Knitters and Crocheters

I want to post this to find anyone that knits or crochets. If you've seen our blog, Joyceschemocaps.blogspot, you can see how we're doing with our project. It's interesting. But the infusion centers are calling us for more caps. It's getting where we can't keep up. If you live in our area or know someone who does and they knit or crochet, please have them check the blog to find out how to notify us. We'd sure like more help. Our project is really going well as far as making people happy receiving their free caps when they go for their chemo therapy.

Casino trip, Randy, Jobs

I went to Chactaw Tuesday. I brought $100.00 like I usually do. I bet you think I'm going to say that I won. Wrong. I lost $44.00. That's not bad. I didn't lose it all. And I had a real good time. That's what counts, folks. It's not what you lose in money, it's hanging out with friends that counts and enjoying yourself in retirement. Meanwhile, Randy is back to work. He went back Sunday. He's doing really good and he's even gained 6 pounds. Danielle went back to work too. She works with patients in dialysis. Randy works in security at Ft Bragg. He xrays the trucks that come on base.
So now we need more prayers for my son Denny. No, not medical. But with the economy the way it's going, he may lose his job. Things are getting tough all over. People losing their jobs everywhere. It's so sad. Fortunately, Texas is doing better than some states. Michigan, where we're from originally is not doing well at all in the job market. And to top it all off, not only are jobs scarce, so is the sunshine. That's what I like about Texas. The sun shines almost every day!

A favorite blog

I don't usually advertise other blogs but Content In A Cottage.blogspot.com has to be one of the nicest blogs I've seen. I like to look at other's blogs. This is one that I saved when I first started my blog. I haven't looked at it in awhile so thought I'd look at it tonight. It is just a beautiful blog. There's a picture of a real building in Kansas City that is so neat. If you look at the blog, be sure to scroll down to see it!

It's 2009

I can't believe this year is going so fast! It's already the 2nd of January! And it was 75° today. I just loved it!
Randy called me and told me to look at the video of a party they gave him the other day. You can see it on www.youtube.com. If you look at it, your welcome to leave a comment. What happened was that he and Danielle went to a little gathering at a friend's house. Danielle told Randy that they had to go to the kareoke bar that he used to sing at. So they left and Randy couldn't figure out why no one cared that they were leaving. They got to the bar and there were a lot of people there, and all people that he knows. He wasn't going to stay long. Then his friend Bert had a microphone and asked for everyone's attention. He talked about Randy and the accident. Everyone was cheering and clapping for Randy. There was a big box in the corner and they presented it to Randy. All of his friends took up a collection and had his motorcycle fixed for him! The motorcycle was actually in the bar. He even started it up! He cried. He just couldn't believe it. When Denny watched the video he cried too! Now, I know what you're saying "Oh no! I hope he isn't going to ride again!" That was and still is my fear! He may just ride it one time to see how it feels to be back on. I don't know. I think it is so nice of his friends to think of him like that. He sure has a bunch of nice people around him. He's like a bee that attracts flowers. (backwards but I don't want to call him a flower!) So, if you have extra time and want to see the video, go to www.youtube.com and put Randy's motorcycle surprise in the search. It will be sideways for a little while but will straighten out. It's around 6 minutes long.

Christmas is Over But Not For Us

Our Christmas won't be over until Randy and Danielle go back to N.C. We're all enjoying them. We have to make every minute of it because they live so far away. I'm going to check plane tickets and when I can find a cheap ticket, I'll go visit them.
Dallas has a cold. At first, it was a croupy cough. Now she has a runny nose and a regular cough, if there is such a thing as a regular cough. She's going to really miss them when they go. I took a lot of pictures and Deda took a lot of them too. I'll download pictures to a slideshow.

What a Merry Christmas!!!

Friday I said that it was going to be a good Christmas. That was an understatement! I went to the senior center this morning and we had a good time talking and laughing. Denny called me and told me that my grandson, Jordan, was over so I had to come home. I thought that was weird because he comes to our house a lot when he's home from school. It was time for me to go anyway so I left the center. I went into the house and Jordan, Denny and Dallas were in the family room. Dallas was kind of wimpering like she does when she's tattaling on her grandpa. I asked what she did and I asked her 'what did grandpa do?' All of a sudden from behind me I hear "I think she's scared of me". I turned around and there was Randy and Danielle! They flew in from NC last night. Denny and Sue knew about the surprise and did a good job not letting me know. We were shocked. We went to Kohl's and surprised Jamie this afternoon and then tonight we all went to eat at Texas Road House. My son, Denny, calls it The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. We sat around talking about when the kids were little. Randy and Danielle are going to spend their nights at Denny's and Sue's because they have better accomodations than we do.

Picture of our niece Vicki's baby

This is little Jarryt Ulanch.

Randy has been released by Doctor

Randy can go back to work. He had tests done with the brain doctor and passed all of the tests. He had to take a driver's test too because anyone with a brain injury has to take the test in order to drive. The guy that rode with him said that Randy was the best driver of the day. He's feeling good except for the flu he had yesterday and his blood test showed that his blood is way too thin. It's going to be a good Christmas.

O'Ley

Well, It's been three years since we had to have O'Ley's leg amputated. He had a cancerous lump on his leg that would only grow back if removed. We tried and it grew back. He has two lumps on another leg now. So it's only a matter of time that I'll have him. I really love this cat. He follows me around and loves to snuggle with me when I go to bed at night. I'll miss him. I'm going to try hold on to him until he can't walk good anymore or if he gets sick or has pain. We've had him around 5 years now. I got him at the 'no kill' shelter after my 'tuxedo' cat, Baby, died of cancer. I still have Willow who is now around 15 years old. He's huge and is healthy. I've been avoiding telling anyone about O'Ley because I thought that if I didn't mention it, it would just go away. But I have to face reality. Losing a pet is such a hard thing to go through. Anyone with a pet would understand how hard it is but someone who doesn't love animals wouldn't understand. I think that when we die, we will be reunited with our pets.

Postcrossing and I Missed the Movie

I'm really enjoying my postcrossing. It's fun. I'm getting cards from all over the world. You can see more about it on my postcrossing blog. If anyone who receives my postcards and you look at my blogs, please comment so I know if you are reading my blogs. Also, you can email me at my email address. It would be interesting to hear from you. I wish I could find more postcards. It's hard to find the cards that some people request. Maybe I'll be able to make my own cards someday.
Anyway, it's fun.

I couldn't go to the movie today because Denny's defibralator vibrated last night and this morning so we couldn't leave Dallas with him in case something happened. It's happened before and as long as it doesn't 'shock' him, he's ok.
He'll call the doctor tomorrow.

Randy's Progress

It's been two months since Randy's accident and he's come a long way. It hasn't been easy and he still has some recovery to do but he's getting there. He's off from all of his pain medicine. It was hard for him because he went through withdrawals. He told me that he feels bad for anyone trying to get off from a drug addiction because it was 'hell' going through those three days. Since he's been off from the meds, he seems to have improved a lot. His tongue doesn't get numb when he talks and his words aren't slurred. He still has his memory to work on. He doesn't remember last Christmas. But the memories are coming back to him and that's what counts. He's lost a lot of weight. Danielle said that he looks better. He told me that he can't believe how many people prayed for him and that he knows it was the prayers that pulled him throught. He talked to the man that gave him CPR. The man is a retired army man and was working where the accident occured. He said that Randy had no heartbeat when he started the CPR. God Bless that man.
And God bless all of you.

Oh Holy Night

Oh Holy Night is my very favorite Christmas song. I have two CDs with just that song by various singers. So I downloaded the songs to my blog too. Hope you enjoy the music while you look at my blog.

Did You Know?

I'm adding something new to my blog and I'm calling it 'Did You Know?'
It'll be facts about Dallas TX and surrounding areas when I read something interesting. Here is the first edition.

Did You Know that Brenda Vaccaro was raised in Dallas, Texas, where her parents co-founded Mario's Restaurant (a nationally recognized restaurant) and where Vaccaro graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1958. She lived on Walnut Street. Her first acting was in "The Willow Tree" in Dallas, TX.

Shopping Can Be a Deadly Experience!

This morning in the Dallas Morning News has an article about two dads fighting over a toy for their kids. Both guys were so mad they shot and killed each other! Now that's bad. Neither kid will get the toy. I see a cute cartoon in this situation. Two guys pulling and tugging at a toy and there is another man watching the whole thing. The angry guys in the tug-a-war finally pull out guns and shoot each other. The spectator picks up the toy, walks to the check out with a smile on his face and says to the checkout girl. "Well, this shopping on the day after Thanksgiving isn't so bad. I got a great gift for my kid with no trouble at all".

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is almost here!

Time goes so fast! Great Thanksgiving! Even though I had a horrible cold and couldn't taste anything. And now the Christmas rush has started. Jamie had to go to work at 3:00am and had to go outside in the rain to pass out cologne samples to the people waiting in line that were there early to get the sales items. People sure are crazy when it comes to shopping. Probably why I stay in the house all day the day after Thanksgiving.

Oh My Gosh, My Son is 45!

I can't believe that our oldest son is 45 today! He was born one day late, the day after President Kennedy was assasinated. 45! He doesn't look 45 and he certainly doesn't act 45. No picture because he won't smile for a picture. Maybe I'll get one this week and I can add it.

Randy and daughter Ashley

Randy is feeling a lot better now. His daughter, Ashley, is visiting from Upper New York State for Thanksgiving. She's really thankful that her dad is back to his normal self. They're enjoying this time together.

Let The Right One In

by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It was a good movie. If you like vampire movies, you'll love it. But, if you don't like subtitles, you won't like it. I want to read the book now. When I see a good movie, I like to read the book. I'd give it a 10.

Randy Got His Tooth Fixed!

Being home has been busy for Danielle and Randy. He still has pain, gets tired and has a lot of appointments where he has to sit in waiting rooms for 5 hours. His blood counts have been messed up. His blood was too thick. So they have to change his meds. His mouth is really dry from the meds and he sounds like he's sleeping when he talks. Time will fix that when he can cut down on meds. Today he finally got his tooth fixed that broke in half in the accident. Randy is real fussy about hygiene and his teeth. Now he feels a lot better. He looks better too. You can see in the picture his scars on his head from the accident. It's been a long haul for them both.

I Received a Super Postcard from Beijing, China

Check out my postcrossing blog to see the card that I received. It's from China and is a 2008 Olympic postcard!

Randy Goes Home Today on His Dad's Birthday

Today is Denny's birthday. He's almost an old fart! He's 68 years old. He used to say that they have a parade for him on his birthday every year. I bet his mother or dad told him that when he was a kid and he believed it! He probably found out about Santa Claus and the fact that there isn't a parade for him at the same time! Poor guy. But lucky Randy! He should be almost home by now. He was getting out of the hospital at noon and it's a two hour drive. He'll finally be able to rest without someone knocking on his door needing blood, blood pressure, breakfast, etc. He said that he received good care there but he's happy to be leaving. He'll have to take physical therapy yet and he got a bunch of pills to take home. He has to go back to the hospital in a few weeks for an evaluation to see if he can go back to work. The doctor told him that he should be ready to work in 4 to 6 weeks! He's anxious to go back to work so they can pay their bills. Many thanks for all of the prayers and thoughts for him during this last 6 weeks!

Update on Randy

Tomorrow it will be five weeks since Randy's accident. Next Tuesday, November 11, he and Danielle will be going home!
He met with the doctors today. He got a whole list of meds that he will have to take. He's also back on his Embril that he's been taking for a few years. He said that he's going to have to have a couple of the little pill holders to remind him when to take them. His wife is so good that he won't have any problems remembering. They're both excited about going home. They haven't seen their dog since the day of the accident. Ashley will be there for Thanksgiving. She'll be happy to see that he's back to normal. He'll still have a lot of pain for a long time with the bones that were broken. His ear hurts a lot.
The day he goes home will be Veteran's Day and also his dad's birthday.
Thank you so much for all of your prayers and thoughts. And cards. He told me that he had 160 cards to look at the other day. He looked at them a couple of weeks ago but forgot what he looked at the next day. Now he has his memory back

I Lost a Friend Monday

Monday night, Joyce, the inspiration for Joyce's Chemo Cap Project and a dear friend of mine, passed away in her sleep. I'm going to miss her but I know she has no more pain and is in a far better place. Her legacy will continue with our project and she will never be forgotten. Many people with cancer will receive a cap because of Joyce and her wish to make chemo patients more comfortable. Joyce was a wonderful person and I am so happy that I met her and that we could become friends.

Update on Randy

Randy went out to eat at a restaurant today. He also called me and played a prank on me today. He always did that, call and impersonate a character. I've hung up on him before because I thought that it was a real call. Now I know he's getting better. He and Danielle should be going home on the 11th. The doctor told him that he can go back to work when he feels he is able to. So things are looking up! Still pain but it will take a long time for bones to heal. He'll be taking therapy for awhile after he gets home. Danielle is an angel to have gone through this ordeal with Randy.

Brad Pitt and Southfork

I worked at the Southfork 30th Reunion. It was O.K. It was very disorganized.

Another day of progress

I talked to Randy. He called me. He told me that he's still sick and that he hurts a lot. He said that his head hurts. He told me that he has homework from the therapists to work on. He told me that he's been in the hospital since Oct 4 and that he knows he was hit by a car on his motorcycle. That she pulled out in front of him. He said that his bike is in bad shape. He talked a lot. He said that he heard I was there for a week and he asked me why I was there and what I did while I was there. He said that he had two broken arms and a broken leg. I said that he didn't break his leg. He said "not this time but I broke my arm and leg before". Which is true because he was hurt when a cart at work fell over on his leg and he has pins in it now. I told him that Denny said that he'd call when he's feeling better. He told me to tell Denny that he'd call him when he feels better because when he talks long, he feels sick. All in all, he sounded really good and didn't say anything silly. And he's eating. After I hung up, I got a text message from Danielle. This is what it said: Randy said if he talked to the lade who hit him he would tell her that he is ok but it hurt. And that it's ok. It's not her fault. It was an accident. To keep praying.

Danielle talked to the insurance man today. He said that a man called to check on Randy. He was 100 feet away from the accident working on construction. He ran over to Randy and administered CPR. We weren't aware that he needed it. Gave us chills to hear it. Randy wants to thank him.

Randy continues to improve with just a few problems

Randy's doing great with his rehab. Saturday they had to hook him up to an IV because he was getting dehydrated from lack of food and water. He doesn't eat much and we told him that he's going to have to eat if he wants to go home. He's doing better now. He still feels sick and I'm sure his low blood pressure has a lot to do with that. Today he, Danielle and the therapist walked through the hospital, outside and across the street. It was pretty cold and Randy said as much. Danielle agreed so they went back in the hospital. When he went into the hospital the temperature was in the 80s and now it's in the 60s but they didn't have jackets.
The doctors gave Danielle an update on Randy's grading. When I left the hospital two weeks ago, he was a level 4. He has improved and is now at a level 6. The highest level is 8. So he's doing great. Keep up the good work, R!

Randy and his Rehab

Randy is doing great in his rehab. He got the cast taken off from his arm today. He has a lot of stitches. The doctors are giving the date of November 11 as the projected date for him to be released from the hospital! He's been outside in the wheelchair. He's walking, eating regular food, and making sense when he talks now. The doctors said that he really did a turnaround from Friday to Monday. Actually it was from Friday to Saturday. I couldn't believe the difference in him! He has a patch on his eye to strengthen his eyes. They're ok but after a head injury a person may not have good focus.

Denny, our oldest son

I don't have a lot of pictures of Denny when he's serious. He always makes faces. But I do have a serious picture of him with the snake he killed. And one picture that isn't too bad. I'd have been scared to see a snake like that. Denny is a really nice guy and I'm proud of him. He's a good father to Jordan and husband to Sue....well, Sue may laugh about that part of the sentence. Anyway, Denny and Sue and Jordan have land around 5 hours away that they go to on weekends. They love it there. They're out where there are no buildings. They can hear critters during the night. They can see the stars. It's so dark there at night. They've added onto their cabin so it's almost like home. Well, not quite but satisfactory. We visited them one weekend and I really enjoyed it. There are a lot of deer on his land and he has feeding places for them. Here are some nice pictures.

Randy's birthday and his gift to us

Randy on his birthday with his new haircut.
Today is Randy's birthday! I called him to tell him 'Happy Birthday'. I cannot express to you the change in him from yesterday to today. I asked him how old he is now and he said " He's been talking silly talk with his conversations mixed with what was going on on television. He talked slow and didn't make sense much. He'd remember some things but not much. Yesterday, Danielle told the nurses that she wanted his medicine for the aggrivation cut in half. They did. He was talking to me today almost normal. He made sense, told me who was visiting him, told me about the games the rehab drs play with him to help him get better. It was unbelievable. Truly a miracle that he could change in such a short time! He told me that his boss visited him today. He told me that Danielle told him that he can't ride the bike anymore. He said that when he gets out of the hospital, he's going to ride. We'll see. Danielle cut the rest of his hair that the surgery missed. Anyway, that's the latest on Randy!!!!