HAPPY BIRTHDAY "D"!!!

HAPPY 30th TO THE BEST SON-IN-LAW IN THE WORLD!!!

SHOPPING!!!

I have hated shopping for years. Well, I'm slowly beginning to enjoy shopping again. Kinda/sorta!! I am now able to find clothes that fit and even TOO BIG for me in department stores. YIPEE!!!!!!
Crystal and I went to the Galleria the other day for me to invest in some bras and for her to return some items. We did some shopping and we both hit the jack pot. She's has already posted her treasures on her blog (I would link it here but I don't know how). I found me a pair of beautiful black jeans on the clearance rack marked down from $59.50 to $6.99 and then they had 40% off that so they cost me $4.19!! YES!!!!!!!
Then Crystal found me two really cute bras on the clearance marked down from $34.00 each to $3.99 each. That is the only time I'll buy something is when it is on sale or on clearance. I'm major FRUGAL!!!

I have been wanted to try Pare Minerals Make-up for years, but was afraid to order it for fear I wouldn't be able to wear it. I have very sensitive skin and I haven't been able to find any make-up in years that I can wear without it irritating my skin.
I saw a ad in our Pelham News where there is a little boutique called Rose Petals that sales make-up that compares to Bare Minerals. We went by there on the way to the mall for me to try it on and wear it thru the day to see if it irritated me before I bought it.
I went in and had the make-up applied and wore it to the mall and it never bothered me. We went back and I bought the items I needed to start with and I love it. It's called Simply Karen and it is identical to Bare Minerals. I am so excited.
I had a very successful and exciting week.

My new favorite thing!

I discovered something really good today: EDAMAME (soybean in pods).
If you love boiled peanuts, you'll love edamame. They are awesome. I had been told my several people and thru research that soy is a awesome source of protein. I have found the roasted, salted soynuts and I have tried tofu and I really like them both. I hadn't been able to find the edamame till last week at Wal-Mart in the frozen food section. All you do is thaw them out or defrost them in the mic and pop the pods open and eat the bean. They taste like really good boiled peanuts. I LOVE them!! Give them a try. They are already to eat. No cooking and they make a great snack, high in protein. YUMMO!!!

Easter 1953

This is my Dad holding me and my cousin, Steve Travors! His Mom is my Dad's sister, Florence.
I'm 18 months old here and I was probably not too sure footed on the ground and decided to sit a spell. Either that or Steve pushed me down.

Easter 1969

The picture on top is Renee and I after we came home from Church, we were enjoying a good ole' ham samich! Yum-Yum!! Don't you guys just love my outfit and my doo-rag? The picture on the bottom was of Diane, Kelly Allen (their little neighbor friend) and Renee, all dressed up in their Easter finery. Dont' ya'll love their bufont hair-do's? I fixed their hair.

Easter Memories!

This is probably one of my most favorite pictures of Daddy. This is Easter Sunday 1957. His outfit is in pink & gray. The pants are a light gray, pale pink shirt, gray socks and the tie is black with a pale pink stripe down the front. SHARP!!!!!!!!!!! He is sitting in my Aunt Emma & Uncle Pete's house on 8th Ave. South, B'ham, right across the street from the park.

What a Surprise!!

Last night Crystal and I were on-line and she IM'd me and said that our cousin was on Rick & Bubba. It was my cousin, Scott Ferguson. He is known as Scott the Techman! They said that he has been with them since the very beginning. Scott's Dad, Wayne, and I are first cousins. Scott played the organ at my and Danny's wedding. So cool!! I guess you can tell we haven't seen or talked to each other in a WHILE, huh!!!

Happy 90th Birthday, Aunt Gladys!!

This is Danny's three Aunts. They are his Dad's sisters. From left to right is: Aunt Gladys age 90 today, Aunt Ike age 85 and Aunt Mary age 86. The fourth sister, Blanche, passed away last year at the age of 91. The Culver's have long longevity. I think they look amazing.



Danny and I spent today in Clanton at his Aunt Gladys' 90th Birthday Celebration. They had it at her house and boy was it packed. They have got to be the sweetest people I have ever met.
These sweet ladies have always treated me as part of the family. I wish my-mother-in law had been just half as sweet as they are.

My New House-guests!!

The top picture is Harriet and the bottom picture is Auzzie. He is a much prettier bird than she is. His head is shaped different and his eyes are much bigger. He also has that beautiful blue above his beak which is how the boys are marked to where hers is the brown color. Other than that they pretty much have the same colors.

Auzzie and Harriet have come to live with me. I went to the store on Wednesday to buy them new treats and supplies for their cages and I spent several hours yesterday cleaning and rearranging their cages. Auzzie is such a HOOTE!! He cracks me up. Always busy and always talking. He has a huge vocabulary. Harriet doesn't talk, she just chirps a little and sits around mostly. She will play a little but Auzzie is just about never still or quiet! Last night when I was covering them up to go nite-nite Auzzie said, "Hey Crystal!! Wha' chu doin?" He's such a HAM!! I am really enjoying them.

BORED

We have Dish TV and yesterday I upgraded it to the 180 channels from the 120 and today I can't find a thing that interest me on there. Go figure; 180 channels and nothing worth watching. SHISH!!!
So here I am blogging that I'm bored while listening to my scanner and there's nothing exciting happening on there either. Wish I had the scanner programmed the night Crystal and I were playing spies to the neighbors.

Warm Weather PLEASE!!!

I have always been a lover of WINTER!! I love to wear winter clothes. I've always said that in the winter I can add more clothes on to get warm to where in the summer I can't take enough off in order to get cool.
Well, I think all that has changed since I've lost 91 lbs. of insulation. I have been about to freeze this winter and it hasn't really been all that cold. My nose, hands and feet stay cold. I will wear 2-3 pairs of socks at a time. BRRRRRRRRR!!!
I am longing to sit outside on the front porch in my swing and read, but it has been too cool and breezy. It's beautiful and sunny but just a little too cool to sit very long. Never thought I would ever see the day when I wished for warm weather, but I AM!!!

Surgery Update!!

Last Tuesday I had to be at Shelby Medical Surgery Center at 10:30am for them to take blood, do a ekg, and get me prepped for surgery on my hernia. It was probably 11:00 before they called me back and about 12:15 they took be to the holding room where they give you this cute little designer hat, put in your IV and get you started on some of the meds. I was there till about 2:45. While in there I got to talking to one of my doctor's (Dr. Stahl's) attending nurses and she said that sometime when they are playing music in the OR, he will start singing. I thought that was so funny because to me he doesn't seem to have that kind of personality. She told me to tell him to sing for me, "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston. So when I got into surgery she met him at the door and told him I had a request and he came in singing to me. LOL. Never had a singing surgeon before. Then another one of the male assistants started singing (he was better than Stahl's) and the anestheologist said that he could sing too. I told him to just go ahead and put me to sleep and that they needed to buy Dr. Stahl's a bucket with a lid on it to carry his tune in. He quickly informed me that he was a lot better surgeon than singer and I said that I was glad to hear that.
The next thing I know I'm in recovery being woke up out of a awesome sleep. They finally got me to my room around 5:30, I think.
I have always had good treatment and service at Shelby but this time was the best by far. I spent the night on second floor in a private room, I was released around 2:00pm on Wednesday and I don't think that I was ever in that room a whole hour without a nurse coming in to check on me. Anytime I buzzed the desk, my nurse was right there. All very nice and friendly. Couldn't have asked for better care.
Now, this surgery was a lot more painful than my gastric by-pass. OUCH!! I have to walk around literally carrying my belly around in my hands. GET THE VISUAL!!!!!!!! LOLOL!! Man, it hurts to cough, sneeze (double OUCH), sit, stand, walk, etc, etc, etc........................
The hernia is right above my belly button at my waist and was the size of a golf ball. They went in laproscopically and patched it with a piece of mesh that is stitched to the lining of my belly and the stitches come all the way thru skin to the outside of my belly. Everytime I move it pulls. It's getting a little better than it was. I go Tuesday for him to check it out. I think I'll LIVE!!! I'm now down 88 lbs. They told me that he wants me to lose 130 the first year, so I have 42 lbs. to go in 6 months. AWESOME!! I believe that I will have it all off by this time next year.

Another surgery!!!

I went to my surgeon today for my 6 month check-up and to get my B12 shot. While there I had him check a hernia that I have and the places where I think I have found two more.
The one that we have known about since before my gastric-bypass is right above my belly-button and I have to sometimes push it back in. He was pretty concerned about that one so I am going into Shelby Medical Center, Tuesday morning and he will go in laproscopically and take a look to see if there are others and then decide if he can patch them lapro or if they have to open me up.. I will be spending one night unless it gets complicated, BUT it's NOT!!!
The one that I have to push could perforate and that would call for emergency surgery and could get really messy. DON'T want that, so we decided to go ahead now and not take any chances. Keep me in your prayers!!!! They DO work!!
GOD IS SO GOOD!!!


My new favorite scripture:

Isaiah 58:9 You will call, and the Lord will answer; you cry for help and He will say: "HERE AM I."

THEN & NOW

March 1, 1986
March 1, 2006


Crystal and Daniel took these two photos and had them enlarged and done in this color (I can't remember what it's called. Sorry Crystal), framed them and they presented them to us tonight. We LOVE them. THANKS Crystal and Daniel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"THE LOVE OF MY LIFE"

Wednesday, March 1st, will be my and Danny's 20th Wedding Anniversary!!

My New Shoes!!

Crystal was requested to post her new shoes. Well, I was jealous so I decided to post mine as well. Crystal found them for me. Thanks Crystal!! You did good!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETH!!!!!!!

NIFTY-NIFTY-NIFTY!!! LOOKS WHO'S FIFTY!!!!!!!!

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETH"

Monday, February 20, 2006

Last May I had surgery on my neck. I had a ruptured disk and they went in thru the back and just shaved off the piece that was giving me problems. Before I had the surgery the disk was pinching nerves that ran thru my left arm and into my left hand causing my thumb, index and middle fingers to go numb. I tried going to the chiropractor before to see if that would help, but it didn't because I think I had waited too long to seek treatment and ended up having surgery. The Surgeon told me that there was no guarantee that it wouldn't happen on the other side. WELL, it has!! My right arm is doing exactly as the left arm did. The surgeon also told me that if they had to go back in to get the rest that they would have to go in thru the front, instead of thru the back of the neck like they did in May, and take out the whole disk and fuse those two vertebrae together. I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE!!!!
I decided to try the chiropractic approach again and this time I am attacking it sooner so I don't already have nerve damage yet. I went Tuesday for my first adjustment and I went today for my second, BUT............. before I had the adjustment I made an appoinment with the Massage Therapist and I had my very first massage.
I WAS IN HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! With it being my first time, I just went for the 30 minute back massage. OH MY GOSH!! I am hooked. I am going to start next month having a one hour massage once a month along with a monthly adjustment. I am PRAYING that this is going to fix things for me. I don't want anymore surgeries for a long time if ever again!!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ALL!!!!

BEING OVER 50 IS SO MUCH FUN!!!

SWEETHEARTS
Danny and I went to the 50's Plus Valentine Dinner at church Saturday night and we had a BLAST!!! You get 50 of us OVER the HILLers together and you can't help but have fun. It was a potluck and I made chocolate dipped strawberries and they were a hit. I made 80 of them and Danny ate 10 before we left the house. There was some major good cookin' there. After we ate we played The Newlywed Game. Danny and I were in the second set and we WON 1st prize. YEA!!!!!! A box of chocolate hazelnut creme-filled hearts. I ate one and Danny will finish them off.