HELLO, AGAIN
14/08/05 10:14 AM
My last post was on July 27th, about 3 weeks ago. I have no good excuse, but I'll try and talk my way into one. First off, the weather has been miserably hot, but then again, we have central air conditioning (no excuse). Second, our galley has been out of commission for the past week undergoing the finishing touches of a kitchen remodeling program that began last Fall. Pretty good, but it only took 6 days to finish the job. Lets try another one, it's rather weak, but worth a try. I have been busy overseeing work on the Town of Lenox War Memorial. Even that is a lame excuse.
Let's try this one, I had an appointment with my eye doctor 2 weeks ago and I have been informed that I have to have cataract surgery performed on both eyes. They will remove the first one on August 30th and the other one about 4 or 5 weeks later.
I have had a difficult time lately with my eyes. I can't drive at night because the bright lights of oncoming cars blind me, and I have a terrible time seeing the road. No driving for me at night! My eyes tear up something awful when I am using the computer. There goes my solitary and cribbage games.
I had an appointment with my podiatrist this past week to have my toe nails manicured. As a diabetic, they do no want me to cut my own nails. To dangerous, they say. Frisco and I drove to the VA Clinic, in Rome, NY, this past Monday, and a nice young lady called my name and ushered me into her office. She sat me down, removed my socks, and began doing her thing. When she got to my left big toe, she said, "Oops, I'm sorry." I inquired, "What happened. I didn't feel anything".
I looked down at my left foot, and blood was spurting out of it. "Cut it a little too close", she answered me. "I'll fix it up."
She administered some type of ointment on my toe and placed a couple of band aids on it. "You'll be fine." she assured me.
Two days later Frisco took the band aids off, and it was still bleeding somewhat. Frisco, being the good nurse that she is, put some neosporin cream on the wound and replaced the band aids. This morning when I took my shower, the band aids fell off, but the big toe looks a 100% better. No more bleeding.
I am awful afraid when I see blood. I don't want to touch the wound, I fear I may become infected with that "flesh eating disease" I had back in 1995. That is a terrible, terrible disease. I spent 48 days in the hospital with it, and the doctors tell me that I am very lucky. In fact, they told me I should be dead. My poor bride, was at my side every day I was in the hospital. She reluctantly signed a paper allowing the doctors to remove my left leg at the hip because they were afraid it was spreading. Fortunately, my kidneys were not functioning properly and it was just water build up. They managed to save my leg, and my life. Talk about the luck of the Irish. Believe me when I say, that incident changed my whole perception on life. It made my faith even stronger than it was before I was struck down with it.
Still, that too, is a rather lame excuse for staying away for 3 weeks. I guess I'll just have to apologize for my laziness.
Please accept them. I'll try to do better in the future.
Tomorrow afternoon I have to go to the VA Clinic again. This time for a post operative physical. I have to have an EKG and whatever else is required before they will operate.
Everyone I have talked to has told me that I will really enjoy having my eyesight back again. I am looking forward to that. Setting in front of me is a magnifying glass I use when I can't spell a word, and must use my trusty 30,000 word book.
Now you also know why I use bold type on my post entries. It's easier on my eyes.
I want to publicly thank my oldest daughter, Lorraine, for the beautiful job she did on our kitchen. We had the pleasure of having both her and her 2 children, Olivia and Robby as our house guests for 6 days. She did a marvelous job painting the upper half of the walls and painting the lower half that was paneled with Beadboard by her husband, Woody. He is a talented guy also.
Lorraine has a knack for decorating. She could make a living at that type of work. I sometimes think she may have missed her calling. Not really, she was distant to be the woman she is today. A loving wife, and a wonderful mother to her children.
She and her Mom, picked out the colors and, being the kind of husband I am, I allowed them to use whatever their hearts desired. After all, my bride is the one who spends most of the time in the kitchen. They chose Raspberry Red for the upper half, and apple green for the Beadboard panelling. The colors really compliment one another.
My son-in-law, Woody, drove his family here Friday evening, and he departed for home, in Saratoga Springs, on Sunday.
They were kind enough to purchase all new cabinets for the kitchen, along with a new dish washer and microwave oven.
My darling's eyes lit up as she remembered that she had a small wall hanging quilt that just might fit in with the decor of the Raspberry Red wall.
She began a search of her huge inventory of quilt tops and finished quilts and, lo and behold, she found what she was looking for. I would say it is approximately a 36" square quilt with 9 squares on it, 3 to a row. In other words, there was 9 coffee cups on it. Each cup was made with a different color fabric. They matched perfectly with the colors they choose for the walls. There was 2 caps that matched the apple green and the rest blended in with the raspberry red. It was just what the kitchen needed. Frisco now has the "country kitchen" she has always wanted.
Me, I am still trying to find a good excuse for my laziness. Take good care yourselves, my good friends and Keep the Faith. -- Sailor Jack