A Bit of This and That

It's a little after 3:00 am and I can't sleep. I have a cold ice machine that my Dad got me for my leg and when the ice runs out, the pad gets hot and wakes me up because it makes my leg hurt. It's a small price to pay, though, for the relief it brings me when it's cold! It lasts about 4-5 hours before it gets hot, so that's pretty good, in my opinion! Knowing my hubby, he'll wake up soon and be adding more ice. I don't wake him up as he takes such good care of me and I like him to have his sleep at night. I can take naps during the day so it's not a big deal if I'm up in the night.

Yesterday, I finally got the rest if my staples out of my leg. It had been over 5 weeks for the bypass and some of those staples were so imbedded in the skin, the nurse had a hard time getting them out of my leg. Thankfully, it didn't hurt, so I'm really thankful for that! Only one staple kind of hurt and that one was in my knee. I can't tell you how much better it feels to have all those staples out!

Thursday, I had my first physical therapy session outside my home and it went really well. I really like my therapist. I had him when I was in the hospital and he really understands both the knee and the restrictions of the bypass, which eases my mind. There can be no pressure put on that bypass and he's very careful. I felt like I did well, though, and I'm so glad to be going now! My legs have finally gone down enough to get pants on, although they are tight, but at least I'm not having to go every where in my nightgown anymore! lol My legs are still swollen but at least I'm seeing some progress.

Holly is doing really well and even played with her toy yesterday. I have to really watch her as she wants to jump up and down off the furniture and she's not supposed to do that yet. I'm so very happy that she's doing so well and I'm still praying that this cancer is not aggressive! She's such a cutie pie and just brings such joy to my life.

I'm going to have my family help me move my recliner back to my bedroom today. They had moved it to the living room because I was sleeping out there, but now that I'm sleeping in bed again, I want to get my recliner back in my bedroom. I'm finally feeling like I can work on my cross stitch and my stand is in my bedroom and all my things are in here. It will feel good to have things out back to normal, too. I'm also hoping to start decorating for Easter a little bit. I love decorating for the holidays and that will feel good, too.

Both my sons birthdays are this week, so I'm going to bake a chocolate cake for my oldest tomorrow and then frost it on Monday. I'm not sure, yet, what my other son will want, but I have a feeling he'll ask for my chocolate pie. Thankfully, I have one of my homemade pie crusts in the freezer, so that should be easy, if that's what he wants.

I'm hoping to go back to church tonight. It will be my first time back since my surgery and I'm so excited to go. I've missed going to church. It's such an important thing in my life!

I hope your weekend is full of blessings - Julie

Old Books

I had a good day on Wednesday and was able to get a lot done. My hubby also pitched in and helped me to make a real dent, 

Remember how incredibly messy the room in this area looked? 

 Here's how it looks now

 ALL the books are in place now! It probably doesn't seem like a lot, but to me, it made a difference in helping me to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hubby and I went through the books and picked out tons to trade in and a couple of boxes of special books, we used in our homeschooling, that we are saving for our sons. Both intend on homeschooling, so these books will mean a lot to them since we used them, too. 

Here's a close up of the old book shelves...

Next to the bookshelf, I placed an old table with a favorite lamp. This will be perfect for when we want to sit in this little area and read. I also have a couple of special books on the table. Aren't they beautiful? I just love old books!

I was totally exhausted yesterday and slept past noon! Now mind you, I wake up at least once a night and usually stay awake for at least 2 hours, so that also accounts for the late hour. The only thing I did was to pick up a few things and move our modem to a different area where we wouldn't be tripping over the cords (actually, my son did this, so I can't take credit for it! lol) I did some writing and things like that for most of the day. 

I have been having problems with my laptop for awhile. I finally called today and it's a cord problem. They suggested I don't use it until I receive my new cord. So...I had to get my old laptop out and, let me tell you...it's S-L-O-W! I'm thankful I have it, though...I can't imagine not having a computer for 5 days or more! I'm also so thankful that I always, always buy an extended warranty for all my electronics and appliances. I learned the hard way that not doing this is really silly. I pay very little for an extended warranty and it's so assuring knowing that if something goes wrong, they will take care of it. I bought my computer online from WalMart and I can tell you that their customer service is just the best! Every time I've had a problem, they take care of it - no questions asked - and are very nice! 

Today, I'm hoping to finish up one room completely and then finish up my living room. If I can get one room completely done, it's going to make me so happy! Already, it's just looking more and more wonderful!

Did you watch "Duck Dynasty" on Wednesday night? Oh - my - goodness...I love that show! It just makes me laugh and it's such a "feel good" show. I cried when Phil and Kay renewed their vows. You can tell they love each other so much. It just was so touching and so beautiful! I love that they always keep the Lord in the center of their lives and that they always finish the show with a prayer. They are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Such a wonderful family!

Have a happy, happy, happy (as Phil would say) Friday, dear friends! I pray your day is full of blessings and joy!

God bless you - Julie