Category Archives: Life

When Potato Chips Equal Love

As y’all know from a previous post, I finally found someone who listened to me about my ongoing gallbladder issues; I just needed to have a few tests run to make sure there was nothing else going on that might mimic gallbladder symptoms. I’m pleased to announce that all of the tests are behind me and nothing mimicking gallbladder symptoms was found. Now to get the referral to a surgeon…

My last test was my every-five-year colonoscopy; this was my third one. For each colonoscopy, the prep has been different, but never fun. The day before the procedure you can only have liquids, including broth and gelatin. An all liquid diet is hard enough but I don’t like broth and you can’t have red, purple, or orange gelatin. (Those colors could look like blood during the procedure.) However, I don’t like lemon or lime which limits my gelatin choices even further. I settled on blue “mixed berry” gelatin and Kenn found some green watermelon flavored gelatin that I was willing to try. Much to my surprise, I preferred the watermelon over the berry. I even managed to choke down a small amount of broth. I try to be a good patient but I spent most of the day complaining that I just wanted some potato chips. I love, love, love potato chips and desperately needed something salty to balance the sweetness of the gelatin. However, I was good and did NOT have any chips.

The next day, when I was back in the truck after the procedure, Kenn pulled out his insulated lunch bag and presented me with a bottle of soda and an individual serving-size bag of potato chips. Y’all, I almost cried with happiness. I also told Kenn that it’s one of the most romantic things he’s ever done for me. He found that statement amusing, but I was completely serious. It shows that he listens to me and went out of his way to do something to make me happy after a procedure he knew I was nervous about. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

Side note, if you’re over 45 and haven’t had a colonoscopy, please get on the phone and schedule one ASAP. There is no history of colon cancer in my family, yet precancerous polyps were found in my first colonoscopy (which is why I have to have one every five years). If I hadn’t had a colonoscopy as recommended, within the next several years, I would have developed colon cancer. A colonoscopy won’t be at the top of anyone’s list of Fun Things To Do, but, as the saying goes, it’s better than the alternative.

Now, what is the most romantic thing someone has done for you?

Tanglewood Mansion

It’s not uncommon when we’re traveling for me to see something and think “That would make a cool photo.” It’s not always possible to stop and take a picture, especially when towing a travel trailer. Other times, it’s just a matter of not taking the time to stop even when there’s no reason not too. Proof in point are the intriguing columns I’ve seen every time we go to South Carolina to visit our kids. During one of our trips earlier this year, I mentioned to Kenn my plans to eventually stop and take a photo. Being the good man that he is, the next time we were out Kenn whipped into the parking lot, we got out, and I actually took. the. pictures!

The columns that always caught my attention

We couldn’t have stopped at a better time; the lighting was perfect. The photo above is one of my absolute favorites. There was actually more to the site than I thought. The columns are what is left of Tanglewood Mansion. According to the sign, Tanglewood burned down twice: the first time in 1908 and again in 1970. (Yikes.) The Tanglewood property was eventually purchased for use as the location for a new branch of the Anderson County Library System; groundbreaking took place in 2004.

I love old architecture and I’m a big fan of older buildings being repurposed while allowing the age and history of the building to shine through. In that vein, I’m glad that the site for the library wasn’t razed to remove all traces of the mansion. I enjoyed looking at the remains of the structure and trying to figure out what was where. We were able to determine the location of multiple fireplaces; each chimney had at least three fireplaces associated with it.

The back view of the columns shows that they were actually brick and not wood which is one of those things that I think is really cool.

I’m also a big fan of stairs to nowhere.

Going forward, I plan to do better about stopping to take the photo or smell the roses or whatever. How about you? Do you make the time to do the things that are important to you – even when they just nourish your soul and not your wallet? (Our success driven culture can make those decisions difficult.)

So, What Exactly Do You Do?

I’ve been working at my part-time job for almost a year now and the most-oft asked question I get is “So, what exactly do you do?” The duties of my pre-retirement job were much easier to describe; even though I worked several different jobs during my career, they could all be lumped under the heading of IT Customer Support. (Except for the miserable 3.5 years I spent in Contracting.) The duties of my current job can’t be as easily defined.

I work at an agricultural research center as a Biological Science Aid. My boss is an entomologist so everything we do ultimately revolves around insects even though it may not appear to on the surface. There are two, soon to be three, full-time lab technicians above me. My job is to support everyone however I can with whatever needs to be done. I rarely know from day-to-day what I will be doing and even if I do, it may change at any time. I generally work two days a week but have the flexibility to work more if necessary. Earlier this year there were several weeks I worked three days per week because all of the things had to be done at the same time and even with four of us working, we were scrambling to get everything done.

I’ve spent the last two weeks fertilizing peach trees which is a much more time-consuming process than you might think. The timing was good though; after a long dry spell we’ve had several days of rain so the fertilizer got rained in so that it can do its job. One of the next things I will need to do will be to hunt down some pruning shears and trim the suckers (the shoots growing from the roots or base of the tree) off the same trees I just fertilized. This will also be a time-consuming process, but hey, that’s what I’m there for and – I get paid!

All dressed for work

The next couple of months will be rough. I no longer deal well with the oppressive heat and humidity of the South so the summer is hard. At least this year our summer has been mild, relatively speaking. Still, 82℉ with 80% plus humidity is pretty miserable. Since I’m fair-skinned, the heat is made a little worse by the fact that I am dressed in long pants, long-sleeves, and a big sun hat to protect my skin. However, one of the best things about my job is how laid back it is. Everyone makes sure to tell me to take as many breaks as I need to in order to stay cool – and one of them is always encouraging me to take the time to just relax and enjoy the beauty surrounding us. Yes, staying cool is important but this relaxed attitude is new to me; I rarely got to take breaks at my old jobs. Some days I was doing good just to get to go to the bathroom.🙄 So, you know what I do? I take breaks when I’m hot and occasionally I putter around in my utility vehicle and enjoy the scenery and take photos. Several of my Wordless Wednesday photos have been taken on the agricultural center.

The next time I work, I’ll probably be helping a coworker with a pulley system that will be used to raise potted pecan saplings to various heights in a pecan grove. (Don’t ask me why. I have no idea.) I’ll also need to water the plants in the greenhouse. After that, I’ll do whatever needs to be done starting with pruning the suckers I mentioned earlier. Later this year I’ll be collecting and counting weevils as I mentioned in a previous post. Along the way, there is no telling what else will be needed. So, what exactly do I do? Whatever needs to be done!

So, what exactly do you do?

In Memoriam

Last week was one of those weeks. It started with our oldest son having a health scare which entailed us making a quick trip to South Carolina. Fortunately, our son is fine. After we got home, our over-the-range microwave died. While we were dealing with the replacement of the microwave, which was much more time-consuming than it should have been, it became obvious that it was time to say goodbye to one of our cats.

When we moved into our home almost 6 years ago, Stumpie was a feral cat. It didn’t take him long to learn that we had a steady supply of food and water for our outside cats and any other critters that wanted to partake. Stumpie became a regular fixture in our yard. He didn’t trust us and would run off if we got too close. Over time, he wouldn’t run as far. Then, he began trying to befriend our cats and was rewarded when Roscoe took him under his wing (leg?) and they became besties.

All this time, he was watching Kenn and I and saw us interact with the other cats. After 3 years, he decided to take a chance on trust and love and gave me the honor of selecting me as his person. He decided that he enjoyed being petted but didn’t want to see my hand during the process. So, when Stumpie would come to me for attention, he would turn his back to me so he could enjoy pets without seeing my hand.

Over the past couple of months, Stumpie had developed a problem that I knew would eventually lead to his demise. Last week, it was time to let him go. As I have done with all of my furbabies, I held him and told him how much I loved him as he left this world.

It’s hard going to a home that no longer has Stumpie in it. He’s no longer be there to greet me with his gravelly voice and weave between my ankles as I shower him with attention. He’s no longer there to escort me to the food dish and to carefully turn his back on me so I can pet him.

All pets leave a hole in our hearts when they pass, but for some that hole is a little bit larger. I miss you Stumpie. Home just isn’t the same without you.

Here We Go Again

Y’all know I love cats and that we’re a multi-cat family; a few of our furry kids make regular appearances here. However, y’all don’t know how we became a multiple cat family. It wasn’t by design and we’ve never gone to a shelter/animal rescue to adopt a cat. We haven’t had to; the cats find us. My family “blames” me; they say I have a “cat gene” that attracts cats. While it may not be due to a gene exactly, cats do like me and will frequently seek me out.

Meet Smokey

Kenn and I recently spent a couple of an hours at a nursery researching varieties of Japanese maples. Smokey, the cat shown above, belongs to the nursery owners. According to them, she’s an old lady who is half blind and hard of hearing. However, she could see well enough to spot me across the parking lot and make a beeline to me. She allowed me to pet her before she walked away only to come back for a little more attention. Much to Kenn’s dismay, she wouldn’t have anything to do with him, LOL. She also wouldn’t let me photograph her from the front.

For a while we were members of what we called “The Cat of the Year” club. Every year, usually in June or July, another cat would show up. I rescued a kitten in the church parking lot where it had apparently hitched a ride in the engine of someone’s car. We found another in the middle of a busy road – after straddling him with our car. Fortunately, our CotY membership seemed to expire after a few years. For now, we have an aging clowder with ages ranging from 3-14. Or, that was the age range until last week.

My coworker and I were in the woods getting dirt for a research project when she stopped and said, “Is that a cat?” I listened and yes, it was a cat – a kitten to be exact – and it was yelling for us. We both dropped our shovels and went searching. Not too far from where we were working I saw a small calico face peering out of the brush. It didn’t take too long to coax her to me.

Shortly after the rescue operation

The fact that this baby was friendly in spite of being terrified means one of two things: That section of the agricultural center isn’t far from a road, so she either wandered across the road, got through the fence and got lost or, someone dumped her. Either way, she knows people.

Kenn wasn’t working that day and since we live near the agricultural center, I called and asked him to bring a carrier which he did – all while grumbling about another cat. I assured him that I just wanted to take her to the vet to make sure she was okay and then find a home for her. While my coworker and I were waiting on Kenn to arrive, other coworkers wandered by. At least two said they would have just left her in the woods. Y’all, I am just not wired that way and neither is my co-rescuer. (She has already rescued two other kittens this year.) I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I had left her in the woods.

Kenn and I took her to the vet the next day. She got a clean bill of health and her first kitten shots. The funny thing is, neither of us, not even Mr. Oh-no-not-another-kitten, have even talked about finding her another home. We just added her to our clowder. Yep, Kenn’s as big a sucker for a cat as I am even though he tries to hide it. So, everyone meet Roxie!

Roxie

Do you have any pets? If so, are any of them rescues?

Listen to Me!

I have been suffering from recurring upper right quadrant abdominal pain, nausea, belching, and gastrointestinal symptoms that I won’t detail for at least a decade. After numerous trips to my general practitioner, in 2018 he decided we needed to look into possible gallbladder issues. Me being me, I researched gallbladder issues and, lo and behold, my symptoms checked all of the boxes. I felt a sense of relief since, at the time my tests were scheduled I had been sick for a month with a low-grade fever having joined the list of symptoms above. My blood work was normal, an abdominal ultrasound showed no gallstones, and the results of my HIDA scan were on the low side of normal. So, with no answers, life as normal – with frequent flare-ups – continued.

Fast forward to 2019 and another month-long flare-up with additional symptoms of the “if you have these symptoms, please see your doctor immediately” type and I returned to my general practitioner. The nurse practitioner scheduled me for another round of tests. Once again, my blood work was normal and my abdominal ultrasound showed no gallstones. There was no HIDA scan performed. While I’m not big on unnecessary tests, etc. I felt like I wasn’t being listened to. Maybe it was because the nurse who performed my HIDA scan warned me that it wasn’t uncommon to have to have more than one; she had had two. Maybe it was because I had been having the same symptoms for years and was no closer to an answer.

I continued to have frequent flare-ups and Kenn encouraged me to go back to the doctor. My response didn’t make him happy. I told him that I wasn’t going to go back to the doctor because I didn’t feel like they weren’t listening to me; I told him that when my symptoms got bad enough to send me to the ER, maybe someone would take me seriously.

It’s now five years since my original tests and my symptoms have done nothing except become more frequent. I can go weeks with only minor abdominal pain, etc. and then I’ll go through weeks of being sick (complete with low-grade fever). The last week of March and the first week of April of this year were two of those weeks and I had a couple of nights where I thought it might be time to make that trip to the ER. Kenn, bless his heart, has continued to harass – I mean, encourage – me about going back to the doctor.

I had done a little research and determined that if I were to talk to a doctor again, a gastroenterologist would probably be my best option. Since I am due for my once-every-five-years colonoscopy, I already had an appointment with my gastroenterologist for a consultation. I promised Kenn that I would that I would raise the issue with the nurse practitioner during my visit and I did. And, she blew my mind. I expected to have to make another appointment at a later date to discuss my ongoing issues since they are unrelated to my colonoscopy, but… no. She spent another ten to fifteen minutes talking to me about my symptoms, my history, and what tests had been done when. I left her office with appointments for a new abdominal ultrasound, another HIDA scan, and an EGD to rule out an ulcer or anything of that nature since one has never been done. I don’t know what the tests will find but it is such a relief to finally feel like someone is listening to me and not acting like being miserable is no big deal.

I understand that my gallbladder has a function to perform, even if it’s not doing it well. I’m also not an advocate of unnecessary surgery. However, I am so tired of feeling bad that, at this point, I’d like to have my gallbladder removed just to see if I’d feel better.

Have you had your gallbladder removed? If so, did your symptoms improve?

Hives and Hope

In July 2021, right before I went out of town for a few days, Kenn showed me that he had developed a few hives. We talked for a bit, but couldn’t come up with any ideas on what might have caused them. When I got back home, the hives were still an issue and were starting to worsen. He made an appointment with our GP who gave him steroids and a cream to put on the hives. No relief. Another trip to the GP resulted in no reduction in hives so Kenn was referred to an allergist. I am so thankful for the allergist; she is wonderful!

The first thing the allergist wanted to do was a full allergy test. However, that involved Kenn taking no antihistamines for seven days. He tried, but was unsuccessful. After two trips to the emergency room when his lips swelled and he had difficulty breathing, the testing was shelved indefinitely. Then began the process of finding the right mix of medications to get Kenn itch and hive free. The next couple of months were pretty miserable for him. Along the way we accidentally discovered that nylon seemed to make his symptoms worse. Do you have any idea how prevalent nylon is in clothing, etc.? Neither did we. Most of Kenn’s clothes were of the “wicking” variety which are predominately nylon. We had to replace his entire wardrobe and all of our towels and sheets, but the change, in addition to the medication, started to make a difference.

It is now 2023 and Kenn has been dealing with idiopathic urticaria, hives of an unknown origin, for almost two years. Earlier this year he was able to wean himself off of most of his meds while remaining symptom free for a few weeks. Then, the itching began again and he had to start increasing his dosages again. Thanks to a recommendation from one of my coworkers, Kenn contacted the allergist to see about scheduling an allergy test. So, last Wednesday, April 26th, Kenn had to cut out all antihistamines for seven days in order to have the test. The first couple of days were relatively easy, after that the hives, itching, and his usual seasonal allergy issues gradually worsened each day. Then yesterday, the day before the test was scheduled, he woke up with swollen lips and a number of hives. Since his lips were swollen, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to go another day with no medication. We went to the allergist office as soon as it opened only to find that she was at a different branch. However, the admins sent her a message and told us to wait for a call back. We left to run some errands and got a call in less than fifteen minutes saying that if we could get to the other office, the doctor would work Kenn in. (Have I mentioned recently that she’s awesome?) Forty-five minutes later, we were in the office and the allergy test was underway.

This is what an allergy skin/scratch test looks like

I think we both would have cried if the test had shown that he had no allergies. It may sound wrong to be hoping to find a problem, but when that problem may lead to a better treatment for an existing condition…🤷‍♀️So, what were the results? Kenn is allergic to all three types of pollen: tree, grass, and weed. Living in Georgia means that he is exposed to all of them twelve months out of the year. Seriously. It never gets cold enough here to make all plants go dormant so allergy season here is year round. Where do we go from here? Kenn will begin receiving allergy shots in a couple of weeks; the shots are designed to desensitize an allergy sufferer to their allergens. Of course, the allergist can’t promise that the allergy shots will completely clear up Kenn’s hives, but she is hopeful. There’s a good chance that Kenn’s constant exposure to his allergens eventually became too much for his immune system to handle and it reacted in the only way it could. We understand that the shots will take time to become effective, but we are still looking forward to discovering the impact that they will have. (Oh, he also has a slight allergy to eggs and egg whites, but it’s not at the level of severity as his pollen allergy.)

Here’s hoping that you too have some happiness and hope in your week – preferably without getting “scratched” by multiple sharp, pointy objects!

You Haven’t Changed A Bit!

When Kenn’s aunt died we, of course, attended both the visitation and the funeral. When we arrived at the funeral home for the visitation, I was surprised to see a guy I haven’t seen since we graduated from high school forty-three (!) years ago. I recognized him immediately and turned to tell Kenn “Look, it’s Scott!” (Kenn and I attended the same schools from third grade.) Just then, Scott turned and saw me. “Linda? Hi! You haven’t changed a bit!” We spoke and hugged and then Scott turned to Kenn, held out his hand, and said “And you are?” At this point, I was next to Scott so he couldn’t see me smirk. Kenn shook Scott’s hand and said “Scott. Seriously? I’m Kenn. We lived in the same neighborhood and rode the bus together.” There was a little awkwardness and then laughter all around.

Of course, all of us have changed. When we graduated, Scott’s hair was blond; it’s now gray. I’m heavier than I was then and my hair is much closer to the blonde side of the strawberry blonde spectrum. Admittedly, Kenn has changed more than Scott or I. In his teenage years, Kenn was so skinny his ribs showed and his hair was down to his shoulders. Kenn’s ribs no longer show while his hair is much thinner on top and is rarely more than half an inch in length.

Image courtesy of depositphotos.com

Now for a different scenario. A couple of years before I retired, I was walking down the hallway in my office building. It was late in the day and there were few people around. As I approached a man headed the other direction he said “Hi Linda”; I smiled, said “Hi” and continued on my way. I didn’t think twice about him knowing my name because I supported the entire organization so a lot of people knew my name. Then I heard from behind me “You don’t recognize me, do you?” I turned and studied the man and no, I didn’t recognize him. He finally said, “It’s me – Doug!” I could tell his feelings were hurt. Y’all, Doug and I had worked together for twelve years when I was in a different part of the organization. I had not seen him in at least ten years at the time of our hallway meeting. The last time I had seen Doug, his hair was brown and it was now white. Hair color change aside, I didn’t recognize him until he gave me his name and, only at that point, could I start to see the man I knew in the one in front of me.😬

Now, I wonder what it is that makes us see someone and immediately say (or think) “You haven’t changed a bit!” and yet, in a similar situation not even recognize the individual? Any ideas?

At Last

Well, this isn’t the post I was planning for today, but that’s the joy of blogging – I can always zig when I was planning to zag. Today, I’m musing about weddings and music. Kenn and I married in 1986 and we were among the last of our friends and acquaintances to wed. One of the most popular songs for weddings during that period was There is Love, also known as The Wedding Song. Now, don’t get me wrong.There is Love is a beautiful song and you can listen to my favorite version by the Captain and Tennille HERE. The only problem was, we heard this song at so many weddings, it got to the point where we’d get the giggles as soon as it started playing. Since most people don’t appreciate people snickering during their vows, we would attempt to swallow our laughter and hope that people assumed our tears were due to the occasion and not our reaction to the music.

Over the years I’ve also come to associate the song At Last with weddings. (The Etta James version is probably the best known.) However, earlier today I was watching the episode of Bones where the main characters, FBI agent Seeley Booth and forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan married. Cyndi Lauper (yes, that Cyndi Lauper) played a small recurring role as Avalon the psychic. Cyndi/Avalon sang At Last at the wedding and I. Was. Floored. She absolutely knocked it out of the park.😮 A little research showed that Cyndi also recorded the song; if you haven’t listened to her version, I hope you do. It’s wonderful.

However, thanks to The Big Bang Theory (the tv show, not BigBang the K-pop group) Kenn and I now get the giggles whenever any version of At Last plays. Barry Kripke, a recurring character on The Big Bang Theory, suffers a speech impediment which causes him to have problems pronouncing the letter L. When characters Sheldon and Amy Farrah Fowler (finally!) get married, Kripke performs At Last at the end of the wedding. Kripke’s version will now and forever be my favorite version of this song.

The song is near the end of this video

What songs do you associate with weddings?

The Great Toilet Conundrum

A couple of years ago we updated our master bathroom which, among other things, included replacing the hand-painted toilet and sink. (The original owners had hand painted flowers on the cabinet doors and carried the theme onto the sink and toilet.) While I appreciated the effort and love that had gone into the painting, the overall effect just screamed “SEVENTIES!” So, we put the old sink and toilet in the basement to deal with later, as one does. By the time later actually rolled around, we had added a second toilet to the collection as we had replaced the plastic toilet in our travel trailer with a ceramic one.

The day eventually rolled around when Kenn asked The Question: “What should I do with those old toilets? Sit them out by the road?” My answer was a resounding NO! I refuse to be those people that have a toilet (or in this case, two toilets) sitting in their yard. Admittedly, at our last house, someone might have picked them up but I still wouldn’t have put toilets in the yard. Our current neighborhood is a little nicer and in all the years we’ve lived here, I haven’t seen a single free-range toilet in search of a new home. Toilets also seem to fall under the definition of “household debris” that the city won’t pick up. So, we left the toilets in the basement to ignore a while longer.

Kenn is the one who ultimately came up with the solution to our excess toilet situation: Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. He had helped his brother find a “gently used” replacement sink for his office at a ReStore so, hey, maybe they would take our old bathroom fixtures. We loaded up the truck and drove to our local ReStore where there were a few raised eyebrows at the flowers, but they took everything. Whoo hoo! (Thank you Habitat for Humanity!)

Fast forward to this year when we are updating our guest bath. One of the first things to go was the hideous green toilet with its even more hideous wooden toilet seat.🤢 (At least the green tub/shower unit can be hidden behind the shower curtains.)

Goodbye and good riddance

One weekend we went full Beverly Hillbillies, loaded the toilet in the bed of the truck, and headed out to run errands. The toilet accompanied us to the recycle center, Goodwill, the grocery store, and finally to the ReStore where we learned that even “gently used” has its limits. The green toilet was so bad that the good folks at the ReStore refused to take it!😂 So, we took ourselves out to a late lunch – still with a toilet in the truck bed – then went home to regroup.

My suggestion for dealing with the green monster was to take a sledge hammer to it and dump the pieces in the city trashcan for pickup. (The old “there’s more than one way to skin a cat” method.) Once again, it was Kenn to the rescue. We both have part-time jobs at a local agricultural center which happens to have a convenient dumpster. The next time I worked, I drove straight to the dumpster and called Kenn who came and helped me offload the toilet into the (also green) dumpster. Less than an hour later, the dumpster was emptied and the Great Green Toilet Saga was concluded. Sweet, sweet success!

So, tell me dear readers, how would you dispose of a toilet?