Short Night, Long Day

It never fails. When I have to get up early, I don't sleep during the night. I went to bed before 11 PM last night knowing that I had to get up at 5:30 this morning. I tossed and turned and turned and tossed until well after 1. I tried all my little "tricks" I do to keep my mind from wandering. Didn't work. I saw every hour on the clock and finally got up a little after 5. I was the guest speaker at the local Optimist Club meeting this morning. I talked about Share Your Christmas. This is the third time I've made a presentation on SYC since September. I will also be speaking--or sharing my power point presentation--Thursday at a meeting.

The best thing about this morning was that I got a free breakfast. This is my favorite meal to have if eating out. Nothing beats sausage, gravy, biscuits, hash browns and eggs. Yum! I'm not sure about the meeting Thursday. It's at noon, don't know if I get my meal free or not.

The meeting was over at 7:45 so I thought I would go work at the library for an hour before the Clothes Closet opened and I began work there. Best laid plans...I couldn't find my keys to the library. So I went home to search for them and couldn't find them there either. I called Charles later to see if I had left them in the library. Not there. It finally dawned on me that they were in my jacket pocket which was hanging on the back of a chair in the dining room. At least I know where they are now.

We were busy signing up people for Share Your Christmas today. Forty eight families signed up. I now have 130 people on my list to fix a gift bag. There are three days left for sign ups so I am planning for at least 200 on my list. I still have to buy socks and gloves. Plan on doing that tomorrow. I got home a little after 4 this afternoon and I am ready to go to bed! It has been a long day. At least I don't have to get up early in the morning! I am dreading that week after next. I will have to be gone by 7 each morning.

Quiet Days

I have really enjoyed these last couple of days. There has been no rush to get anywhere and nothing that I just had to get accomplished. Valary and I didn't go shopping in Springfield, we just hit Wal-Mart here. Didn't find any bargains that we couldn't just live without. I did buy her a board game and a movie. That's what she wanted for Christmas. She took those home with her. I have some other things for her, too. She's not going to be able to be home for Christmas since she has to work both the day before and the day after. We won't be going up there, either, because she has to sleep sometime in between those two days. She has a 24 hour shift each day. So I will probably take the rest of her Christmas to her the next week. She did say that I could come up New Year's Day and spend a couple of days. I want to spend time with Keith and this will work out fine. Charles has even said that he will stay home. Wow! A special Mother/Daughter time. I'm excited. She'll probably be glad when I leave!

Back to our shopping, or lack thereof. We ate lunch together before coming home. Jasmine's is a favorite spot for both of us. She is an expert with chopsticks. I'm sure I would have even more food spilled down my front if I tried to use them! I had a good time with her. She decided to go back home yesterday instead of waiting for today. It was good to have her home.

I went to a 60th wedding anniversary celebration yesterday. This couple lives just north of us and has for probably 40 years or so. They also are members of my Sunday school class. Very fine Christian people and a good example for all. I was surprised when I got there because my aunt was there. I didn't know she knew Coy and Donna but found out she was a classmate of Donna's. Small world! This afternoon I am going to the wedding of their grandson. It's going to be a beautiful wedding.

It's just been a wonderful few days but it all ends at 6:30 Monday morning when I am the speaker at the Optimist Club meeting. That means getting up at 5:00. I also will be attending another meeting on Thursday to present Share Your Christmas information. The next three weeks are going to be busy, busy, busy.

I'm Baaaaaaack!

This one is for you, Ruby! I didn't really realize that it has been over a month since I posted anything. I was trying to compose a post in my mind before I put it down in print but just couldn't get past the first couple of lines. I wanted to do something about insurance after having received all the bills from my surgery and saw what the insurance paid and what I had to pay. I was going to say that according to my insurance company I saved $46,000+ for having their insurance and using a doctor and hospital in their network. So if I saved that much--why did they charge me over 54 thousand? I just don't understand how the insurance industry works but I do think that this is what really needs to be reformed instead of health care.

Now, that being said, I'm glad that I do have a good insurance policy. All told, I probably had about $75,000 in bills (hospital, doctors, anesthesiologists, etc.) and I was only out about $1500. I can't complain. I have a $2000 deductible during which I have to pay 30% and the insurance company pays 70%. When the deductible is met, the insurance pays 100%.

We had Thanksgiving breakfast with Charles' sister and her family in Greenfield today. Last year we got together in Clever for breakfast. It was a lot of fun so I'm glad that we are going to continue this. Breakfast is my favorite meal...love those biscuits and gravy! It's still sad not to have Mom and Irene there with us. But I just bet they were having their own good time together and watching us as we shared time together. It was 4 years ago next week that Mom passed away. Irene's been gone a little over two years. I miss these two women greatly.

Valary still wanted turkey and dressing so when we got home I began working on our evening meal. I made a pumpkin pie cake and then put a turkey breast in the oven. We had potatoes and stuffing and turkey and hot rolls. Charles had shrimp since he doesn't care for turkey. We had a nice quiet family meal-just the three of us.

I talked with my brother, Keith, this evening. He was in good spirits. They had quite a bit of company and I could tell he was tired. I just pray that his spirit stays strong throughout the course he has ahead. He said that the guys at work had taken up a collection for him and that made him feel good. He is supposed to start receiving Social Security soon. He had been worried about paying all his bills. I'm glad that some good things are happening for him, yet am sad knowing that he has just a short time left. He said that the doctors haven't really given him any length as to live expectancy, but we have heard 6 to 12 months. And I forgot to ask if he had started chemo. He did get to go home from the hospital but isn't getting out of the house yet.

Valary and I are talking about going to Springfield tomorrow. I don't know for sure yet if we will. I'm going to a 60th wedding anniversary celebration tomorrow. So we'll just have to see about the Springfield trip.

Hope everyone reading this had a great Thanksgiving Day. I know I did.