Current Events

Thankfully, none of our current events include heart problems! David is most happy to report that he has lost 20 lbs.! The problem with that is that he can't keep his pants on! He cinches his belt as much as he can and ruffles his pants but they still slide off. I think he is ready to let me order some new ones. I have also lost some--my pants are also sliding down and being hitched up. Simple diet: no bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. Lots of other veggies, plenty of fish and venison. Occassionally we have a nibble of the forbidden--a baked potatoe for me and pie or tapioca pudding for David. It is suprising how little it takes to be enough of "sweet!"

David was out of town for five days and forgot his Coumadin. The heart people were not happy with him, but now his levels are back up and he is out of danger of having a stroke from a clot. I reminded him of his shaver and toothbrush but never thought about the medication! He is usually on top of that. I am getting another crown. I will now have a matched set of gold molars--sheesh, those things are expensive! I broke a cusp off just before we went on that road trip this summer and was unable to get in before we left. No problem with nerves, just sheered off the back. No more popcorn!

I had a real flurry of book orders but now I'm all caught up on that. The last big order for a full case of the Highly Sensitive books will get me out of the hole and I can start building capital!! What a good feeling! I have a pile of follow up to do. My marketing rep contacted a bazillion media outlets who have not contacted me so I have to go after them, two book signings scheduled, one in Dec. and one in Jan., a speaking engagement on the 21st, and a young man down in Indiana is working on a two week book tour for the last two weeks of April. Come Jan. I will do a campaign to the schools in the immediate area for Sassy Pants. It does keep me busy! In between all of that I am trying to knit a sweater dress for Katherine. Wow, she has grown! It is most definitely time for a visit--just don't know when. When it does happen I will coordinate business with pleasure and do as many book things as I can.

I have also started a third book for adults on the lessons in maturity learned the hard way while living with MS. Really, they are lessons we all need to learn. We all have a chronic condition:  life!  I was at a place with it where I didn't know where to go, so I sent it off for a professional critique which was very helpful. Now I will be able to do a more effective rewrite--if I ever get some time.

We have our first snow and it is promising to stay for the winter! Just when The Lake Michigan Snow Machine is threatening to get serious about its assignment, it gets tired and stops. For a while this afternoon I thought we were going to have a storm but it was just a flurry. The snow sure brings out the birds! David found a new kind of seed--cheaper than thistle seed and the birds love it! They will ignore the thistle and mixed seed feeders and go directly to the new black ones. I saw a very frustrated Jay the other day. He was too big to land on the black seed feeder; he certainly could not hang onto the screen that holds the seeds like the little birds do, but you could see him longing for those seeds! Poor guy! The nuthatches, titmouse and chickadees, cardinals, sparrows are all over it. The junkos and wintering finches are too little so they are all over the ground as usual. It is amazing how 10,000 tiny little feet can pack down the snow.

Snow also precipitated David's taking the car in to be winterized, replaced the burned out headlights and checked all the gizmos that needed checking. Still have a broken side mirror from our "construction accident" this summer and a rear window that needs a new motor. Priorities! First come new tires. The ones we have are legal, but they don't give the traction you want in a Michigan winter.

Brother Denny is out in Montana in the mountains somewhere playing with fish. He got a job with a hatchery. That will run him until time to drive on out to Washington state to his job as a campground host. The pay is good and living expenses minimal. The idea is to sock away as much as possible so he can pay cash for a little place in Alaska. We have not shared the end goal with Mom--she thinks the whole idea of Alaska is silly when you have family in Michigan. Oh, well! It will take him 2-3 years to save enough so there is no need to cause her worry ahead of time. Who knows, the goal may change. She is doing well for how she is. Went walking laps in the house because of the snow and made herself sore. She has decided no more of that. She is just going to rock now. There is a time for everything. And right now it is time for a snack! I am sure there is something I should have included and if I think of it, I'll do another post!

Blessings, Carol