Finally.....Did Some Stampin'

Hi there everyone. Well, FINALLY.....I did some stampin' and marbling. After many moons, finally got downstairs and did something creative. It took me awhile to even get started, don't know why, maybe something in my brain is not firing, who knows what happens to the brain when you are put to sleep for a colonoscopy and hernia surgery, back to back. My motivation has been slow to fire up.....but tonight.....the juices were flowing!!!!

Here is the card I made tonight, kind of a fast one using the "Shaving Cream and ink" technique.  It was really lots of fun, once I got the hang of it. I think next time I may use alcohol inks....might be less messy.

Here's what my left hand looked like after playing with the shaving cream and inks.

Here is a sampling of the different papers. Made quite a few as you can see. I was able to use the shaving cream on quite a few pieces of card stock and got quite a few different colors.

Here's what my right hand looked like after playing the shaving cream and inks.....pretty messy?!?!?!? Oh but lots of fun!!!

What you do is, cover a paper plate with shaving cream then dab the shaving cream with dots of colored inks. Then swirl the cream with a stick to marble it. Lay the card stock on top the shaving cream and press down. Then pull the card stock off the cream. Lay it down on paper towel for a few minutes, then take paper towel and wipe off the cream from the card stock and you will get these lovely marbled pieces of card stock. I added different colors and more shaving cream to get the different affects......but as you can see.....my hands took a beating. Perhaps next time I will use rubber gloves.

Some of the tutorials I watched on YouTube said, alcohol inks would work, acrylic paints and food coloring.....I shall try those also, just to see which is less mess on the hands. This is an old technique, as I found it in a 2002 "Stamp It!" magazine.

I was going to make an apple pie tonight, but decided not to, as I was afraid the pie doe and apples would take on the colors that were on my hands. So I shall wait a day or so, just so the colors will fade from my hands. LOL.

I did manage to make that potato cheese soup this morning....oh yum, was it ever good. Guess I better write down the recipe....it was a keeper.

Well, it is getting late and I need to get some sleep.....I think I wore myself out tonight....did way too much. PLUS I straightened my stamping area and found some mouse droppings.....uge better get out the mouse traps!!!!

Have a good day and keep looking up!!! Cheers ~ Louise

Still Taking It Easy

Hi there everyone. Well, as you can see, I am still taking it easy.....does not this picture below look like a place you would like to be.....forgetting all your worries, fears and woes.....I would love to float in some water in a warm place about now.

Another place to get lost in....some paradise far, far away!!!!!

Yep....we have yet another 3 days in September......this sure has been a tough month for me. I am glad to say I am feeling much, much better. Went to see Doctor Flanagan this last Thursday and she said things are healing well, but I still need to take it easy for another couple of weeks. Guess I never realized how much surgery can take out of us. And then, to have back to back surgeries, the colonoscopy on the 2nd and the hernia surgery on the 3rd. Oh my.....someone told me today at church, that was a lot of different things being pumped into my body....it's no wonder it takes 6-8 weeks to recuperate and get the body back to normal.

Well, I can rest a little bit more I guess.....but I am getting antsy. I am just glad that I am not sick like I had been for the last 9 months....every month I was getting stomach pains, throwing up and diarrhea. The lady at church also said, it sounded like the intestine was strangulated by the hernia and it is a good thing it was caught in time. Yeah....pretty scary I guess.

We stopped at Spranger's Apple orchard today on the way home from church and I got some Mollies and Cortland apples. Both will be good for an apple pie or two. Maybe next week, we will stop for some more, and maybe get a pumpkin for a few pies......yum, does that not sound good???

I am thinking I will make some potato cheese soup tomorrow......sounds good, found a simple recipe for that on www.Cooks.com my go-to recipe place for yummy recipes.

Another thing I will be trying this week is: the shaving cream and ink technique to make backgrounds for my cards....sounds like a fun project.....maybe this is what I need to get me back into making cards again. My inspiration and motivation has been lacking for the last couple of months. Guess I need to get back on the wagon and start making a few cards for my Etsy store and for Hospice. Have not been to a Hospice meeting for over 3 months and the next meeting will be in November.....so I have a little bit of time to make a few cards for that.

Well time to close here and go make some cereal for myself....or something. You all take care and keep looking up! Cheers ~ Louise

Fall Equinox and 2 More Fancy Meals

Hi there everyone....how did the first day of Fall treat you today???? Here's a fun thing to do, I have done this so many times.....this is the only day and maybe the 1st day of Spring you can set an egg on it's end and it will stay there. Not sure why or what the scientific reasoning behind it is, but it seems to work every time. So if you think about it next Spring or next Fall....try it...just a little fun thing to show the grand-kids.

Here is the egg sitting on it's end. This is a farm fresh egg from the Free Market. Takes a bit of patience to get it to sit properly, but once it's there....it sits pretty good.

Here is that same egg, laying on it's side.

In the above picture is another meal I made from Blue Apron. This was such a good meal. I loved making the rice with zucchini and garlic, adding the cilantro and lime juice at the very end. So tasty. The corn, tomato salsa is really good and I am thinking this might be a regular, so easy to make. The blackened chicken was rather fun to make too, adding the spices then pressing the chicken with tin foil into the hot oiled pan, interesting way to do chicken.
I gave this 5 Stars

"Blackened Chile-Dusted Chicken with Zucchini Rice and Corn-Tomato Saute" Here is the link to this recipe. 



Another great recipe from Blue Apron. Loved those ramen noodles and the soup juice was really tasty. Blue Apron sent a small roast and I cooked it in my "Nu-Wave" so that it got crusty on the outside and tender in the middle. I shall do this again using a small pork tenderloin. The whole meal just hit the spot and I would probably make this again.

I gave this 5 Stars

"Pork Ramen with Fresh Ramen Noodles & Summer Vegetables" Here is the link to this recipe.

Well, time to close. Have a great evening and keep looking up. Tomorrow I have an appointment with the Doctor. Guess we'll see if the hernia is healing properly. Hopefully I can start driving again. I feel like a roaring lion in a cage....ready to get out and prowl.
Cheers ~ Louise

On the Mend and Ready 2 Join the Human Race (?)

Hi there everyone. Thought I would write a short post tonight. Watching the Green Bay Packers play the Seahawks, oh gosh the Packers are losing 17-13. I shall update you as we go along. With one eye on the TV and one eye on my typing, mistakes not included....hahahahahah!

So as my title says, "on the mend and ready to join the human race".....I think. Saturday, JP and I went shopping, probably walked more Saturday then I had the last two weeks. Whew, was I ever tired when we got home, but it was a good outing. Spent lots of money on food and did not even buy meat, just things that we were running low on. Had not shopped for two weeks, so needless to say, we are now stocked up for another few weeks.

Mingling with people was interesting....as I was walking really slow through the store, people were whizzing by me, they probably thought, "boy that old lady sure is slow," if only they really knew. JP was impressed that I knew where everything was and by all that I bought and surprised that I knew how to compare prices....geez JP, that's what I do all the time!!!!

Oops....forgot to update; Seahawks 17 and Packers 16 with 10 minutes to go in the 4th.  OH YEAH!!! Packers just scored...I think they just might win this....sorry Seahawk fans.

In the above picture is a "Blue Footed Boobie" That's how I felt walking through the store, people were watching JP and I for some reason and smiling.....wonder why??? They must have known JP was a novice shopper....right??!!??

So yeah....every time I get my ducks in a row, something always happens and off they go. Oh well, such is life. Least I don't shoot them like I would have in my younger years....hahahaha!!!

So this week I have an appointment with Dr. Flanagan for a check-up to see how the hernia is doing. Hope things are healing well, cause I could never go through that again.....so very painful. I think I might try making some cards this week....as I am starting to feel a little bored and needing something to do besides lay around. Guess that is a sign I am healing.

Today, we were talking about taking a day off next Saturday...that's about all we can afford, (bills are starting to come in and we are looking at 40K and that is not including the Doctor bills) maybe we will go to Neenah and sit by Lake Winnebago with a lunch and soak up some sun. If it is a nice day.

Well, there is only 3 minutes left and the Packers are winning 24 to 17.....there could be another touchdown!!

Packers Win 27 to Seahawks 17

So you all have a great week and keep looking up! Cheers ~ Louise

~ Feeling Better ~

Hi there everyone. So yes, as my title says, "Feeling Better" and that, I am. Each day brings a little bit less pain. It is hard to believe for me that this little hernia could have caused so many problems. Recuperating time has been tuff, but thank God for pain pills, they have helped. I did not take a pain pill last night, I have cut them down from 3-4 a day, down to one and none today so far. The pain is livable at this point. I walked Kylie by myself today, down the block and back. She was a happy camper. Picked a few red tomatoes and a green pepper. Maybe next week I might start walking my ceramic yard animals into the shed for the winter months....sniff...where did the summer go????

Since last October, I have lost 43 lbs. so maybe the weight loss has helped some with the recuperation. My motto for this year has been, "eat less, I guess, I guess, eat less" although there have been days I get very hungry and wanted to eat everything in sight. Dr. Flanigan, who preformed the hernia surgery said she was glad to hear I had been working on losing weight. It should also help in lowering the blood sugar numbers. Which will make my regular Doctor very happy.

I took a few pictures of the my "Star Clementius" this vine is about 5 years old now and seems to like where it is living....only problem is it is very messy and attracts lots of bee's, so sitting on the front porch can be scary at times. Don't want to get stung.

Here is a closer look.....abundant in flowers. I don't do a whole lot with this plant, don't even think I have fertilized it much....usually the only watering it gets is when it rains. Come fall when the flowers have died off, we will cut it down. So yeah, it must like where it is living.

In this picture, the Black Eyed Susan's have taken over my front yard this year....I am so happy they made their debut in my front yard. I would miss them very much. My only wish is to get them to grow in the back yard.....maybe next year.

Today Blue Apron came to my front door again.....Oh yum. I was looking forward to this dish. It is "Fresh Gnocchi and Maitake Mushrooms with Corn, Thyme and Browned Butter." The other day I made a beef roast in the slow cooker....delicious with mashed potatoes, gravy and asparagus. So making the fresh Gnocchi along with the beef was for today's lunch. UMMMM....not sure what I will make for tonight as the Gnocchi is almost gone. Maybe something quick and fast.

Tomorrow, depending on how I am feeling, I may take a trip to the store and bank (JP being the driver of course). It's been two weeks since I have gone shopping. JP is running out of fruit and there are a few things we are running low on. JP will probably come in the store with me and I might just drive that little cart around, just in case I get tired half way through the walk in the store.

Well, time to close for now, keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

Hernia Update and Blue Apron Meals

Hi there everyone. Sorry for the long absence. Guess I just did not feel like doing my blog. My only excuse is having surgery last Thursday for this hernia....I am so amazed how this hernia could cause so much Gut pain and just not feeling well for all these months.

So to update you on the colonoscopy and Hernia Surgery.....

I ended up having a colonoscopy last Wednesday. Dr. Flanigan thought she had seen something more in the CT Scan (from Friday, 8/28, there actually was a cyst on a kidney, 2 gallstones and the hernia was the size of a plum, she also saw a suspicious black spot in the intestine) and wanted to check it out more by having the colonoscopy. Well thank God....there was not anything there. I was so amazed by the Doctor that preformed the procedure. He came into my room before the colonoscopy, told me what he would do and what would be expected and then he asked me if he could pray with me....I said, yes!! I just wanted the peace of God to be with me and he prayed for that. I was far more at ease with this one then I was with the first colonoscopy to say the least. The first one, I woke up in the middle of it and felt the pain in my stomach. The Doctor realized I was awake and put me back to sleep. Guess that is why I just did not want to have another one and managed to put off a second colonoscopy for 14 years!!!!

So the colonoscopy was on the 2nd at 7:30 am. I went home after that about 12:00 and rested the rest of the day. Then came back to the hospital the next day at 5:30am, they prepared me for the operation....the waiting was the hardest and the anticipation. Got to watch TV and they gave me warm blankets. We decided that I would stay the night as I just did not know how JP would be and if he would be able to care for me. We made the right decision.

So they wheeled me into the operating room and prepped me, moving me from one bed to the other. My arms were apparently tied down, the nurse said we are going to give you something......and that is the last thing I knew.

Waking up was not so easy....I remember ice chips being put in my mouth and my name being called quite a few times.....oh the blessed sleep. I finally came to and was wheeled out of recovery into a my room. I did rather enjoy my stay at the hospital. JP showed up about 8 or 9pm and stayed till 10pm. As I said before, I am so glad I stayed at the hospital one extra night. I was able to eat, my first meal was an omelet with cheese, mushrooms and spinach and toast with peanut butter and jelly.

So, I went home about 4:30pm. It was decided that JP should take another day off from work. Dr. Flanigan wrote a day-off permission slip so he could watch me for the evening. He had to take that to his employer, by the time he got back, I was ready to go home.

Well, it has been 9 days since the surgery and yes, I am still in some pain and taking pain pills although not as many as in the beginning. Yesterday, 2 all day and maybe today it will be 2, will see by the time I am ready to go to bed. I am getting around now and walking more each day. Hopefully next week I can take Kylie for a walk.

In the following pictures are some of the meals I was able to muster up. The first one is my absolute favorite, so easy to make. JP helped me by making the vegies. I cooked some chicken in the "Nu-wave" and some quick frozen mashed potatoes. It was a very good meal, although it knocked me out for the rest of the evening. We made this pie on Labor Day, so yeah, it was a Labor of Love!!!!

"Tomato & Goat Cheese Pie"

"Fresh Lemon Linguine with Summer Vegetable Sauce & Seasoned Ricotta"

 

I made this meal on Wednesday....see my new bowl....it's a corel dish, I think the meal looked rather nice. This meal was "okay" probably not one of those meals I would make again. Although I did rather like the idea of making the quick tomato sauce with tomatoes and squash, though I may use zucchini next time.

 

I like that I am getting different ideas on making new dishes. Sort of expanding my horizons.

 

Now this meal was really good, I made it tonight. Loved the Freekeh and the way it was cooked, I shall have to look for it at the stores. Not even sure what nationality it comes from. But yeah....this meal was really good and I am sure JP will like me to make this one again.

"Crispy Catfish & Freekeh with Corn-Cherry Tomato Saute &Marjoram"

My next box from Blue Apron comes this Thursday...I am looking forward to it and it will have some great new recipes. If you are interested in receiving a free box of food from Blue Apron, let me know as I was given a chance to give 3 friends a box of food. Just leave a comment that you are interested and I will send your email to Blue Apron Here is their site.



Kylie, nesting on my chair with our new purple blankey, that both of us enjoy.

Last but not least here is Kylie, being a good nurse to her mommy. She has liked that I have hung around the house with her.

 

Well, I better close this blog down....it has gotten pretty long and wordy I suspect....but hey...it's been 16 days since I last posted...must be a record for me.

 

You all have a good evening and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

My New Blanky, Some Flowers and Blue Apron Invite

Hi there everyone. Welp......it's the last day of August....someone please tell me, where has this month gone????? Remember that song that Frank Sinatra sang...."and the days dwindle down, to a precious few...September, November....."  Now what was the title to that song. Always think about it this time of the year, fall is in the air. 

Well as you can see, I bought my new blanky at Shopko. It was a $50 blanket and I got it for $21...not a bad price. Kylie likes it very much as it is soooo soft and cuddly. I love the color.

Here are some flowers I picked to sit on my table....pretty huh?? Oh and some zinnias too.

These are my volunteer Brown eyed Susans......they love coming back every year in different places of my garden. I wish I could get them to grow in my back yard....but I guess there is too, too much shade back there.

This is my second planting of petunias....the first crop died out and these petunias came free to us. So, wah-lah a new place to grow.

Three days (9/3) till my hernia operation....I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 am....uge, not looking forward to this little field trip at all. You would think I would be used to this after going through two cataract eye surgeries (July 22 and Aug 5), but no, I am not. Fear of the unknown grips my spirit. I would like to have that peace that passes all understanding....the kind of peace that Jesus gives, not what the world gives. Although I cannot say there is much peace in this world, so yeah, I will take the peace that Jesus gives any day or hour.

I have some good news.....Blue Apron (here is their site) just gave me 3 free invitations to invite 3 friends to try out Blue Apron. You will receive 3 free meals with meat, vegetables, spices and directions that come in a refrigerated box with ice on the bottom. It is delivered to your front door and you can start cooking one of the meals that night. I have already invited one blog friend, so I have 2 invitations left.

I really like this concept...as I am trying new foods and spices that I would not otherwise buy at the store....because I did not know how to use it or make it. One of the previous meals called for coconut rice...man that was good and the chicken stir-fry that topped the rice was delish.....JP wanted a second helping and so did I.

Another item I liked and have actually found at the store after much hunting was Polenta. I have seen the rolls of polenta, but not the kind you make yourself. I might make that tonight with the pulled pork I made the other day.....sounds like a tasty meal.

So if you are interested in receiving a box of free food from Blue Apron (again here's the site) please leave a comment, saying you would like to try this out. Even if you are not  interested....still leave a comment. The only stipulation I have is that I must know you and you are a regular visitor to my blog....oh and you like to cook for your family.....thank you. I will email you to get your email address, then send it on to Blue Apron and they will contact you for your address and when the best delivery date is. I think this is so nice of them.

There are two other Companies that do this, "Plated" and "Hello Fresh" Have not heard the reviews of Hello Fresh....but Plated I have. I think I will stick with Blue Apron....thank you again.

Well, guess I will close here for now, you have a great day and keep looking up.....yes, I am trying to do that too!!
Cheers ~ Louise

42 Years & Counting

Hi there everyone....how is your day going? Today we celebrated 42 years of marriage. We did not do anything....nope, not this time around. Guess I am not in a celebrating mood. I thought I was going to buy a cake at Walmart, but decided not to. I have not even made a card, what's up with that????

I guess it is mostly because I am facing hernia surgery next week and tomorrow I have to have a CT scan....so maybe my heart is not in this right now. Maybe after the surgery and recovery I can think about doing something special.

Here is a picture of JP and I at "Red Lobster" (thus the bibs) celebrating our 37th anniversary in 2010. The waitress took this picture of us....looks like happy times to me. Oh and the food was delicious too. No, don't remember what it was.

This picture was taken at Christmas time, looks like Kylie is pretty young there and maybe I was still working as a merchandiser, my last year of working was 2010. So maybe this picture was taken in 2006 or '07.

This picture was taken maybe about 3 years ago (2012) there abouts. Not sure if it was around one of our anniversaries or not....just one of the few times we went on a boat for a fun day.

Ummmm.....guess we don't take a lot of pictures of ourselves, as you can see. Too bad I did not date these pictures...my camera now dates pictures I take....but not then.

Well, I guess that is about it for now.....I have to get ready to make JP's dinner and maybe make a fast card. I need to go to bed soon
because I have to get up early to leave for the hospital tomorrow morning about 6:15am....uge, I am not an early rising person, so this will be tough. If you think about me tomorrow morning and on September 3rd, I would appreciate your prayers.

Have a great day and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

Some Blue Apron Meals & A Warm Cuddly Blanket

Hi there everyone. Hope you are having some nice cool fall days.....it sure does feel like fall out there. I am starting to pull up some plants that are dying out.....gosh, I may  even put some things away for the winter....less to do for fall clean up, I guess.

I am not exactly sure where the spring and summer went to...but it sure went by fast. Must be the older we get the faster time goes by and as the Bible says, "we are all but a vapor" and vapors or puffs of smoke don't last long, do they?!?!?!

Today I am going to show you some of the meals I have made with my "Blue Apron" meals that I have so far received. Here is the link to Blue Apron if you would like to check it out. So below are 5 meals....not sure what happened to the sixth one....must not have taken a picture of it for whatever reason.

In the above picture is the "Chicken Milanse with Summer Corn, Cherry Tomato and cucumber salad. I liked the way the chicken was made and have already bought some panko breadcrumbs to make this again. The chicken was dunked in flour, then a mustard/water mixture then into panko crumbs and fried in olive oil. Very tasty.

In this picture is the "Cod and Miso Soba Noodles with multicolored Cherry Tomatoes and Eggplant." JP liked this meal as he is a "Cod-fan" Me not so much. I am also not caring for the eggplant either. This dish was just okay in my taste pallet.

In this above picture is "Summer Ratatouille and Parmesan Polenta with Heirloom Eggplant and Garlic-Cheese Toasts" a really yummy meal. Polenta, which was an interesting dish to make. I shall be looking for Polenta in the store now....hopefully I can find it. Again there was eggplant in this dish, not my favorite. Zucchini would be my choice. The garlic bread is always luscious!!!

NOW this was really a good meal...."Spiced Meatballs with Garlic Toasts and Summer Squash Salad" The recipe says, spiced meatballs served in a warming tomato sauce are a North African specialty. One of the defining features is a hint of lemon. The salad included green olives, mint, lemon, Parmesan cheese and the squash. The meat balls were really tasty. Yes, I would make this again.

OH YUM....I made this last night and JP wanted a second helping. I was hoping to have enough to freeze for a meal while I am convalescing after surgery......but nope, not this meal. This meal is a "Stir-Fried Ginger-Basil Chicken with Tinkerbell Peppers and Coconut Rice." The coconut rice was made with a coconut milk powder that was mixed with water then added to the rice to cook. Need to look for this product for sure. The stir fry had such a good sauce...we both enjoyed it immensely. Most definitely will have to make this dish again.

Tomorrow will be my final visit to the eye Doctor to check my eyes....I have 6 more days of drops....it's be a long hard haul....but I am almost done. I shall celebrate by buying a warm cuddly purple blanket I saw the other day at Shopko. Oh my, it was so soft, I could see myself cuddled up in it during those long cold nights....it's on my list to buy, SOON like this week!!! 

Also tomorrow, I will be making a dish that will be coming in my Blue Apron box on September 3rd...the day of my surgery. I told JP to just put all the food in the fridge....hopefully in the following week I will be able to cook a little.

The recipe is called "Tomato & Goat Cheese Pie with Sweet Pepper and Basil." I have lots of tomatoes and basil from my garden, bought the goat cheese and pepper and will buy a pie crust tomorrow. So, I am all set. Hopefully I will be able to freeze some too. I did make some lasagna soup on Saturday....I should try and freeze a couple of containers there. That's if JP has left some in the pot.

I made him a rhubarb/strawberry pie on Saturday....I am surprised there is still some left. He is slacking a little.

Well, time to close here, don't want to wear you out and make you hungry with all my ramblings. Have a great couple of days and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

Doctors and Mini Vacations

Hi there everyone. Wow....can't believe where the time has gone....a whole week has past. Oh well, I guess you might say, I have been vacationing, if only minute vacations on Pinterest is about all I can manage for now.

I have been busy though....visited my Doctor on Tuesday. He did blood test and urine test. Everything was normal and my A1c is 7.0.....yay, I guess that means I am learning to control the diabetes. I also wanted to talk to my Doctor about something that has been bothering me. It seems I have a hernia and that, apparently is what has been causing a lot of my sickness once a month or even twice a month.

Today I went to a specialist in Hernias. And yes, I will be needing surgery. Next week I will have a CAT scan, the Doctor will then know exactly where the hernia is. She will preform the Robotic surgery making 4 incisions and putting mesh in....sounds amazing to me. If it helps me not to have that awful pain, nausea and throwing up, I will face my fears of an operation. The operation will be September 3rd.....if you think about me that day please pray for me. Thanks. I will be out of commission for at least 2 weeks, no lifting, housework, driving, etc. Hopefully I can have all my errands done and food cooked in the freezer for JP to eat. He likes his beans, oat meal and chicken soups....easy to make in the micro-wave.

I should add...this hernia is a result of the operation I had in 1986. I had a bleeding ulcer, the Doctors operated to try and stop the bleeding. The nerves were cut in my stomach, the spleen was accidentally touched and started to bleed and that was taken out. I have  a long incision from the breast bone to the belly button. It seems that the walls around the stomach weakened over the years and the hernia appeared...it actually started to bother me back in March of 2014...I would get pain, nauseousness and throwing up. Always clutching my stomach. One good thing out of this....I have lost almost 40 lbs since last October....so hopefully I can lose a few more before the operation. The Doctor said.....good job, this will help a lot.

My minute vacations took me to the Galapagos Islands.

Greece

Bora Bora, Polynesia

Fiji Islands

 

I shall feast my eyes on these beautiful pictures and just dream. Minute vacations will have to do for now.

 

 

I have my final post-op checkup for my eyes this Tuesday....putting drops in my eyes ends in 8 more days....just in time for me to start the next phase of my life and a new month of surgery on the hernia. Yes, this has been quite the year of trials and tribulations....I think I need a rest from all this though.....like maybe a vacation someplace...don't you think??? I guess for now I will have to settle for my mini vacations on Pinterest.....it's cheaper.

 

 

Well, time to close here...keep looking up and take care of those you love. Cheers ~ Louise

Another Eye Update

Hi there everyone.....this is just a short update on the eyes. Went to the 2nd post op on my left eye today. The nurse had me read the letters on the wall......I could read the very last line and she said "WOW, we have to give you an award....your vision in the left eye is 20+1!!!!" When the Doctor came in....he said I had the eye of a Hawk and that my left eye must be the dominate eye......yeah, I said, my eye must be bionic!!!! He was very pleased that my eyes are doing so well.

He asked me if my eyes were feeling dry and I said yes. He put something in my tear duck that would cause my eyes not to dry....forgot what he called it. But he has it in his eyes and all his nurses too....so I thought, why not....so far, so good. No dry eyes and they feel comfortable. Remember when you used to wear contacts and the eyes felt gritty? Nope, does not feel that way now.

 

I have one more Post op appointment on the 25th of August....I told Dr. Neilitz that I would miss seeing him.....he for sure, has to be my favorite Doctor of all time. A very nice man who made me feel like I was his only patient.....very good bed-side manners. Yes, I will definitely miss him. Although I do have an appointment with him again January 7th, 2016!!! A lot can happen between now and then.

 

Well, the Green Bay Packers played the Patriots in New England. Yay for the Packers they won!!! 22 to 11!!! 

 

Well, time to close this blog....hopefully I will have more news this week-end. JP's family is coming for a visit and we will be going out to eat. Have a great weekend, talk to you all later and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

UPDATE: On the Eyes & A Smile

Hi there everyone. How is your day going? Thought I would give you an update on the eye surgery I had on Wednesday. Everything went well....yes, I was still a bit nervous and my blood pressure was up a bit. The nurse asked me, "am I anxious?" Why, yes, I guess I am....hard not to be. After all, I am having surgery.

After the surgery, I was surprised that my Left eye was still a bit blurry. When I got home, I sat down in the lazy boy and konked out for 3 hours. I should have put drops in my eyes when I got home....but sleep took over first. About 1:00pm I finally put drops in my eyes, things were still blurry. I called the Doctor's office to find out what the problem was. The Doctor was emailed and had the nurse call me back to say....."that was normal, not to worry." Okay.....I shall not worry.

When I went in yesterday for the Post-op appointment.....the Doctor checked my eyes and said the Left eye was just a little swollen and should be fine by Friday or Saturday. He said that every eye is different and each one reacts differently. Eyes are like snowflakes....everyone is different.

As my Right eye did not react like this, and everything was clear right away....I just figured the Left eye would do the same. After all.....both eyes are in the same head......right??? Nope....the Left eye had to be different and act up. But now...the second day after surgery I can say that the film that was over my eye, is gone and everything is clear.

The next problem I faced was...I could not read....everything was a blur, I could not read anything on the computer, could not read my drops-chart to see which drops to put in my eyes....uge, I had to use a magnifying glass....if that was not frustrating, I don't know what is.

Doctor gave me a pair of reading glasses to try on....2.50 in strength and handed me a chart to read.....oh my goodness, I could read!!! I was so happy....my next appointment is on the 13th of August for another check-up on the eyes. My finale post-op appointment is the 25th of August.

After the appointment, JP and I stopped off at Shopko.... yes, I bought a new pair of reading glasses and a new pair of sunglasses. I spent $31.....that sure is a good price, considering I don't have to buy glasses that could run maybe $100 not including the lenses. Yes, I think this Cataract surgery is quite the miracle from God!!!

Here is a smile for you and for me.....yes.....take some fat too!!!!

Everyone needs a friend who understands.......

I got this picture from Patty.....yep that could be me someday.....gosh, she looks comfy...look at her using an I-pad...I need one of those.....someday.

So yeah.....have a great weekend and a Happy Saturday too. Keep looking up! Cheers ~ Louise

Laying Low Until Wednesday

Hi there everyone. So yeah, I am laying low until Wednesday. That will be my second cataract eye surgery. I am looking forward to it....finally will see clearly from both eyes. It has been sort of weird these last couple of weeks looking out my eyes....one eye is clear the other blurry. As I do this post, I have to lean in to see what I am typing....maybe I shall have to get reading glasses to see what I am typing next.

Been doing the drops in both eyes now and have not really been into much of anything else. I have a dozen and one things to do...but don't feel like doing anything. Seems my get up and go has got up and went.....someplace other then with me. Oh well, hopefully things will get better in a few weeks.

So following are a few pictures I took of the flowers in the front of the yard, sitting on the porch and zooming in. My moss roses and asylums....aren't they sweet.

In this picture is my black eyed Susan's....they volunteered to grow there....so I just let them do their thing.

Not sure what these purple little flowers are....someone gave us the plants about 3 years ago and they have come back year after year along with the weeds.

Just a little closer look at the moss roses......I rather like these guys.....even though I planted some new plants this spring....I noticed that the moss roses from last year volunteered to grow this year. I like their spirit!!!!

So here is a picture of Kylie. She loves being on the porch and looking out past the porch posts.....her favorite thing to do besides going for walks. Tomorrow Kylie gets to go to the Groomer for her shower and shave.....she is not too happy about going....but when I pick her up.....my goodness, is she ever happy. First of all, cause I came back to get her and secondly.....she feels really good.

The one thing that is hard is those 6 hours she is gone....it is so quiet in this house, it's just not a home without her.

Well, time to close....if you think about it....please pray for me on Wednesday morning, about 8am is the surgery.....I would appreciate it. Cheers ~ Louise

Blue Apron ~~ My New Order Came

Hi there everyone. Hope you had a beautiful day....it was gorgeous outside today, wasn't it???? I heard the sound of the locust today, I just love that sound, it reminds me of those lazy, hazy days of summer when I was a kid. All I had to do was enjoy the summer and play before school started the Day after Labor Day in September. Yeah....those were the days!!!

So, in my post yesterday I mentioned I was waiting for my next order from Blue Apron. It came about 7:00 pm in a refrigerated FedEx truck. Makes me wonder just how long my box from last week actually sat on that neighbors porch. Because the ice block was partially melted. The order that came today....nope, the ice had not even started to melt. So everything in the box was still cold.

Here is what the box looks like...... it felt like Christmas when it arrived.

I Pulled everything out of the box and laid it all on the table....looks pretty good huh?? So dinner tonight will be "Vadouvan-Spiced Lamb Burgers with Crispy Curried Zucchini Rounds" and fries and fruit. JP was VERY ok with the menu for tonight. Gosh, I love cooking!!!!

The 2nd meal in this box is "Chicken Milanese with Summer Corn, Cherry Tomato and Cucumber Salad" The 3rd meal is "Cod & Miso Soba Noodles with Multicolored Cherry Tomatoes & Eggplant" Can you see the beautiful eggplant and zucchini in the picture....yum!!! I like that there are different things in the box that I have not ever tried. Been in such a rut lately, I think this new experience will help me spread my wings a bit. I get so tired of cooking the same stuff week in and week out. This will put some pzazz into my cooking.....I think!!!

I was sitting on the porch this morning, getting some sun on my legs.....they are still very white!!! So for a half hour I sat on the steps and took a few pictures of the pretty sky and clouds. What do you see up there......I think that is a turtle......maybe a duck, maybe a kitten????

Gosh, can you believe today is the last day of July.....where in the world is this summer going??? Next week Wednesday I have my second cataract eye surgery at 8am or so. I have to be at the clinic by 6:50 am to sign in and change clothes, and get that WARM blanket put on me....that is such a comfortable feeling. The lady that sang on the phone to me "Pack up all your cares and woes, singing low, bye, bye black bird" will be there too. She said she would have a new song for me. Will be fun to match the voice on the phone with the real person.

Well, I guess it is time to go walk Kylie around the block, the sun is going down, so it won't be too bright on my eyes. You all have a great evening and see you in August!! Cheers ~ Louise