Newspapers

While reading my siblings blogs the past few days, I suddenly realized that part of the world still reads newspapers. When we lived in Southern California we subscribed to the LA Times and I ritually read it every morning while drinking my coffee. Then we moved to New Mexico and we subscribed while we lived in town for the first six months, but when we moved to the East Mountains we dropped it. It was available for delivery, but we just didn't subscribe for some reason.

So for at least 20 years now we have not had regular newspaper delivery. Every once in a while we buy one if we are looking for something in the classified section, but otherwise we get all our news from the internet, radio and TV. When travelling I often get a copy of USA Today shoved under my hotel door and I look through it while trying to down that horrible coffee they put in most hotel rooms, but I find that the news is several hours old and I can find out what is really going on by checking several of the news websites or turning on the TV. I will often visit various newspaper websites as well, including the LA Times. When some story strikes a chord, I have a great research tool alread at my fingertips. (Just be sure to have your popup blocker turned on when visiting newspaper sites!)

I did a little research and learned that newspaper readership is definitely declining. I wonder how much longer the paper version will be with us?

Update

Richard saw the doctor yesterday. He wants to do a disk-o-gram next. It involves shooting dye into three disks to determine if the pain is truly from that one disk. He then goes immediately for a CT scan to determine the full extent of the injury. The results of these two procedures will determine where he goes from there. He won't do this until after the first of the year.

A possible next step would be to place a wire within the disk to cause it to create scar tissue around it which would fuse it. If this doesn't work then surgery would be the final option. He isn't opposed to surgery if it will fix and not mask his problem. We both have a lot of confidence in Dr. Powell and feel the surgeon he would recommend would be the right one. Of course, we'll investigate everything thoroughly before making any final decision.

New Arrival

We are the proud parents of a brand new, baby, Whirlpool, front-loading washing machine. I went to use our old one yesterday and found that in seven days it had died. Richard checked it out and determined it to be headed for the dumpster. We had been looking at and talking about the new front-loaders. You can get a lot more in them, they use a lot less water, soap & electricity and this one has 11 cycles where my old one only had four. Dayna & Chris got one several months ago and they love it. I'm having to learn how to do laundry all over as this one doesn't even want you to use bleach! So far, I'm lovin' it.

This 'n' That

Richard just got back from another week in Rochester, MN. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and was above 10º most of the time. He had purchased pants and a face mask that snowmobilers use last week, it was so cold. Hopefully he'll not have to wear them again! The water in our house froze the other week he was in MN as we had comparable weather here. I'm so glad it's not that cold all the time. I never expected the Dallas area to be cold in the winter.

I have been trying to embroider some shirts for Mom L. My machine is giving me fits so I am going to take it into the store I purchased it from next week to see if they can help figure out what's wrong. It's about 40 miles from here so I don't like going there. I had planned on doing many shirts for Christmas, even purchased them, but it's not going to happen. Very frustrating.

Richard had another LESI a week ago Friday. It hasn't helped and he's in pain all the time. He goes to the doctor again on Monday so I'm sure the discussion will be about surgery. The doctor did say there was one other procedure he could try before the surgery so we'll see.

Dayna was in GA & AL this week so Darin and Diane drove down to see her one evening. R & I will be going to TN with Deidra & Dom the week after Christmas. Dom wants to be home for his birthday so we'll be home on the 31st. He's never had a birthday party with friends so he's really excited about having one.

I found a gingerbread nativity set and will be making that with Dee & Dom this week. Dom said he doesn't want to eat baby Jesus. Guess he'll let someone else have that piece. They really enjoyed the one we did last year - traditional house - so we're looking forward to putting this one together.

DAR

I know this will bore most of you, but it's a major accomplishment for me as it's taken me the better part of three years to get there. I just received word that I have been accepted into DAR. I sent my application in to headquarters a few months ago. It takes them quite awhile to go through your documents to ascertain their veracity and then the membership committee doesn't meet but once a quarter.

I've discovered in getting acquainted with the ladies in my chapter that most of them are history buffs or teachers. They really love that aspect of it. They know many of the authors of the proofs I sent in and can tell you where to look for that one illusive piece of information you're trying to find.

And they don't stop at being a member of just one organization. I had no idea how many there are. Here, in Texas, we have the Daughters of the Texas Republic for those who had ancestors here before a certain date, of course, the Mayflower Society, the Jamestowne Society (which I just found by someone reading my website - thank you, Daryl! - I could become a member of), and many others.

Who's bright idea was this???!!!

Just a quick update. I arrived in Rochester, MN at 8:30 this evening. It is 2 below zero and the wind is about 12 mph. The wind chill is -19. What am I doing here?????????

December Update

I know its been along time since we updated this, but I can't seem to get Dianna interested in keeping this up to date. She seems to think we need to have exciting things to talk about before we post. Well, there is nothing real exciting going on, but I am going to bring you all up to date anyway.

I had the ESI and had hopes it would help. Unfortunately, it did not seem to help at all. I have slowly improved just as I usually do after these major episodes. My back still hurts considerably and I get major stabs of pain if I move wrong or try to lift anything heavy. I went in again today for my second ESI and it is way to early to tell if this one does any more than the last.

Both injections were done under general anesthesia. I had not been "under" since oral surgery over 30 years ago. Sure is a nice way to go. The drugs they used were very mild but still very effective. I went to sleep quickly and woke up quickly with almost no after effects.

We had Thanskgiving with the Jennings. Turkey and all the trimmings.

I leave this Sunday night for Rochester, MN for two weeks. I return next Friday afternoon but go back again next Sunday. I know, I know -- this is the wrong time to go to MN. The highest temperature predicted during the new two weeks is 30 with the average closer to 18. The lows are single digits. I am going to the IBM Benchmark Center to do some work for CVS, one of Perot Systems customers and the company I spend most of my time supporting.

Speaking of Perot, there were three of my team standing at the new aquarium at the exit to the company cafeteria yesterday. We were admiring the fish and some of the strange critters in the tank when Mr. Perot (the elder) walked up behind us and began explaining what everything was and his plans for new specimens. Our campus is full of his memoribilla. It feels more like a museum than an office. If I had $2.4 billion (with a B) I don't think I would be spending much time in any office. But to each his own.

Surgery ?

We met with the Dr. who showed us the MRI. All the discs except the second one from the bottom are sharp and crisp, just as they should be. But the second disc is fuzzy mush. Even to the untrained eye it is obvious that it is not right.

The doctor says his disc has degenerated a lot from last year when Richard first went to see him. He gave him three options; to do nothing, have a series of ESIs (Epidural Steroid Injection) to reduce the inflammation and help with the pain, and/or do surgery. Dr. Powell said he can do a minimally invasive procedure to fix the disc.

Obviously, doing nothing, is not the answer. He's to go in for his first ESI this morning and wants the surgery for a permanent fix. Richard told him he doesn't want to come back every six months to a year for injections and have to baby his back in between. If there's a fix he wants it done. And he wants it done while we've still got company insurance. So, depending on how many injections, how often (once a week or every two weeks depending on the relief he gets) and when the doctor can get approval from the insurance company he's looking at surgery, probably, after the first of the year.

Ain't it fun getting old? Not...

After our move this weekend Richard was still moving gingerly and had planned on going to work today. That it, he was until he took a shower to get ready. He almost couldn't get out of the shower. He is in a lot of pain, the worst he's ever been.

I made him call the doctor and he was worked in this morning. The doctor took X-rays and saw that his disk looked worse than last time (about a year ago) and wanted him get an MRI, too. Fortunately, they had an opening after lunch so we went and got a bite to eat & then came back for that. He is scheduled to go back to the doctor on Thursday to review the results.

Moving Day

After some discussion Richard & I decided we needed to move closer to Dayna's family to help out with the grandkids while she's gone each month. We are packing up this weekend and will move tomorrow. Our month is up here on Monday so it's a good time to move. Richard is still moving very slow because of his back so I have done more than I usually do outside to get ready. Chris came and helped us move some big things to our storage unit.

We were going to move today but when we went to make arrangements at the new place an overnighter has pulled into the spot we want. They will be there through tonight. So best laid plans and all that.

Comings and Goings in California

I decided I need to update the blog on my trip to California (even though there isn't much to tell) before Richard starts nagging at me. He's home today as he can hardly move. He has a degenerative place in his spine and when it flares up (Mom L. understands all too well) it takes days for him to recover. Most of the time his medication gets him through the day.

Mom asked everyone to come to their house early on the 22nd as she wanted us gals to go through her jewelry and pick out pieces we want. She will then give them to us as Christmas or birthday presents over the next few years. She and Daddy both love jewelry so she has some beautiful and expensive pieces. I picked out things to give our kids and grandkids as well as myself so really enjoyed myself. Julie and Tina did the same, with their daughters there to help choose. We then had a nice family dinner at the Odyssey, a fancy restaurant, that evening.

Mom and I were going to go up north on Monday to visit the Esaus for a few days. Daddy had an anxiety attack on Sunday about Mom being gone (even though Marie has moved in with them and would be there except for the hours she was at work) so we didn't go. We were all (except Daddy) disappointed that we weren't able to make the trip as it's been several years since the sisters have seen each other. Uncle Linc was in the hospital a few weeks ago and we had a real scare with the first diagnosis but, praise God, it wasn't that serious and he was home within a couple of days.

I spent most of my time chauffering Mom and Dad to doctor appointments, running errands and shopping (Mom's favorite activity!).

Mom is down to less than 95 lbs. and Daddy is around 130. Their weight has us all concerned but there's not much any of us can do. Mom forgets to drink her Ensure and we can't get Daddy out walking to build up his strength and give him a bigger appetite.

Starting Wed., for 30 days, Daddy will be having radiation on a spot on his chin to kill the rest of the cancer the surgeon didn't get on Oct. 7. I went with him to the audiologist who told us he isn't a candidate for a cochlear implant. We all thought it would give him a better quality of life if he could hear but if hearing aids give any benefit to the patient they won't do the procedure. Julie will be going with him to the optometrist next week to see about his sight. He has macular degeneration and we're all concerned about him continuing to drive. He's not ready to give it up so hopefully, the optometrist can give them a better idea about that issue.

All in all they are in fair health, just getting more frail. It's so hard to watch the decline and know their end is drawing near. Daddy won't move to a retirement home as he couldn't handle the change and strangers. Mom would be fine with a great social outlet for her. So they will remain in their home until one of them is gone. Then we will have to make some hard decisions. I'm so thankful Julie and Greg and Marie are there to keep an eye on them and help out. Marie works at the hospital they both go to when hospitalized so that is a big plus!

It's always hard to come home after these visits and they never want me to leave but I tell them they would have a fight on their hands from my husband if I were to stay any longer! So until my next visit.....

USS Salem & JFK

I'm spending the weekend in Rhode Island again and have a free Saturday so I decided to visit the USS Salem in Quincy, MA. Quincy is just south of Boston, about 40 miles from where I am. I checked out their website and thought it looked like an interesting ship to see. It was a tough place to find due to the lack of signs, winding roads and the fact that I forgot to bring my GPS receiver. As I pulled up I saw signs about a haunted ship thing going on for Halloween and when I walked up to the entry I was told the ship was closed for tours. I was really bummed, but probably not as much as another man who arrived just as I did. He came from California just to visit the ship which he had served on many years ago. Pretty poor way to run a visitor attraction if you ask me.

So, since that was out of the question I decided to visit the JFK Library and Museum located at the University of Mass. just a few miles away. I have visited several other Presidential Libraries including Reagan's, Nixon's, Truman's and Eisenhower's. This one is OK as these things go but I probably enjoyed it the least of any I have visited. Perhaps that is because we have been so bombarded with information on his life already that there was really nothing much new to learn. It's a dark, wet, dreary day in New England and not much fun to be outside so it was a good way to kill a couple hours. Unless you are a big Kennedy fan I would not waste my time.


Dianna is in California visiting her family so we are on opposite sides of the continent. Last night we played cribbage against each other on Pogo. Amazing how computers and the internet let us stay in such close touch regardless of where we are.

I'll let her tell you about her goings on.

New job!

I was just getting ready to post that we would be moving the end of the month when Dayna called to tell me that Chris was just offered a position with Peterbilt! Their headquarters and one of their three assembly plants are in Denton.

We talked with Dayna and Chris this weekend about us moving closer to them so we could have the kids overnight the two weeks a month Dayna is on the road. Neither were wanting us to make that sacrifice (the park near them is nowhere near as nice & is right on a major highway so lots of road noise) but they couldn't think of any alternative solution.

He will be working the swing shift so he'll be home in the mornings to get the kids off to school. They have good neighbors to watch them until Chris gets home. The plant is only about 15 miles from their home compared with the 40 he's currently driving. That's an added plus with the high cost of fuel right now. Benefits will be better and it sounds like a much better company to work for. Praise God for many new blessings in their lives.

Promotion!

As many of you know, Dayna works in the corporate office of Sally Beauty Supply in the accounting department. She has been working on her accounting degree through University of Phoenix for 2½ years now, planning on becoming an auditor. She applied for a position as auditor a couple of weeks ago and had her interview last week. She received word today that she was selected for the position! She is the first they've hired without a degree so she has a lot to be proud of.

The position is going to mean traveling about two weeks out of every four. Chris is still working nights (still no word from Peterbilt) and so this is going to present some challenges for home life. There is an RV park across the main highway from their house that we've told them we would move to if it would help them out. Deidra and Dominic could come to our place to spend the night the evenings Dayna is out of town. After the first of the year Chris is going to look for a day job so he would be home in the evenings.

She is really excited about her new job and the opportunity for travel. She'll go to one area for a whole week, auditing all the stores in one district. Her new supervisor, knowing how difficult the travel is on families, does his best to make it easier. If the auditor has family in a certain part of the country he will send the auditor to that place so he/she can spend some time with other family members.

Dayna and Chris know it's going to be hard but are more than anxious to see her move up in the company. By the time she has her degree (in a year and a half) she will, more than likely, go into a supervisory role there or on to another company.

Family Hurricane Evacuees

Wednesday evening I called Cindy to find out what their plans were since they were under a mandatory evacuation. I offered our camper or Dayna's home as a refuge. She told us they were going to make a final decision yesterday morning as to their plans. We haven't heard from them since so don't know what they finally decided to do. . . Just got word from Mom Lafferty that they decided to stay put; traffic, pets, vehicles running out of fuel, etc.

I'm sure you're hearing the town of Beaumont being mentioned in the news as a place the hurricane is headed for. That's where Brian is going to college, at Lamar University. From the sounds of things it may be awhile before he is able to go back.

I hadn't heard he'd been drafted by the Houston Astros but had to turn down their offer as he'd already registered for school. They have an excellent pitching coach staff there and in three years, when he's eligible for the draft again, he'll be a much improved pitcher and will be able to garner a better contract. So look for the name Brian Needham in a few years as a rising baseball star!

Hurricane Relief

I had wanted to do something to help the evacuees from Hurricane Katrina so two ladies from the park and I drove to Dallas yesterday to work in Salvation Army's warehouse sorting donated items. They also serve meals at Reunion Arena and the convention center but by the time I got ahold of someone they had the meals covered. So we went to one of their warehouses only to be told they needed us at a different one. We managed to get lost on our way to that one but, after asking for directions (I know - this is a foreign concept to you men out there!), we found it.

It is an absolutely huge building and we were in only one of many they had there. It was hot, too. No air conditioning. It was an unbelievable site to see what all has been donated for the hurricane victims---and this just in the Dallas area. They are no longer accepting clothes as that is the first thing people think of in times of disasters. But, like one of the women said yesterday, "People don't die from lack of clothes. They die from lack of food, and shelter and water."

We worked in the personal hygiene section. A lot of the donations came from businesses as the wrappings were still on many of the items. Most of the rest was new but some people just emptied their medicine cabinets and donated partially used items (which were promptly thrown out).

We didn't stay as long as I had planned as one of the ladies was not doing well with the heat. But it was an wonderful experience to see the outpouring of caring and support by so many to help others. To see what all has been given and to see so many volunteers in action.

When we got home I realized I hadn't taken my key with me! So I went to a few neighbors and asked if I could try their keys in the lock. Of course, none of them worked. So I finally called Richard to tell him of my plight. He had gone in to work late yesterday so I really didn't think he'd come home early for me. But a little over an hour later he called me on my cell to ask me how many men would drive home on a scooter in a thunderstorm to rescue their wives. I told him, "not many"! I was so grateful he had!!

Slides

I've been scanning slides again. I am just about finished with the job. I haven't counted them yet, but I think I will end up with well over 2,000. Some are in pretty bad shape, and the colors in many have not held up as well as I thought they would. Digital photography will solve this problem forever.

Anyway, I have posted a few photos that some of you all might be interested in, or not. They are just a sampling of what I have been finding. Check them out here if you like.

Doctors, Hospitals and More Doctors

Sunday we got word that Mom Widener is in the hospital. She had severe abdominal pains and headache. At first they thought it was her old diverticulitis acting up again but when the surgeon who performed her surgery last year saw her yesterday he told her she can't get it again since she had had the surgery. I guess they finally decided she has a partial bowel obstruction and, hopefully, laxatives and more fiber in her diet will resolve the situation. She was due to come home today.

I donated blood on Monday and had a mammogram (the highlight event of my year!) and blood work done yesterday. I received a call from the doctor's office this afternoon and was informed my cholesterol and triglycerides are way high. I asked if my having given blood less than 24 hours before doing the blood work would have made any difference and was told it wouldn't. Cholesterol is 233 and triglycerides are 293 where normal is 150. I eat low fat and though don't do as much exercising as I used to I can't figure out what could be causing this. So I now have an appt. with a PCP next week to, probably, start on some medication. They told me today that diet and exercise alone won't drop the cholesterol to the healthy range and won't help the triglyceride level at all. This is not what I had wanted to hear today!

Daddy found out yesterday he has to have more surgery on his face next month. He's to see his PCP today to see if he can handle the surgery. His surgery is scheduled for the 7th and I will be there on the 18th for about 10 days.

Don't we just love going to doctors when we get older?!

Grandparents' Day

Yesterday was designated Grandparents' Day at the Denton schools. Both grandkids called and invited me to join them for lunch. Unfortunately, the time constraints of getting from one school to the other wouldn't allow me to get to both. I went to Deidra's school last year so felt I should go to Dom's this year. One set of grandparents, from his class, was there for the morning school session but I was the only one, from any class, there for lunch. I was surprised as there were many at Deidra's school last year. Dom wanted me to go to recess, too, so I went and played ball with him and several other students. I'm glad I had the opportunity to go; he seemed very pleased I made the effort.

Labor Day Ride

It was a long weekend and we had no major plans so Monday afternoon we took a scooter ride to Lake Bridgeport, a lake about 50 miles west of us. We were surprised at how little traffic there was on the roads and how few boats were on the lake. Perhaps the cost of fuel changed a lot of plans.

We took the main road, highway 380, on the way out but returned on local roads. I have a GPS on the scooter so it makes finding the local roads possible. We would never be able to take such routes without it.

We were out all afternoon and traveled about 150 miles. We got 64 MPG for the trip.