Bill and I are both sick so I really haven’t had the energy to take care of anything online. This holiday has been kind of sucky to say the least because not only are we sickly, but my old Shadow fell down a couple of steps and we took him to the vet. He can’t get up so right now I am diapering him and keeping pads under him. He’s on prednisone for 10 days plus I’m giving him doggy Glutamine flex or something like that. I’d have to go downstairs to look and I don’t feel like it right now. Just thought I’d throw in a short post…Type at you all later.

We made it through the 61st birthday yesterday. Bill had a birthday breakfast with his kids and was tickled to get one of those NuWave infrared cookers, but this one was on sale at the mall. It was different from the one I had ordered from online which was going to cost me double the amount and he asked me to cancel. I’m glad I did because this works fine.

We had planned to go out for a birthday dinner, but he was like a little boy with a new toy and wanted to play with it. So he decided on chicken and it was so moist and it turned out really good after he figured out the power settings. The good thing about this cooker is all the fat drops into a pan underneath and you can do just about any food on it.

When the kids asked what he wanted for Christmas he did tell them either the Jack LaLanne Juicer or the Nuwave so he wasn’t expecting this for his birthday. I guess we will be working harder in future to be healthier because we also watched Nate last night while Jodi did some shopping for him and when he saw the Nuwave he asked Pappy if that was the juicer so I’m sure we’ll be getting that for Christmas.

Bill loves to watch all of those products on television, but I know they don’t always work the way they show them. Any gadget for the kitchen though gets him excited and he loves those cooking shows. Personally I prefer watching the HGTV channel to get ideas on redecorating and changing things I’ve gotten way behind on my list of DIY projects, like a kitchen renovation.

I managed to bake his pineapple upside down cake and he said he liked it. I didn’t taste it so I don’t know if he was just being kind or if it really tasted ok. I know he told me to give some to Jodi when she picked Nate up and he took some to his buddy at work this morning so either he liked it and wanted to share or he just wants to get rid of it. That’s why I usually stay out of the kitchen and leave cooking to Bill.

Surely he wouldn’t want people to know how horrible a baker I am if it was bad. I did say I’m horrible in the kitchen, didn’t I? Yes, I can mess up even a cake mix recipe or even something from a can. I’m not good with the camera, but there’s a few photos below if you’re interested. I only put seven candles, 6 in a circle and 1 in the middle.

I’m sure everyone is having a busy time getting prepared for the holidays, but we can be thankful that they will soon be over then everything hopefully will settle back down to some kind of normalcy until tax time…yuck just thinking about self employment taxes chill me to the bone.

I’m planning on using turbo tax this year unless someone has a suggestion for something better. Paying 218 dollars unless you have a coupon like last year to bring it down to 168 is barbaric for someone like me to pay for not really making anything online.

Yes I know I am jumping way ahead since we didn’t even get through this year yet, but tax time will be here before we know it. I now remind myself of the department stores that jump ahead months before one season is even done to the next.

Tomorrow and the rest of this year seems to be full so I really don’t think I will be online very much till after the new year. I know for a fact I wont be dropping very many Entrecard credits and for that I apologize. Bill will be off till January 2nd so we will be busy, but I’ll try.

Happy Holidays To Everyone.

I finally received Bill’s gift card for the “Vietnam Memorial Brick”, but I had to come up with something to write on the inside. His birthday is Sunday and he’ll be 61 so we’ll have a small celebration I’m glad he wants something simple like the pineapple upside down cake since I am the world’s worse cake baker.

I don’t think I would like having my birthday so close to Christmas and especially on the 25th it seems like it kind of takes away from your special day or at least it does to me. I prefer having mine when it’s separate from all of the holidays and no one is as stressed and you don’t get those combined birthday/Christmas presents.

Of course he already knows what his birthday present is because he had to supply all of the information for me. He’s so difficult to buy for so this is the perfect present for him because now he will at least know he is being honored for the 2 years of his life he gave up to serve his country with no thanks from either side.

I’m not the greatest at expressing sentiment, but at least he will know it’s heartfelt and that I mean it. The short verse below is what I finally came up with I’m sure I could have done better, but too much is going on. He knows how I feel though so that’s all that matters.

You served your country valiantly when you heard the call
No parade or welcome home, protesters made you feel like dirt
I’m so glad I have the opportunity to honor you
with this “Vietnam Memorial Brick”
instead of seeing your name on “The Wall”

God Bless those that served in all of these stupid wars, but we know that they will never end because there can be no peace in this world because then we would stop aspiring for a better place or a Heaven. I’m sorry that makes no sense to anyone, but me. I honestly believe there will be no peace in this reality.

I met Eric’s Father when we were both in an orphanage many years ago, he was smart and athletic and he was my first serious love or that’s how I always felt. Of course I know it never would have lasted now, but way back then I didn’t. At any rate I have never regretted having my Son although I do regret that I wasn’t older and better able to provide for him.

The orphanage had a small newsletter that they sent out to all the sponsors and of course they would feature the children in it. I was even in it and I look pretty dorky at one of the functions serving barbecue or something I really don’t remember now, but I’ll post it below (I’m the one with the flip, remember those)? Andy was featured also in front of the trophy case which I’ll also post.

As I said he was into all sports and had football, Golden Gloves boxing, baseball, and basketball trophies. He was a quarterback and loved all the pain or so he said which I personally thought was weird. Eric never liked sports, but would tell everyone I wouldn’t let him play because he didn’t want people to think he was a wimp, but since I usually took the fall no big deal.

Eric only recently met him in the hospital and said he got an okay vibe from him so if they are planning on doing that DNA test I really think it ought to be soon. I see no need for it because it’s a little late now after 38 and a half years, but I guess most people want proof of who they are. Personally I’m more concerned about where I’m going than where I came from.

I have always liked to be called Nana over Granny and that’s what Nate calls me and Natalie will no doubt follow suit, these are Bill’s Daughters 2 children. When Bill’s Son had his 2 little girls I just assumed it would be the same, but found out that his wife’s Mother had chosen to be called Nana herself which is no big deal so I had to figure something else for them to call me.

I certainly didn’t like the idea of little kids calling me by my name and I wanted something easy so I decided on Juju since my niece had called me Aunt Juju many years ago. I am of course closer to Jodi’s kids than Billy’s anyhow so no big deal. I thought when Eric had Ethan I would get to be Nana to him, but Eric still referred to me as Granny to Ethan because he couldn’t remember what everyone wanted to be called.

Eric had a Granny and a Papaw. Bill gets to be Pappy of course to every one unless Eric forgets and calls him Papaw to Ethan. Chris’s Mother wants to be called Mom Mom, well I know it gets all confused for Eric with everything he is going through so I told him Granny is fine and he really appreciated my change of heart. Even though I feel my age I simply never thought of myself as a Granny, but I’ll live with it.

I really enjoyed being called Mom and Mama, I don’t ever remember my Son calling me Mother. Mother to me is so formal, but we all choose how we want our children and their offspring to address us. Even when Eric referred to me to others he never said my Mother, it was always my Mom and when he was small of course it was my Mama and he called me Mama until he was a teenager then he thought it sounded to babyish.

Eric called this morning to let me know they are doing surgery this afternoon to embed the permanent pain pump which will go directly to his spine and will take a couple hours to do. He has been in the hospital to build up his platelets so they could do the surgery. He said the levels had been around 16,000 and now they have them built up to over 100,000 they feel it’s safe for the surgery.

Just since August he has had 3 consecutive days of Chemo and 3 weeks off each month and since he has maintained keeping weight on even though his gallbladder was bad they decided to add radiation so he has now had 2 doses, but instead of small consecutive doses they have hit him with 3 times the regular amount in 2 treatments if he hadn’t had the extra weight they wouldn’t have done that. No wonder all of his levels are so low.

Last month he told me that the Cancer was already in his bones and we had been under the impression from the other hospital that they hadn’t reached that far yet. That’s when I kind of lost it and got really depressed, but I’m working through all that now and learning to deal better with the situation. I’m sure all of the positive energy sent our way has really helped and I’m really grateful for all the thoughts and prayers.