the day after

Surgery  went well but the surgeon wasn't able to completely repair the tears so there's that to deal with.  I'm looking forward to Gays magic in a week or so.  Mamye dropped me off and Regina picked me up afterwards.  Many prayers have come my way and the blessing is felt.  They did a nerve block in pre-op which made me pain free until this morning.  My entire left arm and hand were numb so we had a heckuva time last night tryin to figure getting in and out of the damned thing. I'll be wearing it for several weeks.  

I get to be the Princess here, so to speak.  Gigi is taking excellent care of the one armed lady.  Her little dog Bella is in doggie jail so we are walking around her little gate thingie.  She can move the thing across the room just by pushing from the inside.  

Today's treat was getting to see Ed Sheeran on two of the morning shows.  What a talent he is.  Regina is working her her office wbere she operates her appraisal business. I'm entertaing myself here at the kitchen island sorrounded by Christmas.  I'm loving it.  Can't wait to see my girls next week.

It's time to heal now and nothing would lift my spirits more than anything is having Lauren and Reaves coming for a visit.  I have bought ZERO presents for them but there's still time. Hopefully we will spend Christmas together.  Reaves is smiling and happy in a lot of pictures we have compiled by smart phone since her birth in September.

I don't know what's the news because I'm still kind of wonky and can't concentrate.  It's all bad news with the media outlets so I seek out news on a conservative liberal sort of thing.  I guess you'd call that Independent like Bernie.  

Mamye is dog and cat tending until I get home.  Probably tomorrow.  They chased us down the lane because Mamye was taking their Mama away.  Tell me they're not protective!  They are a great burglar alam because they bark whenever  cars come up the lane. Plus I got a knife and "i will cutchoo" in a heart beat if you try to take on the old lady.  

Over and out from Casa Regina ^j^

bite the arm that feeds you

Oscar was horribly abused physically before he came to live with us.  He has flourished here and turned into quite a little lover.  Except when he's asleep and you scare him.  Or course they sleep with me so I've learned to move carefully so that I remain next to a dog but with space to move.  Last night when I moved Oscar dug in one spot deep.  Thank the lord I'd had something for pain.  He's not mean...just damaged.  

I've got the sage burning to blow off bad vibes and stress prior to surgery.  I'm ready to get it over with and move on.  The girls are coming to see me for a coupla days on Tuesday and that's a blessing.  The one armed woman and a baby.  UCMTSU

Prayers are always appreciated.  I can feel the power ^j^

i give

There ain't enough opiates in the world to fix this and function at the same time.  Therefore, I will work tomorrow and get it "fixed" as one friend said.  I've already done it once and survived.  As long as I don't catch MRSA things should be swell.  

Amazon exceeded my expectations with shipment two days early for only 12 bucks.  Christmas online is what's up.  I ordered something for Reaves not realizing that it's a pre-publish thing so she'll get it for her first birthday.  Mama's clock is chiming as I type.  Joy to the World!  

I said goodbye to a friend and co-worker today and found myself in tears.  He has been a good friend during very hard times and I'll miss him.  He told me his favorite memory of me is how we got all those puppies adopted.  You can't make that stuff up.

The plumbing team came by today to make sure the pump won't freeze during the arctic weather.  I'm grateful for that because I've been froze up for days.  It's the renter's responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen.  And I'm a single girl.

I'm getting daily pictures of Reaves who is growing like crazy and smiling up a storm.  Lauren is back at work and loving it.  Hopefully we'll arrange some kind of visit soon.  

Noel ~ 

vulnerability

I see us going back to the old ways.  Like when families live together because they can't afford not to.  The more Congress chips away at "entitlements" the harder it is to make a living on minimum wage.  It's a Catch 22.  Take the Children's Health Insurance program.  It is unfunded as of September leaving thousands of children without healthcare.  Meanwhile, the hedge fund managers who live in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere are raking in the money.  It's disgusting and Jesus wouldn't do that.  

I do agree that there is rampant abuse of these programs that are being raped  by those who live off of it and keep having children.  And we pay the bill.  However, for someone truly in need these programs can be the difference between starvation and the ability to get out and work.  SS disability is one of the most widely abused programs around.  Would it be there for me?  Probably not because I'm still able to work, so far.  At the age of 62 after 45 years in the workforce I expect what I have paid in to be there.  If not, I'll have to move in with somebody and share the rent.  

I've already been to the 'gentral and ran into an old friend of my parents who told he how he missed arguing with my Mama.  She was a feisty one.  "I do too" was my reply.  We have come full circle on the round of death and loss that visited in 2015 and 16.  

A change in the weather is blowing in from the south.  I tried to buy some deicer but the gentral doesn't have any "yet".  I depend on that stuff to melt the frost when I head to work at the buttcrack of dawn.  AutoZone, here I come next trip to the outside world.  

My house is a wreck and I'm so not inspired to clean it.  Fatigue and chronic pain have me by the balls, so to speak.  The same is true of a lot of others.  My days of going above and beyond are over.  I miss my girls terribly but that short distance and other things prevent us from seeing much of each other.  Thank goodness for smart phones with cameras.  

Enjoy your day even if it is Monday.  Today's gift was a hearty thank you from a guy that I let go in front of me at the store.  He only had two things and I had a basket full.  He thanked me not once but twice and wished me a blessed Christmas.  That's what's up.  

Pay it forward ~

'til the fat lady sings

Nothing is ever really over.  Things just slowly turn into history which can be studied and gleaned for knowledge how not to repeat mistakes.  As I study the mean ass group of Republicans that did the tax bill ( minus Corker of course )  I am astounded that these money grubbers are cutting SS right when I hit retirement age.  Entitlement my ass.  That's something I've paid into my entire working life with NO interest and you're gonna cut me off?  You have not seen wrath yet.  Wait til all those enlightened not rich baby boomers come after you in the night.  They will be the walking dead so be very afraid.

I'm watching Shameless again because I missed a lot the first time.  Love me some Sheila!  Joan Cusack has been a fav of mine from back in her SNL days.  Wickedly funny in an overplayed sort of way, her character defines what women thought they should be in this world during the 50s.  

We got to share two meals at the sawmill today which is kind of unusual  so we jumped on it.  Natalie has a beautiful voice and we sang a couple of Christmas tunes during the weekend.  She'll be singing karaoke here real soon I just betcha.  My friends are driving home from Chicago today and one of them will be planning her Dad's funeral when she gets back.  

I read a piece today about dealing with grieving folks and how the number one bad thing is to say "i know how you feel."  While we think that since we've had a shared experience, it's not fresh and new like it is to them.  Mostly I just listen.

Wasn't that moon fabulous?  Clouds covered it right as I was leaving for work.  There is zero traffic that time of day on Sunday morning except for cops and a few working stiffs.  The Tucker Tire tree is lit and that makes me happy every time I pass.  It's a tradition that has outlived two floods.  

Lily is curled up behind me doing whatever cats do when they groom.  And purring at the same time.  She's aging gracefully I must say, just like her brothers.  

Happy first Sunday in Advent ~

pushing through

Y'all.  There are no words for the menace that is chronic pain.  Some of us have a much higher tolerance for it which puts us at risk for "doing too much" as my Mama would say.  At 62 I'm walking a circle on conrete floors for a living.  I seriously love what I do but it's hard on the old body.  I need a desk job!

Tom came out to show me some prints of his work here on the farm and they are to die for.  Then Shirley ran the battery out and I had to go give 'em a boost by the silos.  He's lucky he had cables because I don't know where mine are.  

It's a beautiful day in the hood for December.  Warm enough for short sleeves.  When I drove by Gail and Fred's "church home" I saw her sitting outside with kids.  We all go ALL the way back.  

I'm not gonna' rant about the tax bill because I see revolt coming big time.  People are realizing that we've been screwed ever since Trump decided to run.  He's a freakin' game show host for the love of god.  Meanwhile he's making MORE money than God and killing life as we know it.  When the stock market takes a plunge on today's tidbit, you can bet things are about to get hairy.  Hide you cash in a jar in the yard.

We all know that Russia was involved in that election.  To what extent, I can't tell you.  It just seems like Syria dropped off the radar afterwards.  Then people started fighting over every little thing here in our own country...rehashing the past and trying to re-create it.  When it comes to hedge fund managers I almost understand 9/11.  Almost.

They hate us and we had no business getting into a war that resulted in thousands of civilian and military deaths.  Instead of securing the borders then, we went trillions into debt to benefit Dick Cheney.  Remember when those contractors got burned on the bridge in Fallujah?  That's when I would have said get the hell out.  Many journalists lost their lives as well.  Matt Lauer was not one of them.  That happened this week.

I hear gunshots so that must mean almost sunset in the holler.  Maybe they're killing the coyotes.

Onward ~

face time

Babies change so quickly that if you don't see them for a week or two they're doing something new.  Thanks to technology we can be live with our people.  About to try that with Reaves and Lauren.  I feel a good cry coming on so maybe that will help.  

Change is constant.  As you get older those changes come closer together to where you're continually adapting.  It has taken me almost two years to not be sad about my parents and the loss of that way of life.  It was stressful and I wore myself out but we were still all together in some way or another.  

It's highly unusual for somebody to work in the same building for 40 years which is why my feet hurt.  We have been through multiple changes in staffing this year and it's about knocked us all for a loop.  Yet we carry on and celebrate in little ways like pizza!day!   The pace was pleasant and we helped each other.  That's what's up.  

I overheard a video today that caught my attention.  It was two radical racists.....one white and one black.  Watching both men made me sad for the division based on race.  We are all of one bloodline for sure.  There's just a lot of crooks in some of them.  You are my brother or sister or whatever you choose to be because we are all made by one God.  And that God doesn't payback for transgressions.  Karma is what does that.

I'm not sure what's gotten into Corker but I think he's trying to piss Trump off at our expense.  Not that the tax package is that wonderful, mind you.  He just seems to be grandstanding  and we don't need any more of that.  Just saying.

I got paid today so what little shopping I do is now or never and will most definitely be online.  My friends are at Holiday Mart in Chicago and I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that!  What a diverse group.  I hit Heather up for the beach next year with babies included of course.  We're on a mission for May.  Only there will be a LOT more stuff this time.  A two car caravan for sure.  

Be merry~