Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[FarmerJamie]

@frustratedearthmother enjoy the grands today!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

enjoy the grands today!!

Thanks! It'll be great to have them here again!

Up at 5:20 this morning. Yay for that.... Grands will be here around noon! Can't wait! May have to hide their keys so they can't go back home, lol.

Dry rubbed a pork shoulder last night and put it in the oven about 15 minutes ago. Wanted to smoke it but it appears that our smoker decided it didn't love life anymore. We had smoked some chicken thighs a couple weeks ago and it worked fine. Tried to fire it up the other day and nope. Just nope. I don't really need an excuse to buy a new one, but I will and I'll label it as a Father's Day gift, lol. Probably get it this week so GS can help with loading/unloading and any assembly that might be needed. I'm going with a plain ol' offset smoker. I'm done with the more elaborate types that need to have power for the fans and pellets and such. Going back to the simpler stuff. I find that I'm doing that a lot these days. Needed a new washer and dryer a while back. Give me the simplest ones you've got. New fridge - no "in the door" water/ice delivery. Just a plain old fashioned ice maker.

Goats didn't walk away from the new hay bale for hours yesterday. They're like "it's about time" we had free choice hay after being rationed for awhile. Makes my life easier too. I've about wrecked my shoulder pulling hay offa bale to feed 'em.

Need to go make some coleslaw. Grands love a recipe that has crushed pineapple in it from Cattleman's Steak House near El Paso. Gotta admit it's darn good stuff. I'll get some baked beans in the oven later. DS and DIL will be over for dinner this evening too.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Well....yesterday was ... a day. Took the grands to a fav Mexican restaurant for lunch. DH and I had to go to a training for his new insulin delivery system. He changed from a Medtronic pump to an Omni pod. Training was supposed to be at 2. Trainer called us at 1 and asked if we were lost. Uh, no - you're early. We were meeting at the county library and the restaurant was only 5 minutes away. We were finished with our meal so the grands went home (nice that they have their own wheels) and we went to the meeting early. Constant weather alerts. Trainer was thorough but in a rush because of the weather. We finished up and trainer literally disappeared.

Storm had started and people were either hunkering down in the library are running for their cars. We were invited to stay at the library but the grands were home alone by that time and the power had gone out. No way I was ok with them being alone. However, getting DH to the truck was, was, was the hardest thing EVER. The walkway was wet. It was a ramp descending from library to parking lot. Even the handicapped spot we parked in wasn't close enough. I seriously would have driven up the ramp to the door if there hadn't been handrails in the way. We moved at 'slower than sloth' speed through the driving rain and gusting wind to the truck. He's had trouble with his feet for a couple days. Neuropathy and swelling made him very uncomfortable and unsteady. I had my left hand on his elbow and my right hand holding the umbrella over him. Winds literally doubled in the path from the library door to the car door. Umbrealla blew backwards as we reached the truck. A surge of adrenaline was all it took for me to "assist" him into the truck. (I am woman, lol)

Drive home was a little hairy but could have been worse. It got better as we got closer to home. Got him in the house which was only slightly easier than getting him out of the library. GS and I went out to start the generator and I heard ear-splitting screams of a goat in distress. I have had several 6 ft sections of 6ft tall privacy fence leaning up against another fence. I've used sections of them previously to build a chicken shelter and had a few left. They have been there for several years and never moved. Wind was so strong that it blew those fence sections over and trapped a doeling underneath. Grandson and I had to pick those sections up, in the wind and rain, off of that little doe and thankfully she extricated herself. Like a miracle (!) she had been in the only area that had landed on a cinderblock that kept the full weight off of her.

Got the generator started and helped DH up to bed to elevate his legs. Kids and I played a game of Skip Bo (which I won!) and power came back on a while later. By then it was starting to lighten up to the north and west of us. What to do after such a day? GO FISHING of course, lol!

Fishing was productive! (shocked!) Where we fish there are tons of smaller fish like bluegill and perch. We generally catch those quickly and we pick smallish ones to use for bass bait. DIL got a hit by a huge bass. The kind that jump out of the water and take your breath away right before they spit out the hook and disappear! Such disappointment. GD kept us supplied with bait fish. She caught 30! Most went back in the water. I also lost a nice bass but didn't care, lol.

After the storm the temps were down, the breeze was cool and being with DIL and the grands was great. I would have been fine without catching a thing. It was the kind of day where memories are made and it did my heart good.

 

[murphysranch]

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. That was horrible, even with the proverbial inside out umbrella. But then your ending was glorious!! Good job!!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

WoW! Woke up to another storm! We've been getting our share the last few days. Winds were over 40mph, thunder almost a constant rumble, lightening like crazy and rain, rain, rain. So far, 1.7 inches of rain, but it's still coming down. Thankfully only a moderate shower right now.

Grands are leaving today. They're not going straight home. They're heading west to San Antonio to a b'day party for their step-sister. More bad weather predicted today - from the west. ARGH. My GS is certainly getting a lot of driving experience this week. His first long drive was here and now he's about to make another one in awful weather. I'll worry until I know they're safely at their destination.

DH had an MRI yesterday. We have an appt with pain doc Tuesday to get results. Would be nice if there was something they can do for him - be it surgery or a pain pump or just something!

Need more coffee and guess I'll start some breakfast for the late sleepers around here, lol.

 

[murphysranch]

I know you'll miss them. I can't believe my first baby Grand is graduating from High School next week!!

Hubs had two MRI's recently. One of his brain and one of his spine - neck area. I got the results, but we don't have an appt yet with the neurologist. I did note that he moved a bit during the head one. AUUGHH

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I know you'll miss them.

They've been gone all of 10 minutes and I miss 'em already!

I swear that's the hardest part of an MRI. When somebody tells you NOT to move - what's the first thing your body wants to do? LOL

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Saw the doc at the Spinal Institute today and got the results of the latest MRI. Nothing good about it. Not only has his protruding disc not gotten any better with the passage of time, its gotten worse. We will be meeting with a neurosurgeon when arrangements are made. Looking at a laminotomy and possibly a fasciotomy. He also gave us the wonderful news that DH's nerve damage from all the pressure that has been on it is quite likely permanent. So, why do the surgery? Because he's losing function of his right leg because of the pressure on the nerve. The hope is that the surgery will prevent him from getting any worse. He//fire - what else must this man endure?

 

[Mini Horses]

Will the op relieve any pain? Sometimes nerves will regenerate somewhat but, very slow. Stopping more damage is important -- stopping the pain is major.

 

[tortoise]

So sorry to hear this. I will continue to hope his doctor is wrong that nerve damage is likely permanent.