Home Again PINK

Jason, Cindy, & Jeremy

We went to Kentucky for the week of Thanksgiving and had an absolutely wonderful time. We stayed at my brothers' home in Nicholasville. My mother let us use her suite and slept across the hall. It was nice to have a room with a sitting area. I was able to set up my computer, but we kept so busy that I didn't have much time to use it.

Cindy and Heather

Riding for 10 hours in our car did not make for a fun time for my legs. They were almost numb by the time we got there. Our room was upstairs and I practically had to pull myself up the stairs using the hand rail. There were 17 stairs since the ground floor has 12 ft ceilings. There were about 15 stairs to the basement where the movie room and pool room are located. It was up and down stairs the whole time. And, guess what, by the time we left, I could actually climb the stairs without pulling myself up and I was using alternate feet, instead of pull up and drag. I am feeling better than in months. I did take more pain medication but I was able to do therapy yesterday without much trouble. I only got dizzy afterward. I haven't had any ill effects with the rheumatoid arthritis. That is sure a blessing.

Wyatt, Owen, & Karch

W

Everyone was so nice and made sure that I didn't do too much. We went downtown to my nephews and walked to Chipotle, a new fast food place from McDonald's. The food was very good, although the atmosphere was nil. My daughter, her husband, and the twins were also there. They really enjoyed everything. They watched all kinds of movies downstairs and played with their cousins. They got there a little later than everyone else because they did some sight-seeing on the way. They stayed at the Comfort Inn and really enjoyed it. There was a swimming pool, free WiFi, and a great breakfast included in the price of the room.

Garrett & Taylor

It is amazing that when we have stayed at the Hilton, Hyatt, Doubletree, and other high-end hotels, they charge at least $10 for WiFi per night. You would think they would include it in the price of the room, considering the cost of the rooms. Even a bottle of water costs $3. We always take our own food for snacks. We are not cheap, but we certainly aren't stupid either.

Jesse & Rhonda

Anyway, my brother had Thanksgiving catered, with servers. It was one of my best Thanksgivings ever. The ladies got to enjoy the children, watch the parade and football, movies, and we put a puzzle together at the game table in the movie room.

The Movie Room

There was my brother, his wife, 2 sons, daughter-in-law, 2 children; my mother; me and my husband, daughter, son-in-law, 2 children; my sister, her daughter, son-in-law and 2 children; friend of my brothers', his wife, and two daughters. Twenty-four for dinner. The caterer was a local company that serves homemade type food and we couldn't have had better if we had cooked it ourselves.

Bertha (my mother)

Saturday, we took my mom to her house and Ray and I went shopping. Didn't buy much, but it was nice to get out and walk some. We picked up mother and met my brother, his wife, and a son at Malone's. Malone's is a great restaurant in Lexington. They evidently eat there a lot. I really loved the food and the wait staff were superb.

Sunday morning we got up and packed and left Lexington about 8 a.m. It was raining, but by the time we reached Charleston WV, it had quit. Sonny had bought some pastries at Panera Bread Saturday night and we had them for breakfast. We stopped at Wendy's and I had an apple, craisens, chicken salad. It was great with blue cheese dressing.

My mother gave me loads of yarn to make lap blankets for hospice. Got to get busy with them. I have been making dish cloths to sell for the children's new playground at church. I hear that it is going to cost $30,000. That is a lot of yarn. LOL.

I hope you all are having a lovely season, just remember that Christmas is only about 25 days away. Take a look at my other blog for: (click to go to link)

A Familiar Poem for the Holidays! (Christmas)

Check it out. It circulates every year, usually on email, but I decided to give it a permanent home. 

Jesus is the reason for the season! 

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!

Cate Masters: Emmy Swain in the Author Spotlight

Cate Masters: Emmy Swain in the Author Spotlight: Emmy Swain in the Author Spotlight

I read the book and was so pleasantly surprised at the wonderful message for children. It inspired me to buy the book for my Kindle account so my grandchildren can read it on the kindles they are getting for Christmas. I loved the book and can't wait for Book 2 to come out.

FALLING PINK #2

     I fell again yesterday. This is actually the third time I have fallen in 5 weeks. The first time I was going out to get into the car and fell into the rose bushes; I got thorns in my hand. The second time was about 2 weeks ago and it was in the back yard. My neighbors helped me up, since Ray was in the house watching the Redskins. I had to go to the doctor and he put me into physical therapy. Yesterday, I was getting ready to go get blood tests and fell over my big feet and into a bookcase. There was a small metal ornate candleholder on a lower shelf and it cut my right hand up pretty bad. My knees were bruised and I totally destroyed our metal basket hamper. It will never be the same.

      I was alone, so I had to pick myself up and take care of the cut on my hand and the abrasions on my forearm. It was bleeding so I washed it off and put on Neosporin and bandaged the entire hand to stop the bleeding. It was over an hour before Ray came home. I had called cancelling my appointment. He helped to change the bandage before we went to bed. This morning, there was blood coming through the bandage. Ray said I should go to the doctor. The nurse bandaged it again, then gave me a tetanus shot and since I was there, a pneumonia shot. She placed some bandages to use today and a sulfa cream in a bag for me to put on the cut. Also, the doctor wrote a note not to go to physical therapy until Monday. Good thing, a nap is what is needed.  

      A professional organizer is definitely needed around here and a garage sale. I should try Craig's List, I guess. I will have to take a look and see what I can do. Anybody know someone who has a Hoarders Reality Show. We are prime candidates. Help before I fall and can't get up. LOL

      I called my friend Cindy and she is coming by tomorrow. Ray will be in Richmond at the Alpha Parliamentary Unit for a meeting and a teaching session. I thought it would be nice to have some company, she hasn’t been here in a while.  Everyone else is so busy.

      There is a yard sale down the street. If it is not too cold, I may walk down there. Tonight is #Slumberparty night at 11 p.m. First time I am able to just participate in a while. Last week I hosted and I think everyone had a good time. It was fun.

     My brother called this morning. He and his wife Pat are home from South Africa. He assured me that there were plenty of photos to see; there are at least 4K. He said he would have a video show set up in the movie room with plenty of colas and popcorn. They really do go on lots of vacations. Sounds like fun. He has worked so very hard to get where he is. I am so proud of him and proud he is my brother.
     Below is the Annie Moses Band. They were at the conference we went to Monday. They performed all three days and were totally awesome. Their music can make you smile and make you cry. Listen to this song, it is so beautiful. They are mostly Julliard trained musicians. 

BGAV and the BOOK PINK

Ray and I went to the Baptist General Association of Virginia Conference in Richmond Monday and were there until Wednesday. It was held at the Greater Richmond Conference Center. It was wonderful. We had dinner at the Marriott where were were staying on Monday night with the BGAV Board of Directors. Ray is one of their Parliamentarians. It was very nice, although it totally messed up our #SweetTweets Life Plan. There was the most delicious Chocolate Cake I have ever had. I couldn't resist. Just goes to show that the best laid plans can get kicked in the teeth by the nicest people.

Anyway, after eating chocolate cake, it was easy to eat every piece of chocolate we could lay our hands on through Wednesday. We are back on the diet plan today. It is so difficult to resist those carb loaded foods. But, nobody is perfect. I am going for my blood tests today and will see what my weight is. I prefer to make their scale the official scale for my diet. After losing 27 lbs, I hope my small lapse won't completely derail my plans. Ray has lost 37 lbs. We are both doing alright and I have no intention of eating any more chocolate in the near future.

The Rheumatoid Arthritis has been acting up lately. Sometimes, I think I take too much Vicadin. I try to limit myself to 1 or 2 a day but some days are just too difficult. I wish I cold take regular anti-inflamatories. The doctor thinks that if I took enough to do any good, I would have liver failure. My hands are really causing a lot of pain lately. The cold weather really doesn't agree with me at all. I want to do so many things. Sometimes I think I just don't have enough time, but I really do have lots of time. I think all the medications that I am taking keep me immobile. I just cannot seem to focus sometime.

I am working on a book of my experiences on Twitter. It has been so much fun. It will be about people that are my SuperStars. They are not "Celebrities". in the Entertainment sense of the word. They are my Celebrities. People who have inspired and cared for me over the past couple of years. People who have prayed and encouraged me. I love them all so much, I wanted to do something to spotlight them and show them my appreciation. So watch out for my book, it will be coming soon.

I was able to connect with old friends at the conference and Dr. White, my former pastor, was there. He is currently the Editor of the Religious Herald. Our friend, John Upton, was able to meet the Pope, see article:

"Two top leaders of the Baptist World Alliance brought “the fullness of what it means to be Baptist” to an interfaith summit of peace and justice, hosted Oct. 27 by Pope Benedict XVI and attended by about 300 world religious leaders. BWA general secretary Neville Callam and president John Upton joined other Christians as well as a wide range of other religious adherents in Assisi, Italy."

John Upton lead the BGAV Conference in Richmond. We actually made history by electing an African-American Pastor, Mark Croston." It was an amazing meeting. Click on the link for the full story.

Better go for now, got to get over to the Riverside Cancer Center for my blood tests. Love you all.