Yeah, I'm still here, more or less on the periphery. Garden takes priority over everything else right now except breathing.....

Relaxation is a hard thing to come by. I have to concentrate way too much to get there.
 

Today was the day for going to the medical center to have blood drawn for tests the doctor prescribed, along with the Lyme Disease Panel which I wanted. My mother very graciously sent me the money for the Lyme Disease Panel. It was supposed to cost $250 all by itself, but they gave us a reduced fee of $195 for paying cash up front. My husband also had his blood drawn for the tests his doctor wanted him to have back in February. Now, we wait to hear back on the results.

After they took our blood, they gave us each a gift certificate for a breakfast taco in the hospital dining room. I was doubtful, but it actually was one of the best tacos I've had in a long, long time. We also got free coffee.

Then we went to a feed store and bought a few things, including a trap to catch the raccoon who has been pillaging our garden and eating the corn. I'd like to shoot the little sucker, but I really don't want to wait outside in the dark until he shows up. I hope we don't trap too many of our own cats before we get the raccoon. Maybe, we'll get lucky and capture him on the first night we use the $50 trap.

We also got some more bobcat urine. Believe it or not, they go get the bobcats to pee in a bottle. It says so on the label. How? I don't know. Oh, in case you didn't know, the bobcat urine is used to keep deer and hopefully other critters away from the garden.
 

It's Mother's Day! Besides the early present, I got roses and a card from my husband, and we are going out to eat today at a local Mexican restaurant. Shoots the diet, but that's okay. I'll recover later.

Thought I had amusing or interesting things to say in this blog, but my mind is not cooperating.
 

"la, la, la, la, la"

Looks like rain today. Have to keep a sharp eye out the window in order to move the animals BEFORE it really starts pouring.

My plan for the day is to bake zucchini bread. I certainly hope that storms don't knock out the electricity even for a minute.

Been fooling around on Ancestry.com. Need to get my breakfast and take my 10 minute heating pad time for the TMJ.

My best friend, Sheilla, had surgery yesterday in Kansas to remove a tumor. The surgery went well according to her adult son's report over the phone.

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10:00 am - The rain began awhile ago. I had rush out and rotate the animals and pick up the chicken feed dishes. I had just gotten started assembling the dishes, pans, ingredients to make the zucchini bread. Glad I had not gotten any further. Now there are four pans of batter in the oven. The zucchini bread should be done about 10:30 am. I think I'll hold off putting on a fresh pot of coffee until the bread comes out of the oven. That way, by the time it cools enough to "sample" it, the coffee will still be fresh.
 

TMJ - The dentist office returned my call and I set up an appointment for next Tuesday. HOWEVER, I will NOT be getting the mouth guard my ENT doctor wants me to get. The cost for the dang thing is about $825. The person on the phone said it cost eight twenty-five. I asked, "Do you mean eight HUNDRED?" I think I asked this twice.

I've not been real compliant yesterday and today about the 10 minute periods on the heating pad. I should be there now because I just had lunch, and after each meal is what I established as the best time to do this. I guess I'll go lie down on the heating pad as soon as I finish this entry.

My best friend, Sheilla, in Kansas is having surgery today at 3:30 to remove a tumor from her abdomen area. Please pray for her and for your adult son Christopher with whom she lives.

I'm on the search for moth balls. Apparently, this is another deterrent against having deer in the garden munching on my plants. My husband got me one box, but we need more.

Two weeks in a row, my grocery store DID NOT have Diet Coke with Splenda. I mumbled under my breath, "I think there is a conspiracy against me." They also did not have Blue Bell Vanilla Bean ice cream. That ticked me off royally. I settled for something vanilla which has fewer calories. More conspiracy going on!
 

Day two of registration for New Horizons. Going well.

It rained again last night and more rain is expected today. I have to keep watch out the windows to check on whether or not the rain has started. If it has, I need to get the little dogs into the house from the backyard. And I need to get the big dogs out of the pasture and into the backyard so they can go into their kennels. Buffy and I are snug as bugs in a rug in the house and really don't want to be disturbed by anyone - dogs or otherwise.

If my baking soda and baking powder weren't expired, I would be baking zucchini bread today. It will have to wait until I go to the store tomorrow. So, I will probably be baking the first zucchini bread of the season on Thursday morning. Right now the kitchen counter is filled with zucchini and yellow squash.

TMJ - my ear feels a lot better, but my gums are still really sore. I can't make a dentist appointment until the 10th because the dentist is out of the office until then. Who knows how soon I will be able to get in to see him.

Rhythm pattern malady - It continues to afflict me and make writing and reading most difficult. It also continues to affect everything 24-7 setting a fast pace for my activities and stress me out. No wonder I have TMJ since it can be caused by stress.
 

Spring term admissions for New Horizons opens in about 20 minutes. I think we are good to go. I've got my music playing, my coffee cup is filled, my new 38 special revolver is loaded and on my desk. The 38 was an early Mother's Day present from my husband. How did he know I might need it a week early? Huh

I've loaded it with 4 bullets; it takes 5. The open cylinder keeps me from firing off a shot without thinking about it for at least one trigger pull.

The clock is ticking.
 

Yes, we needed rain. No, I did not need rain that knocked my corn down to the ground. Oh, well. I spent part of the day propping up the corn against some pieces of cattle panel held up by t-posts pounded into the soft ground. At least, nothing was totally destroyed by the wind and rain.

I'm adhering to the doctor's plan for "curing" the TMJ. Eating "soft foods." Changed my diet a bit for accomplish this. Haven't taken a calorie assessment, but I'm not real concerned. After the two weeks, I'll amend if the TMJ is better.

Glenn went (is still gone) to a gun show in San Antonio. Since I was pretty sure he wasn't going to buy me a new gun, I stayed home and mowed the backyard and propped up the corn. I did ask him to buy me a new knife.

Tomorrow admissions for New Horizons Academy spring term opens. I have to open the page for access at 9:00 am and then be "johnny on the spot:" to respond to the admissions, letting folks know they are accepted into their chosen course. It's labor intensive in the first few days, but that's how it goes. This will be my last time.
 

I am a list maker. I create a list of "To Do" items for every day of the week. Some things are routine, but I write them down so I won't forget to do them. Other things are only occasional or once in lifetime.

Today's list includes:
"Viper" (powdered insecticide) garden
Fill chicken waterers
Mow Back yard
Water plants
Water small garden
Harvest squash, zucchini, and early peas
Download Trifexis rebate form and fill it out
Supper plans: Pork for Glenn

Other things will sneak onto the list as the day goes along.

Of course, there is also my new TMJ regimen to follow and the "breakfast," "lunch," "supper" thing.

 

Dr. Gordon, ENT doctor, said to me, "Your problem is not your ear. There is no fluid behind your eardrum." I responded, "Then what the hell is it?" Yeah, that's exactly what I said. He responded, "TMJ Syndrome. It's your jaw." Huh

He has me on a regimen that is supposed to "solve" the problem.
Two weeks of the following:
1. Soft food diet
2. 10 minutes three times a day on a heating pad
3. Alleve every twelve hours after a meal,
4. Flexiril (muscle relaxant) at bedtime
5. Go to special dentist and get a mouth guard
(which I can't do yet because the dentist he referred me to is gone until May 10 - I need to call ENT and see if there is someone else).
6. No chewing gum which I don't do anyway

Then he wants to see me back in his office in one month.