Checking In

Wyatts home, Gk is good except for some hip pain now and again, and I am writing the next series of books to take the world by storm.
Someone has to pick up where J.K left off.
I'll be back if anything big happens.

The Good Book

Wyatt is away at Camp Carlson this week!
He is having a BLAST!
Check out his blog for pictures and updates from Friday Harbor.
www.wyattparks.blogspot.com.
It may even be in my favorites over there on the right. I'll check.

I decided to write a book while Wyatt's gone, so if my blogging is sporatic, please forgive me.

GK took us for chinese and ice cream tonight : )
He and I are working as a team on the "novel", he is my proof reader. So far so good he says.
He waits for the chapters to come off the printer......

Ciao"

Guest Host Betty Franz With handy Hints

CURES
Keep This Handy On The Fridge



Did You Know that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately-- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."

Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.

Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

"Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer.
Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly-- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.

"Honey remedy for skin blemishes .
Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

Listerine therapy for toenail fungus. Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

Easy eyeglass protection... To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer ... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409.
Insects drop to the ground instantly.

Smart splinter remover .just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

Hunt's tomato paste boil cure .cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

Balm for broken blisters... To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine ...a powerful antiseptic.

Vinegar to heal bruises ... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.
Kills fleas instantly...Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly.. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Good-bye fleas.





Rainy day cure for dog odor .Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal
with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

Eliminate ear mites ...All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear...Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

Quaker Oats for fast pain relief... It's not for breakfast any more! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly,
and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

If you send this to 10 people and only one of them
doesn't know about this, then it was worth it.

The Sandman Cometh

Whew.
My Sisters kept telling me talke it one hour at a time. One minute if you have too.
So I did. After some very long hours and at time minutes and even seconds, I think we have reached the other side of insanity.
Gk has been acting different for some time now, and it changes all the time so it's hard to say just what the changes are.
I will tell you though, Sunday the changes were obvious and without doubt for the worse.
Yesterday was the first full day on the antibiotics and Tuesday was his first night with sleep medication. The sleeping stuff was so strong that I was to moniter him through the night.
He didn't sleep.
Neither did we.
He paced and wandered all night. If he could remember, he could give you a complete inventory of every drawer, cupboard, shelf and corner of the entire house.
I'm not even kidding.
I started calling the doctor at about 7:30 yesterday morning. By noon I had called three times.
He called me back around lunchtime.
It is my opinion he just chewed my ass for lunch.
He let me have it for calling his office SO many times and asked me just what I wanted him to do about GK.
I told him something, anything would be good.
He told me it was a UTI, just like he told me it was the day before in the hospital, and I would just have to wait it out.
If I wanted I could bring GK in and sit in his office and he would tell me the same thing again. If not, he would see me for his scheduled apt on Friday..
Ok.
EF'n -EM'r -EF'r.
So, I got off the phone and cried and decided to just start making it through minutes.
Gk did wind down. The "manic" part of his behavior started to get better as the afternoon went on, but he still wasn't with it.
I think the sleeping pills did work last night.
He took them at about 7:30 and by 10:30 or so he was out. He was still laying in the bed when I got up at about 6:30. He was awake, but still in bed.
He isn't with it today, but it is a kind of a quiet absence.
He is quiet in his chair, watching t.v and talking about the weather.

One minute at a time.

Thank you Family.

We Went For A Donkey And It Rained Gumdrops

Sometimes I think I'm going to hit the wall, and then I do, and then we just keep going.
Faster.
I was reading the gossip rags online this morning when GK got up to go to the bathroom.
I said, "are ya doing ok GK?"
He said, "yep".
He went to the bathroom.
He didn't come back.
I waited.
I thought maybe he was doing big business.
He didn't come back.
I went to check on him.
He wasn't there.
He wasn't there.
He wasn't there.
I started looking all over the house.
He wasn't here.
He was gone.
I looked outside and it took a minute to sink in that the Goatwagon was gone.
He wasn't just not here, he was gone.
I called Julie. I called Mike. I didn't know what to do or why I was calling or what I wanted them to do.
It was about a half an hour later when he rolled in.
I almost passed out I was so relieved.
I asked him where he had been.
He said he had gone to town to talk to Dr. Barth about the food and water that had been poisened.
I told him to stay right there. Do not go in the house. get in the Cadilac, we are going to town.
He asked why and I told him to see a doctor about the poisened water. He thought that was a great idea.
We spent the next six hours in the E.R and found out he has a bladder infection.
If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time, you will remember the days of Grammy's bladder infections.
Get down on your knee's RIGHT now and start praying for us.
ALL of us.
I'm not kidding.
Thank you.

Doctor Doctor

Well, I'm not sure what to say.
Yesterday turned out to be a pretty big flop.
GK went in for his new blood and that was fine. Until he asked the nurse when I would be back to pick him up. She told him I would be there in about 15 min. With that she walked out of the room only to be surprised by the sound of an alarm going off in GK's room. He had pulled the I.V out so he would be ready when I got there. They didn't bother putting it back in because he was nearly finished anyway. He doesn't remember doing it though, that's what worries me.
While he was having his blood, I came home to call the doctor. That was at 11:30. At 1:30 I called back. At 2:00 the nurse returned my call. I said I was leaviving at 2:30 and needed to know what to do about how he has been feeling and his lack of sleep. She said there was no way I could be contacted by 2:30. I said, well after that I will be gone, and then, it's kind of hard to talk about GK in front of GK and thats why I gave you three and a half hours notice, so I could talk to someone about it.
She said......sorry.
Whatever.
Things got worse after we got home. He wanted to go out to dinner and that was all there was to say about that.
Chinese.
He was confused and his legs and ankles were KILLING him, but he really wanted to go for dinner. (If I ever have a choice, I don't think I would ever go out for dinner again). So we went.
Mike got pulled over by a State Trooper on the way there. No tabs. Gk got them, but never put them on. Gk and Mike were not wearing seat belts. GK didn't have an insurance card in the car or in his wallet. While the trooper was running Mikes information, I thought Mike was going to cry. Just one of those how much more moments. You know, we've all had them. Then the Trooper came back with warnings and that helped.
He did give Mike a seat belt ticket though.
Off to the restaurant.
Gk's pain gets so bad that he can barely walk out of the building. I am not kidding. I gave him two pain pills. The drive home is about 20+ minutes. It's all he can do to get out of the car when we get home. Mike has to help him to sit down.
Then the confusion and halucinations start.
It was 10:00 by the time He got into bed. He wasn't upset or nervous, just out of it.
This morning he is quiet in his chair.
Out of it.
I'm calling the doctor.
Get ready for day two, round two.

Brand New Blood

Gk goes in for new blood today. I hope that will turn things around, he hasn't been doing so well. He is starting to really have some confusion, and the days are staring to get a little tougher for him. My fear is that when we go in to the hospital for blood they are going to want to keep him.
Last night after Mike and I had gone to bed, we heard this "thump, thump, thump.." Mike jumped up and it was GK at our door. He had been thumping his cane down the hall. He was pretty upset, and asked where I was. He said he had been looking for me and couldn't find me. He had talked to the man that lived upstairs (Wyatt) and he didn't know where I was either. He said he had been calling, but no one was answering their phone. Mike said, well she's right here kenny, and he looked over and saw me and was ok. He just wanted to know what time the people were going to be here to pick us up in the morning. I told him I would just go ahead and drive and he was ok with that.
We were up at 4:00 this morning. He was dressed and ready to go. Some one from the Gleaners was coming to pick him up and take him to the warehouse. I think he had already been up awhile, so I said I would sit with him and wait awhile. He took his medicine, ate some breakfast and drank some coffee and seemed to come around a bit.
He took a shower and got dressed in his going to town clothes and is now sitting in his chair with his dogs listening to Kelly Clarkson blaring on the Morning Show. Life is strange

Mike is back to work after FIVE days off. All the mills were closed last week for the holiday. I got pretty used to having him around all day, I think I might kinda miss him. He has been busy working outside, but also a big help in the house with all that's been going on.

John called this morning. We haven't heard anything from them since we had dinner last Wednesday. They used to talk every day and we would see John a couple times a week. I guess John has been busy with his own family stuff.
He said his sister was going to be here for a few days, I hope they have a nice visit and find a way to stay cool.

Wyatt's been busy stuying the planets and mermaids.
What can I say.
He gets his mind on something and it's full out. He is sooooo serious in his "studies". I guess it's time to do another video blog so he can share his knowledge with you.
I think he is going to The Carlsons for VBS in a week or so.
I hope it's not to intense on the "B". Can you imagine him coming home reciting the Bible and telling me stories of Jesus and how the earth was created in seven days by Jesus' Dad.
I can hear it now.................
Jesus and Planets and Mermaids OH MY!

DONE!

All the blogs are together again!
I feel better : )

Doesn't Fit

Ok, so ever since I moved the Blog, something just doesn't fit.
Does it seem new?
No.
I can't quite put my finger on it.
I change the color, I change the pictures, I just can't seem to get it right.
Sometimes I think, maybe I'll just go back to The Park.
No.
Then it hit me this morning.
What if I call this one the Park like I called the last one the Park.
Will it feel like the Park?
I don't know.
Maybe it's because I feel like theres a whole bunch of stuff that just got left behind.
I think that's it.
I'll work on this and let you know.

It's going to be hot today.
GK is feeling pretty bad. He had his Lupron shot on Friday, so it's going to be a rough few weeks. : (

Later.

Blah blah blah........................

Ok, lets see.
Gk and I went to the doctor yesterday. Things are all going well, but the head scratcher is the pain and swelling in his legs.
More diuretic.
I'm sure it has something to do with his heart, but it's to bad he has to feel like this. His lungs and heart sounded good though, so that's a good thing.
He goes in for a transfussion on Monday and back to the doc on Friday.
He had his thousand dollar shot yesterday and I was glad to hear they won't be giving him another one until November. It runs him down soooo much. It seems like he just recovers from the last when he get's the next.
This cancer business effin sucks.

Mike has been home from work since Wednesday.
That totally messes me up. I think it's Saturday, then Sunday, then Saturday, then Sunday, and now I just feel like he will never go back to work. Like it will always be this way
That's not to say he doesn't keep busy. Are you kidding? He can't sit still.
That would be a good reason to be happy when he goes back to work. Do, do, do do allllllll the time.
It could be worse. I know. I've had worse. I'm not really complaining. Not really, just a little.

We went swimming last night. I love to go swimming : )
We are pretty much the only parents in the pool, so it's wierd to look up and see all the Moms watching. You feel a lttile like their watching you and I always want to shout up and tell them to watch me do a flip or to time me when I have a tea party on the bottom. We just play with Wyatt and ALL the other kids. It's fun. I like it.

Ok, I have to go get a cup of coffee. I'm the only one awake. GK got up and came out to the living room, but he's asleep in his chair. Mike is sleeping in today and Wyatt is sawing logs in the big bed in the big room in the big house with the sun streaming in the big windows.
Every dog is quiet.


I think I will take a moment and appriciate my life.
We are very lucky to have each other and the wacky life we share ; )

Swum Out

Wow. Two hours of swimming.
Tired.
Late.
Blog tomorrow.

Swim In

Had a HOT busy day today and now were on our way to the POOL!
Blog later : )

Post 4

Well, rack it up to another fabulous Oregon 4th of July! We had a great time doing sparklers and stink bombs in the driveway. Even though we didn't go anyplace or watch any big show, we all still had a really good time.
Wyatt was having fun in the watered down driveway until you couldn't breathe the smokey air anymore. The weather cooled down and it was nice to sit outside and watch. I was on fire patrol and watered the driveway before and after every match was struck.
The dogs didn't enjoy the evening as much as we did. Sassy hid in GK's bedroom, Pooter laid and watched, Gizmo cruised the perimeter and George had a nervous breakdown. At one point George got out the door and ran to the back yard. Mike caught him and hoisted him onto the deck. As we were walking away, Mike heard a "thump". He turned back to see George had careened himself off the deck. We were so affraid he had hurt himself, but I think his adrenalin was so high he just bounced and was ready to run for the hills. He's a little sore this morning, but happy the noise is over with.

We went to dinner with Dohn and Jonna yesterday. GK wanted to go for chinese, but the place we go to was closed, so we went to Izzy's.
Wyatt and I love Izzy's so that was ok with us : )
GK wasn't feeling to well yesterday, and the later it got the worse he felt.
He REALLY wanted to go for dinner though.
So we did.
Izzy's is just a glorified slop and trough. Whatever you want and however much of it you can eat, topped off with a soft serve machine.
What could be better!
We left hot and full and ready for a night of fun filled festivities.
Dohn and Jonna drove GK because they have air in their Taurus and we don't. So after dinner, they brought GK home, but didn't stay long. They needed to get home to take care of their dogs. That was ok though, because GK was fading. His ankles had begun to really swell and the pain was getting bad.
He was up until midnightish because he just couldn't shake the pain.
Same story today, except his blood pressure is running higher than it should and that makes him kind of dizzy.
He has been soaking his feet in cool water and drinking lot's of water and that seems to help more than anything else.

K, thats all

Happy Fourth

Well, it looks like another hot fourth! Last year was a scorcher, this year, not so bad, but still a cooker. I think we will stay home and watch the works on t.v. Better that way to not have to fight traffic and if you fall asleep half way through, nobody spills a drink on you.
Mike and Wyatt and I went swimming last night. Fun, fun, fun! I'm telling you, if you haven't gone swimming for a while, go. Even if your fat. It feels so good, and honest to gawd, you forget your fat as soon as you get in the water. Just do it. I think I might start the fat lady swim class. The ladies are really really nice. I know this because I see the same ladies in the changing room every Tuesday.
There is a really oogy loud Mom that's there every week too. Gross. I think she is some how impaired. She screams at her kids and spits alot.
Wyatt has turned into SUPER SWIMMER. Off the diving board, down the slide swimming back from side to side. I love watching him.
Everything is going pretty good for GK.
Yesterday, not such a good day. More tired, leg and ankle pain and some swelling coming back. I hope he does ok in the heat today. Plenty of water. I know.
He just got up, and he seems to be having a hard time getting around this morning : (
His spirits are good though, he has been in a great mood since we got home on Sunday.
Last night when we drove in the driveway after swimming, he was waiting at the door for us : )

Ok, thats all

Whirlwind Weekend

Well the big surprise this weekend was we went North to the Valley!
What a weekend it turned out to be.
The best. So fun to see every one and to hard to say goodbye. So I didn't.
We rolled in to town about 9:30 Friday night and first stop was the Conway Tavern to see Wen. She had just got off shift and was sitting at the bar when I slipped in behind her and put my arms around her. She was a little creeped out and so was everyone sitting around her. She didn't know who it was and I wasn't saying anything. When she turned around and saw it was me, we both started crying and couldn't find a word to say. Then everyone around us was REALLY creeped out. Both of us crying and hugging and still not saying anything. It was pretty good and everyone was relieved to find I was her long lost Mother as opposed to some wierdo ; )
Wyatt and Pooter went home with Wen, and our next stop was Mikes Mom's to drop off two more dogs and Maddy.
We got in there by about 10:30, got Maddy setteled in and the dogs figured out and then.....it was off to Shelley and Joe's.
We tip-toed in the back door at about 11:00. All the lights were out but the t.v was on. They were watching a movie with Old Neighbor Tom. Mike and I stood quietly where the kitchen meets the living room.
Joe looked up and stared at us.
Nothing registered.
He said.."Hun, someones in our kitchen".
Nobody moved.
Joe kind of ratteled his head and said....OH F#%*# Hun!
Repeated that a bunch of times, and then Shelley got up to see who it was.
It was a good look on her face. I surprised her.
I REALLY surprised her. That was fun.
We didn't get to see everyone, because time was short. We left Early Sunday and I didn't say good-bye to anyone.
I wanted to just have the memory of a great weekend without the sad part of leaving. So, we breezed in and breezed out.
Thank you to everyone who graciously took our late night calls and evryone who was able to show up on such short notice Saturday to make a wonderful evening.
I wish we could have seen everyone (Becky), but I also understand it's hard to do without notice.

GK did well while we were gone. I think he enjoyed the quiet. I also think he was happy to see us when we got home.
I know I missed him, and was happy to have our coffee talk this morning.
We took the Poodles and George in to the Beauty Barn this morning and will be looking forward to the "before and afters" of that this afternoon.

Ok, that's all for now.

I just went out to get my camera so I could post a picture.
I DIDN"T take any.
What a retard.
Here is a picture of a rainbow we saw on the way up.

Imagine....
Our 1993 Ford Taurus wagon.
Two kids.
Three dogs.
Packed full.
On the road.

That my friends, is how I like to think of my life.
Like a well packed taurus wagon.

SURPRISE!

Gotcha!!!
I had the best weekend EVER!

Details tomorrow : )