Acorns!

Hi All!

Well - my parents and my aunt and uncle are here safely and we are having fun! I have been taking pictures and I will show you some in a while - today I just had to show you this.

I know you all have seen acorns. Mom and I were walking this morning and found these two examples of acorns to share with you.

Even though this is a dark picture, I think these should look familiar. They are just normal. In fact, they are a bit small. They come from a Live Oak tree.

Have you ever seen acorns like this? I have no idea what kind of tree they come from other than it is an oak and it was a small tree. They look like they have fuzzy caps and there is one other thing . . .

They are HUGE! HUGE!

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Mom and I were amazed by the size of these acorns - and from a small little tree!

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Isn't it amazing what you see when you go walking?

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Today is going to be a day of getting ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow. The turkey is defrosting and we will be baking up a storm!

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I hope you have a fabulous day!

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Trisha

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Voice Update: Other than talking too much and getting my voice worn out - things are going well!

They're Coming!

Hi All!

After a couple days of lots of sleep and time to putter around . . . I am ALMOST ready for Thanksgiving! I went grocery shopping yesterday and bought a turkey that is the size of a small child along with all of the "fixin's" for dinner. I am certain that there are things I have forgotten but that will be Hubby's job - to run out to the store to pick up a thing or two!

I did manage to injure myself this weekend. You'll never, ever guess how I did it! I hurt myself putting away groceries! That is right - groceries! And not even the honkin' big turkey! I pulled out a drawer in the fridge and it zoomed out and almost fell out - "luckily" it didn't fall because my finger was stuck under the handle. Of course, the weight of the drawer did a nice number on my finger - think bending the nail back about half way and blood under the nail with a nice sore spot under the nail. Yep - fun!

In other news, I did go out and paint our address on the curb in front of our house. This is something that different companies and charities offer to do for a "minimum donation" several times a year and we never take them up on the offer. However, since I had the outside paint for Hubby's Buckeye sign and my neighbor's bunny porch decoration . . . . I felt the urge to do it myself. Primarily to see if I could actually do it.

Yesterday, after church, I got the paints and sat out in the street - being very vigilant for oncoming cars - and painted my heart out. It is a bit "funky" but - I like it. I will be taking a picture to show you today. By the way - Hubby thought I was a nut case for sitting in the street to paint the numbers but what else is new?

I will also be taking a lot of pictures this week as my guests arrive and we undertake both sightseeing and preparation for Thanksgiving. It should be fun! Oh - that reminds me. I need to stop blogging and check their flight to see if they are coming in on time or not.

I will update you more tomorrow!

Trisha

Voice Update: Doing surprisingly well. I think the inhale singing is doing the trick!

Saturday Planning

Hi All!

It is Saturday - the day to sleep in (if you don't have cats who insist that you get up to watch them eat the food they have in their bowls at 6:30 in the morning!) and to recover from the busy work week you just completed.

This Saturday, however, will be different for me. I am planning out my Thanksgiving week with visitors and a huge turkey dinner. This will involve lists of ingredients to buy at the store, lists of things to do while my guests are here, and lists of things to not forget to do so that dinner actually comes out right - and on time.

Don't you want to come and help?

Trisha

Voice: Doing okay. Doing okay!

Four. In. The. Morning!

Hi All!

You remember these two cuddly critters, right?

The brown one is Miss Cleo and the white one is Skor. They are my darling little angel kitties. Just look how nice and sweet they look cuddling on my bed! Who wouldn't want these two cuddled up with them?

Me!

Well - let me clarify that statement. There are times when I am more than happy to cuddle with my kitties. They purr and snuggle and are sweeties. However, things are not quite so rosy when they decide to snuggle and purr at FOUR. IN. THE. MORNING!

That is right. Four A.M.

Last night - or should I say this morning - both of my darling kitties decided that I needed to be awake in time for the thunder storm so they hopped up on the bed purring and snuggling and cuddling. They managed to wake me up quickly because I am a light sleeper. I was wide awake in time for the storm to start.

Then - I tried to drift off to sleep again. Nope. Both kitties worked as a well-oiled tag team to ensure that I didn't get a moment's sleep until the storm and the rain was done. What time might that have been you ask? 6:00 A.M. Just about when Hubby was ready to get up and hop in the shower.

So - I have been up since four this morning. I did manage to get about a half hour's worth of sleep while Hubby was in the shower but then my little "angels" decided - as they do every morning - they they just couldn't eat a bite until I was up and about in the kitchen.

*sigh*

I LOVE having kitties.

Today I am heading to the DAC again after a two week absence. I miss my friends there. Then it will be back home for a nap and more house cleaning in preparation for my Thanksgiving company. I might even start to sit down and plan out the menu and ingredients I need to buy at the store. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Have a super day!

Trisha

Voice Update: Doing more inhale and massage seems to be helping a bit. My voice is getting marginally stronger. We will have to wait to see how it handles company over the holiday.

Returning Things

Hi All!

Let me tell you how much I hate, dislike, cringe to think about returning things. I try to make sure that I will like/enjoy/fit into the product I buy before I buy it because I hate returning things. Then - returning things online - just that much worse!

In earlier blogs I believe I have told you about my iPod earbud problems. The original earbuds conked out after about three years and so I went on a hunt for new ones. Because I like the products I have gotten from the website - iFrogz - before, I ordered earbuds from them.

The earbuds arrived and I was thrilled - they look so cool with a neat design on the sides and everything. Plus - they sound good.

However - they really hurt my ears!

Trying to tell myself that I just need to get used to them, I struggled through a week and more trying to "get used to" the new earbuds. No dice. In fact, at times they hurt my ears so much that I couldn't stand to keep them in my ears! Not good!

Well, I stopped by Wal Mart and picked up a cheapo pair of earbuds to see if they were any different. Surprise, surprise, they felt wonderful right from the start and the sound quality wasn't noticeably different (not that I would notice something like that unless it was HORRIBLE!).

The decision was made to return the iFrogz earbuds. Admittedly, I have been putting it off because of my afore mentioned dislike of returning things. However - today I have taken the plunge and have started the process. We will see how it goes. I hope iFrogz is as good about returns as they are about ordering and shipping.

How do you feel about returning things?

Trisha

Voice Update: After a long bout of inhalation singing on my way to work yesterday my voice seems marginally better. We will see if it keeps improving. I think the inhalation voicing helps relax my cords and get them back into a more normal "groove."

And So It Continues . . .

Hi All!

Yesterday work wasn't too bad - a bit frustrating because I have decided that I need to take a more active role in the whole insurance thing. Up to now I have been leaving the complicated ones to Linda when she comes to work but . . . there have been questions when I am there so I am jumping in to figure out what is going on!

Let me just say that some insurance companies are pretty good - they send clear EOBs (Explanation of Benefit forms) and their help lines are actually helpful. They also pay for things like speech therapy for kiddos who can't say words correctly. Other companies . . . not so much!

There is one company in particular - which shall remain nameless - which is a general pain in the booty! They always want medical records and session notes - usually multiple times for the same patient within a couple months - their phone help lines are annoyingly complex and keep you from talking to a real person for as long as possible. And the real people you talk to eventually . . . sometimes they are not understandable - maybe in a different country?

Every time you manage to talk to a person on the help line they say something different from the last person you talked to. What fun!

Oh well! I have to do it so . . . I am doing it.

The other thing I have decided is that I am just planning to work every day. That way I don't expect a day off and get disappointed when I have to work. Thinking this way helps me think more positively and makes my life better in general!

Oh - what is the genesis of this post? Linda has another medical complication - nothing serious but enough to keep her out of work. So I continue to work . . .

I am beginning to think about an exit strategy though.

Trisha

Voice Update: Doing fairly well. Not good but not bad. Still working on massage and inhalation exercises.

Hubby

Hi All!

The weather here is still chilly - only 43 degrees when I woke up this morning! Both Fred and my lettuce found their way into the garage yesterday while I was working and/or at class so that they are protected from this cold spell.

Who made this happen? Hubby. I didn't even ask him to move the plants but, he remembered them and moved them. He is a good guy.

That simple act got me thinking about Hubby. He is a pretty quiet guy. He never really stands out in a crowd - by design, I should say. He likes being in the background observing.

Hubby is one of the "good guys" of myth and legend. He is kind and thoughtful in his gentle, kind way. He never really says too much but he does a lot. If he sees something that needs done, he does it. If someone needs something, more often than not, Hubby will help them get it. He wants everyone to be comfortable and happy.

When I first noticed the symptoms of SD in my life, Hubby was right there supporting me as I imagined the worst. As I struggled to continue teaching, he was roped into recording all kinds of things for me to use in my class - vocabulary tests, instructions for a practice TAKS test. Hubby only gave me a token complaint before sighing and recording.

As my voice continued to make itself scarce, Hubby picked up the slack. He made lots and lots of phone calls. He drove me to doctor appointments. He listened as I cried out my frustration. He tried to make people on the phone understand that yes, I was there but no, I couldn't talk. Literally.

It was Hubby who found information on the Internet about SD for me. He was the one who figured out how to get my amplified telephone which gave me that ability to use the phone again. He walked with me every evening when I needed to work on my breathing endurance. He even endured all of my vocal exercises - some of which sounded absolutely weird!

When my voice was returning and needed constant amplification, Hubby even accepted my being miked pretty much 24/7 with good humor. He did complain about the unintended feedback which I learned was caused by entering or leaving the car with the mic turned on but - who wouldn't?

Hubby has endured a lot over the past couple of years.

And his support continues!

Even now that I have a voice Hubby is supportive of my as I navigate classes and work and whatever else life throws my way.

Hubby is wonderful. I love him and can't imagine what I would ever do without him. He might be quiet but . . . he is my hero!

Trisha

Voice Update: Mehh! Still hanging in a balance between good and bad. Most of the time my voice is okay but I am still struggling with different unvoiced consonant sounds. How frustrating!