A Wonderful Wednesday

Hi All!

It is Wednesday! Yeah!

Why am I so excited?

I have absolutely NO idea!

Anyway - it is going to be a good day. The tornadoes went by us last night (not even close) and in Oklahoma they missed my brother and his family. That is worth having a good day, don't you think?

The storms we had last night were the latest in what has seemed like an endless stream of storms. It really hasn't been daily but it sure seems like it! While the weather was "severe" we actually didn't even get too much rain - about an inch or so.

I haven't watered my flowers for about a week now!

I also haven't been swimming since the rain water (and the cold nights) means that the pool water is cold, cold, cold! Hopefully the rain will be over soon and the days will heat the water up to a nice swimming temperature - but not the bathtub temperature!

Yesterday I got my free oil change and then bopped to a lunch with a friend who is in town for a little bit from Washington D.C. This friend is a student at Galluadet University - the best known and first college for Deaf students. Galluadet has an excellent interpreter program and I really wish I could go but . . . I don't think it will happen. Spending two years away from home . . . just won't work at this stage in the game!

Back to the lunch. Six of us met at Pei Wei and had a nice long lunch chatting and just catching up with each other. Such a wonderful time!

Pictures were taken but not by me so I don't have them to show you . . . yet. I am hoping my friend puts them on Facebook so I can get them!

Today I plan to read some and then head to the store to get a prescription refilled and to pick up some strawberries! Doesn't that sound like a nice, laid-back kind of day?

So - how was your day yesterday?

What are your plans for today?

Whatever you do - enjoy!

Trisha

Voice Update: Still doing wonderfully well! Yeah!!

Minor Setback

Hi All!

My weekend started off wonderfully. I swam on Friday (Saturday I ended up sleeping through my alarm) and then got right to work on Saturday on cleaning the next room on my Spring cleaning list - the laundry room.

Since we have never really deep cleaned the laundry room - it took some elbow grease. The baseboards had collected a bunch of "gunk." Unfortunately, the "gunk" wouldn't just wipe off with a dust cloth. It wouldn't even budge with a wet cloth. No dice on the cloth with the cleaner on it. No - I had to get out the old toothbrush and scrub!

Around the room I went with my little toothbrush scrubbing the baseboards and . . . they did come clean!

Hubby swept the carpet for me and even got out the crevice tool to really get into the corners!

After everything was done - the room looked great!

Next up is the kitchen!

However, after cleaning the laundry room, I started feeling some pain in my chest again (don't worry - not heart attack pain - the pulled muscle from a couple of weeks ago pain!). The pulled muscle had gotten so much better that I barely noticed it but . . . apparently the toothbrush scrubbing was something that the muscle didn't like.

I spent Saturday evening, Saturday night (Hubby had nightmares again and that woke me up - then I would have to turn over and that HURT!), and Sunday morning trying really hard not to anger my chest muscles so they wouldn't hurt. That isn't too much fun!

Luckily, Sunday evening, things started to get better.

Hubby and I watched the season finale of The Celebrity Apprentice to see Marlee Matlin and her interpreter. Even thought Marlee didn't win, she did make it to the final two and no doubt brought a lot of awareness to Deaf people and their ability to do anything they set their minds to.

During the end of the show John Rich (a country music star) and Marlee sang a song John had written for his charity (St. Jude's Hospitals). It was neat to see so much focus on Marlee actually "singing" the song in ASL! In addition to Marlee signing, there was a group of students from the New York School for the Deaf who signed in the background as a chorus. Very nice to see ASL getting this much coverage on prime time television.

Even more touching was the fact that after the song was done, you didn't hear one clap. Instead, the entire audience, including the Trumps, applauded in ASL - that is holding up your hands and wiggling your fingers. It was amazing to see an entire audience applauding like this!

I had goosebumps!


Anyway - today I walked (I didn't swim since we had rain and a cold night last night and I didn't want to upset my chest muscles by hitting cold water again!). It was 74 when I started out and, let me tell you, that is a good temp to work up a sweat. Especially with 65% humidity!

Happy Monday!

Trisha

Voice Update: Still doing really, really well. Thankfully!

I'm Back!

Hi All!

Guess what I did this morning! Here is a hint!

Yes, I am back to walking and swimming!

dfghk

Of course, as this has been the first morning it has been warm enough to swim and the water was COLD!

xsdfhj

After taking half a lap to get my breath back and another half to get warmed up enough to not feel like an ice cube, I managed to complete ten laps. I could have done more but felt like floating for a while. It was wonderful!

dfhj

Now all I have to do it work up to my optimum number of laps and I am golden. Hopefully it will get MUCH warmer but not too warm (that bath water swimming isn't too fun!).

ghk

Yesterday, the roofers finished up my roof (I didn't post because I was out talking to them - telling them not to smoosh more plants - and then decided to have a computer free day) and today it is blessedly quiet. Both cats appreciate the lack of pounding and, so do I!

dfjh

It was amazing that yesterday I managed to take a short nap in the midst of the pounding. I guess that shows just how tired I was! I didn't get too much sleep the night before so I was tired, tired, tired!

dfj

This morning I am checking out some books on Amazon that a college friend of mine has written. The Veil and The Forgotten Paths by Beth Schiemer. I haven't read them but am planning on buying both (she has a third book that is available in electronic form only) to support my friend. One review on Amazon for The Forgotten Paths give the book and the writing high praise. I can't wait to see what I think of them.

gj

I would like to get autographed copies so I am holding off on ordering the books until I hear from Beth about if I can do that and if so, how.

sfjsfj

If you are looking for some new books to read, check out these online and possibly order them. Also, if you are a Kindle, Nook, or other e-reader lover, check out the third book (I don't know the name but I am sure you can search under the author's name).

Hope you have a great Friday!

Trisha

Voice Update: Doing really well. My neck is a bit tight (maybe due to the stress of being in the house during all the pounding??) so the massage is a bit more difficult but . . . I am working on it!

New Roof - Part 2

Hi All!

Here is the second installment of our roofing adventure! I got the pictures out of order so you might want to start at the bottom and work your way up!
These are some of the new shingles. They look pretty much the same as our old ones. The thick pieces of foam keep the workers from having to sit/kneel on the hot roof surface.

All of the workers are brothers (and one nephew) and they work together really well - they almost don't need words to communicate!

Here they are putting new shingles on the front overhangs. It doesn't look like a comfy position to work in, does it?

The nephew had the job of hauling everything up onto the roof.

This is the job boss.

A blurry shot of them working on the valley of the house - they put down all new felt paper and flashing.

I almost got them all in one shot!

The uncle was heckling the nephew about not climbing the ladder fast enough with the shingles! I don't think I could lift the shingles let alone climb a ladder with them!

This side is all ready for new shingles. I am amazed that the guys can walk on the roof like they do!



This video is of the hallway but is meant to show you the sound of being in the house while getting a new roof! This was with only one guy hammering. After a while all four of the brothers had hammers - THAT was loud!

sfj

Trisha

New Roof - Part 1

Hi All!

Today is the day!

There are men on my roof!

They are tearing off the old shingles.

Taking some time to pose for the camera!

Pounding staples into the roof so they can put the new roof over them.
Carrying old shingles to the dump truck.

The new shingles are being delivered!

Some are put out front!

Here is the truck waiting for more old shingles!

Some shingles are delivered out back.

sgjsfgj

How exciting!

sdhsdj

Trisha

Back to "Old Faithful!"

Hi All!

Well, I got out my "purse" camera again today and took some shots of my gardens - mostly for my mom but . . . I thought I would share with everyone!

It has been a lazy week for me - yesterday was my birthday so I slept in and then this morning it was only 57 so I slept in again. But - I am so proud - I did walk in the evening yesterday and will do so again!

Now to get the mornings going and the swimming! I can hardly wait!


I love little green tomatoes - they hold such promise of good things to come!
sdghjsfj
I have already had FOUR tomatoes from this plant and they were very delicious!




My Hostas are growing. They get a bit bigger each year!

Since I fenced in my Coneflowers they are doing really, really well. This is the second bloom this year.

And another is hot on it's heels!

This is a new addition to my garden this year. I keep picking off the dead flowers and it keeps blooming. I don't know that it likes the sun too much though. It is in a place that doesn't get too much and still the leaves are a bit crispy!

Sorry about the blurriness - Hubby took this last night to show me how the kitties were curled up for the night. I think they like each other!
sdfgjsfj

Skor was sick last night. He kept walking backwards and then vomiting up greenish yellow liquid. He wanted to play with his toy but when I got it out he just chased it one time and then laid there watching it. Poor little boy!

dghkdgj

Luckily, he seems to be better this morning!

Here is the beautiful cake that Hubby picked out for my birthday! He said that the woman who took the order was impressed because he knew exactly what he wanted and most men don't!

sfhj

To celebrate my birthday, we had cake and ice cream for dinner! Not very healthy but fun, fun, fun!
sfh
Trisha
gjk;
Voice Update: My voice is still doing really well but I continue to have problems saying the word "two" in certain situations. That is frustrating - my voice sounds perfectly normal until I get to that darn word and then . . . trouble! Oh well! I guess only having one word which is giving me trouble isn't too bad, is it?

Cameras

Hi All!

No pictures today! The reason?

Well, I have two cameras - one is a "purse camera" that I can stuff in my purse to have on hand all the time and the other is a "better camera" with a more powerful zoom and lots of neat features. My "better camera" has been acting up so it has been on the shelf for a while waiting for Hubby to send it to be repaired (he promised he would about six months ago!).

Recently, I have been prodding Hubby to get the camera sent off for repairs. He finally got around to thinking about it and wanted me to try the camera out again to see if it still had the problems.

Well, I played with the camera and it seemed to be working.

SEEMED to be working.

Since I have been testing out the "better" camera I have left the "purse" camera on the shelf for a while (so no pictures from it).

Last night, Hubby and I went walking (!) and spelunking (is that spelled right?) and I took along the "better" camera to take some sunset shots. Well - just imagine what happened!

Yes, the camera went on the fritz just as the sun hit that perfect spot to make for amazing pictures! Rats!

That is why there are no pictures today.

Trisha

Voice Update: Doing very well. Almost too boring to talk about!