Father's Day

I always looked at Mother's Day, Father's Day and Grandparents Day as Hallmark Holidays- holidays invented by the card companies to make money. But holidays you have to participate in, so no feelings are hurt. (Except Grandparents day- I refuse to participate in that, since it was only invented a few years ago)

Ralph and I agreed years ago not to gift each other on Mother or Father's Day, since that isn't our relationship. And we each had a mom and dad.

We're both still lucky enough to have our Mom's. But both our dad's have died, his in 2005 and mine in 2007. It still feels strange to not have a dad to get a card and gift for.

To all the Dad's, have a great Father's Day.
Rocco and Joe, we miss you everyday.


Holly

Saturday

The Sunshine Club of my district nurses sent me these pretty flowers when I went out sick. They lasted for weeks! Roseanne and Barbara and Sharon also gave me flowers, but I didn't get pix of those. And I got fruit bouquets or baskets from Charlotte and Frank, Manda and Steph, Mike and Donna, and Jean, Mary Ester and Lynn. They were all enjoyed!
This is my short, easy to care for surgery haircut. The stylist called it a reverse bob. All I know is, it was/is low maintainance!
Ralph took out a drawer to sort tee shirts. Of course Miss Mill had to investigate this cool new space!
She would have stayed there and napped, but Ralph insisted on putting the drawer back.
I heard the mailman put a package on the step on Thursday. I thought it was my amazon order, til I saw it was a postal service box, and the return address was Ashley in Ky. Ashley is part of my internet group, which is called ODT (Our Daily Thread.) There's about 50 ladies on ODT, and when someone has a life changing event, someone coordinates and we make them a quilt. It never crossed my mind that they'd make me a quilt!

It's the perfect size to use on my new recliner, and it will get a lot of use! I felt wrapped in love when I was under it. I love the colors, and I love the pattern, and I love the backing. I have to take more pix of it, and one of the gorgeous label that has all the names on it.

ODT is ladies from all over the country and Australia. I've met 2 of them, and will never meet most of them. But I consider them some of my closest friends. We all post the details of our lives, from the mundane to the life changing, on our site. We've supported each other thru weddings, deaths, births, moves, and deployments. We know who's quilting, who's working, whose husbands is making them crazy! We freely dispense advise to each other, and sometimes we take the advise! We're a close group, and I'm so glad to be a part of it. If it wasn't for the internet, I wouldn't have the good fortune to know these ladies.

Ralph is working today, his second day back from Family Leave. He took 3 weeks (6 working days) family leave to be here for me. I really needed him, physically and emotionally. Up til this week I was still getting frequent meds and feeling awful at times.

And so it goes!
Holly

It's Amanda's birthday!

Manda is 29 today! How can that be, LOL. And two weeks from Saturday she'll walk down the aisle and become a married lady!

We're so proud of her. She went off to college in Florida to study engineering at Embry Riddle University right after high school. I would have been more of a nervous wreck if my brother John and sister in law Morgan didn't live 100 miles from her school. When she got evacuated for a hurricane the first week she was there, John went and got her and took her to their house for several days.

After graduating from ERAU with a degree in physics engineering, Manda moved to Houston to work for Boeing. She only knew one person in Houston! I don't know if I'd ever be that brave, to move so far from everyone. She quickly settled in, and a couple of years ago met Ben. So the girl from south jersey had to move to Houston to meet the guy from Omaha, Nebraska!

Along her journey, Manda went to the University of Houston for a Master's degree in Physics, came home and took her cat to Texas, and fell in love. She and Ben are getting married in 2 weeks, and will honeymoon in Hawaii! Happy Birthday, Precious!

In other news, the visiting nurse discharged me today. The incision is just about healed. And I'm totally annoyed with the medical community, but that's another story.

And the beat goes on!
Holly

Friday

The wound vac is off/out! I now have steri-strips over the incision, and I was able to shower and wash my own hair! The hot water of the shower felt so wonderful! The small pleasures of life. I also got lab work done this morning.

I was commenting to the Nurse Practioner that I feel like I'm not where I should be, energy or strength wise. I'm 4 weeks and one day postop. She said we women are all too hard on ourselves- we expect to feel fine and strong too soon, and reminded me that a hysterectomy is major surgery. She's right, of course.

Tomorrow we're invited to nephew Kevin's for a birthday party barbecue for great-niece Nadia. I don't know how long we'll stay, but I'm excited to go- my first social outing postop!

I've been watching Clean House on Style Network- wow, makes my house look immaculate! Some people really have issues with clutter! I'm reading "After Dark" by Jayne Anne Krentz, which takes place on the planet Harmony and involves ghost hunters and para-archeologists. Not really my kind of book, but by one of my favorite authors.

Summer has arrived- it's hot and muggy outside. We've had the air conditioning on for days. And my recliner came- it'll take some getting used to, but I like it.

Holly

It's June!

I decree- the second half of the year 2010 will be better than the first half!

June- Manda will be 29 on the 8th, Jacob will be 10 on the 9th, and Manda and Ben get married!

The visiting nurse thinks the gyn will d/c the wound vac when I see her on Friday- I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The wound is now only 1 cm. deep! I saw the cardiologist today, and he took me off the meds that the ER doc had ordered. He put me on coumadin, and ordered labs for Friday. He'd like to admit me for 3 days to get me on a med to keep my heart in rhythym. What's 3 more days after all that's gone on? He'll let me know on Monday, when he gets the labs back. In the meantime, if I go back into flutter, I'm to go to Kennedy's ER so he can treat me.

I've been reading library books- series by Sara Rosett and Donna Ball. I was able to cut squares for an ABC swap that I signed up for on the HGTV website. I'm more comfortable walking around than I was before.

Stephanie got a new car! A 2007 electric blue Honda Civic with 16,000 miles on it! She seems really happy with it.

Ralph also has a new toy. A friend of my friend Barbara's had a Rascal scooter that she was looking for a good home for. Ralph went and got it, and has been tinkering with it- he charged up the batteries and spiffed it up, and has it running well.

My recliner comes Thursday- a nice, big, puffy recliner! The one Mom lent me is nice, but I want the big puffy one.

And the beat goes on!
Holly