I'm Tired

 

It seems like I have been running for months.  Like I can't just stop, there is something to do.  The 5th Annual Awards banquet is over and thank God for that.  I've been planning it since last December and I just couldn't do one more thing.  

I took over as President and CEO of Cape Fear Voices/Teen Scene in February and it has been a really hard ride.  I am still the Editor of CFV, so I'm editing, working with the accountant, firing the marketing company we hired, getting the teen program worked out and all kinds of things, but I'm not writing.  That thing that I do that makes me so happy, I'm not doing it anymore.  There is something wrong with that picture.  

I'm still working at Carolina Dunes.  The patients we are taking in are getting more and more violent.  I guess the more violent they are the more money the company makes, but it is getting to be a scary place.  I feel bad for the nurses--always on the front lines.  They get hurt.   I'm still writing the newsletter for Carolina Dunes and I'm still writing for Leland Magazine, but I don't feel like I'm writing--not for me anyway. 

We are trying to schedule a trip to Cleveland.  Trying being the operative word.  We are waiting on the kids schedules from Jenna again.  I know they have things to do, I know they have jobs, but for once, couldn't she just say, plan your trip, we will find a time for you to see the kids.  Tony fusses when I fuss about it, but so many hoops, I'm just too tired to jump through them anymore. 

My hips and legs are still bothering me.  I try to walk extra steps everyday, but sometimes I just can't.  The weight that is piling on is another source of tension.  I hate the way I look. 

We celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary this month.  36 years, wow.  We are going to Olivers in Southport, one of my favorite places. 

The weather is beautiful, but I know that 95 degree days are just around the corner.  I love April and May down here--really the worst is the summer months, but it is worth it.  We watch hummingbirds on the lanai every night and listen to music.  Dixie sleeps at our feet or barks at leaves falling from the trees. She is a silly ass dog and we love her. 

I'm tired.  We did some running around this morning and I hurt.  It's nap time. 

Getting Ready

 

Oh boy, Thanksgiving is right around the corner--that means that David, Brenda, Alex and Birdie will be visiting.

They are getting so big.  David changed jobs, he went back to Mercury Insurance where he was for a good 10 years.  The other job was too much travel and he is glad to be back.  Brenda, still on the bench, is going to be handling more complex cases in 2025, and I am sure she will do very well.

I got some crafts for the girls to do while they are here. I enjoy having them here, but I hate cleaning up for the visit.  I swear, I had enough dust in this house to make 4 new people!!  But, we are almost finished and it will be well worth it. 

Things remain the same for Tony and me.  He is still working at the golf course on Thursday (Ladies Day, they just love him,) and I am still writing and working at Carolina Dunes every other weekend. 

Dixie is still a pain in the butt, but she is ours and we wouldn't know what to do without her.  She will be 12 in January. 

Tony sleeps in the spare room on Wednesday so he doesn't wake me when he gets up to go to work.  Dixie has decided that's where she wants to be when Tony is in there and has been mounting a campaign to sleep there with him several days a week.  She gets under the bed and barks and won't come out.  Tony tried to pull her out the other day and she bit him.  It's really annoying when your dog is as stubborn as you are!

Tony is baking pies right now and getting the Thanksgiving food ready.  

So, back to cleaning I go.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Early Voting, Bread and a Lava Lamp

 

Tony and I went to early voting this past week.  We stood in line for an hour and a half but it's done.  The line went all the way across the street but moved at a good rate, it was just that crowded.

It was interesting listening to the conversations going on around us.  A man behind us was chatting to a woman in line about working in Washington DC and how he "covered" several elections.  He proudly said that he did not vote in the elections he was covering because he didn't think it was fair to the public.  His rationale was that if he selected a candidate, his bias toward that candidate would somehow slip into his reporting.  He went on to talk about the 4 books he wrote and how much time he spent researching a phrase he heard used at Walmart about security.  The woman with whom he was speaking was duly impressed.  I, however, could not get the words, "ego maniac" out of my mind.  Go figure!

Tony did a low country boil last week that was really good.  It is, however, very work intensive, so I am hoping to convince him to serve chips and salsa for upcoming games.  This Sunday, I'm going to try my hand at Tarsitano Bread.  I hope it works out. 

I am back in Leland Middle School every other Wednesday.  We've done an exercise in Pod Casting and this week, I'm going descriptive phrases, where they have to write detailed instructions on how to do something.  Their grade will depend on how well I perform the task depending on their instructions.  Last year, one of the things they had to explain to me was how to tie a shoe.  That was funny.  This year, I am taking our Lava Lamp and I'm going to ask them to describe how it works.  

David, Brenda and the girls will be in for Thanksgiving...another fun year of watching them help Papa put up the tree on Friday.  I can't wait to see them. 

Clam Bake

 

We had our first clam bake of the season yesterday and it was really good. 

We were watching the storm activity--it went west of us, Tony Jr. and family were without power for almost a full day due to high winds and rain.  We got heavy rain  but there were patches of clear weather at times, so the rain wasn't accumulating. 

Tony spent some time in the hospital earlier in the month.  He is on new meds and they wanted to watch him.  It was a long 3 days, but Dixie and I got through it.  

Tony's sister, Rose, just came back from a trip to Iceland.  She sent some really nice pictures and said she had a good time.  It was good for her to get away and put some distance between her and the funeral. 

We will be hosting our niece Katie and her husband Rob in February for Tony's birthday.  They live in California.  Rose will be in as well and Donna and Bob will be in Sunset Beach for January and February.  If Tony Jr and David come in, that will be 9 of us.  A good time, I'm sure. 

David, Brenda, Alex and Birdie will be in for Thanksgiving again this year.  I'm glad.  The clam bake was a lot for Tony  to do, so Thanksgiving dinner in David's hands is a good thing.  

Our niece, Sarah is due in February and is having her gender reveal party in October.  Fritz is going to patch us in via phone so we get to see the party.  They adopted another dog so that Ollie will have someone to play with once the baby arrives.   So two puppies and a baby.  Thank goodness they are young!!

And so, I am going to the  125th Anniversary of the VFW dinner tonight.  I'm covering it for the paper.  Should be fun.  Tony is staying home, so I will be back early. 

I hope everyone has a great October.  Thank goodness it's getting cooler here!

Just When You Think....

 

It seems like just when you think all is well, everything comes apart.  

About a year ago, Tony had a pacemaker installed.  The batteries are supposed to last for 12 years and I was feeling good about that.  I thought we would have 12 years of no worries. 

Well, that was wrong.  This week, I had to take Tony into the hospital to have his pacemaker zapped to get his heart back in rhythm.  Now, he is on a stronger medication and will have to be hospitalized for 3 days for observation.  

I guess there is always something to worry about.

Changes

 

How quickly things change.  We were in Cleveland the week of July 16, to see Jenna's kids and had a great time. 

Now, we are going back for Joe's funeral.  I flip back and forth with my feelings about this.  I am angry at him at some level.  He beat cancer 3 times and kept right on smoking.  Right up until the end.  On the other hand, I feel so bad for my sister in law, Rose.  She dedicated her life to him from the moment they got married and especially in his last days.  She must be exhausted and yet, she goes on.  I know she has to.  I remember well, but it has been a long struggle for her.  

And so, the first of the six of us is gone.  Bob and Donna have been married for 52 years, Rose and Joe for 37 and Tony and I for 35.  I know the remaining four of us are hoping to get several more years in with our spouse, but only time will tell.  For now, we are a group of 5--an odd number for restaurants and parties; but five we will be. I don't want Rose to be left out of activities.  She deserves better than that. 

As Time Goes By...

 

Time seems to be one of the most talked about subjects in my emails, blogs and Facebook.  It goes so quickly by.  You are here one day and the next time you thing about what you were talking about, it's months since you posted.  I plead guilty.

Recently, we have had Sarah and Steven visiting from Cleveland.  They are a joy to have.  Sarah is the daughter of my sister, Fritz, and her husband, Steven.  Sarah and her husband, Steven, have been together for 13 years of their lives (or one third) and know each other very well.  They are so well suited.  

It was fun having them here.  Sarah and I got our nails done and we went out to dinner on a restaurant on the Cape Fear River.  When we go to Cleveland in July, we will stay with them in North Royalton.  

It was fun having young people here.  They helped us with our  computer issues and laughed at our systemic inabilities, in a good way, of course.

Watching Sarah reminded me of when I took her shopping for the day.  She was 5 or 6 and told me very plainly, "My mother said to make sure you spend lots of money one me."  And so, I did.  I bought her a slip to go under a dress I bought her and she thought it was another dress.  We tried on all kinds of styles and I remember her twirling around saying, "I like this one, it makes me look beautiful."

Sarah has always been beautiful...as a child and as an adult.  

As time goes by, I hope we can continue to shop together and have fun.  

She is a wonderful young lady.