a few minutes, if this was good she didn't want to see bad. Hey! that's my shoulder we are talking about. She gave me a list of things not to do - keep it elevated in the car (I can't drive my Escape right now because it is a 5-speed), don't lift anything heavy over my head, use proper posture at the computer, so on. I have another appointment on Wednesday so she can show me some exercises. Now if I could just remember to take my pills every day.....you know me and pills. Me and doctors. Oh well, just me!

Other exciting news in my life - I am deconstructing the big flower bed, seems I over-planted it. Go figure. And I have this horrible grass that travels a looonng way under the soil. So I am slowly digging everything out and pulling the grass, then spraying the dirt. Yes, I am using chemicals....I hate to do it, but don't think vinegar is strong enough for the job. T -your day lilies and goldenrod will be available anytime, seems the weather is cooling off. Marge - I hope you didn't plant those echinops - I love them, but when they go to seed, they are very serious about procreating! And the irises - have I mentioned they love my garden?

Last but not least, I have been having fun on Facebook - Marge I think you would enjoy it, and it is pretty easy to use. Make an account, go look for people you know and ask them to be your friend. T - you would enjoy it too! You can post just a few lines, not a whole chapter, and it's fun to see what your friends post.

Hope you are all well- take care & love to all - Mo

Mo's Shoulder

I've had a bit of a struggle trying to get in to see a doctor regarding my shoulder. My last doctor closed his office, so I had a "doctor of record" so I could get my six-month check-up. When I hurt my shoulder, I (finally) made an appointment with her, only to be told it would be three weeks. Ok, I guess that's what I get for not being sick, so I went ahead and agreed to wait. Monday my appointment was cancelled, and when I tried to make a new appointment I was told another two + weeks..... Told the girl I was in pain, and she told me the doctor doesn't prescribe narcotics to new patients! Okay, this patient won't hardly take any aspirin for the pain! I was plenty steamed.... off to the walk-in clinic today. Long story short, x-rays, etc. determined I have arthritis. The PA asked me if I wanted to try ibuprofen and ice / heat - I told him I have been there, done that. Then he suggested - get this - surgery. Hmmm, I asked him if there wasn't something a little less radical, and now have to make an appointment for physical therapy.

In the mean time, I have been trying to exercise my arm. It's a pitiful sight - one exercise I found on the Internet was a shoulder shrug. So today I was shrugging at my desk when my boss walked in - I told him I was exercising and made like I was wiping sweat off my face. Okay, maybe you had to be there, but with all those chins in the picture below....

Here is a picture of my short hair - of course it is long gone, but I promised T.

Can you say "short and straight"? Night to all - Mo

I found these pictures when I was going through our computer picture album pages with Taylor. Thought you would enjoy them, I had forgotten that we had even taken pictures that day! This is May, 2009. Love you guys! t

I am the worst at writing letters, keeping in touch and blogging. So, here's some pictures of what's been going on in my life. e.g. the deck, the yard, and my family: and yes, those deck chairs were mom and dads, they're like 35 years old: Don asked dad for permission to marry me sitting in those chairs! Anyway, progress is being made. Love ya! t

Kesiah turns 5! Phoenix in July....

Kesiah turned five years old! It is so hard to believe, my grandchildren are growing up so fast (didn't we used to say that about our own children?)

Big Guy and I took Q, Lexi and Kesiah out to Dairy Queen for dinner and brought an icecream cake home to enjoy.

We missed Kesiah's birthday party because we went to Phoenix. Big Guy and I were anxious to check our house. We knew it would be hot, but of course it was the hottest July on record! Wouldn't you know it - growing up in the military, and living on so many different bases, it was always the coldest winter in 100 years.

The day we left Phoenix it was 115..... I drank plenty of water, but suffered a return of long-ago heat exhaustion while Big Guy and I were walking through a nursery. I was disappointed to leave the nursery, but promised we would be back in November (a perfect time for planting!)

I don't understand the Phoenix landscaping practice of covering everything with rock (creating an even bigger heat-sink) and torturing poor shrubs into little balls or squares. Although our front yard is landscaped and has a drip irrigation system installed, the landscaping is pretty sparce. Shrubs are planted where they have to be constantly clipped. I'm considering a new variety of ice-plant:

I'm hoping they can cover some of the rocks in the front. As to the backyard, well, that will have to wait until next year!

In Moses Lake, my lawn is horrible, my flowers are boring, and I've injured my shoulder so I can't do much. Faye had good news / bad news after her visit to Seattle - no she doesn't have an aneurism, but yes she will go blind. But now, the going blind part isn't as scary as having an aneurism.

So dear sisters, how is your gardens growing? Hope you are all doing ok! Love to all - Mo