Hangin' in there....

Hello Everyone!

I bet you were wondering if I've been on vacation :) Just kidding...I know you know me better than that. I appreciate so much all of your sweet e-mails and comments wondering how I have been...it meant so much to me to know that you all cared and were worrying about me..

I am feeling better..a little. I am still very weak because of the anemia. I still haven't seen the kidney stone. The doctor said it could take a couple of weeks to pass from my bladder. Or...it could dissolve and I wouldn't know that has passed. I'm hoping for the latter. I am going back to the doctor on thursday. I guess I'm curious what they have to say about my anemia. I can't go on like this. It is low enough to be causing me some issues. I literally feel like it takes everything I have to even get out of bed, much less get through the day. I'm fairly sure that I will need b-12 shots again as well...I just want to feel better. So many things to do and things I want to do and not enough of me to do it all....I'm sure some of you know exactly what that's like. It's just so aggrivating. I was just trying to do the most simple things this weekend and was out of breath like I'd been trying to jog. The anemia is affecting the mitrol valve problem I have with my heart too.

Sam is better...YEAH!! :) He is still coughing some...but the antibiotic is helping and for that I am very grateful. When I took him to after hours...I think they thought I was cracked in the head for even being there...but the girls were at work and so was Mark...so that only left me and I couldn't get him in during the day..they've been too full. His chest was clear..he had a sinus infection as I had suspected...He always gets those. And then, coughs and coughs. He did get to go trick or treating. I wasn't able to take him so I begged nicely for help... Sarah took him and his little friend Chase around the local square in town and to relatives and friends homes too. They got a lot of candy and had a good time. We also carved too pumpkins...I apologize for lack of pics...but they're starting to look acky..so I decided to just share the fact that they had 2. Elizabeth carved one and Sam and I carved one. Elizabeths had ears....ours looked like Patrick from spongebob..It was fun..we hadn't done that for a very long time...

Before I got so sick my Mother sent 2 presents home with me.. This first one I have on my bed now...It is so pretty..the picture does not do it justice. I took it at night and you can't see how bright and pretty it is. It is mostly hand quilted and just gorgeous!! It has the prettiest pinks, purples and blue in it. I should take a picture of it in the daylight. I just love it. I couldn't wait to come home from the hospital and climb in under it. I got a new picture from the library to hang over my bed. At our library you can check out pictures like books. You get to keep them longer though. I get to keep it til January. It's a big picture of a beach and lighthouse in the background. (Eileen, I thought of you and my sea shells when I saw it :) I will take a picture of it and show you...it's very relaxing...which I can't get enough of...

This second quilt...was a wedding gift to my parents from my Grandma...(My Dad's Mom)

Green is not my favorite color...but it is so colorful and bright....and she did it all by hand....It is gorgeous and I LOVE it!! I have it hanging on my quilt rack. I probably won't use it as much..just because I don't want the dogs tearing it up....it is special...I even remember many of the fabrics....I am so happy that my Mom gave it to me :) when I brought it home, I stretched it out on the bed and looked at every flower and examined all the stitches. It gave me the warmest and happiest feeling to think of my Grandma's hands touching all of those flowers and stitches....It's so wonderful when things like this get passed on to us. Thank you MOM!!!
My sweet pen-pal partner for this month..Eileen...really outdid herself! She sent me a post card from Disney World...see the Castle on the right...that's where I wished I'd been instead of the hospital :) The sweet card in the middle played bibbidy bobbidy boo...I am so sure that isn't spelled right...but just forgive me if you can. I loved it and so did Sam and the rest of the kids..I think they're jealous of my sweet card collection. Then she also sent me the sweet punkin card on the left....I don't know what I did to deserve 3...but thank you so much Eileen...you are the sweetest friend....and it was very appreciated...especially with me being sick :)
Then today....I got this gorgeous card from Fiona in South Africa...It is absolutely beautiful!! So were the stamps on the envelope....I should have posted pics of them too!! I didn't post links...I apologize..forgive me again :) Not only did Fiona send this gorgeous card...she sent me a really
great calendar too. It has the most wonderful and beautiful pictures of South Africa.

Thank you so much Fiona for the card and calendar...you are a super sweet friend and I feel blessed to know you and to be YOUR friend!!!

Sam and I took Elizabeth to work this evening and went in to visit our new friends at the nursing home. Barb and Betty were delightful....I don't know who was more excited about the visit...us or them!! We did lots of talking and by the way....they loved Sam!! (I know that will surprise all of you :) We talked about my blog and about all of my sweet friends here....were your ears burning? I showed them my cards I got this month and we asked what their favorite cookies are. Peanut butter and also oatmeal and raisin. I see some cookies being baked in our near future. It was a delight to meet them and I can't wait to go back. I hope that it was appropriate for me to tell them I wanted Sam to meet people of all different ages and not just his own. I worried about that after I left....I hope it was o.k. I told them how much it had meant for me...to have friends that were older when I was Sam's age...It really helped make me a better person...I think and HOPE....Thank you all...again....for being such wonderful friends to me.....I love each and every one of you...I will be by very soon to say hello!! Please continue to keep us in your prayers as life continues to keep blowing hardships our way....I'm trying to keep my chin up though....just pray and march on :) Hugs to Everyone!!!

With Love, Jerelene