New Mac

Good evening. Have I ever mentioned my puppy, Mac? He is not really a puppy anymore, but a 6 year old white standard poodle. Well, technically he is apricot, because of a little color on his front knees, but when he is clean he is about as white as my laundry. We bought him a few years ago, after my husband's first stroke. We needed him to take us for walks...And he did! We used to walk a couple of miles most everyday. It was a terrible shock to his system when Bob had his last stroke and couldn't do that any more. He used to give us little gifts just to prove how much he loved missing his walks. We have worked that out.

Well a couple of day sago I got a new Mac. No, it is not a cute little poodle. It is a cute little computer. My big mac was getting old, especially by tech standards. My daughter and son in law bought me a new printer for Christmas. My computer was so out dated the it could not support the printer. So now I am learning how to use a cute little 13 inch lap variety that allows me to sit in our room with Bob while I do my computer work. We are truly blessed to have such technology to help us out. And I will get this thing figured out. I promise.

The Day

Today is THE DAY. Well maybe only The Day. It is not the Second Coming. It is the day I begin to become bread winner for my family. I had signed up to try an internet thing that just wasn't going to work out, that for a while I believed it to be a scam. I am not sure if it was or not, but they pulled a switch from what I was signing up for to internet selling and more of an investment. The money that they said I could earn was enough to replace my income, so I fell for it. It was not something I felt comfortable doing. So I am going to try what I know and love to do.
I love smocking and heirloom sewing. I have belonged to a smocking guild for many years. For a while I worked at Sew From The Heart, where I taught classes, as well as sold machines and all the wonderful things that go with sewing. SO...i am making Christening gowns to sell. It will start slow, but I have a bit to live on while I build my inventory and my business.
Please wish me luck. I'll keep you informed as I go along.Hopefully I'll have lots of adorable pictures to post of adorable babies in beautiful dresses. Top of the afternoon to you all.

"Did she die?" "No, she's not that old." "Does she have a new baby?" "Good grief no, she already has ten! And besides, She is too old for that." "Did she go to work?" No actually, she, meaning "me" actually quit work and have been full time care giver for my husband for the past three years. The first year after my husband's stroke, I mostly sat by his side and read to him, tried to keep his arms and legs moving by manipulating them, and tried to learn how to care for someone who had lost the ability to walk , talk , move his arms or body, eat , and stay awake for more than an hour at a time, except through the night. We made several trips to the emergency room and checked on or fixed several malfunctioning body parts.

The next year we acquired therapists . Physical, Occupational and speech(off and on). I got better at helping , and Bob got better at doing a few things, like his feeding tube was removed and he learned to eat again. I think he was highly motivated in this area. We still spent far too much time in medical facilities.

This year we are dealing with arthritis, making therapy more difficult. But we have become friends with a couple of pain doctors who make life more bearable. In general Bob has a bad reaction to most pain relievers and we avoid those like the plague. Sleeplessness and hallucinations are his most common reactions to pain killers. Thank goodness for orthopedic and anesthetic specialists.

This year I have also realized that I need more to occupy myself than voracious reading. I have restarted smocking, cooking, gardening, and various other interests from my past. Bob still likes me close at hand , so these projects take a miniscule corner in my day. Still, keeping the creative juices going helps me to curtail my desire to be out and going, going, going.
I hope all of my friends and family are well and happy today. Sorry for the long, long pause in blogging. I hope to catch up with those that I have missed seeing, and connect with friends, old and new. Thank you, Lord, for this day.