Memories

Wow, just two more sleeps until Christmas Eve. I'm ready but miss the Christmas's of the past years. As I get older I reflect on so many things of the past. Some with much love and some with longing and regret. But Christmas memories are so full of fondness. The times as a child that we went for rides after Christmas eve church service full of anticipation and excitement because Santa was bringing gifts to our home. There were many times that I have no idea where the money came from for our gifts but the gifts were always there. At the time I was too young to notice that the gifts mom and dad received were very few, they used what money they had on us. Mom filled our tummies with freshly baked cookies, candies,  and wonderful holiday meals besides keeping the house and often times working several jobs outside the home. Memories of going from grandparent home to grandparent home to celebrate with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. The noise, the teasing, the games, the singing and the food. There was always an abundance of food everywhere.  But above all that there was so much love all around. But as a young child you never think of that, it's all about the "wrappings" of the holiday. 

Holidays as a young mother, I tried my best to bring the  memories to our home when our son was little. The goodies, the meals, the gifts, bright lights and decorations, and the laughter. Sharing my Christmas past memories as well as building new ones. There are some that I know our son will hold in his heart as I do in mine. Some will bring much laughter and some will bring tears of what was.  Now is his time to build new memories and traditions for his family. We all grow and move on.

Memories, it's funny how they pop into your head during the holidays. And how much more meaningful they become as you get older. Cherish those memories, even though they will never really  leave, they just grow more dear.

Making new memories and traditions is a part of growing up and we all grow up.  Growing isn't just measured in our years but growing as people, to learn, share and love.

The greatest gift of all was a gift of great love, our Savior Jesus, who loves us and shares all our memories whether they are sad ones or happy. He is there for us through them all. And He loves us all the time. 

Merry Christmas blessings from our home to yours.

Where has the sun gone?

The sunniest place on earth has had little sun for the last several days. And without the sun it has been cold. Cold by Yuma standards anyway. The days have rarely reached 68 and the lows have been in the mid 40's. Here I only have three sweatshirts and have been wearing them daily. We are so used to the warmth that the 60's are cold, yes, I said cold. hehe

The other day we went to the Arizona Market Place and I scored on t-shirts. A vendor was clearing out so I got 5 t-shirts at $2 each. Can't beat that price. They all have a pretty "Arizona" print on them too. Now I can toss some of my very worn and faded out ones and use them for rags. God was shining down on me. I was really in need of some new t-shirts. I live in them most all year round. Well right now, it's cold so it's sweatshirts.

It was also a great day because Marks A1C went down to 5.9 from 7.5. Now he can drop one of his diabetes pills, the ones that make him uncomfortable. God is so good. The diet needs to stay the same and he has to keep up with his exercise, but working at Walmart and putting on 6 plus miles a day at work, keeps him moving.

Christmas has snuck up on me this year. Not done shopping and no idea what to get. It looks like gift card time. Something I have never liked to do, but has become the only way we can go now. The baking is done and the cookies are dwindling down, but will make it to Christmas day..... I hope. This year I have made 4 batches of my cereal crunch (aka Chex mix). That will be it for this year too. The only candy I made was peanut brittle, and we ration that out each day. Too much sugar is not good for either of us. It really makes my arthritis flare up.

Tomorrow we are going out for a Christmas lunch with our dear friends from Utah.....Uncle James and Auntie Bettie, as I like to call them. They have become as close to as blood family. We are so happy that they still get to Yuma each winter.  Christmas's just aren't the same for us without our family around. It just never feels like Christmas to me anymore, but I do so love living here in Yuma. Thankfully we have a wonderful church to help with the Christmas spirit.

We got our flu shots on Friday, finally. This is the first time I have ever gotten a sore arm from the shot, and boy oh boy is it painful. Last night I still had trouble sleeping on that side, the whole arm hurts. I could hardly feel it when the nurse gave me the shot, but an hour later, oh my goodness. I hope that the pain means it is a great protector from the flu too. hehehe Mark has no trouble at all from his shot.

Just nine more days until Christmas Eve. And I hope that you are ready in your heart as well as the outward displays. Keep Christ and Christmas alive all year long.
God bless.

Arizona winter days

Arizona:

Last two days the weather has been challenging to say the least. First it has Rained for most of the last two days, although total rainfall was probably less that a half inch. But when you consider Yuma on average receives just over 3" a year that is significant amount of rain all.

Secondly, and I only mention this in relativity to the weather we experienced this summer. It has been cold, very cold! The digital thermometer when I got off work last night read a bone chilling 57 deg.. Now I am sure to some "bone chilling" is not the word one would use to describe this temp. But after baking in 110+ deg. weather this summer, a 53 deg. temp drop is very noticeable.

On another note the fields again are alive with the colored patchwork of green produce. You see planters working in fields, while others tend to the irrigation systems and still others are harvesting in the field next to them throughout this farm belt.

You now again see the stacks of cardboard and pallets ready and towering in the many cooling warehouses. While simi trucks lay in wait at the loading docks for produce to begins its destination from farm field to your stores shelves.

This all being accomplished in the middle of a desert. It truly is a wonder to behold!

L8r

Border fence

Yesterday we went on a road trip with our dear friends from Utah. Bettie wanted to see the Mexican border fence. So Mark got us up close and personal, a little to close for Bettie's comfort but she got her picture. :) As did I. The fence is 16 feet high and in the area's where it is needed, it is being repaired and even in those areas,  that we saw, it looks to be in very good shape.  Just a nip and tuck here and there. Looking down the road it goes on and on as far as our eyes could see. We have followed the fence for quite a ways earlier in the month as well.

It looks like Christmas in our park.

Each day more and more Christmas decorations are going up. The twinkling lights are lighting even the darkest parts of the park. Some people put so many lights up I can almost see their electric meter spinning off the poll. Yesterday Mark put the finishing touches on our lights as well and it looks great. We have white icicle lights on the front and around our porch, two candy canes on the front porch screen, a window on the porch has colored lights all around and there are battery candles in the windows and on the porch. My fairy garden even has a lighted Nativity glowing. A few red ribbons adorn the gates and the tip of the house. Green garland with little red ribbons grace the hand railing of the front steps. Yes, Virginia, it looks like Christmas at the Bentons!

The Christmas baking is underway with two kinds of cookies made. Two of our favorites are still in the thinking process. I save the hardest to make for the last. No sense starting off on a sour/sore note. But to make those cookies I also have to make them on a day that Mark is at work or they will never see Christmas eve. There aren't many places that I can hide them here either. But next to the cleaning supplies is looking like the only place Mark would never look. LOL Good thing I'm not stupid enough to put food there.   But that would be the safest place. It will be challenging, as always, working in a limited amount of counter space making roll out and spritz cookies. But they are so worth the extra effort. So far we have consumed two batches of cereal crunch ( chex mix) so I'll be making a third batch before too long. That has to be our favorite winter snack.

It's getting close but we still don't know if Mark works Christmas Eve or not. Every Walmart closes on Christmas day so that day is not a concern. We will have our Christmas on Christmas day instead of Eve like we usually do.

The park will have a Christmas dinner on Christmas day, but I highly doubt we will take part in the gathering. I would much rather do my own cooking and kick back the rest of the day at home.  I like my own cooking better. LOL

Fun

It was fun making our Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, I enjoy cooking even though my kitchens in the last 7 years haven't been very big. It was so great to have dark meat and not just white meat of the turkey too. Having a regular size oven made making a whole turkey possible. :) White meat is not something I care for, but then I don't care for fowl to begin with. Give me Beef any day. :) Since we aren't used to eating rich food anymore our guts let us know that they weren't too happy about our meal either. The meal was still very good and we have plenty of leftovers in the freezer.

After our big meal and a nap for Mark, I dug out our meager Christmas decorations. Later in the afternoon I got the tree up and a few of the decorations put out as well. It takes me longer to get things done than it did 10 years ago so it took me a couple days to finish decorating even though I have only a fraction of what I use to have. Everything seems to take me longer to do now than it used to.  But until I can't do what I want at all, I'll keep doing, it will just take longer to get done. Mom taught me to not give up or give in, we are made of tougher stuff than we think. I love doing all these things so I'll just grit my teeth and smile my way through. The end result makes me feel good and proud.

Cookie baking time is on the next to do list. This year I only need to make three different kinds of cookies. We can't eat all the sweets anymore and Mark only eats his three favorite kinds anyway. hehe Today I mixed the roll out butter cookies, but not sure when I'll get around to making them. This week is kind of full or other things I need to get done.  Once the roll outs are done, I'll tackle the spritz and then the snowballs aka Russian tea cakes as they were called when I was a kid. If I can find the umpf I may make a 4th cookie just because I like Christmas baking too. No shopping to do so I'll just bake. :)

Not sure when Mark will have the time but we will need to get the outside decorations up at some point too. There are a few people in the park that have their lights up and glowing brightly. From the sounds of it, this park really goes all out with their decorating.

Miss Lola has been so quiet today that I think I'll cheer her up and take her for a much needed walk. She loves to walk and doesn't get to do that often enough. It's a beautiful day to be outside and not sitting in the house.

My kind of turkey

This year I am able to make a whole turkey and not just a breast for Thanksgiving. Having a regular size oven is one thing I am thankful for this year. No white meat for me, pass the dark meat and keep your mit's off of it!!!! hehehe

Yesterday was a busy day of prep for today. This year many of our usual foods will be sugar free and less fancy. No green bean casserole or scalloped corn. Mark doesn't eat it anyway I don't need it. But the dressing, gravy and mashed potatoes will be the same high calorie food as always. hehehe The sugar free, crustless pumpkin pie will be new and not sure how it will go over, but I do what I have to do to make it diabetic friendly. The cranberry sauce is still from scratch but I used the new sweetener Xylital in that. All in all most of our favorites will be served, just made in a different way. It was a challenge.

 When I was done with my work for the day, it was late and I headed to the shower. I almost needed help getting in and out etc, I was hurting so much. But I do what I need to do one way or the other. hehehe It felt so good to sit in my recliner with my feet up and feel good about all that I got done.

As is our tradition, the Christmas decorations and tree will go up later today. Well that is if I am up to it after all the clean up etc. from dinner. Most of our Christmas decorations are still in storage in MN. But I did pick up some things from the Dollar Tree now and then. Anyway, it won't take as long to decorate as it has in years past. We don't have the room for all of my decorations either. hehe I do have quite a bunch packed.

Time to open the house before the oven bakes us out of here. It's a rather gloomy gray day so I'll have to make my own sunshine. Maybe some Christmas music later today. :)

Sweet dreams

Yesterday after the sheets were on the lines to dry we headed out for lunch. Even though we ate at the Golden Corral we both ate sensibly. We live to close to the borders of California and Mexico that we headed to California for a ride. No destination in mind, just a nice road trip. We saw a different side of the border fence and then the dunes.

Yes, these are actual pictures I took with my cell phone, not something off the internet. They do look fake though, don't they.
I've never seen dunes before so it was quite a sight for me to see. At first I thought Mark really took a wrong turn and we were on the moon. 😮 There were many campers with 4x4's all ready to ride the dunes. Quite a few were already enjoying the ride in the hilly sand. We say all of this in just 30 miles from Yuma. Nice ride, nice day. good time.

On our way home I got a phone call from the furniture store. Kevin said that our mattress was in and would be delivered Saturday morning. That made me so happy to hear. Not sure if it was the excitement or just a bad night, but neither of us slept well Friday night.

The new mattress and frame came today as promised. Oh happy day, finally some room to turn around without kicking each other. All week I was worried that the mattress wouldn't fit through the smaller than average patio door. But God once again proved I didn't need to worry and should leave it all to Him. The men set up the frame in a snap and placed it where I wanted it to be.  There isn't much room left in the bedroom but just enough to get around the bed with relative ease. With the mattress on top, our bed is now higher than it was too. Which makes it much easier for me to get in and out of and easier changing sheets as well. Our queen short RV mattress will head back to the RV when Mark has a day off and the old frame will go to GoodWill. The frame is in too good of shape to toss it in the dump, wherever that may be.

After a cup of coffee Mark and I took the old mattress and frame to the porch. Earlier I took all the stuff from under the bed to the porch. Moving the bed to the porch wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be, although I'm no help lifting, just steering from the rear.  Our porch is looking pretty full for the time being.

When lunch and dishes was done, Mark headed to work and I had the task of putting everything back into order. That was NOT an easy task, but I got it done. And for that I'll need a pain pill tonight, if not before.

Even though the bed will be new to us, I really hope that we both sleep much better tonight. It will sure be nice to stretch out without feet hanging over the edge and not kick the other person or take up all the room in the bed. I have a tendency to hog a bed. 😇

Sweet dreams from Yuma!😴

The heat is on!

With the temps dropping to the upper 40's at night we decided to turn the heat on at bedtime last night. Living in a trailer it can get pretty cold on the inside when it's that cold at night. Yes, I said cold. We have not been in snow or major cold for some time now so anything below 70 is chilly or cold to us. I bundle up good when I take Lola out for her evening walk. The temperature at that time has usually been 64º. Which to our northern friends and family is pretty darn nice, but to us it's darn cold. It's what you get used to.

There is a craft show this week that I will be taking my crafts to in hopes of selling all that I've made. I really doubt that will happen but I hope that at least most of it sells. It should be fun too. I was told that the first one doesn't have the best turnout since most of the snowbirds aren't here yet but it is for the public too and I'm hoping that some of them will make up the difference. Sadly it's not at a very good time of day or week, in my opinion, for the public to shop. I need to make up  a sign yet that says NO CHECKS, CASH ONLY. I've gotten burned before and I don't want that to happen again.

Some day this week our new bed is suppose to arrive so I need to stay close to home. I've been praying that the king size mattress will fit through our smaller than average patio door. Mattresses do smoosh some, don't they? 😦

Comfort returns

A week has passed since our trip to MN and we have settled back into our routines. The weather has been just gorgeous, sunny, mid 80’s during the day and upper 50’s to low 60s at night.😍 It won’t be long and a quilt will go on the bed.

Speaking of beds, we broke down and purchased a new mattress. We have been using an RV, queen short since living in our RV. We bought a good, quality mattress before leaving MN. But RV mattresses aren’t really made for using 365 days of the year. We still need the under the bed storage so we also got a frame that is higher allowing for storage. The new bed had to be ordered and will be delivered sometime next week at no charge. How nice is that? 😄 We will take the RV mattress and put it back in the Montana and toss the mattress that is in there now (that one is not worth saving). Our new mattress is a king size like we have used before moving into our RV. We can hardly wait for a good night's sleep with some room to move again. 😴

All the “stuff” that is under the bed will be packed into clear totes instead of being tossed under the bed like it is now. The bed we have now has hidden storage so you don’t see the mess unless you lift the cover that the mattress is on. It’s a lot like in an RV. Anyway, the totes should make it easier to find things too. Moving things from mess to totes may cause some tossing out as well. 😏

The Arizona Market Place has opened for the winter. So yesterday we checked it out. Not every vendor is there yet so there were still some vacancies. I hope my favorite t-shirt vendor comes back as I am running low on good shirts. The produce spots were full and operating to full capacity. We did purchase a pair of sandals like I bought last year. They are so very comfortable and cheap too. I didn’t need them yet, but they go fast and I’m sure I’ll need them next summer.😎

Mark put his little tv on the porch for the winter and I organized the seating to look more homey and inviting. We could use some outdoor decorations yet. But for now this will have to do. A lot of places here have their porches set up like a tv room with easy chairs, table and lamps. Our lawn chairs work just fine in the dirty wind of Yuma. Today is one of those days. The wind is really blowing and it’s beating up my hanging plants. They may have to come down and be put inside. But I won’t have anything on the porch that will need to be vacuumed clean. :) 😌

MN and back home.

Although  I am sorry for the main reasoning behind our trip north, thanks to all for helping make our trip to Minnesota a positive one. In total we put on over 5300 miles in 7 days and I for one am exhausted.

It was truly great to see Minnesota again and all it scenery. And how fast Hutchinson in particular is expanding. The weather could not have been better with a low of 35 derg. a high of around 50. To tell you the truth I had forgotten what 35 felt like……...LOL

A special shout out to the many people that helped make our stay remarkable. Bev and Jim, Mike and Kim, Randy and Julie, Harlan and Barb, Barb and David, Duane, Kevin, Corey, Brenda, Kenny and Julie, Bobo and Cheryl, Jeremy, Howard and Becky, Dave and Dawn and all the rest. It was so Great to see you all again,

And although it was great to see and talk to you all, I have to say it really feels great to be back home in Yuma Az setting here in my shorts typing this out.

Well I have to go and get ready for work……… lol.

So Again Thanks To All, It was Great Seeing You All. God Bless

P/S We picked up our puppy this morning from the kennel she was staying at and she has not left my side since we got her back! She truly is my Baby!

Goodbye mommy.

Last Saturday we headed to Minnesota to say a sad goodbye to my dear mom.  She has been my best friend and confidant my whole life. And I will miss her like I would miss my arms. How do you say goodbye to someone you love so very much? There is no easy answer to that question. When that special person is suffering and has suffered for so long, the good-bye is still difficult, but knowing that she will be going to heaven to be with our Lord, and have no more pain and suffering, eases my heart.  She has suffered long and hard with congestive heart failure and fought like crazy but it took its toll on her body. She is now in hospice waiting to be with God.  My family and her husband gave my husband and I private time with her to say our goodbyes and to go with God. That is the most difficult conversation I have ever had with my mom. Even harder than admitting when I had to tell her something that I had done that would make her sad or angry.

In my heart I hope that she knew we were there to see her even though she wasn't coherent the whole time we were there. God, I'm sure, made it possible for her to hear our love yous and blessings.

Thanks to our many friends and family our trip to Minnesota it was also a happy one. We were so happy to see everyone. Mark met and spent time with his special friends. We also got to spend time with my best friend, our son, daughter in law, my brothers and their wives, my brother in law and sister Barb. I wish you all could come and see us and Yuma.

This was also the first time for me to fly in an airplane. And to my dismay, it won't be the last time. The flying wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but the waiting, the many people, the rushing and waiting, the stress of it all, and the fact that everyone is packed into the plane like sardines, made it the worst way for me to travel. It was uneventful and the times I was uneasy, Mark held my hand tightly to comfort me.  But I will still say I hate flying.

It was late last night when we got home. We both worked hard at unpacking and putting away as much as possible before going to bed. It was even later when we finally collapsed into our own bed, falling asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow. A long, stressful week wore us out completely.

This morning after a cup of coffee we headed out to pick up Lola from the kennel. This was the first time she had been in a kennel since we got her. She was just crazy with happiness to see us, not knowing who to go to next, running in circles making us all laugh. The caretaker said Lola did very well and was very social with the other pets and had a favorite little dog as her special friend. Before Mark left for work she wouldn't leave his side and has been next to me or in my lap when ever she could catch me being still or sitting down.

The clothes were sorted and I got them and Lola's bed washed this morning. My back isn't too happy, but I even got all the ironing done. Mark had to work today so it was a quick lunch, pack his supper, and do dishes. And from there I went nonstop until I got everything done that I needed to do. A nice hot shower tonight felt absolutely wonderful after sleeping in motel beds and taking hard water showers with teeny tiny bars of soap. I am exhausted, clean and so very happy to be home.

It was nice visiting Minnesota in the fall, my favorite time of year. But my feet were cold the whole time. Lows in the low 30's and high at 50º just isn't what I am comfortable with anymore. Yuma is our home now and I've finally warmed up down to my toes once again.  😎

God bless each and everyone that reads this entry. You are all special to us.
                     Good Night.

Love our days together.

Yesterday Mark had off from work and we had an enjoyable day together. First I had some laundry to do to finish off the week of never ending laundry. Then we went to Pizza Hut and had a nice, no rush lunch where we could sit and chat the whole time. After a brief nap for Mark and a quick trip to get the laundry off of the clothes lines, we headed to the pool. Supper was grilled burgers, dishes and then a trip to put gas in the truck.  I nice quiet evening of watching a couple tv programs together finishes off the very nice day.

The water in the pool wasn't as warm as it was the yesterday but it felt great just the same. In fact with the little less warm water the air didn't feel as cool when you were wet. We got our exercises done and spent more than our usual hour in the water. After not being able to use the pool for several weeks it felt good to be back. Boy could my muscles tell I hadn't used them in that manner for awhile. Today Mark works again so I'll go alone. It's not near as much fun without Mark there and harder for me to get motivated to go too.

Yeehaaaa, no laundry to do today. But that doesn't mean I have nothing to do today. With the doors and windows open on the nice days that we have had has also added quite a layer of dirt to everything. So it's Saturday cleaning day. And with the rise in temperature later this afternoon, the windows and doors may be closed and the a/c turned on until evening. Some time today I need to make a short grocery run to WM too. I'm not looking forward to dealing with the crowds of people shopping, pushing and shoving. But I can't run out of bread or milk and a few other necessities.  Another boring day, but I like days like this too. It can't all be fun and games, life gets in the way.

Happy happy.

Ok, I know this is going to come as a shock to all, but I am doing the happy dance because the heater in the pool is back on!!! That means I can get back to my pool exercising.  I know that me being happy about going back in the water is a major surprise. But I don't like walking alone, and using exercise machines is just too boring and I don't like to sweat! I do enough of that just living in Arizona, why make it worse. In the pool I can work up a sweat and not even know it or I can just squat down deeper in the water to cool off. 😎 Nope, I never go under water. Remember, I don't like water in my face or my ears.

The morning temperatures are too cool, 60's for me to go to the pool in the morning so my afternoon will now be exercise pool time. Maybe my fading tan will renew and my muscles will regain their strength. As much as I fought Mark on getting me into the pool I am enjoying the benefits of the pool now.

Yesterday was a really bad day for me. I wanted to talk to my mom, I know she can't always talk back, and I know she is on her deathbed, but I know she can at least hear me. Her husband told me to go to his facebook page, instead of calling him, for any updates.  Talk about a sock in the gut. I knew he hated me but this is just down right cruel and mean. Thankfully my brother Mike will call me when he goes to see her and my cousin Patty will inform me of any updates on the said facebook page.  God Bless them both. My dear son, I love your caring but leave this alone. It's already been dealt with. I'm at peace with the whole situation.   Mom is all he has and once she is in her heavenly home, he will be all alone again. So sad.

Today is a new day and it's laundry day. That is pretty much what every day has been for me so far this week. I've been trying to get all the blankets and such done before the snowbirds come and the laundry room and clotheslines are so busy. By Saturday I should be caught up  with the laundry. My goodness my days are so mundane. hehehehe But I'm happy with my life.

All good things

We have been enjoying the wonderfully cooler weather this week. But it looks like Friday we will be on the rise to the low 90's for the daytime highs for another several weeks.  The night time temps will still be in the 60's. Around the second week of November it looks to be the temps will be back to the more pleasant temps of the 70's during the day. I've enjoyed wearing long pants and having the doors and windows open. Last night we even put a quilt on the bed. This morning when I got up it was 61º outside and 74º inside. Good sleeping weather. 😃

Along with the more desirable temps comes great days for drying blankets, curtains and bedspreads on the lines. Just like I did in the springtime in MN. Mark washed the outside down with the garden hose and I washed the windows that aren't covered with sunscreens. The porch is all organized for sitting pleasure. Lola has kind of forgotten that she can go in and out as she pleases or she would just rather stay inside. Silly dog.

Mark is working hard to save up money for our trips back to MN. One is for our sons wedding this spring and God only knows when the other trip will be.  Mark has always been a hard worker, good provider and loving husband. And even in his retirement he sees to it that we have what we need.

Soon our friends and family back home will be going off of daylight saving time. The two hour time difference makes it hard to stay in direct contact with family and friends. One hour will make a big difference on when to chat and call. Arizona has no daylight saving time. Why would the sunniest place on earth want more sunshine to heat up the day? Once the sun goes down now the temp really drops and the sun is setting much earlier every day. By 6:30 now it's dark! Being dark early means I have to walk Lola in the dark for her evening jaunt. But I have a flashlight, gun, and phone. Soon all our neighbors will be back and this place will be jumping which will make the walk more relaxed. By 10 they do respectfully quiet down in this park.

Off to get my morning chores done. Have a wonderful Wednesday. God bless
y'all.🙏

Brisk morning

Woke up to  a brisk 61º, sunny skies and a light breeze. The nights have really cooled down and so far the days are staying in the low 80's. I know that it's fall so the highs will fluctuate higher and lower before settling down in the mid to upper 70's for the winter.

Rumor has it that the heater in the pool is being worked on and will turned on shortly. We really do miss our morning exercise time. But even with the heater being on, my time in the pool will be afternoon when the air temp is warmer than the morning temps.

In church yesterday the pastor turned the message over to the youth director and music tech. Wow, what an amazing job he did. The young man is very intelligent, well versed in his bible and can really deliver an amazing message from God. His attitude and love for God was so infectious that one could not leave without a powerful impact from his message. Way to go Nathon.

After church we went out for dinner like we used to do before Mark got a job at Walmart. It was so nice to go out just the two of us for a nice Sunday dinner. Thank you honey. The rest of the day we just sat and enjoyed the quiet of the park. The quiet days in the park will become a thing of the past in about a month. We are slowly getting more snowbirds back into the park.

Rain

This morning I woke up to a nice slow soaking rain. That makes for good sleeping in too. I didn't crawl out of bed until almost 8 this morning. The pain pill last night helped too. There is laundry to do today and I was really hoping to use the clothes lines. Oh well, maybe it will be nicer this afternoon.

After putting off having a massage for over two years I was way overdue,  so yesterday I went in for a much needed massage. I carry every stress, concern and worry across my shoulders and arms. For quite some time I've been having painful muscle issues.The therapist said my muscles were so tight she was amazed that I could function. I told her that my functions were limited. hehe Being a bit tender from the deep muscle massage I took a pain pill before bed. It helped so I got a better night's sleep. My neck doesn't grind as much when I turn my head now and I don't get the shooting pain when I lie down in bed as badly. Because the muscles were so tight it will take another treatment to get them to almost normal. The therapist was very caring and attentive to any discomfort as she worked. I won't put off going in for a massage now.

Mark has a few days off from work so he is enjoying his free time. But there are a few home repairs that will need his attention when it stops raining and dries off. At least he won't get bored. hehehe This afternoon we will need to go and get the things that he needs to get the jobs done. Listening to the rain, the chores may have to wait another day to get done. But we will have the supplies needed for when it stops.

Winter readiness in AZ.

Here in AZ winter readiness is like springtime in MN. We clean off the patio or porch, rake up the leaves that are still on the ground, take off the foil insulation on the windows and put flowers outside. And that is what was done yesterday afternoon. We once again have sunshine coming in all windows, well except for the bedroom window. That window may stay covered, it sleeps better without the rising sun streaming through way too early in the morning. With the sunshades on the windows we don't get all that much air flow but it does keep the dirt from entering so much too.  We just put fans in the doors when we need air movement. The days are so nice in the winter and the nights can drop into the chilly upper 30's. Some days we go through three different sets of attire. hehehe

It's so nice waking up and opening the doors and windows to the fresh cool morning air. Maybe tonight, if the house cools down enough by bedtime,  we will leave all the windows open. I'm not comfortable leaving the doors open unless I am home and awake. Lola may be a smaller type dog but she had become very protective and offers great protection. Not to mention other means of security that we have. But why ask for trouble.

There is a downside to having all the doors and windows open. On windy days such as yesterday some of the desert comes in and lands on everything. So fall and winter I do a lot more cleaning. But to not have snow and nose freezing weather, I'll take the extra chore of cleaning.  So may ask us, how can you stand the heat of the summer? Well we handle it the same way we handled winter, we stay inside most of the time.

The snowbirds are coming in faster and seem just as rude as last year. I do believe the nicest snowbirds are our neighbors. Mark said you can easily tell the snowbirds from the AZ residents by their rudeness. Retail loves the increased sales but hates the attitude that comes with some of the visitors. So when you visit another state, or anywhere for that matter, show off the good side of yourself and leave the attitude in the suitcase. We are all the same, money does not make you superior to anyone.

As some of you may know, my mom is not doing well. Jesus is making a place for her that is just perfect. A place where she will not have anymore pain, grief or stress, just the peace of being with our Lord savior.  Being so far from MN, makes it difficult for us to make decisions of what and how to do things. We are almost 2000 miles from MN. To fly back and forth is out of the question, we live on a limited income and flights and car rentals and dog kennels are not cheap by any means. Some people are treating us with utmost understanding and some are quite mean. But until you walk in our shoes you have no right to be judgemental. Our hearts are breaking and this is no time to cause us more pain. But as God forgives us I will forgive you.

Feeling better

I am definitely liking the changes happening her in the Sonoran Desert temps have a way of changing almost over night. As you know most of the summer I have been showering off after each morning in the pool in cold water. Now do not go burrr. The cold water here is almost too hot to shower off in during the summer. Well within just a week or so I have been having to add a hot warm water mixed in with the cold to find a happy medium.

The temps which were in what Yuman's call the single digits 101 to 109 deg. during the day have now dropped into the high to mid 80’s during the day and down into the high 70’s at night. Trust me with a breeze It feels cool.

Also I finally got the Cortisone shots in my hands taken care of and am ecstatic with the results so far. My left hand which had become almost useless as I could not grip anything with it over night has an almost 80% improvement. The right hand I now have at least partial mobility of the thumb and believe another shot will resolve that as well.

I have to say that you living in Minnesota can Thank God you have a state that Values Health Care. Do not take that for granted for at least here in Yuma that can not be said!

The outcome of both my procrastinating and going thru the waiting room boredom, I have seen more writing on bathroom walls than literature to read in these waiting rooms. But the biggest outcome from this is No More Pain. My hands have hurt so bad at night and finally all the time that I have not been able to sleep even wearing the compression gloves was only offering minimal relief.

Now I have over years gotten up during the night not sleeping much more than about 3 to 3 ½ hours at a time. But living thru the pain was waking me up after just an 1 ½ hours. Yep I can truly say it sucked to be me……..lol

You might ask yourself why the hell did he not go to the doctor sooner as you knew there was something wrong?

Well it was something I knew leading up to what they found when I did my health card this year for my CDL license. I have Type 2 diabetes and when I originally asked the Doctor about my hands he said that may well be a side effect from the diabetes. Of course he also to me I might die and should have passed out, so I guess his opinion is only worth the $75 dollars I paid him.

Now the true assessment brought on by my diabetes condition and quite possibly all the Gravy I have slurped down even to the point of adding it to pizza over the years is that I have quite possibly lost the feeling in my left heel and my right ring finger forever. Although I have a goal of losing more weight which may change that outcome as well.

Speaking of weight I am very proud to say I have stayed under the 200 lb mark for a week now and am feeling pretty good about it. That is 25 to 27 pounds off my starting point and I feel puts my goal of the 180’s in site. Notice the ‘s in 180’s? That means 189 pounds counts…..lol

I wish to give a Big Thank You to my loving bride Cindy for keeping my feeding habits, to what I feel our bare minimum for survival, in check.

To Caravan Oasis for the Pool we have virtually all to ourselves to do an hour plus long workout in, almost each morning.

And get this “Walmart” for giving me a 32 hour a week job in produce that makes me attempt to keep up with kids half or less my age and walk 5+ to 7 miles a day. Yep if it wasn’t for the fact I still part my hair down the center you might not recognize me if you walked by.

So in closing I also want to thank all of my friends for their words of care and encouragement. And to let people know, now that it has passed, 120 deg. is dam hot but we made it thru and now have 6 months to beautiful weather to look forward to. How about you………...lol?

Stay Cool my friends and if your ever are passing by Yuma drop by! Our door (at least in the winter) is always open!

Mark

More to come

This morning we hustled our butts to get to the store before anymore bad weather left us without milk and bread. Heaven forbid the Bentons run out of milk!!! We had a dry run so we even stopped for breakfast🍳 at our favorite place, The Foothills Eatery. A short ride🚗 looking around was a nice bonus before heading home. There was even time before the rain for Mark to get the water softened. PTL!!

It wasn't long and the rain started, but at a lesser degree than yesterday. Back in MN we would call this a million dollar rain. Just a nice slow soaking rain all afternoon. Now, after catching the weather report, we have learned that the worst is yet to come. Hurricane Rosa is really going to make an impact on our weather. The moisture is much needed to ease the 18 year drought, but when the rain comes with such turbulence, it causes a lot of damage, which no one wants. Many businesses, schools, homes and shelters felt the wrath of yesterday's storm.  They were left some major damage. I pray that they will not any major issues again.

The challenge that we have tonight is dodging the rain to get Lola out to do her duty! She, like most people, doesn't really like walking in the rain. WM, as well as other places were all sold out of umbrella's. Imagine that, needing an umbrella🌂 in the desert. Yes, we do get rain,☔ not often but it does rain. Well neither of us will melt. If that were the case, I would stand in the rain until I got the remainder 20 pounds off. 😮

Wet

Today just before Mark left for work we got a little taste of the flash flooding. First the wind kicked in like on the Wizard of Oz. About half an hour later the rain come down in buckets with a force I've not seen since leaving MN just before a tornado. The rain kept up until around 4 at which time Lola and I went out to see how the park withstood the powerful rain and wind. One home had the skirting ripped off on one side, the rest of the homes looked ok.

I'm glad that I did the laundry yesterday or I would've been washing clothes in the parking lot using a rock or washboard. That whole area was flooded.

Before we headed back home we passed by two new swimming holes that used to be the volleyball court and the horseshoe court.

 Getting off of the porch Lola and I needed to use the front gate because the driveway was flooded.

Down many roads there was no way of crossing without boots or a boat. hehe As I was saying this was only a taste of what is yet to come. The flood watch continues through tomorrow and through Tuesday night. Right now it is calm, no breeze, muggy and everything is saturated as is our porch and all the shoes and sandals that were on the porch.

I heard that the pumps in Yuma were down so the water is still sitting in many places yet. We had a little flicker of power when the whole mess started but praise be to God, our power has remained on and stable. Being new to the area in the summer, I do have candles ready if need be.

Yesterday I should have gone to the store for milk and bread, but my back was giving me real pain so I just stayed in my recliner after doing the laundry. Tomorrow, God willing, the next round of nasty weather will hold off until we can make a run to the store and back home. Mark has off so he will drive us with the truck, incase roads are still flooded. The SmartCar, may be too small to clear the water safely

Beautiful morning

Oh what a beautiful morning....... 70º and sunny. The doors and windows are open. This the lowest temp we have seen in months and I'm loving it. I am going to go outside and sit on the porch with my coffee in a bit even though the chairs need a good vacuuming.

Mark has off today and I hope we can go and get a new screen door for the patio door. Our first day here Mark tried walking right through it and bam!!!! It got bent badly. After he tried twisting it back  we were able to kind of close it to some degree, but not lock the screen. No other plans besides the pool. But as cool as it is this morning I'm not going until this afternoon. Cold water is not good for the arthritis. Mark will go to the hot tub for a nice long soak on the sore muscles. And then we will both go to the pool later today.

Good morning.

Up early this morning because it's Sunday, church day. It's a warm morning and will be warm again all day. No snow predicted here at all this winter. The the kind of winter weather we love. We are so looking forward to another winter in Yuma.

The fields are showing signs of life once again too. The green is starting to peek through the ground, the fields are being flooded and sprinkled each and every day. It's a very unique way of farming, a way we have not seen anywhere else. It won't be long and I'll be smelling cut cauliflower, broccoli and lettuce. And the best part is buying it at the Arizona Market Place fresh from the field. Which will be opening in a couple more weeks. The produce won't be there yet, but we still enjoy spending time there. And I really could use some new shirts. Oh man I can hardly wait. Northern California is where we get most of the fresh produce in the winter, fresh but not quite as good as here.

Have a special Sunday.

Wheels

We are back to a two vehicle family. Yesterday we decided to insure the truck again and use that as our second vehicle. With Mark working and using the only vehicle to go back and forth made it too much of an inconvenience. After working hard at WM who would want to spend time on their day off shopping there too?  And we all know what it's like to need something or need to go  somewhere and not have wheels. Or make appointments when you don't know what the working schedule will be from one week to the next. Anyway, it was more financially smart to insure what we already own then purchase someone else's money pit.

When I got up this morning it was a beautiful 75º. A good morning to open up for some fresh air, or so I thought. Upon opening the door and sticking my head out, the smell of oil or tar was permeating the air heavily. So no fresh air this morning. We have had some nicer temperatures the last few days, but by Friday and the weekend the temps will be on the rise again. But cooler days are not far behind. Which means I will enjoy today for what it is now. Not like I can do anything about the weather anyway. hehehehe

I'm still working on some fall crafts and can see how much more detailed things are getting. So many of them I like so well that it will be hard to sell this fall. But I have to recoup some of the money I spent on the supplies and I have no good place to store them all either. Someday I hope to be able to get back into my card making, that is the craft I enjoy more. Plus card making is so much easier on my hand.

Time now to go and enjoy cooler morning walk with Lola.

last days of August

Summer is still trying hard to hang on here. Some mornings are a cooler mid 70's to low 80's but the days are still in the lower 100's. At night, when we talk Lola for her evening stroll, the temp is often times in the lower 90's and it almost feels cool. I know that sounds quite bizarre, but when the temps that time of night have been in the low to mid 100's, 90 does feel cool. Never thought I would ever say that 90º was cool. LOL 😛 As most of you know, summer is NOT my favorite season, but then neither is winter.

Mark is not real thrilled with the work he has to do at Walmart. Most everyone that works with him is quite a bit younger than he is and they all are expected to be able to do the same thing. Well, that is not floating well. He works 4 days a week. The week starts on Saturday, and his 4 days are often right in a row. That is not a good thing either.  Not sure how long he will want to continue his employment there. But he does like being with the people and he seems to enjoy showing me what and where things are when we go into the produce and meat area in Walmart. He speaks of it with pride. Any job he ever does he does his best and has reason to be proud.

I've run out of storage room for my craft projects but with the craft fair just a couple months away, I need to get back at my projects. Just not sure where to put them when I'm done with them though. Maybe I should never have started this to begin with. There are some fall decorations that I want to make yet, but after that and my craft supplies have been depleted, I'll just call it done. Keep what I want and add what I want to sell to someone else's table. That would work too.

Cooler

No the temps aren't really cooler but the water in the pool sure is cooler. The days are shorter so the sun is not blazing down nearly as long as it had been. By 7:50 it's pretty much dark outside. Less sun time heating the pool, and no heater turned on in the pool in the summer months, makes the water quite cool in the morning. My arthritis isn't liking the cooler water one little bit. But it's the only form of exercise I get right now. So I have to grit my teeth and keep plugging away. I'm anxious for it to cool down enough to walk outside comfortably. Lola will love getting longer walks in too. I'd much rather walk too.

Marks job at Walmart is getting better. I know he enjoys being with people other than me day in and day out. He is a people person. Since last Saturday he toned down what he does at work too. There are other people to do the work, it's not all for him to do. Lola is still not happy to have "daddy" away from home that long each day.  It's taking me some getting used to as well.

As much as our family and friends aren't looking forward to winter we are looking forward to winter. We hope to get out and about more to do some sight seeing. Too hot to do so yet. It's fun to drive around with no real destination and see what we can find. There are places of interest that we would like to check out as well. Right now, it's mostly mondane daily things that we do. Kind of like ya'll up north in the winter. We think of winter as summer and summer as well, you can imagine what we think of that. hehehe But all in all we love it here in Yuma. As in most any place you live, there are pluses and minuses.

Rained hard today.

This morning we enjoyed a nice cool dip in the pool. The morning is when the water is refreshingly cool. Today another couple showed up so we had a nice visit with them. It sure made time go fast and we spent more time in the water and sun than we had planned. But we enjoyed it all.

About 20 minutes after we got home from the pool it started to rain. The gentle rain turned in to a very heavy rain that caused some areas of flooding. Here in the park it was just rain, no flooding. But boy it sure did come down. There was a little thunder with the rain which I really enjoyed. I love a thundershower. It had been some time since Lola had heard thunder so she let out a couple woofs to let her thought about it be heard. hehe With the rain the temp went down some but the humidity went up. There was a nice breeze so the mugginess didn't last all that long.

Mark headed to work today only to come home a hour later. Somehow he was not on the schedule that was at work, but the one he had here at home said that he worked tonight. Well, he didn't stick around and argue. hehe.  Another day off, suited him just fine. And mamma's supper is better than a brown bag supper. :)

Just another day in the hot Sonoran desert.

A new month

The summer is finally working it's way to the end. For the first time in our lives we are anxious for winter. The summers here are indeed hot, but we have endured. Going to the pool daily is a big help in more ways than one. It cools us down, gives us good exercise and gives us something to do on the hot days. It's nice having the pool at our disposal anytime we want. And it doesn't cost us to use it either. Just one of the many perks to living in an rv resort. :)

Today Mark started his new job, or at least the training for his new job, at Walmart. Lola was not at all happy to have him leave without her this morning. So she is spending her morning pouting. I can always find things to do around here. There is no shortage of dust and dirt living in the desert. hehehe

Why is Mark going back to work? Part of it is, he is bored. Not much to do when it's too hot to do anything outside. And there is not much of anything else for him to do inside either. Plus we have plans on going back to MN this spring for our sons wedding and rent a truck to bring our things here from storage.  Being about 2000 miles from MN, it won't be a cheap trip to say the least. So the extra money will really come in handy. I just pray that he will like the job and that it won't be a stressful job. If it is, then he will leave that position. Mark is a person that likes to be around people, so I hope this job will fill the bill for him.

In about two weeks or so the fields in Yuma will be planted with broccoli, cauliflower and a little later lettuce will be planted. It will be nice seeing all the green fields again. Not all fields are baron right now, there is cotton for seed and greens for cattle feed. Watermelon and cantaloupe are being harvested daily right now too. And boy is it good coming right from the field. The cantaloupe doesn't need to sit on the counter  for days to ripen either. I buy it and cut it up in the same day. Mmmmmmm. We have only had maybe two watermelon that weren't very ripe, still eatable but not the best. And we have purchased many many watermelon. Watermelon is my summer addiction to put it mildly. I think I got Mark hooked on it too.

Looking

It's not that we enjoy moving, but the Village Coop in Hutch, didn't work out well for us and our health slowed us down on the traveling and  our adorable little park model is just too small to stay in permanently. We are looking into adding on to our existing home or buying a larger park model.  All depends on which is most affordable. We want to stay in 55+ resort too. In fact we don't want to move from our currant resort, we like it here. The only upkeep we have here is our home but still have the use of a pool, library, pool hall, gym and all the other amenities and we don't have to maintain any of them. Neighbors are only around for about 5 to 6 months too. All at a nice  affordable price. Who could ask for anything more??

Each morning we go to the pool for exercise. Yes, I said we. I'm enjoying the pool more and more, mostly because it is helping me lose some much needed weight. Mark is losing weight and toning up nicely and is as dark as an Indian. Is that politically correct? I really don't care. hehehe The hard part is getting breakfast in before we go. But with diabetes one can not skip a meal. Numbers have been good so a piece of peanut butter toast is substantial and off we go.

We are enjoying our new church more and more every Sunday. And we are looking forward to being a part of Alpha again in August. We are also looking into some other groups that will start up this fall. God brought us here for a reason.

Mark is holding his breath for a job at Walmart that could start on Thursday. He is just waiting for the last of a background check to go through. The job is in the produce and meat department. It would give him something to do and some cash back into our savings account. He has been really bored this summer. It's just too hot to do anything outside and there is only so much to do on the inside.

Campers and such don't sell in the summer months around here so we still have the Montana. And as long as we have the RV we still have our Ford Dually.  This fall we may be moving the Montana to another place to get it sold. We were in a hurry to get it moved out of the park last February so we put it where we could get it in quickly. And it's not the best place for exposure to attract potential buyers.

As always, it's an adventure.

Wow

It seems like it was just last week that I asked myself, "Where did the month of May go?" And here it is the last week in July. Living in Yuma, we wish the summer away and relish the winter. In MN we wished the summer and the winter away.

It is just after 7 and 90º. They are saying we could break the record for today. Record is 117º !!!! Well we have lived through that before so we can do it again, I just didn’t have to do laundry then. It won’t be any cooler for the next few days either. I do come home after I put the laundry in the dryers and hang the sheets on the line. That helps a lot.

Besides laundry there is nothing planned although we will need milk by tomorrow so we may to go WM after dark tonight. 

Lola recovered well from her major oral surgery. She is back to her old self and most all of her treats and dry dog food. By tomorrow she should be able to chew on her treats we use for her to clean her teeth. It doesn't seem that they did much good though. But she likes them. Tomorrow is her birthday. We have doggie ice cream for her as her treat for the day. No cake since we all are watching what we eat. :)

I better get moving, it's not getting any cooler out there.

Oh, just a couple hot day projects I completed yesterday.

Blessings continue

Two weeks from my EKG, Echo and blood work, I went back to the clinic for the results. God blessed me with all good news. Everything came back normal. And I was told that I should take less of my heart medication because my heart is too slow now. God's healing hands and answered prayers? I believe so with all my heart.

Following the diabetic diet with Mark has also paid off. God has ways of making things right in so many ways. Diabetes is no blessing, but God can make it one. To start Eating healthier may  have been a  reason for the diabetes. It was God's way of saying, quit the gluttony and start taking better of your body which is My temple. Mark is losing weight, his BG numbers are down, I am losing weight and we both are feeling better.  Praise the Lord.

Miss Lola had a bad report from the vet. She had to have 15 teeth pulled. So many were abscess, jaw bone bad and many lose from the plaque build up. Otherwise she was a healthy dog. She had the surgery Wednesday and was very happy to see us when we picked her up later that same day. You never would have known what she had just been through by the way she carried on towards us. She will be on antibiotics and pain meds for 10 days. Her food is also softened in water and none of her favorite treats for a few more days. The treat part she is not happy about at all. And on top of that, tonight, while petting her I found a nasty looking sore and lump. It was a deeply imbedded tick. Mark got the body out first, it was soft and skin colored. After looking more closely we put on some alcohol and found that the head was still in the sore. Getting that out too, Mark really dowsed her with alcohol. We cleaned her up and now pray that the sore will heal well and cause no issues.

We are in for some very hot days once again. But we have gotten used to it. And we have to now. As of yesterday we are both officially Yuma residents. I got the address on my drivers license changed and registered to vote. We are no longer Minnesotans, but are now Yumans. LOL

One of those weeks.

Monday was our last Alpha session and it was so great. After the video we sat and chatted with everyone. Well mostly with Pastor Scott and Christopher at first. Many hugs all around and believe it or not I didn't cry. Everyone was ready for me  though. hehehe We will miss seeing those wonderful people every week.

This morning Lola goes in to the vet for a tooth extraction. It can no longer be put off, poor baby has such an infected tooth that the under part of her eye swells. No treats for her last night or this morning and water was limited. She can not understand what is up with that.

Yesterday we had to get Mark a computer, after 10 years his died. He decided on an HP Chromebook and so far is very happy with it. So with all that and the tests on my heart, it has been a very expensive month that will take some time to recoop the costs. When it rains it pours. But God will provide.

Monsoon season here in Yuma. Last night we got a thunderstorm  and another one right now. It's been a long time since Lola has heard thunder and it's really upsetting her. With the monsoon comes strong winds and it can really rattle the hinges. Humidity also comes with these rains, but not as humid as in MN. And it doesn't last nearly as long either. After the 18 year drought this rain is a true blessing.

For a couple days last week I went to the pool with Mark. Not my favorite thing in the world, but he is making the time in the water fun for me. There aren't many people here in the summer so the time in the pool is spent all alone. Alone in the pool is not a good thing, hence my going along. Mark is an excellent swimmer, but anything can happen. I'm can't swim but I can scream really loud and make a phone call if need be. hehehe Sadly there is very poor cell service here.

Speaking of cell service I may start looking into a land line. We need a reliable phone in case of emergencies and our cell service is NOT reliable to say the least. We should also look into a different cell provider. Here in the foothills T-Mobile is very poor at best. It's affordable, but not when it doesn't work half the time.

Raining cats and dogs right now along with the thunder. And I'm loving the sound. I love the sound of thunder and rain. Gods power displayed. :)

There are times we learn slowly

Well I wondered how long it would take. Sadly Mark found out the hard way that diabetes is nothing to sneeze at, and that "my rules" as he called them aren't my rules but the ways he has to eat to stay healthy.  Instead of having a thin crust pizza at our more favorite pizza place, we ate lunch at the Golden Corral. To make a long story short Mark ate many wrong foods and was sick the whole rest of the day and night. But he learned that what I say isn't me being mean but the truth of the decease and he needs to follow the diet. After this tough lesson I don't think he will  argue with me on this matter for some time to come, maybe never. Something like the way he felt/feels won't leave his mind quickly. 

No church this morning, Mark is still feeling poorly and he knows he has to eat breakfast, ready or not. I'm staying home to keep an eye on him. No plans for today, except I would like to make some muffins for my coffee in the morning. Moderation, just one muffin with my coffee. 

Cloudy and very warm this morning with very little breeze. We are so ready for winter in AZ again. There are things we would like to get done outside but too hot to do anything other than swim and then only in the morning. Winters in AZ are wonderful. No wonder half of Canada comes down here for the winter.

Well I think I figured out what my be causing my heart to beat so rapidly. I started taking Soy and Black Cohosh for night sweats and hot flashes. But I was an idiot and didn’t follow my own rules about everything, and that is to research first. I found out that black Cohosh doesn’t play nice with heart medications or blood pressure meds. So my heart pills are being null and void by the Cohosh. I tossed them right away. Last night I felt much better, not perfect yet, but better. It will take a day or two for it to leave my system completely.. Last time I took them was years ago, before I was on any heart medication. Always research before making ANY decision about anything. Good rule to follow and not just for health reasons.

The other day when we were at WM I saw a kitchen valance that went perfect with the coffee theme of my little kitchen. I wish there was some red in it since that is the color of my gadgets and such. But I love them and so happy I found them.

Clinic

Yesterday I finally went to the doctor about my heart. For a month now my heart has not been responding to my medication. Many times during the day and night it pounds so hard it feels like it’s coming through my chest. While there I had an EKG and have appointments for an ultra sound and blood work. No news on the EKG so it may not have showed anything too bad. I’m not one to go to the doctor unless I am concerned, very concerned about an issue. And when it comes to the heart, that is cause for concern in anyone.

Last night at Alpha I went to the other room and asked for prayers.  You see some of the leaders go to another room and pray for all of us, and we are invited to go and ask for prayers. Last night I felt I needed more prayers and help praying for healing.  All placed their hands on me and Kelly placed her hand on my malfunctioning heart. They prayed and asked  the holy spirit to come and heal my heart. The sensation I felt was so profound. After much time they removed their hands and quieted. I could still feel a prayer. Off to the side and behind me  “someone” was still silently praying. Pastor Scott asked how I was feeling. I explained a sensation going up through my legs and my feeling of relaxed exhaustion.  Then that “someone” asked about my heart, how was it feeling now?. At that time I put my fingers to my neck to check my heart beat, which is what I do when it’s racing. My heart beat was more normal than it has been in months. I felt a strong sense of calming and relief once again.

After we got home through a wicked sand and thunder storm, I noticed that my heart still had not acted up. Every evening and during the day my heart has pounded through my chest for a month. Scaring me. Which is why I went to the doctor yesterday. But all night last night and this morning, my heart rhythm was very normal and not pounding as hard as it had been. Praise the Lord.

 PTL for another blessing of healing. It's so nice not having my heart pounding so terribly hard. What a Good Good Father we have. It’s who He is. And I am loved by Him. We all are loved by Him. All Glory be to God.

Hot hot hot

The temp around here has been around 10º over the average with today being the hottest day so far.... Right now at 12:30 it is 116º on our porch. The high today is predicted to reach as high as 120º today. Thankfully the sun is under more than it is shinning and the wind is really blowing. PTL for those gifts of grace.

This morning while it was still a tad under 100, I ran to the $ Tree for some more craft items. I have an order to complete and I was out of that specific ribbon. Of course as any crafter can tell you, you don't do near craft items and only come out with the one or two items you went in for. LOL But I'm sure I'll sell the wreaths before too long. They have been popular so far.

After I got home I just had to try my hand at a couple wreaths while Mark was at the pool. Plus the one that I have to mail out soon. I've an idea for another one later today. Too hot to go anywhere so why not craft the day away. :)

God bless American

Happy Fourth of July from Yuma AZ. Where the sun is bright and the grills are fried up all around.

Time to be more secure.

After some deliberation we decided to get a security system. Not that we have valuables but to feel more secure. Mark did the installation and tested it all as well. It works very well. The camera goes right to our phones, so we too can monitor what goes on when we are out and about or just down the block.

My new hobby of making deco wreaths really are hard on my arthritic left hand and arm, but so much fun. I need to have something to do besides cleaning and watching tv. This hobby takes up less room than making cards. But storing them until a craft sale, is a real dilemma. We have so little storage space and I don't want the wreaths smashed. They are a lot of work.

  Our Alpha classes are coming to an end. I believe that we have just 4 more sessions to go. Oh how we have enjoyed the class, the people and the inspiration and guidance.  Not to mention the meals that were provided. It was nice not having to plan a supper one day of the week. hehehe  Alpha has been the only social activity we have had, other than Mark meeting a few people at the pool from time to time. We hope that by next summer we will have made some friends that live here full time. But for now we are reacquainting ourselves with each other. Remembering why we fell in love in the first place. 💑