Goodbye

As Josh said today on his Facebook wall, "Another Angel was given her wings today, RIP Grandma." Grandma Hastings took her last earthly breath this morning with family near her side. Josh told me at the table tonight, I'm not glad mom but I'm not sad either. Grandma had suffered for quite sometime. If you smoke or you have COPD and smoke please try to stop. It is such a terrible way to die. I have seen my mother die of it and now Josh's grandma. My brother in law Emphyzima, my brother throat cancer, my sister in law this year with lung cancer. They all smoked.

Oh well, I need to lose weight too so who am I to preach. Should probably make sure my own laundry is clean before I talk about everyone else's!!!

I don't know how much the rest of you watch the reality TV but I am so sick of some of those shows. The White Trash family in "Honey Boo Boo", "The AxMen", "The Moonshiners", "The Swamp People" and I just saw a preview of one called "In America" or something like that. Please, get a good comedy sitcom. I hate, hate, hate "The Bachelor", "Dancing With The Stars", all those music contest ones I like better but it is really over kill. They have like 3 different shows. Oh well, guess they do it to give me something to bitch about.

Well, getting off of here. Gotta get ready to take a couple of days off from work. Family night tomorrow night and funeral is Wednesday morning. Funeral is going to be graveside services. I really like those. Not sure why but what is a better way to feel the Lord then when you are at a country cemetary out in the middle of no where.

The Journey

Spent the day cooking. Brought out the pot of chili I made last night for lunch. As we were eating that I fried up some chicken legs that needed cooked. My husband loves fried chicken legs. Me, not so much so but that's okay. Pan of lasagne is in the oven right now. Cooking helps me through times like these. Like I said on Facebook, it has been a hard day. We know it is going to happen, we just don't know when. All I can do is cook and pray.

Josh was here most of the morning but is now out with one of his friends, out in the woods. I totally understand that. Like Aunt Mary said, I could sure use the woods right about now. There is a solitude in hiking in the woods that is hard to explain. Nothing is better.

Grandma Margaret

Your life and day can change in a split second. Josh, Terry and I were sitting here in the living room planning out our day. Josh was planning on going coyote hunting, I was planning on doing some cooking and just staying home, maybe going to the grocery store later this afternoon and Terry's day was going to consist of watching some pregame's today. Josh was laying on the couch when his phone rang. He answered it and goes "Hey Aunt Mary, what's going on?" Then he goes "Oh hi Uncle Bobby, how is Grandma" as he headed into his room. I knew that was not going to be a good phone call.

Grandma Hastings has COPD and over Christmas Josh said that she didn't look good at all. To make a long story short she is in the hospital in Kansas City, they took all the tubes out and it is a matter of time. She is preparing for her journey and it is very hard on everyone involved. Josh and I spent the day at the hospital with his Aunt Mary and Uncle Bobby. I am so glad we did and we will be going back up tomorrow also. Grandma is his dad's mom and she was always my mother in law. She was always so good to me and of course to Josh too. She was good to me even after the divorce, I loved her to death.

It is so hard to see your child hurt and Josh is hurting tonight. He loved his Grandma. I told him he was one lucky little guy. He had two Grandma's that loved him more than anything in the world and they were both good, good women. He had to agree with me. Please remember Josh in your prayers along with the rest of the family. They are hurting a lot right now and as I said earlier on Facebook. She is one strong lady, but COPD is winning this fight. She's getting to tired.

Not much in the mood to write. My memories are flooding tonight. Gardens, bird watching, the best beef steak tomatoes you ever sunk your teeth in. I loved the BLT's during the summer. Grandma had the nicest garden ever. With me loving gardening and flowers we had a lot in common. She loved to watch birds and every Christmas I made sure we got her a book to look up her birds. She loved her cats and also had a dog or two. Grandma loved animals, grandkids and anything that had to do with nature. Anyway, I am going to get off of here. Love you guys and keep close to those that have been placed in your path because you never know when it is time for them to go back "home".

Remembering

Sometimes I get a little concerned about my remembering skills. I am not sure what happens to them, I write everything down that I need to do within my work life and personal life so I won't forget. I got to work today and told my co-workers I had a lunch meeting to attend but would be back in the office to finish up some work. It was a little before noon so I bundled up to walk to the meeting. Where I was going is not even a block away from the office, so off I go. I get to the building at noon and the door is locked. I am like okay, they must be running late which is really out of the norm. I stood there waiting. Watching the bus station across the street and the vast array of individuals transferring to and from the buses. Then I was like, let me look in my appointment book. Yep, that's right. The meeting is at noon next week. Crap. I went back to the office and took a walk around downtown and grabbed a sandwich at one of the shops. Grrr. Oh well, I needed to get out anyway but it makes me mad when I mess up like that.

The other night I posted a picture on Facebook that said, Music has no expiration date. Someone posted "Except today's music". I'm like, how can you say that. There are some excellent artists playing today. I love to listen to new and upcoming artists along with artists that I grew up with. No matter if it was my mom and dad's music, my grandma's music, or the music of my era. Art and Music. Two things I love.

Well, getting off of here. It's going to be a quiet weekend. Talk to you tomorrow.

Love a Bargain

Sorry about not posting last night. I had a full day and didn't get home until late. When I did I was starving and fixed me a bite to eat. Went to the grocery store while I was out and bought healthy foods for my refrigerator. I did really good today until I went out and ate with a couple of my friends. I think I did okay though. Didn't get to crazy. There was a delicious spinach cheese dip but I think it was okay and I didn't eat lots. Probably more than I should have. Need to think seriously about incorporating exercise into the program. We'll see.

Am all pumped. Went to a Consignment Shop tonight and got me a really nice C.J. Banks jacket for $7.00 and a pair of Born shoes for $20.00 No wear at all on them and they look brand new. Also bought me a pair of $3 gloves. I cannot find my gloves and it has been pretty cold in the morning when I am scraping off the frost on my windshield. Need to remember my hat also when I come next week.

I enjoy going to thrift stores and Consignment shops. I have always been a bargain hunter and love it when I find a good deal on a name brand. Of course my friend Cindy posted the other day on Facebook that she found a Coach purse, very little wear for like $18.00. That's a good deal. Love them good deals at the thrift stores and Consignment shops.

Well, not real news worthy. Tomorrow will be a new day and something else will be put in my path to learn from. That's okay. I get to go home so I am excited about that. Talk to everyone later.

Savor the little things. Joy comes from letting life unfold. ~ Thom Benedetto

Join the Fight

We have approached the time of year that everyone makes promises that we will make changes for the better. Whether it is our health, our finances, our relationships within our families or with friends, our spiritual life, our jobs or whatever we have not been happy with the last 365 days. I have made resolutions in the past, some of them I was able to work on and others only last a few days.

Last year I promised myself I would read at least 3 Books. I read two and half way through the third so I feel I have accomplished a lot. I like reading but it takes me forever to finish a book unless I focus myself on getting it read. I read "Winter's Bone", "Mom Blogging for Dummies" and almost done with "The Maker's Diet for Weight Loss". Don't judge me. Mom Blogging I got to help me with Blogging and I read it all. :o

One year I promised myself I would take care of my health. I lost over 50 pounds on Weight Watchers that year. Got lazy and met Terry. Have to admit I have gone a little down hill after that. This year I am going to work on it again. I want to eat more organic foods and eat as the book I am reading talks about. It can be done. I just need to redirect myself to it. I will feel better physically and mentally.

Another thing I want to do is be a voice in something I feel very strongly about. Tonight as I was sitting here watching TV a commercial came on that caught my attention. Click here to see it. They don't want money, they want your voice to write to your congressmen and such to stop extreme poverty.

There is other things I have been wanting to do or finish up but I think this is a pretty good thing to set a goal on. We'll see how it goes but I won't beat myself up if I fall. It will all be fine.

I am going to get off here. You guys take care of yourselves and I will talk to you tomorrow.

The end of 2012

As I woke up this morning, I looked outside and it was snowing. Just as the weatherman had predicted. This put me in the mood to do some cooking so I made a pan of homemade applesauce, put a roast in the crock pot and sat some yeast rolls out to rise. Made the house smell wonderful and made for a delicious dinner.

Throughout the day Terry and I were remembering New Year's Eve of the past. When it snowed so hard you could hardly see, we were thinking it was around 1979 or so. I told him I remembered, I was heading to Independence MO to a party and no matter what I was going to make it. The road's were treacherous and visibility was low. I made it to the party and made it home but it was stupid. Then we thought of the other stupid stuff we have done in the past and these experiences are what makes me worry so for my son and others that are out tonight. Roads will be slick because we had snow all day. It was too warm to stick to the roads, making them wet. Now that the sun is down and the temps have dropped, the road condition is slick. Making a worrying mother pray a little harder for all those out tonight, especially my son and his best friend that is two weeks home from being out of the Army. Just scares me.

Going to get off. My computer is down so Terry and I are sharing and I have been on for a while. Talk to you guys tomorrow and pray everyone stays safe.