The Week that Was

A couple of weeks ago while viewing QVC, TempTations Dinnerware was on special. I've admired one pattern in particular (Old World) for sometime, and on that day decided I would order 2 sets of dinnerware or 8 place settings, plus additional serving pieces.

Happily my order arrived Monday just in time for Thanksgiving. Upon opening the first box, I found one chipped cup. Upon opening the second box I began compairing and checking each piece. What did I find? No more chipped cups, but.......(1) the dinnerplates were not the same size, (2) the salad plates were also not the same size, (3) there was a dramatic difference in the colors in both boxes. So much for quality control. So I called customer service immediately to find their computers were down and thus no assistance available until the following day.

I called the following morning and spoke with a very helpful lady who offered to express mail another set with no delivery cost. Well...the 3rd set arrived yesterday. Don't laugh please - the color was better, but one dinnerplate out of the 4 was smaller than the others. Groan!!! What to do as love the pattern and the additional serving pieces that had also arrived. Ultimately the kitchen was covered with all 3 sets of dishes & assorted boxes, styrafoam & plastic packing while I compared the color and size of each piece with the hope of garnering an 8 place matching setting. Did I succeed? Well, almost. In the end, 7 dinner plates are the same size with one a bit smaller. The salad plates are acceptable although 4 are a tad smaller which is okay.

So, in the end, we have some new dinnerware and TempTations has a very negative comment on the QVC site for everyone to view. I could have sent everything back, but it's such a pain to do so, and I really do like the pattern alot. End of this story.

A week ago today, Clint noticed he was running low on his pain medications so I called his doctor to renew the prescription which is narcotic & therefore has a stringent distributation protocol. In addition, not all pharmacys carry this medication. Generally we travel to the clinic to obtain the script and hand carry it to one of the Mayo pharmacys. This time, Kathy, our nurse indicated she could send it in inter-company mail to the pharmacy of our choice - St. Marys.

I called St. Marys on Monday...not there, yet. Called Tuesday & advised script filled and ready. One has to understand that when going to any Mayo pharmacy there is always a huge parking issue...into a ramp, etc. and then walk a mile. So off we go to St. Marys, park and walk for this very important and expensive medication. Well.....after waiting in line, I was advised the prescription was not there, but at the Subway pharmacy located in the Mayo Building in downtown Rochester. After having a little snit, off we go to find another parking place and to pick-up the drug. Walk another mile to the pharmacy, stand in line again. The prescription is there, and while I'm paying, I look at the container and noticed there are only 20 pills or enough for 10 days. Another snit followed as well as a discussion with the pharmacist who informs me that apparently the prescription was written incorrectly and there is nothing she can do. We need a new prescription from the doctor.

By this time, frustration has really set in bigtime, but I immediately call the NE Clinic to request a corrected prescription....and wait and wait and wait for a body to answer the phone. No answer!!! By this time, we've had it and decide to call it a day and head home to make that telephone call. Finally, an answer and another wait for a nurse to call back for further information. The wait is over, the prescription will be waiting for us to pick-up at the clinic. So....Clint does so yesterday and it is now 7 days since the initial call was made. We still have to refill it, and because Clint is now in the Medicare "do-nut hole" it will cost around $1200.00. So it goes!!!

Yes, this was the week that was. There were more happenings, but that is for another day and another blog.

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe my last posting was September 6th...groan! Good Grief...what do I say? Well, to tell the truth, I've been a little busy. Let me explain.

Between appointments at Mayo, having surgery AGAIN and almost kicking the bucket this time, and the current recovery time, I've keep fairly busy. I've almost come to the conclusion that between Clint and me, we could have a permanent bed reserved somewhere, anywhere within one of the Mayo buildings. My fingers are crossed that 2010 will be better and that our car will no longer automatically drive to a Mayo building. By the way, my gall stones are square. I realize I'm somewhat fanatical about organization & order, but this is simply ridiculous. Yes, I just peaked into the little box again, and the darn stones are still SQUARE. Absolutely square!!!!!

I'm somewhat in shock today...yes, I am. You see, the sun is shining and for most of the day. After 15 days of rain and snow mix (and 2 1/2 inches of snow) the sun shone today. WOW!!! I'm psyched for tomorrow and more sun. Will I be disappointed? No.....never!! Right!!

So what have I been doing since September 23rd beside visiting Mayo? Reading, reading and more reading. Plus, this week I began cooking and baking once again. Apple pies, cookies and banana bread, plus a different soup most days. My appetite is back although I'm still unable to have fat in my diet. A little at a time is the current moto. And I ate the apple pie. Very good if I do say so myself.

Anyway, this posting is a lot self centered, so the next one will be focused on someone or something other than me.

Time for a Posting

I can believe it's been over a week since I last posted. As stated previously, "time flies." When I look back on last week, I'm not quite sure what we did other than enjoy this wonderful weather. Finally summer has arrived- for a few days. Anyone camping must be in heaven as this Labor Day weekend has been perfect. When our girls were still home, we camped practically every weekend including those when it rained cats and dogs. No campfire, no swimming, but lots of visiting with neighbor campers plus card games which truly was a good time.



I'm sitting outdoors in our backyard on our two seater swing writing this blog. Clint and I just finished cleaning the garden and flower beds of dead branches, spent flowers and anything else that needs to be tossed before the snow flies. We still have scads of green tomatoes that hopefully will ripen before our first frost. The cucumbers are done although the zuchinni continues but on a slower pace. This growing season has been cold and not the best for growing veggies. However, my herbs went crazy, so I'm now in the process of drying sweet basil and parsley. We bought a dehydrator yesterday as hanging the herbs from hooks takes quite some time and isn't the most sanitary way to dry. Now if I can find some directions on drying herbs, I'll be in good shape. Also, going to try making zuchinni chips as well as apple which is a request from Clint. Keep your fingers crossed for a good outcome.



As I sit here, I'm reminded of how much I truly enjoy the warm months in Minnesota. There is a slight breeze blowing, the sky is a true blue with few clouds, the grass is a gorgeous green and the roses are beautiful. I'm rocking back and forth, totally at peace with the world. The only thing that could make it any better is if the girls and grandchildren were here with us.

It's Always Saturday

Last Saturday while attending a beading class at Nordic Gypsy one of the ladies mentioned that "today is Saturday." A woman sitting next to me, said that "it's always Saturday." This statement definitely caught my attention as Clint and I frequently make that very statement.

"Time flies" is another frequently repeated comment by the majority of people. I remember that during my working days I never had enough time to accomplish my tasks. Working parents find themselves rushing from work, to school events, or home to prepare dinner before overseeing homework, or heading out for an evening with the children for a game or dance recital. There was never enough time in a day, or weekend, or month. Always busy, always doing, always tired, or possibly dreaming of the day when the children are on their own and you finally have control of your time. I'm sure I had those thought once in awhile.

Well...believe it or not, time also flies during the golden years, too. The week begins with church attendance on Sunday and then the weekdays all tend to run together one after the other until there are some days when I'm not sure what day it is. Thank goodness for my I-Pod. Of course we are busy each day with the necessary chores, cooking, cleaning, a nap here and there, and of course our very favorite task, visiting the Mayo Brothers Clinic. (What would they do without us? )Keeping up with the family via Facebook, writing emails, reading, volunteering, gardening all tend to fill the rapidly passing days and then it's Saturday again. Wasn't it Saturday yesterday? Where did the weekdays go? Why, they simply flew by. As I stated previously, "It's always Saturday."

"No Fat?"

Absolutely "no fat." None! Nada! This is what I recently heard from the surgeon who will be performing my gall bladder surgery in September. Yicks! When I heard this all I could think of what doesn't have fat these days? Well, obviously fruits and vegetables, but what else?

Let's back up a short time to when I ended up in St. Marys ER with severe chest pain, etc. The first thought of doctors, Clint and me, too, was heart attack. No heart attack! The pain was caused by a gall bladder attack. Seems my gall bladder is full of nasty stones and sludge - yup, sludge. The gall bladder is a small, pearshaped organ in the abdomen. Its job is to store and release bile, a fluid made by the liver. Bile helps break down FATS in the food you eat. If one eats too much fat, stones and sludge form & the gall bladder isn't very happy and passes this message rather harshly via an attack. If you've ever had an attack, you will do anything to avoid another one, ie. few or no fats.

So here I am attempting to eat no fats at least until my surgery. This change in my diet has actually been good as I'm more aware of what I eat (it only took me almost 70 years ~ what can I say?). I'm reading labels more intently, including foods like eggbeaters, more grains, chicken and fish, no burgers or steaks (darn), and lots of fruits & vegetables. The only sweet I've found without fat is sherbet and it does satisfy me. By the way, I've lost over 30 pounds although some of the loss occured after my knee surgery in May. Am I Smiling? But of course! Who wouldn't when their clothing size changes? (see my Goodwill story :})

So the moral of this story is to eat a healthy diet of good foods; less fat and sugar so that you can possibly avoid a gall bladder attack and surgery. Plus, your heart will be healthy, and your knees will last longer due to the fact they aren't being worn out by attempting to support a ton of fat.

Forgiveness

Our local newspaper business section has a weekly column written by Harvery Mackay which I find interesting. He began his column today with the following: "Clara Barton was an American nurse who founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and was its president until 1904. A remarkable woman, she made it a rule never to hold resentment against anyone. "

"Once a friend reminded her of a cruel thing that had been done to Barton some years previously, but Clara seemed not to remember the incident.

Her friend asked her "don't you remember the wrong that was done to you?" "No Clara answered calmly. I distinctly remember forgetting that."

I love her response. All of us at one time of another have experienced a bad comment, hurtful gossip, or mayby even something more serious, but to waste time being angry and unforgiving harms us more than trying to forgive and possibly forget. Think of the time wasted in the negatuve world when a wonderfully positive world is out there waiting for us.

A couple of quote worth stating:

"For every minute you remain angry, you give up 60 seconds of peace of mind."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude. Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains as a barrier to the relationship."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Shopping with Moi

As the majority of my friends and family are aware, I'm an adoring and dedicated fan of on-line shopping. More specifically QVC and HSN....love those sites especially when I find a great bargain without shipping - makes me smile all day. :} :} :} And then there is Ebay which is also on my list of favorite shopping sites. I'm not a fan of casino gambling, but for some reason I feel like I'm gambling when bidding on Ebay and playing the game of outbidding someone else for that coveted item. You know..waiting until the very last moment and sneaking in that last, HIGH bid!!! Love it!!! Imagine the frustration of the one losing to your very, high and sometime really stupid bid. That item better be worth all this anxiety and the adrenalin rush that pushed my blood pressure out of sight. Almost like winning the Power Ball........well not quite......

Yesterday I visited my absolutely favorite store in the whole wide Sharon's world - GOODWILL! What a place!! What prices!! Treasures are lerking in every corner, shelf and rack waiting to be found if one is a very focused and a dedicated bargain hunter. Also helps to be a snoop. Being an experience shopping snoop, I hunt for only the very best which means "new stuff." You know, items with the tags in place. Well, I hit the mother lode yesterday; new red silk slacks, beautiful white slacks from Talbots, new pink wrinkle resistant long sleeve blouse from Talbots, new orange "crinkly" blouse from Pleats Collection, new nighty, and a new cotton sweater from Target. What did I pay for all my wonderful finds? Well, because yesterday was Senior Citizen Day, I received an additional 25% off (getting old is good for something) so my final expenditure was $27.69. Not bad for 2 hours of scouring for bargains. Love that store!!!