What Could Be Better...

...than meeting one of your favorite authors on a Saturday night? Okay, maybe having a good friend share the experience with you!

I went to Nancy's house early. We were Ubering for the very first time. It's something the "young" people do all the time. We've both Ubered before, but our daughters handled it. Nancy's daughter, Leigh, came over earlier in the day to "walk" Nancy through the process. She handled it like a pro! I was impressed. We Ubered 3 times---from her house to the Midtown Cafe where we had dinner. We Ubered from the restaurant to Rocketown where the event was held and then home again. Each time, it came up that an Uber was a minute away. Unbelievable! Way more fun and easier than the whole expensive parking situation downtown. Remember, now that Butch is retired, I no longer have those free parking perks!---And someone to make sure I get a good "spot" saved just for me! ;(--poor, poor, pitiful me!

Anyway, we had a great time and really enjoyed listening to Jodi Picoult (pronounced "pee KO"---we've heard her speak before, but I didn't remember that).

Part of the ticket fee entitled us to her latest book. This one is about the explosive, racial situation going on today. All of her books address some social, ethical dilemma. She has such a great way of thinking and putting the most unusual situations in to words. She makes you think and immerses you in to every side of an issue.

I have read everything she has written--well except this new one---22 books. They are all so good. You come away with a new appreciation for each situation. In fact, a few years ago, for our family book club, we read Nineteen Minutes about a school shooting. This book was so perfect for a family discussion as every one could relate to the characters. Jodi made you really sympathize with every character in the book.

I was resistant to reading Leaving Time because a good portion of the book was about elephants. I didn't think I would really be interested. It was fabulous! I learned so much about elephants---like---daughter elephants stay with their mothers their whole lives! I wish that were true in real life! It was a great story with a few unexpected twists.

I'd say my all time favorite Jodi Picoult book would have to be My Sisters Keeper.  I was finishing that book on the back patio. I sobbed so hard that Butch came around from the driveway to find out what was going on! The ending to that book is my favorite book ending of ALL the books I've ever read!

And then there's The Pact, House Rules, Plain Truth, The Storyteller, Change of Heart--so many to mention. Just get one and you'll want to read them all.

This is not a spoiler. The new book is about an African American nurse assigned to take care of the baby of a skinhead. When he finds out, he adamantly refuses to have anyone of her "kind" touching his child. The hospital complies with his wishes and the nurse files suit.

As with all of her books, you know there are going to be twists and turns. You cannot anticipate them. Just enjoy the read and be shocked when they hit you!

Thanks, Nancy for a really fun evening! Since there was only football going on at home, there's nothing better I'd rather have been doing!

Home Sweet Home

Wow! I had no idea the mere mention of our thought of moving would cause such a stir! Well, here's the explanation.

We've been talking about whether we should move, or stay for a couple years now. On our Oklahoma trip, we discussed the pros and cons. I said that if we're going to move, we needed to do it now while we're still young and capable enough to do it. OR, we need to just stay and do the necessary home improvements--regardless of the cost.

Reasons to move:
1. We need a new driveway, the front steps need to be re-built, the 4 French doors on the front of the house need re-placing, there is rotted wood that needs replacing, we need two new trees, the garage doors need to be replaced and the garage itself needs a complete overhaul.
2. Our house is energy "IN"efficient. Utility bills are outrageous.
3. We don't know what the guy building behind us plans to do regarding "his" woods that shields our house from his.
4. They are going to widen the road above us which means more traffic, noise and probably a stoplight at the entrance to our neighborhood (that might not be all bad).
5. Moving would be a good chance to really clean out,  re-organize and downsize a bit.

So because of all of these reasons, we decided to start looking at houses. Connie has acted as my realtor by sending me about 30 listings for us to look at. I was pretty excited. I'm pretty picky about what I like. I want something open and bright. I love white and will always choose white painted woodwork over wood. I want white cabinets in the kitchen. I like the clean, fresh look of white. I'm actually sort of fanatical about it. So, I was really particular about what I wanted to look at. I narrowed it down to 9 houses. Butch and I drove around and looked at all of them. Due to various circumstances---location, surrounding neighborhood, lack of yard, too hilly or odd looking houses, we narrowed it down to just 2 houses we wanted to see. We weren't even sure about those.

We looked at the two houses yesterday and then drove by another that is soon to come on the market.
House #1--had a serious drainage problem in the backyard and, although it sits back on the lot, it's on a busy road. House #2--great porch and we loved the main level, but too many steep steps to the upper level and basement, plus it had a fall away lot in the back which made the backyard awkward and not easily usable. Plus, I wasn't crazy about the location---too far away from family and friends.

The new house coming on the market was in a terrible location and the surrounding neighborhood was old and run-down. So we nixed that.

As we were driving home, I mentioned that neither of the dining rooms would would have been big enough for our furniture. When we moved in to our current house 21 years ago, there were 3 things I wanted: 1. an open foyer, 2. 9ft ceilings (we have 10 ft. downstairs and 9ft. upstairs) and 3. A BIG dining room--which we have. I said that I would hate to think we were settling at this stage in our lives. We actually already have the perfect house for us.

Reasons to stay:
1. We love our location--we're central to everything and close to family and friends.
2. We love our house. Sure there's a few cosmetic things we want to do inside but we've already re-done most of it. We have just the master bath, powder room and kitchen left.
3. We're still enjoying the pool.
4. We love our yard, gardens and especially the front porch.
5. Moving would be such a huge hassle!

So here's where we're at. We're going to be open to whatever comes on the market for the next month or two. After the first of the year, we're going to get started on the improvements here and just stay.

Here are a few pictures of our house as it is right now.

The pool. I've already re-designed the beds around the pool and will implement that plan in the spring.

Butch and I have happy hour on the front porch occasionally if it's not too hot. We both enjoy reading out there.

 Don't let these pictures fool you.

 The "kids" do not maintain the pool! We have a pool company who takes care of it for us.

 Elizabeth and Victoria enjoying the pool.

 We have a really big driveway. You can see one of the bad spots here.

 We do enjoy the wildlife in our backyard.

 The turkeys nest in the trees in our side yard and drink out of the mini bird bath.

 The porch at night.

You can't tell from this picture, but the steps need to be re-built. The bricks are crumbling and many are loose. We renovated the porches and columns about 5 years ago.

 More pool fun.

We have a nice big yard and a lot of people to maintain it--the lawn guy, the garden girls, the sprinkler man and the boxwood guy. It takes a lot, but we want it to look good.

So now you know our plan. At least that's what it is for now!

44 Unusual Questions

I've been saving this list for quite a while. I got it from my friend, Susanne's blog: Snaps and Snippets. She's a former St. Louisan living in Indiana. You'll enjoy her posts. Actually, she got the list from another blogger---Scrapperdee.

1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes---I'll try anything with blue cheese. 
2. Have you ever smoked cigarettes? Yes, but I didn't smoke for very long. I quit January 1, 1977 at the age of 25.
3. Do you own a gun? We have a bb gun that Butch occasionally uses to sting the squirrels to get them off of the bird feeders.
4. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Baskin Robbins---pistachio almond or Ben & Jerry's---pistachio pistachio.
5. Do you get nervous before Doctor visits? Nope.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? I like them okay, but I rarely eat them. I never order them out.
7. Favorite Christmas movies? My favorite would be It's a Wonderful Life, but I always watch Penny Serenade, Muppets Christmas Carol (my favorite version), Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Story. I watch them all every holiday season.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Hot tea--loose, no bags for this girl.
9. Do you do push-ups? I'm pretty sure I'd break both of my arms.
10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? Hmmm. I guess besides my wedding ring it would be my diamond bracelet.
11. Favorite hobby? That's hard because I have many hobbies---scrapbooking, stitching, reading. If I have to choose just one, it would be reading.
12. Do you have A.D.D? I think so, although I can focus for periods of time if I'm interested in something.
13. What’s the one thing you hate about yourself? My weight.
14. Middle name? Marie
15. Name three thoughts right now: I need to get my week planned out; I hope we can find a new house we both agree on; When am I going to get those cookies baked?
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? hot tea, iced tea, water.
17. Current worry? The work involved with moving---if that happens.
18. Current hate right now: that I'm having to put the treadmill on hold for a few days.
19. Favorite place to be? I'm happy everywhere I'm at, but in the house would be my scrapbook room.
20. How do you ring in the new year? A bottle of champagne all to myself and trying to stay up until midnight.
21. Where would you like to go? River cruise through Germany that I had to cancel recently.
22. Name three people who will complete this. None of my friends or family have a blog, so it would take effort for them to copy, paste and answer the questions just for me. So the answer is no one.
23. Do you own slippers? At least 4 pairs---I wear slippers all the time at home.
24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? Black robe.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? I never have, so I don't know. I can't imagine they would be better than the high quality, soft cotton sheets I have.
26. Can you whistle? Yes but I don't do it very often.
27. Favorite Color? Pink for wearing, blue for decorating.
28. Would you be a pirate? Probably not--they seem too dirty for my taste.
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't sing in the shower---only in the car.
30. Favorite girls name? When I was little, I always pretended to be Judy. Now my favorite girls names would be Sandy, Stephanie and Mindy!
31. Favorite boys name? Butch---of course!
32. What’s in your pocket right now? Nothing. I don't carry things in my pockets.
33. Last person that made you laugh? Butch.
34. Best toy as a child? Child's Singer sewing machine and bike.
35. Worst injury? Recent broken ankle.
36. Where would you love to live? I love living right here in our current location in Nashville. Trying to find an agreeable place to move--it's hard.
37. How many TV’s do you have in your house? 4.
38. Who is your loudest friend? Do sisters count?---ALL of them!
39. How many dogs do you have? none - not a dog person or pet in the house person.
40. Does someone trust you? I'm pretty sure I'm trustworthy in the eyes of family and friends.
41. What is your favorite movie? My Foolish Heart
42. What’s your favorite candy? Russel Stovers
43. What’s your favorite sports team? Not so in to sports---Tennesee Titans an St. Louis Cardinals when they  get to the playoffs.
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? Be Not Afraid.
45. Why is there not a 45th question? This messes with my sense of completion.

Medical Update

To those of you who are casual visitors to my blog, you might want to skip this post. This is for family and friends interested in my "hive" situation. 

Many of you have been thinking I need to get a second opinion. Well, I talked to my doctor about that AGAIN last week. He has told me many times that he would send me anywhere I want to go. In the past, he has sent me to an immunologist, allergist and endocrinologist. It has been many years since I saw them, but there was nothing new for my situation at the time. I have been reluctant to do it all again because I doubt my insurance would pay for more tests that I already have run periodically. 

I mentioned the Mayo Clinic which I really don't want to go to for the same reasons---doubt the insurance will pay for the battery of tests they would want to run. My doctor said he'd refer me without hesitation, but that he personally was batting 0 with Mayo. He has sent 8 patients there and even had one misdiagnosed. He just hasn't found Mayo very useful when it comes to skin diseases. Still, he would write the referral. Basically, he'll do anything I ask.

I love my doctor. Skin problems are his business. He has consulted with 6 of his colleagues on my behalf. He has tried many different drugs as he's studied my situation. He says the best studies he's found have been coming out of New Zealand and Australia. In fact we're trying a new drug right now. He says that solving my "case" will be the highlight of his career. I told him that I wanted him to dedicate his book to me and devote a whole chapter to my case! 

My doctor told me about an immunologist here in town that he knows---not "knows knows---as in personally---but highly regarded. He only takes unusual cases. He told me that he was going to take 2 or 3 hours this weekend to go through my 3 inch thick file to recap EVERYTHING he's done/tried over the years and email this doctor to ask him if he'll see me. He feels pretty confident that due to the length of time I've had my hives that it shouldn't be a problem.

In the meantime, he gave me this article to share with all concerned parties. This explains my situation the best I've every seen/read!

Here are the highlights---there was a whole lot of medical terminology that I didn't understand. I don't fit all of the demographics, but they symptoms are exactly the same. My personal comments are in red.

What I have is referred to as Pressure Urticaria. 

Pressure urticaria is characterized by the appearance of weals after pressure to the skin. Lesions can be induced by a variety of stimuli including standing, walking, wearing tight clothes or sitting on hard surfaces. The condition can be aggravated by heat, aspirin or menstruation. I usually have problem after a long plane flight--so maybe it's the sitting.  I've always said that it's like I have "hive" socks on within a few hours after a long flight. When I got to St. Louis this summer, I had been off the prednisone for 7 weeks. As soon as my plane landed, Chrissy picked me up and we went straight to a museum where I did a lot of walking, then shopping--so a lot of walking and on my feet for the day. By the evening, my hives were starting up. I have had a giant hive that covered my entire back one time because I used the heat seat in my car. I use my heat seat all the time, but that never happened again.

Pressure urticaria is uncommon, but not rare. It is a chronic disease with a mean duration of 9 years. The peak age of onset is in the 20’s and 30’s. The hands, feet, trunk, buttocks, legs and face are most commonly affected. I was told this might last 7 years at the beginning and was in my mid 40's when it started. What body parts are left besides those listed? I've had hives all over, just not at the same time. Mostly my feet and hands make me the most miserable. If I have them on my buttocks or thighs, they are HUGE! My hives are raised--1/4" with a red ring around them. 

Weals may be accompanied by fever, fatigue, chills, headache and joint pain. This is spot on. I've always said it's like having the flu. I can barely crawl to the bathroom. I have not ever had joint pain. But, after 4 hours of taking the prednisone, ALL of these symptoms subside. Then I just want to sleep for hours. You can almost set your watch by it!

The cause of pressure urticaria is unclear but it is likely to be an autoimmune disease. A blood count many show an increased white cell count and ESR, but it is often normal. No vasculitis is found. This is why I've referred to my hives as autoimmune hives. I have had those blood tests in the midst of an "episode" but don't really understand what all that means. I don't know what vasculitis is. 

Management:

The results of treatment of pressure urticaria are relatively disappointing. Antihistamines rarely reduce pressure urticaria. Topical steroids are not of benefit and can result in skin thinning. Systemic corticosteroids produce variable responses and long term use is associated with many potential adverse side effects. This is why I've always said it's an internal sort of thing---external creams do not work. Yes, the prednisone is bad long term, but it's my only relief. Due to my doctor's diligence with the blood tests, I have had no long term problems with my organs. And now we know that my bones have not been affected either. I am still getting a bone density test asap--if I can ever get THAT doctor's office call me back. I've called 3 weeks in a row and still have not heard back. I'm going to walk in the office this week. And I'll be complaining when I see my doctor in November for my annual check up.

After reading this, I feel very fortunate that the prednisone works for me. The article went of to tell about people out there where nothing helps---they literally cannot get out of bed or work. Of course, like always, I'm certain this new drug is going to work. I'll let you know. And I'll let you know when I see the immunologist. Fingers crossed!

Halloween in the House

I really didn't like Halloween when the girls were little. The whole costume thing always sent me over the edge. Now I love Halloween decorations and have had a lot of fun doing all sorts of Halloween needlepoint. The only problem is that no one really sees all of this. Luckily, this year, the Lapps are coming for the weekend---arriving tonight!

Now if I can just find candles! I'm having a Halloween luncheon next week, so I need candles! 15 to be exact!

Elizabeth made these little guys for me last year.

I love to layer tablecloths. Once Halloween is over, all I have to do is take off the Halloween things and transition the table to fall.

A few pumpkins, leaf table runner and leaves will do it.

I thought the "dead" (okay, dried) roses were the perfect addition to the table.

I bought Bernard a few  years ago at Walgreens. He talks in a creepy voice, lights up and moves.

Well, that's it for decorating. I basically do the entry, this chest, the kitchen table and the dining room table. 

I'm so sorry to miss the Lapps' this weekend. I head out today to KY Lake to meet my sisters for our bi-annual scrapbook retreat. I'll have fun, but I sure do hate that I won't see the "kids!" I know they are going to have a good time---Kid Rock and all!

Now That's What I'm Talkin' About!

Diane did it again! My British book club friend made me another proper tea! I was secretly hoping she was going to do high tea again. She brings things from England that she can't find here. Her spread is amazing. I can't imagine how long it takes her to do this.

Everything is homemade. There are salmon and cucumber sandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, cheese  with Branson pickles, a sausage pastry, cheese pastry, fruit with cheese, pickles with cheese, crackers and dip, and the most delicious ham, tomato and cheese quiche---so light and fluffy. I'm sure I haven't remembered everything. There were so many choices. Heck--we didn't choose---we had a little of everything!

The sweets: currant scones with raspberry jam and homemade black currant jam--topped with the best clotted cream I've ever had. I think I'm the only one who actually had tea.

In addition, there was chocolate cake and lemon squares. It was all so delicious! And to think she made this just for me! At least I like to think so. After all, she sent me home with some of the goodies (okay, she sent home goodies with others too).

Diane is on the left with her friend, Gail. I'm sure they spent the day putting this spread together. I sure do appreciate it. I can't wait to visit them in their hometown of Nottingham next September. Our book club is taking a road trip!

Thank you Diane for bringing a proper tea straight from England to me! I love it!

Final Update...

...on my Research and Development Plan. This will be the last update (in green this time) so as not to bore you!

Physical—

Activity program—treadmill plus weights (I’ve already started with the weights along with the ankle exercises assigned from the doctor) I haven’t missed a day since I started and have a few sore muscles to prove it! With the exception of vacation last week, I am continuing on my exercise and treadmill program. After all the sightseeing, I'm ready to ramp up to a half hour on the treadmill.

Bone health—-bone density test; OsteoStrong program I'm signed up for OsteoStrong and am excited about it. I'm still trying to get my doctor to call me back about the bone density test. 

Establishing a walking club—this will include walking prior to our Movie Mondays and Stitching Tuesdays. Okay, so I haven't done this at all. I have other things to do before I meet for these. Plus, what was I thinking? I need a shower after I walk. I'm a major sweat-er.

Walking with the family—each at their own pace. Haven't done this either. Right now, the treadmill has been "it!"

Biking (but that’s a long way off as I gain balance and confidence. I still hadn’t made it off the driveway without falling in to the landscaping). Not even close.

Get in the habit of wearing my fitbit again I wore it all last week while on vacation and have already forgotten it today!

Cleaning out this house. I’m putting this under physical because it will be a physical task to do it. Every closet and drawer is stuffed to the brim. I/we don’t need all this stuff. I should also probably list this under spiritual as it will make me feel really good to get a handle on what we have, need, want. I plan to get started on this next week. This week is a short one while I get ready for my sister's crop.

Nutritional—

Healthier eating 

Focus on protein and calcium rich foods; fresh fruits and vegetables. I’ve been eating a lot of fresh fruit while it’s still good! Would like more vegetables, but some of those are not in Butch’s wheelhouse. I was doing pretty good until vacation. I'm back at it today.

Continuing to share meals out with family/friends Butch and I did some sharing on our vacation. 

Limiting meals out—and choosing some healthier options than just the 1/2 order approach. Starting to work on this--I didn't limit myself at all last week. 

Continue with Lean Cuisines a couple times a week. I like them, so it’s not that hard. I just need to add a salad or veggie to make them seem more like a real meal. I'll be having them most of this week as I do not plan to cook.

Go back to drinking water—just about exclusively. It's funny how easy it is to get out of this habit. I'm back to iced tea and really like that. I'll have to get working on the water again.

I know I should be doing something about eliminating processed foods, but I’m not ready to go there. I’m giving myself time to get a handle on other areas of nutrition. Processed foods is going to be really hard. Luckily, we're doing Hello Fresh now, so for at least those 3 meals, there are no processed foods.

Eliminate artificial sweeteners. I only use Equal for my tea. I’m down to about 2 packs a day already, so this should not be so hard. I’ll go back to sugar if necessary. I’m down to a half packet of Equal a day. Still, I’m drinking some flavored waters with artificial sweeteners. This has been a fail. It's too hard to choose sugar over no calories. Also, since I know that my hives are in no way related to artificial sweeteners, I am not as motivated. I have still cut down on the amount I use.

Spiritual—

I’ve been interested in getting in to a Bible study for a long time, but haven’t taken any steps along those lines. Mostly, I’ve never liked the times those things meet. I don’t want to do things at night—I’m a morning person. Instead, I’m turing to the internet. I just want something simple to remind me to think about my spirituality and count my blessings every day. Maybe even just dusting off my daily devotional will be enough. Just something to keep me mindful of the fact that there is more to me than just me and to be grateful for that. I’ve found a program that I plan to start as soon as I can be up and around. The program involves the treadmill. I like the idea of killing two birds with one stone. Now that I'm back to my "real" life, I don't seem to have the time for an intense bible study. I'll just stick with my daily devotional while on the treadmill.

I want to spend more time in my garden. I have plenty of nice places to just sit and reflect. But, it’s the mosquitoes and use of bug spray that deters me. I need to change that. I haven't been in the garden yet. Since I've re-designed some areas, I'll be walking through soon to make sure of the plants I want to use.

Learning—

Everything computer related falls under here. I want to watch a lot of tutorials.I think I’m giving up the foreign language thing as I don’t want to study too much. I have already watched endless videos on different scrapbooking techniques and ideas for organization. Yep, I'm over the foreign language thing. I've  watched plenty of Ted Talks too. I've learned everything I can about the iPhone (getting mine activated today)---probably at least a couple hours of tutorials. Plus another 4 hours on OS10 for my computer. I've spent a couple hours on learning more about Pages. So, I'd say that "learning" has been covered well!

I love to learn, but don’t really know what else I’d like to learn. I’m sure I’ll make some fun discoveries. I’ve signed up for a great books program through Hillsdale College. I love to read and I love book clubs, so this was a no-brainer. This free course studies the classics. Okay, the Great Books program was a fail. I couldn't keep up at all.I was thinking that I'd do a book a week and watch the lecture/discussion. It seemed like I was getting something new every 3 days. I'm back to just reading what I want.

Along the lines of learning and nutrition, I’ll try to focus on simple, yet tasty, low calorie meals. Is there really such a thing? Well, I’ve already signed up with Cooking Light to give it a try. I’ll be sure to share the recipes. Since I can’t cook yet, I’ve been adding the recommended recipes that I know I’d like to try to my favorites. There are many that will be too time consuming, but some seem pretty quick and easy. I'll be cooking lighter, healthier meals to fill in from Hello Fresh. This shouldn't be too hard. Plus we'll have Lean Cuisines on nights when we've both eaten out for lunch.

Giving Back—

I’ve been a full time volunteer most of my married life. I officially retired from all of the fund raising in 2000—with just a couple projects since then. I’ve always felt like I’ve “done my part” by the time I retired. And I feel like what I do spend time on regarding organizing my friends and their memory keeping is worthwhile. I try to keep the focus on telling the stories of our lives. But maybe I need to do more.

I’ve already volunteered to head up a committee that would make sure the scholarship recipients at St. Cecilia would be able to more fully participate in options closed to them due to financial need. That’s not off the ground yet, but I have quite a few ideas. And plenty of people to call on to help—there’s winter formal, prom, winterim programs, senior pictures, yearbooks—I want those girls to have the full SCA experience. I haven't done anything else along these lines. I am counting all the teaching I'm doing with my AYM  groups--from organizing to teaching techniques and prompting the stories they tell. 

Just Plain Fun/Social—

Stitching

Reading

Netflix

Blogging

Scraobooking—Album planning—develop AYM workshop for 2017 (already done. I’m pretty excited because this new concept is not ANYTHING I’ve seen done yet anywhere by any scrapbook teacher! My girls will be happy!)

Update Making the Most of My Memories Workshop and get ready to teach it again. I’ve updated this workshop. I’ll get that off the ground some time this fall. I'll let the girls decide. We might just have to postpone this until January. After all it's already October and we're still behind with AYM!

Visits from friends

Fishing—I can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since I fished for the first time in over 30 years. I really liked it, got a new rod and reel for Christmas—and have yet to try it out. I could have trout fished on our vacation, but decided to stay behind and stitch with Chris. Plus, I didn't want to be a distraction for Butch who hasn't had this opportunity in years.

I’m going to re-design my garden around the pool. I have some ideas, just need to do a little research before I set the plan. This is done too. I'm really happy with the plan. Just have to get it installed--whatever plants can be had this fall--the others next spring.

Iron Chef Challenge—Malinda, Connie’s daughter, emailed me about this. It sounds like so much fun. I am definitely doing this during the fall. I've got this in place, but starting out really small to see how it goes.

Halloween brunch/luncheon as a way to thank all of my friends that have brought food and been so attentive to me during this time. All planned and the date is set.

Organizing—-EVERYTHING—yes, this is fun to me (So far, I put nearly 400 photos in to an album for Mindy’s wedding. I’ve already cleaned up and re-organized digital photos on my computer. Add to that—I re-organized ALL of my fonts. I added at least a hundred new ones. I love fonts.) I’ve made lots of lists—I’m a list person. One list I’m really excited about is “New Restaurants to Try in Nashville.”  I had a pretty extensive one that I lost when I got my new computer last year. I have organized everything I can on my computer. Plus I downloaded about 100 fonts for myself and another 125 for a friend--all neatly organized in folders by categories.  

Outings—

I had already planned an outing for September to the White’s Creek Flower Farm. I’ve had to postpone that. Spring might be better anyway.

Escape—fun activity for up to 8 friends.

I need to get the beach trip with my cousins back on the books—since I’ve had to cancel. (Already done. We’re going in March. It might not be the best beach time, but just being together will be fun no matter what we do.)

I completely forgot to add a new outing that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Once a month, my friends and I will go to a new local restaurant for lunch. I’ve already got the list started! I’ll have to come up with a clever name. Our "Once a Month for Lunch Bunch" starts this week with our first visit to Connors Steak and Seafood.

Of course, we’ll continue with Movie Monday and Stitching Tuesday. I've only been once since getting the all clear from the doctor. I'm looking forward to getting back on schedule.

Reschedule my trip to Charlotte for January or February. (This will be easy to do once Sandy gets the school schedule.) Got it on the calendar!

Plan my winter trip to St. Louis. I like to go twice a year—January and August. I’m most likely going to go sometime through the Christmas holidays this year since Butch will be in Belize with Mitchell. Maybe I’ll go for New Years! Actually, the holiday trip is planned with my sisters. Janice is coming in too---very excited! My sisters are taking off work and we'll be visiting the "old folks." Then we're planning a separate time to spend a long weekend with Walter and Chris. Two trips devoted to each side of the family!

Our girls trip to New York is next spring. I had only done some preliminary planning for that. (I’ve gotten this back on the books and have done some planning). We’ve gotten the shows we want to see figured out, so I can go ahead with getting the tickets. I have not gotten any tickets yet, but I do have the itinerary narrowed down. There's still some tweaking to do. The airline and hotel reservations are made. 

Our book club has a trip to England on the calendar for next September to visit our friend/member, Diane. That’s definitely something to look forward to. (This is in the very preliminary stages, but I’ve put together a list of things to do when we’re there. For many it will be their first trip to England. I’m determined to get to Hampton Court this time—no mater what!). My travel agent friend, Mary is working on airfare right now. Once we get an idea of that, then the 5-7 that have expressed an interest can make a decision.

So, you might be thinking—this still looks like a pretty ambitious plan. Really, it’s not. I’ll just be adding a few things to my life that might be a little more satisfying—giving me the feeling that I am a bit more in control. My hives will continue to be a problem. There’s nothing I can do about that. All I can do is what I think is right for me. Luckily, I have family and friends that are willing to go along with my schemes!