Happy New Year's Eve!!!!  Yeah!  Last day of 2009!  I can't wait until 2010!  The year will rock (if I have anything to say about it!)

today's post part II.  We had surprise company come by so I had to end sooner than planned.  Mom's friend from her old work, Jose, stopped by.  He has a thing for her, still, after all these years.  He's planning to come Tuesday and pick her up for a bit of time.  Apparently, he has stopped by a lot but we weren't home or we were sleeping.  He comes a bit early for us, about 8:30 am.  Yeah, like I am awake at that time.  I let him know that the door doesn't usually open until 11:30 ish, because I am still sleeping and don't hear the door.

I will be working on some crafts in January.  I found a few kits that I have bought during the year that I haven't done yet, so I am planning to start working on them as soon as the new year begins.  I am not starting until then because tomorrow I am spending the day with my Katie.  I am very excited about that and not sure what we are going to do outside of going to Red Robin's for early dinner/late lunch.  Friday we will go out to eat for our yearly celebration of the new year.  We also have some new movies we will watch.  Sunday, we are going to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks, the squeakuel."  I cannot wait for that.  It looks so cute and I love the chipmunks.  Kathy's little girl, Sammy, likes to sing with the girl chipmunks when the commercial comes on.  I would love to see that!  The chipmunks might be the girls first movie.  I will find out when I talk to Kathy later this week.  She will be 42 in about 12 days.  So nice that she is older than me!  I won't be 42 until April!!!!  He he he!  

Tonight is a quiet night here with a new Charlie Brown special!  I love Charlie Brown.  The specials are usually quite good and cute with nice music.  Frank is playing Linus and Lucy for competition, he is doing really well on it.  Katie, Rachel, and Rebecca are also going to competition this year.  I used to have about 10 to 15 kids go, but not right now!  I am happy that they want to go, of course, I would be happy if they didn't.  Competition is optional, if you want to go, do your best, if you don't, that is fine too, just keep learning more music.

Speaking of competition, I need to look up some info about it!  Better get going!

Have a great night!  happy new year's eve eve!

Can't believe tomorrow is New Year's Eve.  We aren't doing much in the evening, but spending the day with Katie.  We are planning to go to Red Robin for lunch/dinner.  I love that place.  Best burgers around.  I think Mom likes it too.

I don't have any new year's resolutions this year.  Not sure why, just don't.  Maybe next year.  I just wasn't too into the whole Christmas/New Year's mode this year.  Maybe next year.  Mom will probably be in a home by next Christmas.  I will be looking into things like that during the next year.  Any family member who wishes to see and speak to Mom, now would be good, well, between June.  I hope to see many between now and then.

I think New Year's Day we will go out to dinner.  It shall be fun.  Mom likes to do that.

I hope you are having a good day and ready for the new year!

Yesterday was a good day at my Uncle's.  My cousin, Nicole was there too with her two little ones.  My uncle has a 2 1/2 year old named Jayson.  he is adorable.  Colby and Shay looked like they had a lot of fun playing with him.  Kinda weird to think my uncle is a dad to a toddler again at age 61.  Definitely weird.  His wife seemed real nice too.  Andrew was there too.  He seemed to like hanging out with Mom.  

Mom did well for the trip, she gets a little restless after dark, but I expect it.  We left around 6 ish.  The dinner was good, better than Christmas and Christmas Eve.  Michelle is a real good cook.  Mom ate most of it, I was impressed.  Sometimes she doesn't eat very well, but mostly she does good.  She seemed to enjoy visiting with everyone.  There wasn't too many people there so she wasn't nervous at all.  

I am glad that the holidays are mostly over, I am anxious for the new year to arrive.  I think New Year's day we will go see a movie and to dinner.  I found the gift cards, I put them in my chest of drawers so Mom won't hide them anymore from me.  She hid them the day after Christmas and we could have used one when we went to Red Lobster's with Kathy.  But I am glad I found them that night.  I plan to use one on New Year's Day.  After New Year's I will start the process of looking into a home for mom, she won't need it right now, but eventually she will.  I will also start looking at where I am going to live.  It would be great if Richard and his family moved back here, I would move in with them but I don't think that is going to happen.  Richard hates Michigan.  I love it, but he doesn't.  Of course it does depend on where he gets a job.  The kids got the Christmas presents.  Hope they like the candy!  I made some for them too.

Well, this is getting awfully long!  Pain is alright today.  My head is its normal pain, my knee is a bit bad, but not too bad.

I hope you are having a great day!

It's over already!  Yup, Christmas!  Now on to the new year!  I am looking forward to 2010.  It should be a good year.  Mom did well the last few days.  We were at our cousin, Tillie's house.  We spent the night Christmas Eve and then went home Christmas Day.  She didn't sleep much because she kept getting cramps in her legs and she had to use the bathroom several times.  She only cried a few times on Christmas because she was either too hot or too cold.  Her body is difficult to regulate her temperature.  But over all, for being in a strange place, she did really well.  My younger brother was there too.  He seemed happy to see her and she was happy to see him.  It has been three years since he moved to London, Ontario.  She has been having an easier time going to bed now that she has the new medicine.  She takes it around 7:30 and then we go up around 9 pm.  It has definitely helped her not be so upset at bedtime.  No more bad nights right now!  I am really happy about that.  Unfortunately, she still likes to get up early and I don't.  She was up at 8:30 this morning in my room.  I don't know what time she got up, but oh my, 8:30 is a little early for me.  I like to get up after 10 am, preferably around 11.  She only came in a couple of times, but it can get annoying when she keeps coming in.  But it is better than her going outside.  I am glad she doesn't want to go out right now because it is so cold out.  Today was very windy too.

Kathy is in town and we went to lunch and the bookstore.  We had a lot of fun.  Her kids are so cute and they liked the presents they got from Mom and I.  She picked out some cute Lego sets for the boys and we (we both saw them at the same time) picked out cute dolls for the girls.  Kathy got me a gift card for Barnes and Noble.  I love reading!  We got two books at the bookstore.  One for the book club and another just for fun reading.  I got several books from the used bookstore for Christmas from Mom.  I also got a new coat that we are sending back because it is supposed to be a winter parka!  Not!  It's lining is like a sweatshirt and the coat is thin.  Some winter coat.  The one I have now does better than that one ever would.  I am sending back the sweat suit too, I only bought it because I wanted the coat and with a purchase it was only $4.  I should have realized that you can't get a good coat for that cheap.  I was extremely disappointed when I opened up the package.  Oh well, can't have everything I suppose.

I don't have any real plans for New Year's Eve.  We probably will watch a few movies and go to bed before Midnight as usual.  I plan to go out to a movie and out to eat New Year's Day though.  We did that last year and it was a lot of fun.  I plan to repeat that performance.

I hope you are having a good day and had a great Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!!  Have a great day!

It is almost Christmas!  Are you ready?????

Mom is all set as far as medicaid is concerned.  So am I.  We went ridiculously early to social services this morning.  The guy yesterday said they do interviews from 7:30 am to 11 am so I made sure we were there at 7:30.  We waited until 9:15 to see a worker.  Yup, that is 9:15 am.  They called the first person on the list (we were #3) at 9:00 am.  If they aren't going to start the interviews until after 9, could he have not told me that?  It would have been nice.  The lady was very nice and I guess she is now our caseworker.  She did apply for food stamps for us but (as I suspected) together we get too much money to get approved.  Individually, we don't have enough, but as we live together we get too much.  Yes, food stamps would have helped immensely, but we are doing alright, it isn't like we are starving or going hungry, we are doing okay.  My biggest worries are mom and her illness and my illnesses.

Mom is sleeping in her chair next to me.  When she wakes up she asks me random questions that don't make any sense, I just answer and smile to myself.  She was awake at 4:30 this morning.  Yup, that's what I said, 4:30 am.  Not pleasant for me.  I need a nap, but the roofers will be back shortly and then they will wake me up.  Okay, they are back now.  Mom somehow knocked over her water, she just noticed that.  She does such silly things.  Okay, some annoying things too.

In some ways I am not looking forward to Friday.  I haven't put up the tree and have decided not too.  It is in the family room which I have nicknamed the dungeon.  It is difficult to get into and then to find the tree?  Forget it.  I also then would have to decorate it in some burst at a time.  Just not up to it this year.  Mom really doesn't care, so I am not going to do it.  We aren't going to be home for Christmas anyways so it isn't like there will be presents under it.  I am nervous on how mom is going to take staying at Tillie's for the night.  I am bringing the sedatives with me just in case along with the rest of the medicines we need to take.  I also am not wrapping any presents but Kathy's kids.  Mom really doesn't care and we are opening them before we leave for Windsor.  This is probably her last real Christmas.  I anticipate her being more out of it next year.  I hope I am wrong.  Her memory is going slowly and from what some other friends say, she has about a year of good (well, to her good) memory left before she won't even know me.  We shall see what 2010 brings.  I hope a better year, although 2009 has definitely been better than 2008 was but not as good as 2006 and 2007.  Those years rocked!

I hope you are enjoying your season and finding time to relax!

Yesterday I saw Anne!!!!!!!  We met up for about 2 1/2 hours.  It so awesome to see her again.  I miss her so much.  I like having my girl once a week, not this every few months if I am lucky.  But I do understand, slightly difficult to see her often when she lives in NYC.  She likes it there a lot so I am glad about that.  She spent 2 years in Japan teaching English before she moved to NYC.  I made some candy for her for Christmas.  I am making candy for Andrew and Tillie too.  Tillie told me not to get her anything for Christmas so I am making her candy.  I don't listen very well to comments like that.  I also bought her a book mark because I know she reads a lot.  I can't believe this week is Christmas.  So hard to believe it is here already.  I haven't wrapped a thing for me or mom yet.  Not sure I am going to as wrapping slightly confuses her.  She will be confused enough with the holiday and us spending the night away from home.  At least I will be there and she won't be alone.  We don't need another Friday night.

We are watching Frosty the Snowman.  Mom loves this movie, so do I.  I love the song so much.  Frank played it for the Christmas Concert.  He did a good job on it.  Mom is sorta watching it, her eyes are closed as usual when TV is on.

I called the doctor this morning and asked what to do about Mom when she is having a bad night.  She will call me back with information.  Mom has been alright for the last couple of nights.  I am anticipating a kind of bad night tonight because the roofers are here and it is confusing her a bit.  They are giving me a bit of a bad headache.  Where is the hotel when you need one?  Okay, so I don't have the money for a hotel, but it would be quieter and perhaps a bit fun for a change.  Then again, Mom doesn't do very well with change, so maybe the hotel would be a bad idea.  She keeps answering the door when the roofers bang their tools like knocking on the door.  It is difficult to know the difference.  

I have two lessons today and two tomorrow then none until Saturday when I have one and I also have one on Sunday.  We are getting ready for the benefit concert and competition now.  Always looking forward for another performance.

The doctor just called back.  She is sending a prescription to the pharmacy for a sedative if this happens again.  If it happens more frequently or the sedative doesn't work, then I am to call again.

Well, time to go!  I have candy to make for Friday, well, Thursday actually since that is the day we are leaving.

Last night was a nightmare.  Not only for me but for mom.  I called the Alzheimer's society and they didn't really have anything very helpful.  Yeah, she kept wanting to go home.  I told her she was home and she agreed but then wanted to go home again.  It was like this for 3 hours.  She was so confused and upset that it was horrible for both of us.  So I called the society and they said to go along with the delusion.  However, if I did that, she would have left the house looking for her house.  So, a bad night all around.  I called Tillie and asked her if she would ask at the home what they do about these things at night.  She is going to look into it for me.  I am grateful for support.  Any one has suggestions, please let me know!

Other than that, things are alright here.  It was book club today!!!!  How fun.  We all loved the book that Maggie picked, "the Christmas Sweater," by Glenn Beck.  It was such a good book.  We are reading "The Other Boleyn Sister" for next month.  I loved that book so much.  The movie was good too.  Katie is going to get it out of the library when she goes to work next and Aggie, I think, may have it.  The other Katie is going to go and buy it, so is Maggie.  I love book club.  It is so much fun.  I was glad both Katie and Katie were able to join us.  Both of them had to work last time.  

I am ready for Christmas except for wrapping and the tree.  I am going to put the tree up tomorrow and wrap the presents too.  Mom and I are going to make candy tomorrow to for Christmas presents for Andrew and Tillie.  Andrew decided after all to go Tillie's for Christmas.  We haven't seen him in about 3 years since he moved to London, Ontario.  It will be nice to see him again.  We will be alone with him for about 3 hours Christmas Day while Tillie goes to see her husband in the home.

I hope you are having a good Christmas season and enjoying all the joys it brings!  Merry Christmas!

I had sewing today!  Finally we are back only to take off 2 more weeks for the holidays.  I don't mind though because when we start again in the new year, all three girls will be starting new outfits.  They are doing so well.  They all have a skirt with a coordinating top to go with it.  I am so proud of them.  Their smaller sister, Sarah, will be starting a skirt with me.  She is to young to use the machine but she can help me with other stuff like pinning and basting, easy things.  She is excited to start.

I finished the ornaments.  Just in time for the concert.  The concert was last night and it went well.  Next on the schedule is the benefit concert and quickly followed by competition.  They are two events in a row.  I figure my students can perform their competition music at the benefit concert.  I have some people already confirmed to perform, I am just waiting for some more.

I hope you are having a good day!

You would think I was torturing Mom this afternoon by making her wash her hair.  Every time we do this it is a trial.  She is afraid of being cold, which I understand, but still, one needs her hair washed and she doesn't do it in the shower so it is done in the back sink.  I now have her wrapped in a blanket with a towel on her head.  In about a 1/2 hour we will go up and blow dry our hair completely dry.  It takes a few hours to get this done.  Thank goodness I don't have much to do these days.  It is just one of those things that you deal with memory loss people.  At least she didn't cry and go on and on this time like she did last time.  I turned the heat up to 78 (it's rather warm in here now) so she wouldn't freeze and we did it fast!  So now she is almost finished with the process.

I have finished the ornaments for tonight.  I just have to fold the programs, and we are all ready!  I can't wait.  I know I have too, but it just isn't arriving so fast as I would like.  I love the concerts, they are so much fun.  I love watching the kids perform, they get so proud of themselves when they play or sing well, the smiles are unbeatable!

I ordered girl scout cookies today.  I will be ordering some from Rachel and Rebecca too, Mom loves girl scout cookies and they freeze beautifully so I am ordering a few for her.  At least she will eat a few at a time of those.  The other cookies she will eat occasionally, so I don't buy them any more.  No point as they usually end up in my tummy and goodness knows I don't need them!  I need to lose weight and lower my cholesterol not raise the stuff!

It's a decent day, I started a new medicine today, celebrex, so I shall see how it goes.  I hope it works, the arthritis is just as bad as the fibromyalgia.  My head is sore today, I woke up with a bad headache again this morning but it is almost back to it's regular one!

I hope you are enjoying your day!

I am almost finished reading the new Alzheimer's book.  it has been helpful in some ways and some ways terrifying.  I am not ready for what is coming.  I am not sure anyone could be ready.  Mom moved the front door gate this morning.  She didn't go out, but nothing like having the front door open and the gate moved.  I tightened it tonight so that maybe she won't be able to move it.  She has been a bit calmer this week.  I think this will be her last real Christmas.  We are going to Tillie's for the holiday and I wanted to go to Richard's for New Year's, but that won't happen.  He wants us to come in the summer when the weather is better.  I guess he is right, but I miss those kids!  A lot!

I will finish up my sewing tonight.  I will have the program finished too so I will be ready for the concert tomorrow.  We have 11 students performing, 2 are going to be absent due to school events and most students are doing 2 pieces each except my little one.  She is only doing one song because she was absent for a few weeks and never finished learning the other Christmas song.  I can't believe how much she has grown.  I have known her since they brought her home from Russia at 6 months old.  Now she is 8.

I hope you are having a good day.

I have one student this afternoon.  I can't wait.  Charlie won't be here today because he has a Christmas Concert for his mom's nursery school.  That would be adorable to see.  He is going to play his tenor sax while the little ones sing Jingle Bells.  I hope they tape it so I can see it.  I have to finish my ornaments tonight.  I can't wait!  I love sewing although I haven't been very ambitious lately for new projects.  I have to send the presents to the kids early next week as soon as I finish their ornaments.  

After the new year I will be taking pictures of the violins and be putting them up on eBay.  I don't know how to do this yet, but I will learn.  I also have 4 or 5 cellos that need to be painted and sold.  I hope that I can sell of them for a decent price.  I will post pictures as soon as I take them.  I have about 25 or so violins and violas.

10 days until Christmas!  I am not that excited as I usually am about it.  It is almost like, yeah, whatever.  I haven't pulled the tree out and decorated it yet.  I also haven't wrapped any presents.  Mom doesn't seem that interested right now either.  I know that this is probably one of the last Christmases she will have with some sort of memory.  I anticipate that next Christmas she will probably be completely out of it.  She is sleeping next to me in her chair again.  I am watching Cold Case, it's a rerun but one I haven't seen before.  

Not much happening today, I hope you are having a great day.

Yesterday was a really busy day for us.  I was very glad for that.  We met Debbie after a lesson at Tim Horton's and then we had Gracei's play in the evening.  I almost forgot about the play but fortunately I wrote it in my planner!  Thank God for planners.  Without them I would be lost most days.  Today is also a busier day with 3 more lessons to go.  I love Mondays because they are so busy and I get to see the students.  It brightens my day a lot.  On the days where there is no lessons, life is dull and boring.  Mom is sleeping next to me in her chair as usual.  The gates are working really well and I am able to get some sleep.  I feel like I am making up for months of no sleep because I am sleeping 10 to 12 hours with at least 5 hours straight through at a time.  Yeah!  finally!  sleep!

I am almost done with the ornaments.  I will be done by Thursday since that is when I need them.  I have a few students paragraphs ready for the concert.  I don't have the order yet, I will do that later tonight after dinner.  I think we are going to go and get dinner because I am too tired to cook or even heat up something.  We will have enough money for it, so that is good.  I am not taking any time off from teaching during the holidays, if the students want lessons, I will teach.  it is entirely up to them.  I know that Bob and Charlie are planning to have lessons during the holidays.  I don't know about anyone else.  I will be letting my students know that I am teaching if they want lessons.

Not much else going on.  Just had a lovely time with Debbie and the play was alright.  I will be seeing Debbie at bit more because she is going to sing in the benefit concert in February and wants some help to get ready.  She is planning to come and see my students at the concert on Thursday.  I hope next year I remember to sign up for the hall way earlier than I did so we can have a Sunday afternoon like we usually do.  When I sign up for the spring concert I will sign up for Christmas at the same time.  then it will be done.

I hope you are having a good day too.

Hayley came to pick up her packages this afternoon.  We got about 2 hours with her so I was happy about that.  I can always use more time but I will take what I can get.  I also had one lesson before that.  I worked on the ornaments too.  I am also almost finish with them so I am really happy about that.  I will be finished by Thursday which is the day of the concert.  I will be working on the program tomorrow.  I have one paragraph so far.  I expect more before the concert, or at least I hope I will.  Goodness knows my students don't want me to write the paragraphs for them.  I tend to gush completely crazily.  So, they are going to want to write them themselves.  Speaking of which, I need to face book Lily's dad so I can get her paragraph.  I forgot to get it this afternoon.  Silly me!  There, I messaged him.  She is so adorable and growing so fast.  I can't believe she is going to be 12 already.  Time just flies away from me sometimes.

We are watching Numb3rs.  It is a great show.  It is on late so we have to wait for the DVDs to come out.  We just finished watching season 5.  Apparently, season 6 will be the end.  I am sad about that because it is so fascinating.  I am watching the special features and they are interesting.  Mom is sleeping next to me in her chair again.  Nothing new there.  She does this all the time.  I wish she wouldn't sleep during the day and sleep at night but I guess I won't be getting my wish anytime soon.

I am reading an interesting book about memory loss and the issues that come up with it.  I am about 1/2 through the book now.  Mom wants to read it too.  I don't know what she is going to understand, I know she won't remember what she read, but hey, if she wants to read it, she can.

Pain is medium today, my head has been better through out the day, it started off bad and then improved.  My hips are not so good because of the weather, which I expected.  I also expect my knees to be bad.

I will be visiting with Debbie tomorrow!  Yeah!  I haven't seen her in a few years since she has been in college and going to India.  I am really excited about seeing her after Katie's lesson tomorrow.  I don't know what we will do, but it will be fun!

I hope you have a great evening and a wonderful night!

I was supposed to go for sewing this afternoon, but unfortunately, they had to cancel because of scheduling issues.  I was disappointed but I will see them next week.  I have a bad headache today so it probably was for the best.  I am not my best when my head feels like it will explode.  It is just that I haven't seen the girls for sewing in a month!  It is entirely too long of a time between!  I miss them too much.  I am glad they are healthy again and no more flu.  They had the swine flu (at least we think so because it was such a bad flu) and everyone, including the baby, got it.  I need to get the vaccine for it but right now it is not available at the doctor's office yet.  I hope so soon or at least at a place where I don't have to stand in line because standing is so hard for me.

Other than the headache we are doing alright.  Mom is okay today, she is a bit confused and was freezing this morning.  I told her 3 times to put more clothes on but she just walks around and cries.  It is very frustrating.  It is like she doesn't realize she has clothes to wear and she wakes up so early.  Ridiculously early and expects me to get up too.  Well I don't.  I go back to sleep.  This morning she was hungry and wouldn't go down for breakfast unless I went with her.  So I went down made her cereal and went back to bed.  I am have tried putting the bowl with cereal in it on the table at night for her but she won't eat it.  She is so afraid of bugs and germs and all that type crap.  It is driving me nuts.  Sometimes I just want to scream!  This morning was one of them.

I hope you are having a better day than me!

I went to my friend Heather's house today for a visit.  It was such fun.  I haven't really seen her in years.  Yes, I briefly saw her this summer, but that doesn't count.  We had about an hour to ourselves before her little boy came home and then about 1/2 hour later her daughter arrived.  Both kids are so cute and nice and polite.  She also has two dogs that are very friendly.  They didn't jump up on us at all.  I like that in a dog.  Mom came with me of course.  She did okay until it started getting darker and she started freaking out over the wind.  She flips out over wind so easy.  She really is terrorized by the wind since she has been picked up from it and moved to another place.  It was years ago but to her it was just yesterday.  It is frustrating for me because we have wind a lot, so it's like she is freaking out a lot.  I have learned to keep our drapes shut in the dining room when she is in there because she constantly looks out and flips.  I wasn't ready to leave but she started being whiny and frightened so we left.  She had both hands on her hat when we left, fortunately, we only live about 10 minutes from Heather's house.

She did get a bit confused this morning when I told her we were going to Heather's until I started using the words my friend Heather.  Then she wasn't confused.  She is freezing again, as usual.  I am tired of trying to keep her warm, nothing works so she is on her own.  She puts on her outside coat instead of other warm inside coats so I give up.  Whatever, you want to freeze even more outside, go ahead.  Whatever.

I have to finish my sewing in a few minutes.  I need to have them ready for tomorrow when Hannah, Sarah, and I stuff and finish them.  Lydia and Natalie should be finishing up their tops tomorrow.  I am excited about that.

I don't really like this bitter cold we have because I do ache tons more than usual.

Well, I hope you had a good day, I sure did.

Mom had her blood test and her x-rays this morning.  I had to get up so early to take her.  Ugh.  I am not a morning person, I am not a night person either, I am a day person.   Between the hours of 11 am and 9 pm I am alright, any earlier or later, forget it, I am sleepy.  So her appointment was at 9 am which meant I had to get up at 8 am.  She did pretty okay except she is difficult when she gets up because picking clothes is difficult for her.  I usually pick her stuff, but she wakes me to ask what to wear.  I have to get up (usually super early around 6 ish) to get them for her and then I go back to bed.  I have tried to her to stay in her pajamas until I wake up.  It isn't as if she does anything except wander the house, but she just flips out.  She has no concept of sleep for me anymore.  It kinda really sucks.  Big time!  I am trying to get used to the new schedule but it is hard.  No sleep for me means crabby me which is not good for dealing with Mom.  Also no sleep means tons more pain which is really bad.

She is sleeping in her chair as usual.  I wish she would be awake more during the day maybe she would sleep more in the night, but she is a morning person and always has been.

We woke up to white stuff on the ground.  I guess I am ready for winter.  I have a new pair of sweats coming next week.  (Christmas present from mom)  I will now have 4 pairs.  I love sweats, they are so warm.  I do have nice clothes for when I need them, but I don't most days.

I am planning to sew the ornaments this afternoon after lunch.  Mom will go with me to the other room while I sew my presents.  I have everyone else's finished.  The only things left are the homemade ones!  

It should be an okay type day.  After sewing before Lily's play I may need to take a nap.  We shall see!  Have a great day!

I have finished my Christmas shopping!  yeah!  I am finally done.  Usually I am done by November because December lessons were always iffy and bills needed to be paid so I got in the habit of shopping all year round.  However, after the store, things were a little dicey.  I did get Mom some really cute socks (I hope she wears them) and a new throw blanket for the dining room chair she sits in.  I got her 2 new movies and 1 movie for me (Harry Potter of course!) and the Susan Boyle CD.  She has such a beautiful voice.  She made the world stand up and take notice of her.  I wish I could do the same.  Maybe sometime in the future. 

I have 2 lessons today.  Zach is starting again and he called to tell me he is on his way.  Then Charlie will have his after.  So all in all, a good day.  Mom did well while we went from store to store.  We hit Tim Horton's first (Mom was hungry), then Walmarts, Joann's, Border's, and then the Post Office.  I was disappointed in the selection of planners.  I guess I need to get them in the fall.  I did buy one a few weeks ago but I thought maybe there would be some cuter ones.  I was wrong, so I will keep the one I have.  Mom and I can share it.  She doesn't really need a planner since I keep track of everything for her.  I did buy her a cute calendar for the kitchen.  She saw it in Joann's and asked if she could get it.  Of course I said yes.  She asks for very little.  I am the big shopper of the family.  (well, not like I used to be.  Disability only goes so far and bills do need to be paid.  Teaching helps pay the bills)  I ordered the rest of my present on Saturday so that should be here next week so we are finished with the ordering and buying of presents.  Now I just need to finish sewing the ornaments.  I will do them tomorrow afternoon after Mom's doctor appointment.

I am in a bit more pain because of shopping, but not doing too badly from it.  I am glad I am done and home because the weather is about to turn bad.  I hope this finds you doing really well and having a good day too!

6 lessons this afternoon!  I was really really happy about that.  We are all getting ready for the Christmas Concert next week.  I am going to do what I used to do for the concerts, I have the kids write up small bios about themselves and put it in the bulletin.  It is fun to do.  I have a really cool CD ROM that has a lot of Christmas pictures.  It is quite cool.  I love the disc a lot.  I just have to find it.

My upper back is a bit sore today, might be from the long drive yesterday or not.  I slept pretty okay knowing Mom was blocked from different places in the house.  She didn't try to move either of the gates we have up so I was really happy this morning about it.  She also didn't move the chair I forgot to push in it at the table so she couldn't go into the kitchen either.  She stayed mostly upstairs, where I want her to be.

Harry Potter #6 movie comes out tomorrow!  I am getting (I think I can wait!) it for Christmas from Mom.  I am not sure if I can hold out until after Christmas.  I do know I am getting three more things from Santa for Christmas so I shall try to hold out on Harry Potter.  I will be working on the ornaments tomorrow so I can have them stuffed and the bells put on them on Friday.  I need to sew most of the bells before Friday because Lydia needs my machine to finish her top on Friday and it would be most unfair to use the machine on Friday instead of her.  Sewing days are all about the girls after all.  I plan to finish my sewing part by Wednesday latest.  I need to be ready for stuffing them by Friday.  I think Hannah and Sarah will be helping me.  Sarah can stuff them and Hannah and I can put the bells on them and finish the seam.  Then all I will have left will be to paint the names of the students on them.

I am pretty tired tonight.  I think we will be going to bed a bit earlier than usual.  Mom is tired too and a bit cranky tonight.  She is driving me nuts.  She constantly thinks other people are in the house when there isn't anybody here but us.  Then she cries, a lot.  I am running out of patience this evening.

I hope you are having a better night than me.

I picked up 3 baby (we call them safety) gates from Kathy today.  Yup, I drove all the way to Kalamazoo to see her and her family and pick the gates up.  It was great.  Nice easy drive on the way (2 1/2 hours each way), Mom slept most of the way down, Josh Groban CD in the radio and not much traffic.  We stayed a few hours, played with the girls watched Matthew play Wii and talked to Kathy!  I really enjoyed the visit.  Mom did well both there and back so day trips are on!  She didn't want to eat in the car and I didn't push it.  If she isn't hungry, I won't make her eat.  I told her how long it would be before we got home, the McDonald's was in a bag next to her so it was up to her.  I didn't think she would eat in the car but I was a bit hungry by that point so we stopped and went to the drive thru.  It worked out well.  I think we will be able to do it again.  I put up the gates in the front door and in front of the downstairs so she won't go down in the morning.  It is very tiring, but fun so it is worth it.

Tomorrow will be nice and busy.  Tuesday will be sort of busy, but the rest of the week won't be so much.  I do have some sewing to finish up.  The concert is in about 11 days so I have to finish the ornaments!  I have to make sure that I do them when the kids won't be here so they won't see them ahead of time.  The Muglia girls are helping me make them.  It has been 3 weeks since I have seen them because of the flu in their house.  I get them 2 times this week!  They aren't getting the ornaments for Christmas since they are helping me make them, that would be cheesy, but I have something for them that they will like.

I am almost done with Christmas shopping, I thought I was done but I have a few small things left.  I plan to get them this week before my money runs out.  I have to remember to pay my health insurance tomorrow before it gets cancelled.  It is due on the 20th, but I have 30 days to catch up on the previous month before it is cancelled.  I don't want to cancel it even though it is expensive, I don't think medicaid will cover as much and I don't qualify for medicare for another year, so you can see my problem.  I am trying to keep what I have until the medicare kicks in, then I will switch.  Unless something wonderful happens and I get a job that will pay for enough for medical insurance and day care for Mom.  There is no way I can leave her by herself all day.  That is a recipe for disaster, I will come home and she will be gone.  yeah, not a good idea!

I am heading for bed soon so I will end this now.  I hope your day was a great as mine!

Not much happening today, just the usual lesson.  It is Aggie's opposite week so she isn't having a lesson today, just Lily who was in a really good mood.  She usually is a happy girl, but today was just happier than normal.  It was a very fun lesson.  Mom was teasing her too.  She does so well with Mom.

I am going to get a gate for the front door so Mom can't get out.  Kathy has a couple (at least one for sure, maybe two).  She thinks she has a longer than a door one that I can put at the top of the stairs at night so Mom won't go down without me.  I explained it to her and she seemed to understand for now anyways, she will forget soon but I will remind her again.  That's what I am here for.  She is a happy girl today too.  Lily always brightens her up, most of my students do.  We are going to see Lily in her play Wednesday night.  There is a concert earlier before the play apparently so we will go a bit early to see the little kids.  Mom will like that.

I have to really decide what I want to do with my life.  Right now, I am just existing and getting by.  I don't like that feeling so I have to find new dreams.  I think when I lost the store, I lost my dreams.  So now I need new dreams.  Just existing to take care of Mom is not good.  I know she doesn't have any goals anymore, except to help me with mine.  I thought a lot last night about it.  I want to do what I originally planned before we lost the store.  Open a music school.  Right now wouldn't be good, but that doesn't mean I can't work on the details of it.  I don't want a store again.  I am not into the whole renting and selling of instruments, but I loved the teaching part of it.  That is what I lived for and the reason I got up in the morning.  I live for the moments I get to teach.  I am going to continue what I am doing right now, teach a few lessons, hopefully as the economy gets better I will get some more students and then open a school once things have improved.  There wouldn't be any point to it right now because lessons are so down because, I mean, really, a choice between lessons and paying bills, right, paying bills wins and I understand that.  But in the future!  A new school.  So I will begin the paperwork that I need to do: business plan, marketing plan, 501 c 3 papers (I plan to open a not for profit one - that way you can work with the libraries and the schools easier) so that in a year or 2 I will be able to move to a small building and begin.  I have enough experience with this, I just need the economy to accommodate my plans.  So that is the new goal and dream, that I can do.  Then, I won't need disability too, I will be able to support myself and Mom, not fancily, but enough for a vacation once a year, unlike now.  I feel so much better now that I know what I am going to do with my future.

It is suppose to snow soon, ugh!  (except for Christmas Eve and Day, of course)  I hope you are having a great day!

Saw old dogs (the movie) this afternoon.  Oh my gosh!  It was soooooo funny!  Mom and I laughed our butts off!  I know critics hated it and gave it like about 1/2 star but I loved it.  We need to definitely get this one when it comes out on DVD.  Speaking of DVDs, Harry Potter #6 comes out Tuesday!  I can't wait.  It is going to be a Christmas present from Mom to me so we can't watch it until after Christmas, not that I mind, I did see it 3 times in the movie theatre so a few more weeks won't kill me.  The chipmunks new movie comes out soon too, I want to see that.

Mom is doing pretty okay today.  I ordered a new book about the mid stages of Alzheimer's yesterday that should help me with where she is at.  I also found out that my friend Kathleen took care of her grandmother and she has the same thing!  So that is two people I can ask questions if I have any.  She loved the movie so I was very happy and excited about that.  I thought that she would.  She still understands quite a bit so she is easy to entertain with movies (going out to them, otherwise she falls asleep in the chair in the dining room)  I am working on a regular schedule for us so she won't get as confused as she can get.  She was a bit confused as usual this morning and opened the front door, but didn't go out.  She likes to check the weather in the morning by sticking her hand out the door, I hate it because I am afraid she will go out, but she does this every morning like clockwork, so what can I do?

Pain is medium today, my back is better than last week when my flare decided to go to my lower back and hips so that I couldn't even stand up straight.  From behind I must have looked pretty funny since I was so bent over.  Fortunately, it is almost over, the pain is in the middle of the lower back but I can stand straight up and walk normal, well, normal for me.

It snowed apparently last night and this morning.  I missed it!  yeah!  No snow for Heather!  I like snow on Christmas Eve and Day and that is about it.  Snow makes Mom very nervous which makes me nervous and driving is awful because she constantly is telling me how to drive.  Now, I know how to drive but if I say anything, there will be that time that I miss something and we will get in an accident, so I don't say anything I just bite my tongue.  It is best this way.

I hope you are having a snow free day and plenty of sunshine!

Mom was very frustrated this morning about her confusion.  She wanted to know why and I said it was a part of her memory loss issue.  She wanted to know more.  It is the first time she actually asked about it.  She wanted me to prepare her for what is coming and what she has.  I was surprised because usually I can get around those type of questions because she doesn't ask point blank like she did today.  So I told her about her Alzheimer's and what stage she is in and where she is heading.  She took it very well.  I mean, a few tears, but not many especially as I was crying through most of it.  She asked me to print off the paper with the stages and make her a book to keep track of things.  I usually keep track of her medicines and stuff in my head, but she wants to help by keeping it in a book.  So I will make her a book.  She wants to help with that too.  She wants to be involved I think.  I am not sure.  I am not sure what she can do because she can't do a whole lot anymore.  I told her that by the time she gets to stage 7 she would have no memory left.  She is in stage 5 now.  I hope to keep her here for a while.  I know she is going down and getting worse, but right now she can still enjoy things and have a good laugh at stuff.  That is what is important, that she enjoy things and have a good laugh now and again.  She knows that I will keep her with me as long as I possibly can and that I will still see her daily even when I am not with her all the time.  It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.

I had my monthly (sometimes bi-monthly) blood test this morning.  Ugh, she had to dig a bit to get it started.  I can clear a room of nurses just by signing in.  Such a useful talent - he he he.  At least it was only one poke this time.  I wasn't up for more, that is for sure.  

We should be getting our new roof soon, since I just paid the down payment on the bill.  Roofs are very expensive, at about $7100 for ours.  I was not happy that we needed another one already.  We got a new one in the early to mid 90's that apparently didn't have good work on it.  This one should last us until Mom is in a home which I had hoped would hold out until then (the roof I mean).  

It is supposed to rain then possibly snow tonight.  Since it is December, I am not minding the snow, come January and 80 degree weather can  come back.  Yes, I know, I live in MICHIGAN and that doesn't happen.  I am a dreamer what can I say??  I have a few Christmas presents left to make and then I have a couple of gift certificates to purchase and then I am done!!!  Yup, done!!!  I got Mom 2 DVD's and 1 season of Walker so she is set.  they are sitting in the Christmas box but she doesn't know that they are for her.  I am getting Army wives (yes, I picked it out.  Can you imagine a woman with dementia Christmas shopping?  I don't think so!) and we are going to the used bookstore this week to pick out a few things for me and then she is done with me.  I am getting Tillie a bookmark and making her an ornament.  I know she said NOT to get her anything, but oh well, too late.  Already made the plans.  She will have to deal.  Besides, she reads an awful lot and could use a good bookmark and everyone can always use more ornaments, especially the hand made type.

Mom is falling asleep next to me in her chair at the table.  We sit at the table a lot because the chair is comfortable for me and doesn't cause any extra pain and also because the TV is on the kitchen counter and not in the living room.  With 2 pianos (for teaching), there is no room for the TV in there.  Also, we have cable and that is only on one TV so we can't watch any others anyways.

Well, I am off to sew, sew, and sew while the hands are fine!  Have a great afternoon and if you get snow, enjoy it!  it is Christmas time!!!!!!!

I thought I would have 2 students today, but my old student who is coming back won't be here until next week.  Oh well, I am disappointment but I will see him next week.  At least I have a lesson today, unlike last week where I didn't for many days in a row.

I am working on Christmas presents today.  I am making ornaments for family and students.  It is a lot of fun.  

Mom hasn't gone outside without me now for a week.  I put a new sign on the front door to let her know I am upstairs.  It has worked so far.  She still wakes me up a lot, but she is at least in the house.  It is cold out now.  Winter has definitely arrived.  I got Mom's heavier coat out so maybe she won't freeze so easily.  Next will be the parka but it isn't cold enough for that yet.  Starting January I am sure I will be throwing it on her.

Not much else happening today.  Just more sewing!  I hope you have a great day!

It is Monday!  The last day of November.  This month really flew by, I don't know how, but it did.  Time is no longer crawling along (Thank God for that!!!)  I have had one student and have two more later.  Tomorrow is a new student.  He is a scholarship student that I used to have, so I guess it is actually a student coming back rather than a new student.  He is a good kid.  Both his parents are out of work, and really, I would rather teach a lesson than not.  I have other kids on scholarships due to these tough economic times so why not him?  That's what I said!  He should.  He sounds excited about it.  I will be giving him Christmas music, he will have 17 days to learn his Christmas songs for the concert.  He can do it, I know he can.

I remembered to send in my Michigan Music Association dues on time this year.  Last year I didn't, but not because I forgot, I just didn't have the money until February.  This year one of the parents offered to help with it, but I could do the dues myself.  I was thankful they offered, but I didn't need the help.

New Moon was really good, I thoroughly enjoyed it, so did Kathy.  I not only got her for a movie, but for dinner too!  I was soooooo happy about that!  I miss her when she isn't around, and since she lives so far away, I don't get her as long as I would like.  I have thought about moving closer to her, but my luck she would be moving right after I moved, so I will stay here.  I will see her at Christmas too so I am glad.  Mom liked the movie too.  She got a little agitated at the restaurant and I wanted to yell at her, but I didn't.  I know it isn't her fault she gets like that, but sometimes it is irritating when she does.  She did better Sunday and today she is doing well.

I added a sign on the door that tells her I am upstairs so she knows where I am in the morning.  It seems to help some.  As long as she doesn't go out the door!  

Anyways, my wonderful student should be here any minute!  I hope you are having a great day like me!

We are going to see New Moon this afternoon after teaching!!!!!!!!  I can't wait!  I have been waiting forever (it seems) to see this movie.  Now only if my headache would go away.  If it doesn't I will be miserable and that won't be any fun!  I have had this bad headache for several days.  It needs to go back down to normal, so I will be fine.  I have a headache everyday and have for about 5 years now so I need this one to calm down to the normal headache.

Tillie came over for Thanksgiving!  I was excited about that.  I could stand up normal by thanksgiving so I was very very grateful for that!  I cooked dinner and it came out good!  Yeah me!  Mom and Tillie ate a good dinner so it must have been alright.

My one student just called to say she just woke up, so she is coming at 1:30 instead of 12:00 noon.  Kind of hard to be in two places at one time!  Silly girl!

I hope you had a great holiday and are doing alright!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!!!  Hope it is a great day!

The costume is finished and with the student.  She was here for the final fittings (the elastic for the top) and took the costume home with her.  There is some question on when the play will now be as something has come up for the original date.  If they have it on the date they want, she will not be able to attend.  I hope she gets to be in it.

I have the turkey breast in the fridge thawing ready for tomorrow.  We are having Tillie over for dinner.  I am cooking it.  Mom will help.  My right side lower back has been acting up again, I can hardly walk and can't straighten up very well.  I hope it clears up tomorrow or it shall be interesting.  We shall see.

Mom is dozing next to me in the dining room.  Our TV sits on our kitchen counter because the downstairs is so cold that we don't use it much.  It is just too cold for Mom.  She has been up a lot today instead of her usual dozing.  I hope this translates to a better night sleep for her.  I am very tired because I got up earlier than usual today.  I am trying to get up by 10:30 in the morning now because Mom is up by herself just too long in the morning and she gets a bit confused and I don't want her going outside like she did yesterday while I was sleeping.  Fortunately, our neighbors found her outside the house and brought her in and woke me up.  This is the third time she has done this.  She does this after 11 am when I sleep in later than that so I am getting up earlier so she doesn't have the chance to do it again.  She stayed upstairs most of the time this morning.  I was pleased about that.  Since tomorrow is a holiday, I will be getting up earlier than usual to make the dinner.

Kathy will be in town this weekend for the holiday.  I get her on Saturday after I am done teaching.  I have two lessons for the day, as usual.  I am excited to see her.  We are planning to go and see New Moon.  I can't wait to see it.  It looks so good and I loved the book.  I hope it stays close to the book, I don't like it when movies go too far away from the books they are from.  The one exception was the princess diaries which I didn't really like the books at all.  I thought they were not as good as the movies.  I loved the movies.  They are some of Mom's favorite movies too.

This past year has been a better year than 2008, but I am looking forward to 2010.  I don't know what the future will be, but I am hopeful it will be bright and hopeful and better than this year.  I don't really miss the store too much anymore.  I pretty much have gotten over the fact we lost it.  I try not to dwell on that anymore.  I am hoping to have a few more students in the new year.  I spoke to a young woman yesterday at the little cafe we go to often about piano lessons.  She asked for my name and number, so I am hoping she calls.

I hope this finds you well and ready to enjoy Thanksgiving!  Happy Thanksgiving!

I am almost done with the costume!  I just have to hem the vest and hem the sleeves, and put the casings for the elastic in the top.  I am glad to be almost done because the play is getting closer!!!  She will look adorable as a fairy.  She is a great kid that is growing up way to fast.  I can't believe she will be 12 soon.  It seems like yesterday she was turning 7.  Wow, how time does fly.

I pulled out the turkey breast to thaw in the fridge.  I am actually getting excited to make dinner.  I haven't cooked in about a year!  At least since last march, the night Mom went into emergency for chest pains.  Ended up not being anything, thankfully, but you never know.  I haven't cooked since.  I have everything ready that we need so Mom and I will be up early on thanksgiving getting the turkey breast ready.  It has the bone in it.  Don't really know what the difference is, except this was the type the store had.  If I do this well, I may cook a bit more often.  It is the standing I have problems with, but Mom can help with that.

I have some Christmas crafts to do after I finish the costume.  I make ornaments for my students every year and Hannah helped me cut them out and basted them so all I have to do is sew them together and stuff them.  We will do that next Friday, our next sewing day.  Their little sister, Sarah, wants to sew to because I bought this beginning sewing kit for her and she did real well with it.  She told her mom she really liked sewing.  So I may start her on some easy stuff for little ones.  She is only 6.

I almost have my Christmas cards done.  They are mostly addressed except a couple.  I will finish them this weekend and mail them out early next week!  I am so proud that they are almost done.  I haven't done cards in several years so this year is cool!

I hope this finds you doing well.  Mom and I are fine, almost healthy (well, healthy for me anyway, just still have a bit of a cough).  We are thankful for our friends and our families!  I hope this season brings you much joy and happiness!

I found the shampoo!  It was in the freezer.  I don't know why I didn't look there in the first place.  I took them out of the bag so Mom would know what they are.  She said she doesn't know why she put them in there but said she believed she did it.  I know she did, but to hear her say it was interesting.  The freezer is her favorite place to put things (like milk and apparently bananas), so I should have known to look there.  I will from now on when I am missing things.  I am not sure if the shampoo is harmed in any way, but I am using it anyways!

I have two students today, so I am happy about that.  I got up really early for me for Mom doctor's appointment.  I am trying to make sure I cover all my angles with her now so I know what is happening.  She answered a few of the questions, so that was good.  I answered the rest.

I hope you are having a great day, and for Agatha - get well soon!  She has the swine flu!  Poor girl!

The shampoo disappeared in our house somewhere, magically, somehow between Friday and today.  I know Mom moved it, but I don't know where.  She has been randomly taking things out of the back room and putting them in my room.  I just empty my room afterward.  I had to use some other shampoo that doesn't work as well on my hair.  Oh well, I hope to find it by tomorrow or so.  It was very expensive so I won't be buying it again any time soon.  Sometimes the little things she does can be frustrating, but I can't really complain to her because she doesn't know she does this stuff at times.  She forgets after she does it.  Considering what could be happening, I will take this, but I will try have more patience with all of this.

Thursday is Thanksgiving, Tillie is coming over.  I am actually going to cook the turkey breast!  Shocking, I know.  I was going to order our dinner and then just finish heating it, but when I added up how much it would cost to have what we would like, it was a lot of money.  I mean a lot of money, so I went to Walmart and bought our dinner.  I bought pre-made mashed potatoes because while I can cook the potatoes, mashing them would be too difficult.  The rest of the stuff will be a piece of cake (or pie! Tis the season!)  The hardest thing will be cleaning out the microwave, I don't want Tillie to see how bad it really is.  So Mom and I are going to clean it on Wednesday afternoon.  

I have managed to keep the dining room pretty clean and emptied of newspapers and magazines and junk mail since Tillie and I cleaned it last Sunday.  I will do a sweep of it on Wednesday afternoon to make sure the dining room is just so for Tillie on Thursday.  I want everything to look nice for our holiday.  I know Tillie wouldn't care what it looks like, but I do.

Speaking of holidays, we may see my brother on the Christmas holidays, if I get my back disability by then.  I have been waiting for months.  I am hoping we will be going to my older brother's for New Year's because we are going to Tillie's on Christmas Day.  It should be a fun holiday.  I haven't seen my older brother in over a year, and my younger brother in about 3 years.  We shall see who we see at Christmas.  It would be a good time for them to spend time with Mom as she is doing mostly well right now.

I am almost done with Lily's costume.  I have to do a few adjustments, and the hems then I am done.  I am glad.  She will have her whole costume then.

I hope this finds you doing well!

Went to the arthritis doctor for a follow up this afternoon.  After waiting for an hour, I saw the doctor.  I really like her, but the waiting is so frustrating.  Just drives me nuts waiting all the time for the doctors when we go.  I feel like I need to schedule a whole day just for a doctor appointment.  Anyways, I can get the cortisone shot after my next blood test in December.  It should help my shoulder move better.  It is somewhat better so I am happy about that.  I can at least move it higher than I could last month.  Mom sees her on Monday.  I have to finish some paperwork for her, then she is ready to go.  I feel like this month has been more doctor visits than anything else.  I can't wait until December when I don't have any appointments.  Mom has her last test Saturday and then we will get the results when we go see the doctor next week.

I bought our dinner for Thanksgiving last night.  I decided that I will cook it myself after all instead of ordering from Boston Market.  I compared the cost, and cooking it won.  It is about $50 cheaper and with Mom's help, I can do it.  The hardest thing will be cleaning the microwave.  It soooooo needs to be cleaned.  I am planning to do that this weekend.  I bought a nice turkey breast, mashed potatoes (Bob Evans pre-made) corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and cornbread stuffing.  The day before thanksgiving I will go to Boston Market and order the cornbread loaf that I love, that will be the only item I will order.  I have to find the thanksgiving table cloth, I may just buy a paper one with matching napkins.

Tonight we have a subdivision meeting at one of our neighbors house.  I am on the board and have enjoyed the meetings so far.  We missed last months because I forgot to write it in the planner.  Silly me.  Mom goes with me.  Then again, Mom goes everywhere with me.  She gets too frightened to stay by herself at all.  In the morning it is sometimes hard for her when she is down stairs and I am in bed.  So far, she doesn't get to upset, usually she finds me upstairs to ask if I am ready to get up.  This morning I got up a little later than usual so when she came in to ask I was like, "what?"  Then I looked at the clocked and was like, oops, guess I am getting up.  She is used to me getting up around 11ish.  She knows I am not a morning person, although some days she is in my room asking me if I am getting up every 10 to 20 minutes and that does get annoying, but I can't do anything about it because she doesn't remember that she already asked.  I am working on patience with that.

Pain isn't too bad considering I was at the arthritis doctor and she had to test my tender points.  Yup, they were sore when she touched them.  The arthritis hasn't gone away either, darn.  I keep hoping they will go away and never come back.  I know, wishful thinking.  I think all of us would like fibro to go away along with all the other problems we have with it.  That would be a dream.

Anyways, I hope this finds you doing well and having a decent day.

It has been a few days since I wrote.  I didn't mean to neglect the blog but it was slightly crazy in the house.  Sunday was a nice day with my cousin Tillie coming over.  We cleaned out the dining room and that took all day.  Hard to believe, but we have some space now.  Thank God for that.  We had a nice visit as she helped me.  She came over in the early part of the day and stayed until about 8ish, then went home.  She will be back next week for Thanksgiving dinner.  I am excited about that.  We are ordering from Boston Market so all I will need to do is heat up the dinner.  Much easier for me than cooking as standing is an issue and it tastes good too.

Yesterday, Mom had her colonoscopy, and she did well.  She came through with flying colors.  Her colon is in good shape which is good news.  She has her scope on Saturday, then another visit with the doctor to see what the results are.  Her swallowing acted up again yesterday, but is okay today.  The nurse told me to expect her to be dehydrated because of the procedure so I was expecting swallowing to be an issue.  She is fine right now and as usual, dozing in the chair as I watch Murder She Wrote.  I love that show, even though I have seen almost every episode at least 2 times each and we have 10 of the 11 seasons on DVD.  Season 11 should be coming out before Christmas.  I am planning for Mom to get me that for Christmas.  

Speaking of Christmas, I have almost finished all my presents.  I am just working on the ornaments I need for my students and I need to get 3 gift certificates for the girls, then I am done.  I will be mailing Abby and William their gifts the day after Thanksgiving.  I also will be mailing my Christmas Cards the day after Thanksgiving too.  I am buying the stamps this week though because I expect the post office will be busy.

I am working on Lily's costume this afternoon.  I love sewing and am glad I have had the opportunity to rediscover the love of it.  Lily will be an adorable fairy in her school play.  Mom and I are planning to go and see it.  Mom loves going to see kids in things like that.  I hope to see my student Grace in her musical that she will be in soon.  Rachel and Rebecca are also in plays right now too.  So we have a busy social life coming up.  I am glad about that.

Pain isn't so bad right now.  My shoulder is getting more mobility in it again.  I am soooooo grateful for that.  I have an appointment with my rheumatoligist tomorrow.  I will get the results for all the x-rays I have had taken.  

I hope this finds you having a great day and enjoying the week before Thanksgiving!

It looked like today was going to be a boring day, but we ended up being rather busy.  A nice surprise.  I found some elastic I need for Lily's skirt so I just have to put the casing on and the elastic in the casing.  So that is almost done.  Monday, Julie and I will work on the top and the vest.  She will be one adorable fairy for her play.

After we stopped at the JoAnn's ETC store, we went to walmart to pick up mom's prescriptions.  She has the stuff she has to take before her colonoscopy and then her new medicine.  The new meds are cheap though, so that is good, as long as they work.  She has two tests this week, a colonoscopy and a scope.  I have a doctor's appointment somewhere in there too.  Busy week for us.  In between, I will be working on Lily's costume, so I am happy about the coming week.

We didn't get tickets for Jessie's play after all.  I am a bit disappointed with that.  Well, better luck next time for that.  I have seen her perform before and she is awesome.  She has grown into such a beautiful young woman.

After walmarts I took Mom to Olive Garden for dinner.  She has been getting very tired lately, so I have tried to do things to keep her awake during the day, because she sure wakes up early in the morning!  I wish she would sleep in more, but she has been a morning person her whole life and that doesn't really change when you get older!

Tillie is coming tomorrow, I think.  I will find out before I go to bed.  That was the tentative plan as of Friday, so unless anything changed, she will be here all day.  I am looking forward to that, I enjoy her visits.

Head is slightly bad tonight, not like the other night, but bad enough.  Arm and shoulder are a little better.  I could even reach with the arm higher than I have been able to!  I was happy on that!!!  Knee is alright today too.  Let's keep it up!

I hope your having a good day too.

Part two of today's post:

I have decided against having weight loss surgery, too many possible problems, with blood clots at the top.  I have a blood disorder that causes blood clots, so that would not be good.  Also, there is a long list of possible problems and none of them sound good.  So, we are back to the basics, trying to exercise more, and watch what I eat, by eating more healthy.  I have a lot of weight to lose so I am starting now.

As usual, it was sewing day.  At first, I thought I would have to cancel because Tillie was going to come over, but she can't until the weekend so it worked out well.  The two girls are almost done, Hannah helped me with Lily's costume.  I am almost done with Lily's costume, I have the petals gathered and ready to be attached to the waistband.  I should be finishing it tomorrow afternoon and the final touches by Sunday afternoon at the latest.  I love sewing these projects.  I don't particularly like sewing clothes for me right now, but I like making things for others.  My clothes are just too big to enjoy sewing.  If Mom helps me, she makes the clothes even bigger so that they fall off, I know I am big, but not as much as she seems to think.  

No teaching music today, just sewing.  Not much going on now that sewing is over.  We just finished dinner too.  I hope this finds you doing well and in less pain if you have any!!!!!

Can't believe it is Thursday already!  I meant to post last night, but I got a really really bad headache.  I am sure some of you know what that is like.  Head still hurts, but not quite like yesterday.

Yesterday started off as a good day.  Julie was here to work on her daughter's costume.  I am helping her re-size the costume and make it.  She sews, but mainly quilts.  Her quilts are beautiful.  Then my cousin, Hayley came by to pick up the stuff she ordered.  It was wonderful to see her.  She was on her way to go visiting friends for a few days.  I hope she has a great time and really enjoys herself.  

I worked on Lily's costume this afternoon.  She will be here for a fitting after she gets out of school.  I am looking forward to that.

Mom went to the tummy doctor early this afternoon.  She has to have a scope and a colonoscopy done next week to find out what is wrong.  She has hardly been eating and drinking and I am not sure why.  She also has trouble swallowing, although that isn't as bad as it was.  She has lost a lot of weight again too, even with the ensure I give her everyday.  I am upping that to two a day.  She isn't in the stage of dementia/Alzheimer's where she forgets how to swallow, so I don't think it is her memory issue, it has to be something else.  I really like my tummy doctor so that is who she saw.  I know she will get to the bottom of the issue.  

Mom has been falling asleep all day again, she has no energy, or very little of it.  The tummy doctor told me to have the family doctor look at her for the dizziness issue.  When she lays on her back or her right side, she gets dizzy.  Has been for about 2 years now.  We have some medicine for when she has a dizzy spell, but not to fix the issue in the first place, so I will make an appointment for her.  Other than these small things, she is pretty much fine.

Pain is medium today, except for the head.  That definitely rates as high.  It is beautiful looking out right now with the sun shining in the dining room, where I am at.  I love the sun!!!!!!!  Well, so far it has been a good day, and I hope this finds you having a good day too.

Bon Jovi released their new CD today!!!!  So far, I have heard the first 3 songs and they are awesome.  I just love bon jovi.  I have seen them about 7 times in concert.  I hope to see them again someday.  I was hoping this coming march when they will be in town, but with it being March, I don't know what the weather will be like and if it is snowy, then I can't use my scooter and I can't use it in the snow.  There is no way I can walk from the parking lot to the inside of the Palace.  it is just too far.  Kathy is keeping track of their tour to see if they will be coming back again soon.

I have decided to look into the weight loss surgery.  I know I always thought I wouldn't do it, but I can't seem to find another way to lose the weight.  I am so tired and sore that I can exercise anymore without not being able breathe.  I am not sure what will happen, but I am looking into.  I have to lose some weight or soon I will be unable to do much at all, and I can't do a whole lot right now.

Pain is medium today.  My arm is a bit sorer than normal, but the shoulder is okay, just the now normal pain with it.  My knee comes and goes.  I see the rheumatologist next week so I will get the results of the x-rays that were taken of both the knee and the shoulder.  I know what the knee results are but I don't know what the shoulder results are.  I am not expecting much.

I hope this finds you having a good day.  I have one student tonight and then no one until later this week.  I definitely need more students.  6 is not enough.

It's Monday again.  I had my two students as usual, so it was a good day that way.  Mom kept waking me up from about 4 am on.  She kept opening up the front door too.  I don't like that at all and I can't seem to get her to stop.  She remembers to open the door but not to close the door.  She is sleeping in her chair at the dining room table right now.  She does that more and more now.  It is getting closer to her moving to a home.  I figure between 6 months and 1 year and she will need 24 hour care that I won't be able to provide.  Of course, I am praying that it is longer than I think.  That would be great, but I can see her failing and so can everyone else.  I hope that in the next 6 months my cousins will be able to see her while she somewhat knows who they are.  She knows their names, but may not recognize their faces because it has been 5 years since she has seen anyone except Tillie and Hayley in the family.  I hope to see my older brother for New Year's this year.  We are going to Tillie's for Christmas and she is planning to ask my younger brother Andrew to come too.  That would be nice, we haven't seen him in a few years since he moved to Canada.

It has been okay so far this day, my right back hip is a bit sorer than usual, but other than that, nothing out of the ordinary.  I hope this finds you doing well, and if you have pain, less that usual!!  happy Fall!!!

Wow!  It's Sunday already!  Ugh, how did that happen?  I must have slept through from Friday.  Actually, yesterday was pretty busy with 2 lessons, book club, and going out to dinner.  Book club was fun, short, but fun.  We picked a Christmas book for next time and we are doing "Elephant" Christmas presents.  I had never heard of it, but it sounds really cool.  I am sure I have lots of things that I don't need or want that I can give.  I am going to look at my ornaments collection, I have sooooooo many.  I just love ornaments, only we don't have a big tree right now because there is no room in either the family or the living room.  We just use a small one that is about 3 ft high.  I am not putting up the little houses on the piano this year either, just the tree.  Mom wants pictures on the pianos, so that's what I will do.  She is doing okay today.  Yesterday, she had trouble eating her steak from Outback.  I told them no spice please, and I guess with the way they cook it, some spice is already in the pan, so it had some on it.  She can't handle spices at all.  She liked the potato and the salad though, so that was good.  I get the steak tonight and the rest of her salad.  She hasn't had too much trouble swallowing lately, so I am happy on that.

Bon Jovi is coming to town in March.  Tickets go on sale tomorrow.  I am dying (not literally) to go.  I love Bon Jovi.  They are my favorite band ever.  I am waiting to see if Kathy is going to be able to come to town for it.  I doubt it though since it is in the middle of the week and well, she does have those adorable little ones.  It would be difficult for her to get here for the concert.  She is checking to see what she can do, but like I said, it would be difficult and I know it.  When I called her I didn't even think to look to see what day it was or I would have known it was too hard.  They are playing in Chicago this summer, but that is way too far away a place for me, but only a couple of hours for her so maybe she can see them then.  I will be checking on tickets tomorrow when I get up.  Their new CD is coming out soon too.  I already have their new book, When We Were Beautiful.  

Well, that is enough gushing on BJ.  Pain level is rather low for a change, and my knee is behaving again.  I hope it stays this way.  I am tired of doctors and medicine.  I am sure some of you know exactly what I mean!!!  I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying the nicer weather for a change.  Have a great afternoon.

Sewing day!!!!  I love Fridays!  I truly do!!  They are so fun and exciting.  Little Sarah got to join us with sewing this afternoon.  I bought a little kit for her and she made her first stuffed animal and stuffed flower.  She really did a great job.  I was very pleased with her work.  Hannah help me (she did most of it) cut out bells and basted them for me.  Lydia and Natalie will be done next week with their new tops!  Such exciting news.  Then they had to go and do some math (they are home schooled and didn't do their math in the morning!)  

Rachel had her lesson after sewing this afternoon.  She was so cute when I gave her her Christmas songs.  No choice this year, just handed her two songs and said here they are.  She said, OK.  It works.  She has already sang almost all the other Christmas books I have that are more of the classically arranged, everything but this book so that is how I made the decision for her.  She is so focused on competition, that it doesn't seem to matter to her.  

I am heading for bed.  I thought I would stay awake through law and order, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.  Mom keeps waking me up during the morning so I am not as well rested as I need to be.  Of course, I don't sleep really that well with the pain either, so it isn't helping.  I am hoping it will get better.  

I hope you are having a great day.

We went to the eye doctor for Mom today.  She is getting reading glasses.  She needs cataract surgery sometime in the near future.  Not immediate, but soon.  she picked really cute glasses that look so nice on her.

After that we went and got our hair cut.  Nothing to exciting there.  Mom is sleeping next to me right now.  It is kinda cute.  I wore her out.  Poor Mom.

My knee is better tonight than yesterday and the day before.  I hope it continues on this track, not up for more pain.  My arm and shoulder are the usual.  Not much happening now, just have to go and heat our dinners so Mom and I can eat.  We're watching Oprah right now.  I love the show.  They are doing the karaoke show.  it is very interesting since I am a singer and a teacher.  I love watching people do their music.

I hope this finds you doing well and having a good day.

Mom had her test this afternoon.  She had no problem swallowing whatever it is they gave her.  So, we are back at the beginning.  This week she hasn't had too much problem.  Maybe it was a phase, I don't know.  So at least there isn't a problem, that is a good thing, I guess.  I hope she doesn't get a problem.  

I did get a call from the doctor's office last night.  Apparently, the knee is swollen (I knew that) and lots of arthritis.  Ugh.  It isn't as bad as yesterday, thank God for that.  My shoulder and arm are a bit sore today.  I didn't do anything to them this time.  

Not much else going on.  Frank and Bob had their lessons this afternoon.  Both are working on their Christmas music for the concert.  I found my favorite Christmas book that I thought was missing, and I still have one left.  I was so happy about that.  I thought both copies were gone, but they aren't!  Yeah!  Most every student has their Christmas music now.  The rest will get them this weekend when they have their lessons.

I hope you are having a great day!

My knee is so sore today.  it is excruciating.  I haven't felt this much pain since the blood clot a few years ago.  I am waiting to hear from the doctors office to tell me what the xray says.  I don't think they will find anything.  It has got to be fibromyalgia because it comes and goes.  If it was something else, it would stay.

I managed to jam my arm with a door again (yes, the sore one, of course.)  Mom is doing alright today.  She has her swallowing test tomorrow.  She so doesn't want to go, but I am making her.  I am tired of her not being able to swallow food and you never know which ones she won't be able to swallow.

Hmm, probably won't hear anything until tomorrow, it is now past 6 pm and the office closes at 6 pm.  I don't want to wait another day!  Guess I have to.  I could go upstairs right now (well, if I could go up the stairs) and go straight to sleep.  I am so so so so so so tired again today.  It has to be the extra pain in my knee.

I hope you are doing alright and not freezing to much!  It is getting rather cold outside!  Bundle up!

We had a good day today.  I had 4 students.  Three Muglia's and Grace.  Peter decided he doesn't want to play clarinet anymore so he is finished with lessons for now.  The three older girls love piano and aren't planning to quit.  I will at least get to see Peter when I go for sewing, so I won't be deprived of my Peter.  He is a good kid.  The four girls picked out their Christmas music during their lessons.  The Muglia girls each gave me a Reese's peanut butter cup.  So I had three.  I love those!!!!  Definitely my favorite candy.  Not that I need candy, I need to lose weight, not gain it.  Speaking of that, I am starting to think that maybe bariatric surgery might be a good idea.  We shall see.  Depends on so many factors.

I had to get a new wheel for my car and two new tires.  ugh.  So expensive.  Tires that came with the car didn't last all that long, only 39,000 miles or so.  I should think I should have gotten more out of them, but I didn't.  At least these tires weren't bald like the front two were.

Don't forget to vote tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!  (a reminder for my American friends.)

Pain is high today.  My knee decided to be dumb and hurt while we were waiting for the tires and wheel.  It still hurts now.  My arm and shoulder aren't so bad, just the knee.  

Okay, putting laundry in the washing machine is very painful on the knee and the hips.  I hate fibromyalgia and arthritis!  I know many of you know what that is like.  I think I will ask Mom to put the stuff in the dryer.  I will turn it on, but she can put it in.  She said she would.  thank God for Mom and her help.  Even with her Alzheimer's she can still do so much.

I hope you are having a great day!  Happy November 2!

What a weekend!  yesterday we went out to dinner for Halloween.  It was cold here so I refused to let Mom pass out candy.  She got so sick two years ago from similar weather.  Just not going to go through that again this year so we went out to eat instead.  it was lots of fun because we didn't have to wait for a table.  I thought it would be a bit busier, but not too busy because it was a family restaurant and most of the families would be trick or treating at that time.

Last night I went and changed all the clocks back, only for mine I forgot to make sure the am and pm were correct.  So needless to say, we missed church because I slept in.  Mom kept coming in my room after 9 am every 15 to 20 minutes to see if I was getting up.  It makes me mad, but she doesn't remember that she was just in, so what can I do.  Nothing.  

I met an old friend at Tim Horton's this afternoon.  We ended up spending 4 1/2 hours with her.  It was great.

Pain isn't so bad right now, but was worse a little earlier.  I am very tired.  I am heading to bed shortly.  I hope you are having a good day.

It was sewing day again!  What a lovely time.  Unfortunately, silly me forgot my machine, which, of course, has Lydia's thread on it so she couldn't do any machine sewing.  She was able to baste a few seams, but that was about it.  I also got there late due to a doctor's appointment.  I don't like going to the doctors.  4th one in 3 weeks.  Nothing major, just checking out my shoulder and if the new sample medicines were doing any good.  They weren't so I won't be getting them.  At least it didn't cost me any money to try the new medicine.  We went out to eat afterward because I wasn't in the mood to heat up our dinners.  We went to our usual restaurant up the road.  We like it there, they are really nice and are helpful when mom needs something.  I had to go to the loo while I was there and Mom got nervous because she didn't know where I was, the waitress was there right away when she noticed Mom was getting upset.  She let Mom know that I was in the loo and would be right back.  Mom calmed immediately.  The waitress let me know Mom got upset while I was gone.  I need to know these details.

I will have to go to the Joann's store this weekend.  Oh my, what a hardship.  He he he!!!  I have to get Natalie some more thread.  She is about out and not quite done with her top.  She should be done next week.  She has one sleeve, the neck hem, sleeve hems, and the bottom hem left, then she is done.  Lydia has two sleeves, neck hem, sleeve hems, and bottom hems left and she will be done.  Hannah will be helping me with Christmas presents next week so she will be sewing with us again next week.  I am excited about that.

I got an X-ray for my knee.  I suspect it will be the same as the shoulder, nothing physically wrong, just fibromyalgia.  The knee comes and goes.  I have some exercises to do.  So now I have shoulder and knee exercises.  As long as they work, I don't care.  I just hope they do.

My arm and shoulder are alright right now, but my head is beginning to really hurt.  I took a pain pill so I hope it kicks in soon.  My knee is fine, of course, because I went to the doctor this morning!  Naturally!  Anyway, it has been a great day and I hope yours is too!  Happy Halloween Eve!

I have two lessons later tonight.  Rachel and her sister, Rebecca.  It's Becca's first official lesson.  She is excited, so I am.  Rachel is doing very well and learning some really hard music.  I am so nice, giving her hard music!  He he he.  How else does she learn?

My arm is okay today, so is my shoulder.  We went to the music store this afternoon to get a few new books, actually they are old books I have to replace because they have disappeared over time.  I did get two new books though so I was glad about that.  Mom helped me choose the new books.  She likes looking at the song titles and music even though she can't read music anymore.  She could when her memory was better.  She is doing pretty well today, although she has this obsession with our jackets and shoes.  She brought them both upstairs again, I had to search for my keys before we went out.  I found them on her bed.

I hope you are having a great day!

We went to Windsor this afternoon to visit Tillie.  It was fun.  We went to the OHIP office and got her application and then we went to the Alzheimer's Society for some info.  Mom peeked into their day away program and said maybe it would be fun to go and visit.  Of course, there is a waiting list, just like everything else in Canada.  After that we went to lunch at Wendy's.  The french fries got stuck in Mom's throat, so no more french fries for Mom.  She doesn't really mind since she really doesn't care either way whether or not she eats them.  By the time she is finished with them they are often cold anyways.  She did fine with her hamburger and had a few sips of her Sprite.  I also am not going to get her anymore pop because she barely drinks it.

I had a hard time at the Alzheimer's Society with the chair.  I made the mistake of sitting in a low chair and had a hard time getting up.  The lady there helped me, but of course I used the left arm, wrong arm.  It hurt when I got up, next time I will sit in a regular chair.  Mom did fine when she heard everything the lady told us.

My arm is sore and so is the shoulder.  My right eye is also sore because the contact irritated it so now I have my glasses on.  My knee is doing all right.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow so it will probably hurt some.  I have an appointment with the doctor about my shoulder.  I haven't heard anything from him so there must be nothing wrong with the shoulder except fibromyalgia.  I suspect that is the same with the knee, unless the arthritis is kicking up a storm, but since it comes and goes, I suspect fibromyalgia.

I hope you are having a good day.  It was beautiful out this afternoon.

I actually got some sleep last night!!!!!!  I made sure Mom understood that I was completely exhausted and needed some sleep.  She didn't do the usual (well, what's apparently usual) come in my room every 15 minutes.  I also put signs on our doors so she would know where her room is.  She mostly stayed out of my room until about 11:30 am this morning, then it was every 5 minutes in my room.  I finally got up because I wasn't going to get any more sleep.  I feel much better than yesterday, that is for sure.  Mom seems to be a bit better than yesterday, although I am not as relaxed as I was a few days ago.

I started leaving her a bowl of cereal on the table to eat in the morning.  She would just have to add milk.  She didn't eat it this morning.  She keeps realizing that and comment on it.  It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

It is pretty nice out right now.  It does look like it will rain soon, but I am not sure if it is supposed to rain today or not.  I hope not.

My arm is not as sore as it was earlier, I had to take a pain pill.  My shoulder is okay except, of course, when I move it wrong.  You would think I would learn not to move it wrong.  

I hope this finds you doing well and having an enjoyable day, despite the overcasty weather.

I am sooooo tired right now and I can't take a nap yet.  I will be able too shortly after Bob's lesson.  I am awake enough for his lesson or I would have rescheduled it.  I am going to have to find something better to make mom sleep!  She stays up late and then comes in my room to wake me up early and then comes in about every 1/2 hour or so.  Not good for my sleep.  I don't say anything to her because if she does remember she won't come in on something important like she doesn't feel well or something like that, so I don't say anything.  It is better that way.  She is sleeping a bit better when she sleeps, just doesn't get enough of it.

I bought Warren (3rd cousin or something like that) a new toy.  He is living with his grandma right now who is Tillie's daughter.  I saw one of the cars from the cars movie that he loves, so I got it for him.  I plan to bring it to him sometime this week or next, depending on Mom's swallowing test.

Pain is medium right now, my arms feel uncomfortable but not painful, if that makes any sense.  I can't seem to find a place for them.  Silly me.

My cousin has a new blog.  She is a very creative person with crafts and furniture and stuff like that.  She decorates things beautifully, I have seen some of her work.  I am excited about her blog so that I can see what she is doing with her talents.

I hope this finds you doing well!!!!!  And, hopefully, not in too much pain if you have some!  Happy October!

I am very tired right now.  I could go and take a nap.  Hmmm, perhaps I will.  Can't hurt anything except maybe make me more awake.

I had Katie's lesson earlier.  She is doing really well and practices so nicely.  I just love teaching people who actually practice.  It makes it so much more fun.

Not much else going on today.  I bought two new tires for the car (back ones - and I need a new wheel.  Yeah)  I have to call tomorrow for the price of the wheel, I am not looking forward to that.  Wheels are very expensive.  Stupid potholes.  Michigan roads are horrible, potholes everywhere.

Pain is medium high today, except the knee which is high.  I hope your day is more exciting than mine.  Have a good one!!!

So, today is supposed to be book club, only I don't think anyone is coming.  So no book club.  I am sad about that.  I love book club.  Oh, well, there is next month.  We will have to pick a new book and date so that we all can attend.  Katie has been working the last few Saturdays, now that she has a job so she hasn't been able to attend for two months.  I will see her tomorrow and see what time she can attend.  Maybe we need to make it later.

Lily and Aggie had their lessons this afternoon.  They are doing well.  Aggie is almost ready for her audition, she just needs to stop chopping off her long notes and she will have the songs down pat, and finish memorizing the German song.  Lily is almost done with a couple of songs she has.  She is learning to breathe properly.  It is hard to do at first, but I have no doubt she will catch on.

Not much going on now.  Mom didn't go to sleep until about 2 am, so I am very tired.  Then she came in my room at 9:30 am and asked if I was ready to get dressed.  I managed to stall her for an hour.  Not a happy camper about that, not at all.  I hope we don't have a repeat tonight.  I am thinking we are heading for bed early today.  Especially because tomorrow is church and we have to get up early like around 7:45 am to get ready.  So early to bed tonight!!!

Pain isn't bad today, my arm is a bit sore as usual, but not more than usual.  I was expecting it to be worse because of no sleep, but it isn't.

I hope this finds you having a fun day and enjoying a Saturday.

It was sewing today!!!!  Yeah!  I love Fridays.  They are so fun.  Hannah is finished with her shirt.  She finished last week so she had school today.  Lydia and Natalie should be finished by next week.  I was a half hour late this afternoon.  I reset my alarm, or so I thought, I forgot to reset it so I didn't get up on time.  Oops.  Mom slept through a lot of sewing.  It was kinda funny.

We need a new roof.  It is going to be very expensive, but we have to do it.  Apparently, it won't last the winter.  yeah.  Another huge expense.  I am not looking forward to it.  I had the salesman here on Wednesday and he went over everything.  We shall see what happens next.

It is pouring out right now and has been pretty much all day.  It is making me ache so much more than usual.  It looks horrible out.  So basically, the arm hurts, the shoulder hurts, and the head hurts.  I am sure the knee will start again soon.  It has too keep everything company.

I hope you are having a great day despite the rain.

Tillie called while we were at walmart shopping for groceries and prescriptions.  Apparently, in order for Mom to be put on the waiting list in Windsor, she has to have a valid health card, which we don't have because we don't live in Canada.  So since I am not planning to move to Canada, I can't get her a card so that is the end of that.  Finally.  She is doing okay today.  I didn't get her a donut, instead I got her two muffins and they seemed to go down just fine.  I haven't heard from her doctor yet so I don't know when the test will be.  Hopefully soon.  Although, this week hasn't been so bad, so maybe it was just a phase.  We shall see.  I bought her a scale to weigh her one weekly so I will be able to keep track of her weight.  She has to gain 15 lbs.  I offered her some of mine, but somehow she didn't want it.  Neither do I.  I will not get on the scale because I know how much I weigh, and I know it is too much.

It looks like it is about to pour outside, my shoulder can tell.  My arm and shoulder are really sore right now.  It didn't help that I had to lift groceries out of the car, but how else are they going to get put away?  Mom doesn't know where anything goes anymore.  I just feel blah today, no other word for it but blah.  I hope it improves soon.

Have a great day!!!