A 30th Anniversary at the Beach

What a glorious week we've had! We are spending our 30th Wedding Anniversary with family and friends in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.. Our actual anniversary was on Monday, and we celebrated by renewing our vows at the beach! Our Sons were our "best men", my daughter-in-law was my matron of honor, and our GrandAngel was our ring bearer. We said our vows before our Priest and best brother/friend, J who presided over the event. It was truly magical, and I am truly blessed to have had such a special celebration.. Next week more family is coming to join us! Hey.. I think thirty years deserves two weeks at the beach, right??

Me 'n the Hubs discussed how to celebrate our anniversary for quite some time.. We could either go all out with a reception style extravaganza or we could spend a couple of weeks nestled up in a cozy beach front cottage.. Uhm.. I guess you can see where my vote went!

So here I am on a gorgeous Friday nite.. Looking out at a clear starry nite on the deck of the beach house, listening to the glorious music of the waves pounding on the surf.. The house is quiet as everyone is tired and sun burned from playing all day at the beach and at the pool. A couple of evening martinis by the pool will tire one out, too!

I brought my I-pad to read blogs and to post when I could.. If my typing is incoherent, it's either because the key pads are way too small for my big fingers.. (or a martini or two is kicking in!)

Nothing yet from the bariatric office. I called the insurance guru two days ago. She said my
case had "just been received" by my insurance company, and that they usually take "three to five days" to decide to approve or not.... Good thing I'm at the beach, this waiting is killing me!! Other than a few too many martinis in the evenings, and perhaps a bit much sangria on the beach, my eating has been very good, I've really been trying to keep up the good habits - you'd be proud! I'm chewing, eating slowly, drinking water, keeping snacking and desserts to a minimum, and taking walks every day! Anyway, with the Holiday weekend coming, I'm sure not to hear anything until next week... I'll become a real pain in the ass starting on Tuesday...

I'll try to post pics from my phone! Have a terrific weekend!

A Rainy Wednesday...

Taken after the deluge of
rain!

No news yet from the Bariatric office, but I'm thinking no news is good news I suppose.  I will call the insurance guru tomorrow if I don't hear anything.....

The Famous
"Tour of Scotland"

A terrific weekend was had golfing in the rain - mud ball - and it was for a good cause.  You'll be so proud of me, too!  I had my full body pictures taken on the golf course.  Two of them as a matter of fact.  I wanted to get them taken before the rains came so my dear friend and golf buddy Deb took them.   The Hub's ski club sponsors this golf event to benefit the local area MDA organization.  A couple who are members of our ski club lost a son at four months old to MDA, so this event is near and dear to all our hearts.  I wouldn't care if the course was covered in ten inches of snow, I'd be out there with my pink golf balls whacking away for this particular event, I wouldn't miss it for the world.  During the event, I did pass the women's long drive marker, but sadly my ball missed the fairway - I didn't win this year.  Gotta be long AND straight to get that free dozen of pink golf balls!  The annual "tour of Scotland" afterwards was a complete success again, as always!

Today was a strange day.  We had to have our poor, sickly, wheezing, (twenty year old) cat put down.  I couldn't believe that I was as affected by his death as I was.  Yeah, I cried like a ten year old.  There is more to my crying then the death of a mangy, old cat though.  Heck, I wasn't even particularly fond of this feline. I often threatened to euthanize him every time he left me a dead rodent or coughed up a disgusting fur ball.. He was part of our family though.  Warts and all, he was a part of our menagerie of family warts.  He was our youngest sons cat.  Our baby grew up with that cat.  Today was a painful reminder to me that our boys are no longer little, they're grown men.   We were never "empty nest" parents, in fact, I gleefully helped our youngest pack when he moved out..   We were the couple (just like the commercial) that wiped tears from our eyes as he was driving away..  When he was out of site, the Hubs said...  "got the tickets??"  Actually, my heart was sad when our boys moved on, but it was a "selfish sad" - they were leaving us..  I got over it when I realized that my grocery bill and my time doing laundry was cut in half!   The reason why I never clung to the "selfish sad" is that they've become their own men and are spreading their wings as they should be..  that, and I am using their bedrooms for my office and my art!  I am proud that they are living their lives as independent and terrific men.  I guess moments like these just make me wish I could reach back in time and grasp onto that precious time when they were young, at least for a little while...

...and the realization that I can't.

Until Next Time 

The Saga Continues...........

I am thrilled to see that Blogger is back!  I once again have purpose to my existence!  I've missed all of you!  I have so much catching up to do..  Not only in my reading but in posting!  Where to begin.........

Ok, so I left off preparing to jump through my last hoop - a visit with a cardiologist for surgical cardiac clearance.  I filled out the seven (yes, you read that right..) SEVEN page questionnaire and proceeded to begin the hour long drive to the cardiologist office.  A little background first..  I live in Western Pennsylvania where the seasons are listed as "almost winter, winter, still winter, and construction".  Yep, you guessed it.  I got turned around in a construction detour.  And as though on cue, half way through the detour Pennsylvania decided to quit posting signs......  Keeps our taxes lower I guess.  So, I am in the middle of nowhere - lost.  I figured I would do the GPS thing on my phone..  No cell service.  I am that lost.  "Deliverance" kinda lost.  I drive a little further hoping to drive into at least one bar of cell service when I see the first road sign I've seen in ten miles.  It says, "Torpedo, 7 miles"..  TORPEDO??  Where the hell am I????  Mmmmmkay..  off to "Torpedo" I go.  The lovely folks at "The Pigs Ear Smoke Shop and Gas Station" were more then helpful to set me in the right direction.  So, what had turned into an hour drive is now going on two.  Finally I get into cell service and call the Dr's office to let them know that I had gotten lost and that I will be a few minutes late.....

There's more. The saga continues.  The receptionist at the Dr's office kindly informs me that - ready for this one?? - my appointment had been cancelled...  WHAT????  BY WHOM???  Ohhhhh, this is getting better and better as each moment and mile tick by.  I immediately call the bariatric office and am told that they didn't know who could have cancelled the appointment and that I should still get the clearance.  Sighhhhhhh...  So, I do. All goes well and believe it or not, my pressure wasn't that high.  Upon returning home (and to a cold, extra dry, filthy martini), the insurance guru calls to inform me that indeed my appointment had been cancelled.  It wasn't necessary since I already had a stress test and an EKG....  Uhmmmmm, didn't I suggest that last week???  Can you make that a double martini??

Welp..  I am finished.  Every hoop that could conceivably be jumped through has been completed.  My medical record is in the process of being compiled to send to the insurance company as we speak.  All that is left for me to do is wait and to pray on it.  A much easier hoop to jump through (prayer, that is..).  I am told that the next phone call I receive will be to let me know whether or not I have insurance approval. 

It has been a terribly long and arduous journey.  A journey that has prepared me in more ways than one.  I have learned that this will indeed be a life long process - It won't come easy.   Along the way I will be frustrated, I will be at my wits end, I will think there is no end in sight, I will get lost.  I have learned to "continue to drive", don't look back and take each day - each moment - as it comes.  "Hard work and determination."  "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." are not mere platitudes but the realities to make living "The Rest of my Life" healthy, successful and full of hope. 

I am not at the end of my journey, but hopefully at its beginning.  May I ask for your prayers, good thoughts and wishes....

Until Next Time!

Is This It?? Time Will Tell...

I hope everyone had a terrific weekend, and a Happy Mother's Day to everyone who cares - and that is...

...YOU! 

Welp..  today is the Cardiology visit - at 2pm.  Will this finally be it??  FINALLY??  Only time will tell I suppose.  If I've learned anything from this journey, I've learned "patience" - a hard lesson because I have none.  Imagine.. the world really doesn't revolve around me..  Can you believe it?? 

I haven't blogged in awhile (mea culpa), it has been crazy busy this past week.  We had "finals" weekend at the Deacon Reserves and that kept me 'n the Hubs busy all week - studying..  The tests went well (I hope) and now we're finally "off" for the summer.  I say "off" because there is still plenty for us to do throughout the summer, but classes are finished for the school year!  Yay! 

Mother's Day in Lisa Land was quite lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  After Mass we took a nice drive through the mountains to visit a friend, later in the afternoon our parents came up, our oldest baby and his family came, my brother in law and his wife came, and our dear friend and brother J was here too.  The Hubs and J made a truly scrumptious dinner and we all just spent wonderful time drinking martinis, relaxing, and simply enjoying each other.  One of the highlights of the day was the arrival of our first set of baby chicks!  They're such wonderful little balls of sunshine!  I'm so thrilled that our GrandAngel was here to spread the ground corn for them!  At two years old it was hard for him to understand why "Mother Goose" wasn't being very cooperative with his wanting to play with the babies..   The altercation caused quite a commotion out there....  He learned how to honk like a goose though...

Welp, I've dilly-dallied around long enough..  I suppose it's time to get my ample derriere moving and get this cardiologist thing over with.  Have a wonderful day today!

The Journey Continues..............

**siggghhhhh**  I should have known better...  I should have known..  Should I have accepted the fact that I've finished jumping through hoops in a mere eleven months??  No!  That would have been too easy!  It would have been too easy to believe that I was finished with my end of the process, my end of the deal - much too easy - and I took the easy way out!  I believed that little piece of paper that neatly had written on it my "to do" list of hoops..  I believed the little red check marks on the list as each item was completed..  It seems there is one more (just one?) hoop that needs to be addressed.  A surgical consult from a Cardiologist.  A consult I wasn't made aware of until last Friday.  Silly me..  And here I thought the cardiac stress test I had to endure and the EKG covered the "cardiac criteria" - at least that is what I was led to believe reading that little piece of paper with my hoops so neatly typed out I so diligently followed...  Oooops!  Please... someone tape my head together so it doesn't explode!    I suppose having yet one more hoop to leap through (I should weigh one hundred and twenty pounds from all the jumping I've been through so far...) is frustrating enough, but what really pushed me over the proverbial edge was the attitude I received when I was answered the question, "where is your cardiac consult?"..  "Uhmmm...  what???"  My answer.. "What consult??".. Her response - "Every surgery patient needs a cardiology consult.."   "It's not on my LIST!"  Should I know this stuff??  Instinctually??  Like beavers know how to build dams??  I hear papers being shuffled around in the background..  She then tells me that no, it was in fact not on my "list"..  C'mon lady!  You're the professional here - I am the sheep that is being led around the pasture by the border collie called a "to-do" list!  Give me a break!

So, with matters expedited, I have my "official" cardiac consult a week from tomorrow.  Good thing it wasn't immediately after that phone call I'd be blogging from ICU..  So the journey continues..  I am really beginning to hate the smell, the feel, the atmosphere of Doctor's offices.  They're depressing..  No matter what they do to "brighten" them up, they're still depressing - and they stink.  Every Doctor's office stinks... 

So on that note, I remind you to eat your greens and stay heart healthy!

Until Next Time!