Sunday, March 29...Garage Sale Preparations

What a beautiful day we had today, and a group of us were out in the sunshine nearly all afternoon preparing for the garage sale next Saturday. Joanne and Mike Ligon arrived at our house around noon, and Mike went right to work loading tables and boxes of treasures into George's pick-up truck that I had backed into the garage to make it easier to load. However, I didn't take into account that Mike is tall, so the first time he hopped up into the bed of the truck to move things around, he hit his head! He's such a good sport though, he just kept on smiling and kept on loading! When we arrived at the Thomason's storage units, Penny was busy with her drill putting together clothing racks. For those of you who don't know Penny, she can do it all ... repairs, remodels, crafts, etc. I'm sure all of our husbands wish we were as handy around the house as she is! Nancy, our resident nurse of the bunko group who has lovingly cared for all of us at one time or another and is always willing to listen to symptoms and offer advice on our newest ailments, welcomed George to "garage sale central" and then gave George some advice as well ... keep working hard, don't let yourself get discouraged, and listen to your wife (I just love her!). Nancy's brother-in-law had a massive stroke several years ago, so she has first hand knowledge of the struggles that he and her sister dealt with, however, she also relayed the happy ending to their story ... her brother-in-law is walking and driving and living a normal life today, so we hope and pray that our story ends the same way! While George supervised, Mike unloaded the vehicles and we girls started pricing the merchandise. Not all of it has been delivered yet, but we have a little bit of everything. Purses by Gucci, Nine West and Coldwater Creek, appliances, tools, and decorations for every season! We also have our own animal farm and a collection of stuffed animals for the little ones. We've also got home decor, clothes, shoes, books and so much more! Danny Thomason arrived in time to help Mike put all of the tables back into the storage unit after the merchandise was priced. Penny has had him working hard in cleaning out abandoned units (as well as their house and garage) to make sure we have lots of items to sell! George and I really appreciate all of our friends' efforts and contributions (thanks, Margaret & Jack Creel, for the one by mail!). Hopefully Saturday's weather will be as pretty as this weekend's, but rain or shine, come shop with us!! We'll be starting at 8 a.m., so come early for the best selections. The address is 17625 Keith Harrow (between Barker Cypess & Hwy. 6).

Saturday, March 28 - YIPPEE!

Thanks to Tommy G. w/Moore Supply and Brian Lewis w/Klare Plumbing, George's new sink was installed on Saturday. Tommy made an early morning delivery to bring the correct "P.O. plug" and then Brian came a few hours later and got everything hooked up. We are still missing one bronze "sleeve" (I think that is what Brian called it) for the exposed pipe, and I need to get the new light fixture hung, toilet paper holder up, etc., so the big "reveal" can't happen yet, but soon, very soon!! George also had visitors on Saturday afternoon, Jose Benavides, a former employee of George's that he thinks the world of, and Ishmael, an "operator" in the plumbing industry. The guys stayed for over an hour and reminisced about deer lease trips that Jose accompanied George on, and also talked about future ones that they want to take this coming fall. And, believe me, that sounds good to me too! George and I have had a little too much together time lately, so I'm hoping that come November he his ready to head to Gonzales! After all of the guys left, George and I headed to Randall's to grocery shop. I sure wish I had my camera with me because it turned out to be quite a trip! I've been wanting to see how George would do on one of those electric scooters, and I got my wish! As I pulled into the handicap parking, a scooter was parked right on the curb. So instead of getting the wheelchair out, I got out, got on the scooter and rode it to the passenger side of the car. I have to admit, it took me a minute to maneuver the thing to where I needed it, so I started to wonder if this was such a good idea. However, it was too late to change my mind; George was motioning me to come on and bring it closer to the car. As you know, it's much heavier and larger than a wheelchair, so we couldn't get it nearly as close as his wheelchair, so that meant that he needed to take several steps to the scooter. Again, my heart was beating a little faster as I tried to now maneuver George toward the scooter. A few minutes later, he was safely on the seat and taking off up the ramp without me! I prayed that no one would get in his way as he approached the double doors. I took a few galloping steps to catch up to him before he reached the girl scouts and their cookie table and told him to slow down. He didn't really listen to me and whizzed through the next set of double doors taking THREE donut boxes with him. Good thing they were only display boxes or I would have been picking up (and buying) dozens of glazed donuts! That little episode was enough to slow him down, so we made it through the bakery department without any casualties. We stopped and bought some produce and then hit the seafood department (literally, not physically!). George did pretty well for the rest of our shopping trip but we also had to go to Customer Service to buy the new registration tags for his truck. That proved to be a little tricky because there wasn't much room to back up and turn, so he ended up making a U-turn through the magazine area and through the Easter candy display to be heading the right direction again. I was holding my breath the whole time; can you just imagine him hitting one of the shelves that held the M&M candies and those bags busting on impact?!? I am laughing again as I type this; I know if there was a video tape of this excursion, we could have won on the Funniest Home Videos show. I think George enjoyed that little scooter way too much ... never again will I be able to go to the grocery store alone!!

Friday, March 27 - Carol Calling!

... and I'll take her over Avon any day!! My friend, Carol Humphrey, came calling on Friday. She arrived at my office with homemade Italian Cream cupcakes in hand. Joe Orr, one of my co-workers, taste tested them for me while Carol took me out to lunch, and when I got back, he warned me that I better not eat them because they weren't any good. As soon as he said that, his nose grew about an inch, so I knew he was fibbing, and that was definitely confirmed when he walked out the door with another one in hand "for his wife!" I'm betting that it was eaten on the trip home instead of it getting to poor Sue! Carol also brought a couple of boxes of goodies for the upcoming garage sale, including her bread machine. She said that she tested it out the night before to make sure it still worked, and after she gave her husband a piece of hot homemade bread with butter, he tried to talk her into keeping it! Jimmy, just remember, she is looking out for your best interest ... but we'll be happy to sell it back to you on Saturday, so come early or it may be gone!!

Sunday, March 22 - So dusty you can write your name on it...

... and that is exactly what I did!! This is how my entire house looked on Saturday after the sanding of the new bathroom walls started. It is amazing how that little hall bath could contribute to such a big mess! As you know, George's son-in-law, Paul, started the remodel last weekend, and this weekend, I hired a contractor to finish it up. "Bubba" came Saturday morning and sanded, primed and painted the walls, baseboards, new door, and door frame. By the end of the day the bathroom looked great, but my furniture was covered with this fine white dust. I put George to work on the coffee table and my mom came over and helped me clean up the main rooms, but there are still a few more rooms to go. I have a maid that comes once-a-month to do my heavy cleaning, so Bonnie is going to have her work cut out for her when she arrives on Wednesday. The timing on this was perfect (for me!). Hopefully, the new ADA sink will be installed sometime this week, and then I'll just have a few finishing touches to take care of, like install a door knob and a new light fixture ... oh, and try to figure out what is going on with the toilet since it is now leaking around the base. It always seems to be something these days, but I think this project will be finished soon and then George can hopefully gain some independence!

After lunch today, George & I went to Lowes to buy the door knob and some a/c filters so that dust won't keep circulating in the house. We also met with a lawn service guy that is going to come tomorrow and clean up our yard. The yard has been neglected since hunting season, and of course right as that was ending, George had his stroke. I have been so busy over the last few months with George, I didn't water or weed the flower beds, so basically we now just have weeds, leaves, and pollen grain everywhere! I know it's killing George to see his yard looking the way it does; he has always had a green thumb and one of the prettiest yards on the block. Hopefully this guy will do a good job in getting it cleaned up and then maybe George will be up to planting some flowers in the next few months. This evening, Joanne & Mike Ligon came by and took us to dinner at Chili's. It was a real treat for George & I, but I'm not sure the Ligon's feel the same way! After dinner, as George was hoisting himself up into their vehicle to head home, his shorts fell down around his ankles! Good thing the three of us were all gathered around him, or he would have given everyone in the parking lot a free show. We were all laughing so hard, it probably took longer than it should have to pull them back up. We were mad that I didn't have my camera on me to capture the moment for Funniest Home Videos, so when we got back to our house, we just had to re-create it ... sort of!! Thanks, Mike & Joanne, for a very fun and memorable evening; I promise to buy George some smaller shorts by the time we do dinner again!!

Thursday, March 20...Special Deliveries!

Update by Cindy. UPS and FedEx better watch out; they have some real competition out there … our friends and family!! This past week has been full of “special deliveries” and it all started with my mom. George told my mom on Saturday that he was hungry for her homemade waffles, so first thing Sunday morning, our door bell rang and it was Mom standing there with her waffle iron and a bag full of ingredients coming to make George & I breakfast. Then, later on that day, Shirley Lucas called and said that she had just finished making a big pot of soup and she and Ike wanted to bring some over for us. Right around 5 p.m., Shirley and Ike arrived with a basket full of goodies … homemade shrimp and corn chowder (that was awesome!), a spinach & field green salad, hot HEB French bread, and dessert! On Monday night, a good friend of ours from Lindsay’s junior high days, JoAnn Young, brought over dinner for us too. It was a hearty casserole filled with chicken, green beans and water chestnuts, accompanied by hot rolls, cinnamon applesauce, and chocolate chunk ice cream for dessert … all very yummy!! JoAnn also brought three boxes and bags filled with goodies for the upcoming garage sale, and with all of the activity, I forgot to take a picture of her for the blog! So my apologies, JoAnn, but you’ll be back soon … we have a “wine” date, and we’ll take a picture then! On Tuesday, there was no food delivery, but George’s daughter, Terri and her husband, Paul, returned to the house to deliver the new bathroom door and door jam. Paul hung it up and taped and floated the bathroom walls that we tore the wallpaper off of, so this weekend we’ll need to finish what he started and get the walls sanded and painted so the new sink can be installed. And, speaking of the sink, or rather the “lavatory” (I always get corrected!) it was also delivered Wednesday night … by a very sweet couple, Brian & Karen Lewis. Brian works for Klare Plumbing, and was the official gift bearer; George and I can’t thank Marvin Klare enough for his kindness and generosity in purchasing the ADA lavatory, faucet, and all of the other necessary pieces that will help make life a whole lot easier for us! My apologies again, but no picture of their visit either. We were so busy visiting about the bathroom remodel, our look-a-like dogs, and Karen & I were comparing notes on massage therapists, that I forgot to pull out the camera. But I know they will be back very soon as well, perhaps even later this weekend to install the lavatory, so I will be sure to get a picture then! Tonight I was planning to have Dominoes deliver, but my brother and sister-in-law called and invited us down for dinner. David grilled steaks and they were soo good; it reminded me how much I miss having my husband behind the grill, but I’m sure he’ll be cooking before too long! George got some extra therapy tonight as well. Alex, my nephew, had George tossing his little Nerf football back and forth to him and George was using both hands!! Maybe I can hire the kids to come and play ball with George this summer!! Hopefully, we will get some pictures of George at Katy Rehab Out-Patient Therapy real soon. Everything seems to be going well, and I think George enjoys getting out of the house more. And speaking of getting well, we are soo thrilled that one of George’s “partners in crime”, Charles Lee Luker, is out of ICU in Victoria, TX after battling pneumonia and a staph infection. He sounded great when we spoke to him a few days ago, so we hope he is getting stronger every day … hunting season is only 8 months away! And our thoughts and prayers go out to the Bucic family, as Judy Bucic is in the hospital recovering from bacterial meningitis. Scary stuff, but we know she will be well soon and back to enjoying those grandbabies!!

Sunday, March 15...Extreme Home Makeover!

Well, actually, it's just a bathroom makeover but it is extremely messy, especially with all of the rain we had over the weekend! Greg got started early Saturday morning taking the existing door off the hinges along with the door frame and then when Paul arrived, they removed the old sink with the cabinet base and then Paul reinforced the wall for the new sink and cut the doorway wider to get ready for the new 36" inch door. Paul also had to move the light switch in the wall, and cut and lay some additional floor tile where the sink cabinet was before, so good thing he is a "jack of all trades!" He had to use the garage for all of the dirty work since the weather was so bad outside. When they finally called it a night, this is what the bathroom looked like!! Phase II will happen on Tuesday; Paul will come back and install the door jam and hang the new door, as well as grout the tile that he laid. Phase III, which will be the installation of the new ADA approved lavatory, will occur when it arrives at Klare Plumbing; they had to ship it from Austin.

While Greg & Paul were working hard on bathroom, Dad was busy entertaining all of his guests! Terri, Jennifer and Emily came in with Paul; Karen Bradford, with Klare Plumbing, and her son, Derek, came to visit, as well as Mom's brother, David. Of course, I was there, and Grandma too, so we had a houseful! Dad put on quite a show for everyone; he walked both along the kitchen counter and with his cane. Mom brought out the camera as everyone stood around cheering and rooting Dad on! Brady had a visitor too ... Molly, Emily's dog. They got along great; Brady didn't even mind her watching him eat because he knew she couldn't reach his bowl!!

Friday, March 13...Farewell Friday

Home Health Resources discharged Dad today from their care. All of the therapists agree that Dad is ready to go to out-patient therapy. So, starting on Monday, we will be heading to Katy Rehab Hospital three times a week for both physical and occupational therapy. Both Wendy and Cathy worked Dad hard today; there was no slacking around on his last day of therapy with them! Wendy continued to work with Dad on his pulley and they started the day with 1 lb. of weight helping him raise that right arm. He was doing so well, Wendy decided to see if he could raise his right arm over his head with no help from the pulley, so she used Mom's little wooden cross and told Dad to keep his "eye on the prize" and try to take that cross out of her hand. In the first try, he raised his arm and claimed his prize! Wendy was thrilled, so we had to do it again to capture the Kodak moment!! Cathy came after lunch and had Dad walk off his calories! He made 4 trips down the hall using the cane, and then she had him do his standing exercises at the sink, and then move to couch for his leg "kicks." He was pretty worn out after all of that, but not too tired to give Cathy a hug of thanks for helping him get moving again. We just can't say enough good things about Dad's therapy team and Home Health Resources. We will miss them and the loving care they provide ... and Brady will miss them too! Besides all of the extra attention he received from them, their blood pressure cuff fascinated him! He would hear them squeezing the bulb to inflate the cuff, and he just knew that there was a ball or toy there somewhere for him to play with ... Poor Brady never quite figured it out!