Cozy Reader

Rumors of Demise Are GREATLY Exaggerated!!

2009-07-12T19:14:00.002-04:00

I have not abandoned my blog, I am still here. So, what's been going on?

Of course, the main thing is I have been taking care of my husband. He cannot walk at the moment so I have to help him with everything he does. He is gaining strength in his legs and we are hoping that soon he will be able to get up and get on his scooter and start do some things on his own.

Now, while being a full time care giver does dominate most of my time, I have just been too tired to think about posting on my blog. Yes, I have been on Facebook, I have played games, I have done email, etc. But posting on my blog requires more thought. At least, that is the way I think. I don't want to just post drivel.....I want to at least post something you might actually read!!!

But, as you can see.....I'm posting drivel!!!! My brain is on overload and I do well to do what little I do. I have not abandoned my blog or my blog friends. You have ALL been a lifeline for me. You have been encouraging and have prayed and have been here just when I needed you.

I promise to do better..........I really do!

Now Isn't This a Beautiful Family?

2009-07-03T13:25:00.005-04:00

Good genes!!!

You Begged.....Here's an Update

2009-06-30T09:33:00.003-04:00

Warren is slowly getting better. He had the stitches out yesterday and his incisions look great. He has adjusted to his new eating habits really well. In fact, sometimes he has a hard time getting it all down!

He is not craving anything which is amazing. He is almost ready for the transition from liquids to soft foods. I think that will be a very nice change.

He still has pain in his hips, knees and feet. It is getting better but he still lacks the strength to stand up on his own so he uses our lovely wench to help him get up to the porta potty and to another chair.

There are days when he feels downhearted and tired but he knows where his strength comes from and he is trusting in Him. We have been blessed with so many friends and their prayers. I do not know how anyone gets through difficult times without God and friends.

Thank you SO much. Thanks for your prayers, your caring and your friendship.

PFFFTTTT!!!!!

2009-06-29T14:50:00.003-04:00

(Just so you know, that is NOT her tongue....it belongs to Mr. Potato Head!!!)

This and That.......

2009-06-24T08:47:00.006-04:00

Recently I reconnected with several high school friends through FaceBook. It has been SO much fun see what has been going on in their lives since we all graduated.

Two of the people I 'found' were high school sweethearts and married and are STILL married.
They sent these pictures to me from high school.

In this first one I am on the far left. My friends, Elaine and Debbie are the next two (not counting the person I am covering with my hand. I have NO idea where we were or what we were doing!!

Here I am with another Debbie. I think we were doing some stupid dance. Oh, the freedom of youth!!

This picture was taken in Miami, Florida while attending the FBLA National Convention. Believe it or not, I am pictured here with yet another friend named Debbie!!! That was a popular name.

I remember those red pants and that blouse. I remember the hotel room and the fun we had. That's all I'm saying!!!

UPDATE ON HUBBY: We had a PT here yesterday and she gave him some exercises to do. After working with her yesterday he seems to have better mobility this morning. His swelling is going down and his need for pain meds has decreased some. He still has a way to go but at least we are moving in the right direction!

God has been so very gracious to us and has blessed us beyond measure. Your prayers have been a great part of that. Thank you and I would appreciate your continued prayers.

HOME!!

2009-06-18T07:36:00.002-04:00

Home......what a beautiful word. After a week in the hospital the word 'home' became a reality.

My DH was brought home in an ambulance.....just because they could get him into the house easier than I could. They placed him in his chair at 3:30pm yesterday. THE EAGLE HAS LANDED!!!

We still are working on back pain issues but that has been greatly relieved by getting out of the hospital bed.

The road ahead will be long and I am sure there will be some rough patches along the way but we are ready for the journey.

Thank you all SO much for your support, kindness and prayers.

WHEW!!!! What A Time!!!

2009-06-11T19:36:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was quite a day. We arrived at the hospital at 6:30am. They took hubby to pre-op at 7:30am. FINALLY, at 9:30am they took him to surgery. Meantime, in the waiting I was surrounded by about 25 friends and family. We were a little loud but they sure helped me pass the time!

I spent last night in the ICU with my DH but our sweet son is staying with his dad tonight and I am going to get an uninterrupted night's sleep!!! But, I wanted to update everyone first.

My hubby's surgery went VERY well. The surgeon was able to do the surgery laproscopically which will make the recovery time better. A vascular surgeon put in a 'screen' to help prevent embolisms as a precautionary measure. After surgery he spent the night in ICU so he could be monitored more closely and was moved to a room today.

He has no complaints connected to the operation. His problem is the horrific pain in his back, hips and knees! He has been MISERABLE. The nurses are being very attentive and are working hard to give him relief.

He will be visited by a physical therapist tomorrow to work on strengthening his legs and arms. He has been having difficulty getting around for a while so they want to make sure he is as mobile as possible before he comes home.

THANK YOU seems so inadequate for the prayers from all my wonderful blogging friends. But, I appreciate it more than you will ever know. I know you will continue to pray. This is just the beginning of the rest of our lives. God is SO good and we are trusting him.

It's Almost Time!!!

2009-06-07T10:00:00.003-04:00

On June 10th my hubby will have his gastric bypass surgery. We have been waiting for this day for a LONG time. He is ready to have the surgery behind him and move on to the future.

He had planned to have this done last fall BUT he decided to have emergency hernia surgery and get a staph infection instead!!! Go figure!! So he feels he has had his mind set on this forever.

We are going to see the surgeon and the anesthesiologist tomorrow. I guess my husband will be given instructions on what to expect after surgery as well as more information regarding what I will feed him when he comes home.

I won't say I am not apprehensive.......who wouldn't be! But, we both know that God is in control and we are in His hands. I can't think of a better place to be.

I will post something after his surgery to let you all know how he is. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers more than you know. I thank God for you all.

Smile.....It Will Make People Wonder What You've Been Up To!

2009-05-29T09:42:00.002-04:00

Now, that's funny right there, I don't care who you are, that's funny!!!

Just Stuff

2009-05-28T11:33:00.003-04:00

Well, here at Cozy's place everything is "fair to middlin'" as my father would say. I feel a little like this kitten!! Not great but not terrible! The sun is shining today and that is a good thing and makes everything look better.

We are anxiously awaiting June 10 when my DH will have gastric bypass surgery. We are PAST ready for this to happen. He has jumped through every hoop and passed every test and all is well. The only problem he is having is with his legs swelling.

I bought him a new recliner and it's great except laying his legs on it hurts! He can only stand it for a few minutes. It helped when I put TWO memory foam pads in the chair. The problem is the back of his legs stick to whatever they lay on and that is not a good thing. We are waiting on a call back from our primary care physician as to some options for treating them.

On a happier note, our son has been appointed to his first church! He will be the pastor of Ball Ground United Methodist Church. He will begin the last Sunday in June. He is very excited and a little apprehensive.....which is to be expected. He just completed licensing school and will start seminary in the near future. We are so proud of him and thankful to God for His call on our son's life. Last night he met with the current pastor and then they had dinner with some of the church members. It was a very positive experience. Pray that God will use him to reach this community for Christ. Also, pray for his wife and Zoe as they start this new adventure.

We got to spend some precious time with our granddaughter yesterday. She is a loving and happy little girl. I had bought her a new pair of shoes and she had to put them on. She kept holding her foot up and looking at them. That's my girl!!!!! SHE LOVES SHOES!!!

That's all I have today. But, I want to leave you with a smile. Enjoy the photo below. If it doesn't put a smile on your face then you need help!!

A Little Saturday Funny!!

2009-05-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Sheer Joy!!

2009-05-19T19:05:00.002-04:00

Zoe and her cousin, Zaret, in the hammock!

Oh, NOW I Understand!!

2009-05-18T08:34:00.001-04:00

Memory Lane

2009-05-17T19:59:00.004-04:00

This is one of my favorite family photos. It was taken around 1960 at my grandmother's home. Our family always gathered at my grandmother's for her birthday. I think this was taken on one of those occasions. I am on the back row on the far right. We were the 'younger' grandchildren. There is another photo taken the same day with the 'older' grandchildren!!!

My Grandmother Baird was a precious lady. She loved her family very much. She was one of those grandmothers that always had a cookie jar filled with home made tea cakes and a fridge of cold co-colas (that's we southerners called a coke!!).

If she was in the kitchen she was humming or singing while she worked. If she was crocheting, she was singing. If she was rocking on the porch, she was singing. She just loved to sing hymns. What a precious memory.

Memory - 5/11/1996

2009-05-11T08:53:00.005-04:00

We have been separated now for thirteen years. It hardly seems possible. Wasn't it just yesterday you lost your first tooth? Wasn't it just yesterday you got on the school bus for the first time? Wasn't it just yesterday you got your driver's license? Wasn't it just yesterday you left for Venezuela on a mission trip?

So many wonderful memories. And yet, this is a memory I would rather not have. It is a memory no parent wants and yet it is there. Most of the time it resides in the darkest corner of my mind. Lurking, hiding, quiet. Sometimes, when I least expect it, it jumps out and surprises me, taunts me, shouts at me. Other times, it sneaks up and taps me on the shoulder.

Today it has quietly come to sit beside me. No shouting, no taunting, just quietly sitting there reminding me that you are gone. I miss you, sweet boy. Watch for me......I will see you again one day. Until then, I have the memories.

Happy Mother's Day.....in a Different Way.

2009-05-10T09:05:00.001-04:00

In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog.. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused.

In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a Greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock, and known as a willing haven for Animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need.

Geoff and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims. To restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved.

They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.

But Jasmine had other ideas. No-one remembers now how it began, but she started welcoming all Animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn't matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit, or any other lost or hurting Animal, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick.

Geoff relates one of the early incidents. "We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the center and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck, in her mouth, and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them."

"But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings.

"She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose."

Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary's resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits.

And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble, the Roe deer, with affection and makes sure nothing is matted.

"They are inseparable," says Geoff "Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It's a real treat to see them."

Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next Orphan or victim of abuse.

From left, Toby, a stray Lakeland dog; Bramble, orphaned Roe deer; Buster, a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine with a Mothers heart doing best what a caring Mother would do... Such is the order of God's Creation.

The Truth Has Been Uncovered!

2009-05-09T11:10:00.004-04:00

Barbie has been indulging a BIT too much lately!! I don't know about you, but I can't help but smile when I look at this "new" Barbie!!!!

President Obama has been somewhat secretive about his past....this may be the reason why!

Dribblings From My Brain......Gross, Huh?

2009-05-06T09:29:00.003-04:00

There are a lot of things going around in my head lately. That's one of the reasons I have not blogged much lately. I just couldn't pick just one thing to talk about. SO, I'm going to just regurgitate several of them in one post......now there's a mental image for you!!

.....I have been dealing with an insurance company FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS in regard to a car accident in December 2006!! My initial doctors bills have been paid but I still have back pain that my chiropractor is treating me for and I think I should be compensated. I was plowed into from the rear on an expressway and pushed over TWO lanes of traffic. The initial claims adjuster dropped the ball and then it was turned over to someone else and they contacted me once and I never heard from them again. Now I am dealing with someone who might ACTUALLY get this settled.

.....My husband has an appointment today with one of the doctors who will be in the operating room with him for his gastric bypass surgery. Today he sees the one who will place a stint in his neck to help avoid blood clots. Fun stuff!

.....Our precious little Zoe is approaching the 'terrible twos' and is exercising her personality!! She is also not sleeping well which means her mommy and daddy aren't sleeping well. So far, that is bothering her parents the most! The joys of parenting!

.....I am getting apprehensive about my husband's surgery. I know the doctor is one of the best in his field. I know others who have used this doctor and have done very well. But, I also know the risks involved in any surgery. I guess my apprehension is tied to my lack of control over the situation. I trust God to care for him and guide the doctor as he operates and I am trying VERY hard to release my anxiety to the Lord but my human-ness is getting in the way!

.....I need to STOP STUFFING MY FACE!!!! I have gained weight and have only a FEW things I can wear. I hope that when hubby has his surgery I will be able to loose too. He will be eating so little and I plan to do the same.

.....TIRED, VERY TIRED!!!!!

.....TTTTTTTThat's all FFFFFFFFFFFolks!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Honey

2009-05-04T06:57:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday to my hubby today.
He has been the love of my life for almost 36 years.
He is my best friend.
He is a wonderful father.
He makes me laugh.
He loves me unconditionally.
I am very blessed
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!

We Have a Date!

2009-05-02T08:30:00.005-04:00

Yes, we have a date.......but not like THIS! A date like this is lots of fun and a good idea for every couple.....even after marriage. However, in this instance this is not the kind of date I am talking about here.

The date I am talking about is for my husband's gastric bypass surgery! The doctor has scheduled it for June 10th. We have been waiting for a long time to get to this point. Having a firm date is a blessing and we are looking forward to the positive changes this will bring to our lives. It's going to be a long road but we are not alone on the journey. God is by our side and we have all our wonderful friends.......that includes YOU!

Stay tuned.....

WONDERFUL NEWS!!!!

2009-05-01T10:59:00.002-04:00

Our son was approved as a candidate for ministry this week by the District Board of Ministry. We are so proud of him and very excited for this new chapter in his and his family's life. It took him a while to come to this decision. He took a few detours along the way but has now accepted God's call on his life. We are all doing the happy dance around here!!!!!

As a little extra this morning I am including a picture of Zoe with her 'backpack'. Isn't she cute?

I've Been M.I.A!

2009-04-28T10:43:00.005-04:00

I must apologize to my 10's of readers!!!! I have been on a little hiatus from my computer. I have not touched it since last Thursday. I just needed some time away from technology. BUT, I am back.

So, here is a cute picture of my precious son playing with his equally precious daughter!!

Update on Commenting!

2009-04-23T10:35:00.003-04:00

OK, you can comment on my blog now BUT the thing I was trying to fix is not fixed!!!! I am using "Haloscan" for comments which is fine. But there is one little bitty problem......I was not seeing comments that were made with the blogger comment form. That made me very sad! If you made a comment I certainly WANT to read it.

Haloscan says they can combine the comments but, evidently, they have been taken over by JS-Kit (whoever that is!!) and they haven't quite worked out the kinks yet. SO, I decided I would just remove haloscan from my template. I did, but couldn't get blogger commenting to appear!!

THEN, I reinstalled haloscan which meant I lost all previous comments!!!!! Not only that but some of my sidebar stuff.....not sure how that happened! I'm trying to put stuff back now.

I am NOT a complete idiot but I am not a whiz with this stuff either! I think I will just leave things like they are for now.......I don't want to miss anymore comments.

By the way, thank you for all your comments. It means a great deal to me that you take the time to read my ramblings AND comment!

Technical Difficulties!!

2009-04-22T11:01:00.002-04:00

Pardon my blog.......I am having technical difficulties at the moment. I was using Haloscan for comments but was not getting "blogger" comments. I do NOT understand why!

I tried to delete haloscan and seem to have done so but now NO "comment" link appears at the end of my posts. Also, in the process I lost some of my sidebar stuff, so I am working on fixing that too!!

SO, bear with me while I try to fix this. If you have something you want to say to me, you can visit my facebook page!!!!

Who's That Adorable Little Girl??

2009-04-21T17:25:00.002-04:00

Surprise......it's ME! I actually remember this dress and my black patten leather shoes. I wore this to my piano recital. I think I was about 8 or 9 years old.

My cousin, Terry, sent this photo to me and I'm so glad because I didn't have it. I loved that dress and felt very "fancy" in it.