The good, the bad, the ugly

That is how this week has been.  Dad was bad this week.  Mad at the world, ready to just die, made his nurses – and his family – miserable.  His dementia has accelerated after the hospital stay and he was just so confused.  He also has macular degeneration in one eye and it really took a bad turn and he cannot see.  I am going to need to see if the doctor will see him but I doubt that anything can be done now. The disease is just devastating.

Ugly?  Hmmm, depend I guess on your perspective.  The weather turned cold.  Myself, I love the cooler weather.  But some felt it was ugly.  Today it was in the 90s again.  Monday is supposed to be in the 70s.  I heard someone complaining about the changes but if you live in the Texas Panhandle, you know it changes daily especially in the fall.

The good.  Dad was much better at the end of the week.  The pastors at his church came and talked to him, a friend talked to him, the nurses talked to him.  It really helped him and he was a different man.  More back to Dad.  Oh, he is still not happy and depressed but he at least is not throwing things and being just down right mean.  Much happier really.

This weekend was nice.  The fair was in town but we did not go this year.  But Travis and Stephanie did and spent the night on Friday after going.  Saturday we got up, went to see Dad, then met Kathleen and Mike and boys at the Amarillo Zoo.  They were having a birthday party for the lions.  Four years!  The Big Texan Steakhouse and owner Bobby Lee donated three 72 oz. steaks for the three lions.  They put them in “cakes” made from boxes so the lions could find them.  It took them less than a minute to find them and not much longer to get in the box and swallow – yes, I think they swallowed them whole.  BURP!  It was a nice outing.

Had some awesome clouds move in this week and some really cold weather.  I think it was 38 degrees one morning.  But we are back to very warm today.  Hot in fact.  The forecast is for cooling down then going up all week. 

 

Oh, anyone else out there watch some of the new shows this week?  I really liked “The Good Wife” and am looking forward to the season of it.  I kind of watched a couple more but did not find one that just grabbed me like that one.  But I will check them out again. 

Next weekend Zachary has two soccer games and two football games so it should be a photographic challenge. 

And any of you hot air balloon fans, the Fiesta opens in Albuquerque next weekend for two weeks.  If you don’t have reservations, too bad.  Well, you might find something but it will be pricey.  I am leading up to our own Pirates of the Canyon the weekend of October 30, 31, and November 1.  Check it out.  This year I am going to Palo Duro Canyon, in the canyon, and taking pictures.  Bet you just can’t wait to be bombarded with more pictures of hot air balloons.

That is all I have this week.  Have a great week.

LiveJournal Tags: hot air balloons,clouds,zoo,lions,Palo Duro Canyon

Beautiful fall is here!

I think my favorite seasons are fall and winter.  Yes, I know.  Lots of you do not like winter.  I do.  Love the snow and cold.  Does not mean I want to be out in it but I just love the season.  Well, I think it is officially fall here.  Next week it is supposed to be highs in the 60s!  Yes! 

Dragging out the cropped pants now.  Less shorts.  But I will fight tooth and toenail to continue to wear sandals.  Hate shoes.  Now, does that go together – no shoes and cold?  In my house it does.  My grandmother used to tell me “You are going to catch your death!”.  Ever hear that from your parents or grandparents?  I will even traipse to the mailbox shoeless through light snow.  And get the grill going.  Country, that is me.

With fall comes soccer and football and, right at the end, basketball.  Trying to hit all those games is a interesting to say the least.  Zachary just has football this weekend.  Next weekend football and soccer.  So far their team is 2-0.  They are playing really well as a team.

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Just discovered this picture album stuff at blogger.  Cool!

Here are some of Zane playing at the games.

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Zane and I attended a program at Zachary’s school this week.  They had Pirates Day which was really a learning experience for parents and grandparents.  It was to remind parents to ask questions as their students read.  Start with the title and what do they think the book or chapter is about.  Then during reading asking what the story is about and who and such.  At the end, ask what they would do to change the ending.  Really a very cute program.  We had clues and had to go to four different spots to find the “treasure” in the end.  The “treasure” was cookies and drinks in the classroom when we got back.  Even Zane got cookies and juice.  It was great! 

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Ross and I are thinking about going to Belton Tuesday.  We found a travel trailer there at a really good price.  We will take Zane with us.  Means he will miss Mothers’ Day Out but so it goes.  Should be interesting!

Dad has not been well.  He seems very confused and has been hateful at times.  I had to really talk to him like a child Friday to calm him down.  They had him in the hospital wing to give him IV antibiotics and he was just missing all his friends and bingo and seeing anything but the inside of a room.  So they took him off the IV and changed it to oral and moved him home.  He is MUCH happier but still confused.  They say it could be the infection – pneumonia.  He is having a hard time shaking it off but I do see him getting a bit better.  Very scary to me.  Thank goodness I have Cynthia and Molly – and Ross and Kathleen.  My support team.

Ross has a birthday Saturday – 62.  He will start drawing his retirement in October we hope and then retire in January.  Maybe.  He changes his mind daily.  We have got to find insurance before that happens however.  I dread the cost.  Then he needs to find something to do or drive me crazy.  I know it!  But I do look forward to having weekends to do stuff again. It is so hard to do anything during the week and keep kids. 

Going to go read or listen to a book for a bit.  I am hooked on books on CDs.  I download them to iTunes then put them on my iPhone and off I go!  I can clean, garden, work on the computer, and still listen.  I have learned to haunt all the library branches to find books.  They all carry something different.  Love it.  I have not been to the north branch yet. It is just too far.  Maybe if I am over that way one day.  My favorites are Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and read by Lorilei King and Spenser series of Robert B. Parker and read by Joe Montegna.  The readers really make listening to books great. I got one the other day that was just awful.  The book may have been good but the reader was terrible.  I just could not listen to it. 

Back later this week.

Long week!!

This has been a long week.  Dad was back in the hospital Monday night with pneumonia.  Found out later it was not “deep” but when he gets it, he is really ill.  I don’t think he was ever really well after the last time he was there.  And it is so stressful and so tiring and so worrisome when he is in the hospital.  For some reason dialysis seems to really be taking it’s toll every time.  One day at a time!   He is home now and still on an IV antibiotic. 

The kids had a great time in Austin and San Antonio.  They sent me pictures from the tailgate party.  What fun!  We need to take a travel trailer down there next year and camp out.  That would be kind of neat too. Here is a collage of pictures that were sent to  me on phone Not bad photos for cell phones.  Two are from an iPhone and boy the resolution was high!  I think the others might be high too from camera but were emailed so a bit smaller.

Sunday I went to meet a cousin.  We “found” each other on the internet through a genealogy search.  He is a cousin on my Dad’s side at about the 10th level. :)  That was fun!  He and his wife were on their way from Pagosa Springs, CO back to their home in Arkansas.  I had my camera but forgot to take it out!  But Gary is good.  He had his ready and it is posted at Facebook.  Need to get a full res from him to post here.  Gosh, I have met two cousins through ancestry research.  Fun.

Oh, almost forgot!  Saturday I went out to the Bayer Select World Championship Horse Show.  There were some beauties out there.  Wish I had gone more or stayed later.  I may try to go next year but really look at what events are when.  It was one week long.  I did not take a lot of photos.  After all, I really do not know any of them and would mean nothing to me.  This white horse was pretty big.  Bigger than the other and he just fascinated me.  Probably 16 1/2 hands. 

The rest of the week was taking up taking cars for repairs or doing all the errand stuff. Plus running to the hospital. 

Zane started back to Mother’s Day Out.  He was so funny.  He always says he does not want to go.  But he got up, got dressed, got in the truck, chattered all the way.  When we drove up he said “I really don’t want to do this.”  Just as calm and adult as you please.  And he meant it!  I had to pull him out and he continued to try to climb back in the truck.  We went in and he clung to me.  Cried.  All that stuff.  But he calmly went and sat down after just a bit.  When I went to pick him up he was just so thrilled with his day.  They were playing Duck Duck Goose and he was having a ball!  Still does not want to go again this week but he never does.  He loves to play with kids and I know he is learning a lot and becoming much more social.

This really seems to be Zane week.  Friday I took him to the library for story time.  We got three Thomas books and went to the story time.  For the first time he did not sit in my lap or in a seat right next to me.  He asked if he could sit on the rug with the other kids!  Yes, of course.  He was a bit antsy at first but finally just sat and listened to the books.  Then when it was time for the video he did get in the chair next to me.  Told me he did not want to sit in the dark without me!  So cute.

Today we went to the Thomas the Train Play Date at Toys R Us.  I found out about it on Facebook or Twitter.  Not sure where it was mentioned.  But the store does not advertise it.  I guess it would be too packed if they did.  The boys had a good time.  Even Zachary though he did not want to go.  Zane kept exclaiming “OH MY GOSH!!  WOOK, NANA!” over every train set.

 

The weather was cool cool cool today  I think a high of 70. And some of the town got some rain.  Not us, but cooler weather is fine with me.  I notice some trees changing early and I have some plants that are putting on their fall coats.  Early winter?  Who knows.

Just a couple of photos of the moon and sky I took this week:

The moon is really hard to photograph – especially with a point and shoot!

Morning mist!

  

Going to go finish listening to some books then go to bed and read.  Hope I don’t get lost on the plots!

Holiday Weekend!

Woohoo!  Even I have a long holiday weekend.  The kids left this morning for Austin/San Antonio.  They are going to go to the University of Texas football game tomorrow and have tentative plans to visit the Riverwalk and Alamo.  I know they are also going to have a tailgate party at the game.  Should be lots of fun for all of them.  They have heard there might be rain down there but since it is so needed, no complaints.

Well, I had a wreck this week and it was my fault.  The only thing is, I was not in the vehicle I wrecked.  Strange you think?  I was towing Ross in his car to the mechanic.  There is an intersection we had to stop at that is notorious for being hard to see oncoming traffic.  I really did not see the pickup coming.  Pulled the Cutlas out of the intersection and BAM!! – he hit Ross right in the driver’s door.  Thank goodness Ross saw him coming and leaned into the passenger side.  It did knock Ross’s glasses off his face and into the back seat.  Also shattered the door glass.  The window was down though so most of the glass was in the door. 

We are not going to fix the car and I don’t think we will replace it.  Ross will drive my car and I will drive the pickup except when I have to go get Dad.  He is just unable to climb up in the truck.  However, I think we are going to list the car on Craig’s List as a parts car.  The back window is in great shape, as is the motor and transmission, and that back window is very hard to come by.   We’ll see if we can sell it.  You just never know.

The weather has been really good here.  Only in the 80’s for highs with a few sprinkles every evening. I do wish it would rain but I cannot complain about the temperatures.

Ross is hunting for us another camper.  We want a hardsided camper and think we may try to get a hybrid.  Found one in Waco for a great price but just have not had the time to go look.  Sure wish we could find one closer. 

That is just about all of the news for us this week.  Certainly enough for me!  Just want to sit and do nothing for a bit.  But life goes on.  Tomorrow I AM going to go see the horse show here and of course take care of Dad.  Then it will be “normal” stuff – cleaning mainly.

For my scrapping friends!

I have a freebie for you!  Wow!  It has been a long time.  I have taken a few freebies off the blog and put them in my shop at Scrapdebris by the way.  Be sure and check out Scrapdebris.  Some great designers there and kits are just $1.  Oh, and I am trying to work on our vacation shots as scrap pages.  They are taking forever.  Anyway, click HERE or on the picture to download.  Please leave a note in comments here or on 4shared if you download.  Also, let me know what else you think this needs if anything.  Or let me know what kind of kit you might need.  I will try to make one!

Off to see what Dallas is doing tonight.  They were struggling but it is pre-season so I can forgive.