More of the Same...

Okay, no witty, entertaining post about life on the river.

I sat down at my computer yesterday afternoon and within minutes my mom called.

Now, since Mom and I talk every single night  if she is calling during the day is not a good thing.

She started the conversation without me.

"I think I have to go to the hospital.  My little hernia (which was the size of a golf ball) is as big as a grapefruit and I can't stop vomiting."

Now, if you have been around here for a while, you know that we know the routine.

Mom has many hernias (Hernia?).  She has had surgery for as many as four at a time and has had four separate surgeries in two years..  She has been hospitalized at least ten times in four years. She left Tony's wedding reception in an ambulance and was in surgery within two hours.

 They always hope that by poking it back in, that the situation will resolve itself.  They will only operate again if it is life threating, due to her chronic blood cancer (which they control with oral chemo) and her age (almost 89).

I'm an hour from Mom, so I told her to call the ambulance and get to the hospital.  I would get there as fast as I could.

I got there and they were glad to see me.  They needed me to sign consent to treat forms and then told me to leave the building.  No visitors and even in the waiting room, only patients are permitted.

They did give me a few phone updates last night and at 9 this morning, she called to say she was being discharged.  No non-emergency patients!

We talked this afternoon.  The hernia-guy (I'm brain dead at the moment) wants her to see a surgeon.

The last one said that with all the stuff going on with her, the only way they would operate is if she showed up with her intestines hanging down to her knees.

I just don't know what to say...

So, to end this post on an up note...

A little cuteness...

Andy took Locklan to Lowes...Locklan wouldn't go unless he could wear his ruler!

Another Tuesday!

I know I said that I would show you photos from the weekend...

But yesterday was Tuesday and you know how well I get along with Tuesdays...

It started early and easy.  I had coffee on the patio while waiting for Mr. K to wake up.

I haven't gone out in public (or to shop) in forever.

Mr. K has no hobbies, doesn't read and most of all, doesn't mind running to the store.

He volunteered to run to Sam's Club.  

I gave him a list.

On the list was a bag of those tiny potatoes.

He did send me a text saying that they had no hard salami...

I was upstairs when he got home, he put the groceries away.

Then I decided to run to Michaels for paint so Locklan and I could work on a project.

I was gone about 45 minutes when Ashley called, asking me to ride to Sam's and sit with the kids in the car while she ran in to pick up one thing.

Instead, I met them there.

Mission accomplihed.

I went home to start dinner.  I had a killer salmon recipe I couldn't wait to make.

I put the salmon in the oven and went to start the baby potatoes that Mr. K bought.

Where were they?

First he said he put them in the fridge.

Nope.

The basement?  The Pantry?  Left in his car?

Nope, nope and nope.

We searched and searched.  I checked his receipt.

Yes, he bought them.  No, we did not have them.

He suggested noodles.

The salmon recipe said to bake the salmon and then broil it for 2 to 3 minutes.

I did.  After 2 minutes, it looked heavenly, it smelled divine.

I went to open the oven and flames shot out!

I screamed and slammed the door. 

I tried again, same thing, well, almost the same thing...

This time Mr.K came running with the fire extinguisher and sprayed the east wall of the kitchen, the inside of the oven, my beautiful salmon dinner AND the noodles cooking on top of the stove.

Sigh...it was Tuesday...

We ate Wendy's.

Ahhhhhh!

What a weekend!

I had the kids on Friday while Ashley did the grocery

 shopping for the weekend.

Locklan 'invented' a new kind of face mask...

Teagan was her usual spitfire self, but late afternoon, she just got quiet...

Oh my, isn't she cute?

Ashley posted a photo of her and Griffin, their yellow Lab a year ago.

Griff was so tiny and Teagan didin't have any hair!

Mr. K and I had two very busy days at camp,

Andy and family had three!

Tony and Mindy and Henry came on Sunday.

I'm sorting through photos

(I let Locklan use my DSLR as long as he keeps the strap around his neck)

So far, I have deleted 120 photos of Cody on the jet ski!

We can talk about it tomorrow.

Until then...

Stay home, stay healthy, stay safe!

Grandma Day!

Wednesday was Grandma-Locklan day.

It's been a few months since we had time alone so this was quite a treat for both of us.

We painted rocks...

We set up the wooden train track...

And then we went outside where he set up Locklan's restaurant in the play house.

~sigh~

Did I tell you how much I love being a grandma?

Oh The Joy!

We spent two days at camp this weekend.

Tons of work being done, I'll show you later,

But first...

This is what Locklan looked like when he tasted his first S'more

 I know...precious, right?

We Broke It!

Okay, it's time to 'fess up...

We broke quarentine!

Yes, on Sunday, Mother's Day,

We accepted an invitation from Tony and Mindy

to come and see their new (to them) house.

They had just spent their first night there.

We went!

After we had done that, we figured we'd throw caution to the wind and visit (maintaining distance) my mom.  
She had been alone in that house since the quarantine started.

The last time I saw her was March 13.

The game plan was to go and order lunch from a local restaurant

and treat my mom to lunch!

She lives in a small town (5,000) and there are very few restaurants

but she does have a favorite and I checked their website and it said they were open.

They were not.

Selection was sadly inappropriate.

We treated my mother to a Mother's Day Fast Food Treat!

She was so happy to see us, she didn't care.

Neither did I.

We are no longer on lockdown...
BUT

Stay at home as much as possible...

Avoid crowds...

Wear a mask in public...

Wash the skin right off your hands!

40 Pounds of Flesh

On Wednesday, Ashley called me.

Last week we went together and bought 20 pounds of ground beef from a farmer.

It was amazing!

Well, as amazing as ground beef can be.

This time, a local poultry farmer was offering 40 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for only $65.

She had ordered 40 pounds and was picking it up on Thursday.

Did I want her to add 40 for me to the order?

Since our freezer needs stocked, I said yes.

She called later to tell me that it was too late to add onto her order for this sale 

but she would split her order with me.

Okey dokey.

On Thursday, we headed to the farm where she had the guy load the chicken in her trunk.

Then we headed to camp for lunch!

I had this fleeting thought as I watched her wrestle the box of chicken into the fridge at camp to keep it cool.

Seemed like a lot of chicken.

Yesterday, Ashley and kids came over.  Ashley was going to cut the chicken into equal pieces and bag it with my food saver.

I have trouble walking but standing still is horrible for me, my knee locks and I can't move!

So while I played with the kids (yes, I play), Mr. K went to get us a pizza and Ashley opened the box.

Ugh.  Within minutes, my kitchen reeked of raw chicken!

At times, we were gagging.

She did a bang up job, bagging them in meal size portions...

It took hours and hours!

All we could say is that it is done...

Forty pounds is a LOT of chicken...

And most of all, thank goodness we didn't get 80 pounds!

We're still pretty much staying home...

Limiting trips in public...

Wearing masks in public...

Washing the skin off of our hands!

Staying healthy...

Strange Things...

Back in January, Andy and his friend Cody who is 

my  'adopted' son, and I went to a boat show.

I put a deposit down on an 8 x 24 foot pontoon dock for camp.

Oh my goodness, that's a crappy photo, but the only one I have.

We've been talking about it, planning for it, since then.

Andy and Cody (and of course, Locklan) have been working at camp,

moving things, digging things up...

We're ready!  The boat is already out there, we just need docks.

Now mind you, we're still under quarantine...stay at home, 

social distancing, masks (and gloves).  

Only essential businesses allowed to be open 

with serious restrictions.

Yesterday, I called the boat dealer and asked if I could drop off a check for the balance.

He said yes, but he was unable to let me in.  He told me to come out and call him when I got there.

I did and they left me on hold for 4 or 5 minutes...

Then he came back on the line, asked for my check number and told me to go to a porch around the side of the building.

I did and when I got there, there was a guy standing about 10 feet from me.

There was a table between us.  On the table was a log with a piece of paper under it.

He told me that it was my receipt

I was instructed to take  the receipt 

and to put my check under the log.

That was it...no pleasantries, no eye contact, no thanks...

Just really strange.  

The new normal?  I hope not!

Tomorrow, we move into the caution mode in our county.

I don't think it will make much of a difference in our lives...

Too much at stake.

What's happening in your neck of the woods?

For now, stay home, stay healthy, stay safe!

I'm Okay!

I didn't mean to be gone this long...

I'm okay...

Mr. K is okay...

Mom is okay...

So are my kids and their spouses...

Grandkids

And pets!

I just got sidetracked...

Maybe blind-sided?

But we're okay.

LIfe gets to be semi normal next friday, 

whatever that means...

Stay home, stay safe!