Much can happen in two weeks’ time

Sunday, August 22

It was a nice, easy start to the day. Once we were on our way to church is when my day started picking up. The church service was a bit unusual as the sermon time was spent voting in two new deacons. The service ended early so I headed to work early. There weren’t very many sheets to iron and the last load was already in the wash when I arrived so it was a short three hour day.

CountryBoy was mowing when I came home so since I didn’t wear myself out or get overheated at work I decided to get started on supper. I was craving roasted potatoes and fried corn. I diced yellow potatoes in large chunks and put them in a bowl. I drizzled grapeseed oil over the potatoes then sprinkled a good amount of rosemary & garlic spice over them and mixed well. I put them in a casserole dish, covered them and convection roasted them on 450 degrees for 30 minutes stirring a couple of times. SO good! For the fried corn: corn, jalapenos, and onions sauteed in butter with salt, pepper and red pepper then diced tomatoes thrown in at the very last. I was given some corn on the cob to give to Mabel and the girls but since I was hankerin’ for some fried corn I decided to see if any cobs were salvageable. I cut the nice kernels off the cobs for us and the paddock crew got the remains. We still have several cobs to go through. They’ll have treats for days! I was going to thaw some shrimp to go with the sides but CountryBoy ate them this afternoon. We had another bag but I didn’t want to open it. Instead I grabbed a piece of halibut we were given from a friend. We dog sat while he went on a fishing trip and he gifted us with some nice pieces of fish. These Florida transplants do like and miss good seafood. I drizzled some more grapeseed oil on both sides of the fish and seasoned it with Old Bay seasoning. It was delish!

After supper I decided to check the tomatoes and maybe pick a few of the ripe ones. A shirt-full later I decided to check the rest tomorrow.

This evening I finished the book I was reading and started on my friends’ book. The character, Amelia, grabbed my curiosity immediately. I found myself rooting for her and can’t wait to read on to discover the outcome. I’m so proud of my friend!

Monday, August 23

Today we hit the ground running. Well, not until after our coffee, wink. Before my first cup I had put a load of darks in the wash. Before finishing my second cup I had them hung on the line. After that is when we hit the ground and ran. We were off to cut and bring home a load of wood. The couple that came by last Sunday to check out our cabin offered us a mess of wood that had been piled by their barn after having some of their property logged. We jumped at the offer and truly appreciated it.

CountryBoy had hooked up the trailer last night so this morning we just had to grab LizzieBelle, some water, the chain saw and fuel and we were off. We stopped at their house first to say Hi and to see their beautiful goats.

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They were SO adorable!!!

I had to restrain myself from all the cuteness otherwise I would want to get some goats. I’ve always wanted some but we really don’t need anymore animals to tend to plus there would be a huge learning curve beforehand so that we could properly care for them. So, with that in the back of my mind I was able to oohh and ahhh and pet then walk away. It also helped that CountryBoy was itching to get started so we said goodbye and headed to the other barn.

We were blessed with some very unexpected help. Papal (lovingly called that by all his grandkids) was there and he offered to get the tractor with the backhoe and pull some logs out for us. That right there was a huge blessing and relief as we were unsure how we were going to walk around and on the pile to cut the logs and then how would we grab and carry the pieces off the pile.

After cutting up one of the logs I started carefully carrying them over to the trailer as the ground was very uneven and the logs were huge and heavy. I had carried several pieces over when Papal said they could throw the pieces in the bucket on the tractor and he could dump them onto the trailer.

Y’all, I wish I could express our gratitude and appreciation in words so you’d understand the magnitude of his simple offer to help out with the tractor.

Meanwhile, LizzieBelle assumed her position in my seat while we worked.

She’s so good. In spite of her ailments as long as she has her blankie and we’re nearby she is content.

In about an hour’s time we had the trailer loaded with possibly a month’s worth of wood. Hallelujah! CountryBoy has already unloaded the wood off the trailer so that it’s ready to get another load. He’ll split and stack it during the cool hours of the day when he gets the chance and the motivation.

Once home we rested for a bit then made BLT’s plus a fried egg for brunch. CountryBoy took a little nap in his chair while I puttered around.

This morning I plugged my iPad in to charge. I checked to see if it had charged and I noticed a message had come through asking if the portable AC was still available. I responded that it was and the potential buyer was on their way to look at it a few minutes later. They lived about an hour a way so we waited for their arrival. They were thrilled with the unit and bought it. Yay! While we waited for the buyer LizzieBelle’s chariot (folding wagon) arrived via UPS. We will now be able to do some sightseeing a bit easier with her in tow. Once the buyer was on their way we headed to the B&B to do a trash run. While there I picked up the scrap goodies the cooks had left for the paddock crew. The girls, Mabel, and the two roosters are eatin’ good!

While we were out we picked up LizzieBelle’s Furosemide that I had called in first thing this morning. We also picked up some mayo and onions then headed home to wash the sticky off us. Now to relax, affix some product tags on the dish scrubbies and read the rest of the evening.

Tuesday, August 24

So last night I wound up doing none of those things. I did relax for a few minutes on the porch until the skeeters started to snack on us like we were a buffet. But instead of affixing the product tags to the scrubbies or reading I wound up picking the rest of the Roma tomatoes while CountryBoy picked the cherry tomatoes and a few of the big tomatoes. After that I decided to wash some eggs since there were no cartons in the egg fridge. By the time I finished it was time to call it a day. I did read for a few minutes right before lights out.

Just as I turned the light out LizzieBelle started softly yipping. I can only imagine what she was dreaming about. I wonder, too, if in her dreams can she see and hear again? Is she young and vibrant and playing with other dogs? Is she chasing after another skunk or some other wildlife? I wish we could know what’s going on in those little doggy dreams.

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It has been a day. A day that started at 3:30 this morning and, for me, it is finally coming to a close at 9 o’clock. I’m tired and going to bed. I’ll do my best to jot the events of the day down tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 25

As previously mentioned our day started out at 3:30 in the morning with CountryBoy waking up with razor sharp pain in his chest radiating down both arms and in his back. We’ve been down this road a time or two so we flew to the hospital. Literally. Thank goodness there was no traffic at that time of day. By 4 o’clock he was in a bed in the ER. I’ll save you the long and boring parts of the ER visit but I was not thrilled about the level of care he received. Mind you, it was not bad but he was treated as if there was no urgency in his situation. WE’VE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD BEFORE and yet I got the feeling that the Doc just thought we were over-reacting because his Troponin levels showed no signs of heart attach or injury. That is until the third blood test showed an increase. Now, EIGHT hours later, he could be admitted to the hospital. sigh. I watched his blood pressure steadily rise over the course of two hours yet there was no concern. I kept asking for a complete cardiac workup but that could only be done if he was admitted. WHAT? They had the nerve to mention COVID and that his symptoms were signs of COVID. I’m sorry, I know it wreaks havoc on some people but WE’VE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD BEFORE, we know what we’re talking about. When his COVID test results came back negative there was a slight shift in mentality that maybe there was something going on. REALLY? Again, I’m sorry, I know the COVID numbers are rising again but the medical profession needs to be mindful of tunnel vision (that was drilled into us when we worked EMS – do NOT get tunnel vision as to diagnosis, not that we were allowed to diagnose, but we were taught to consider all the factors) and same needs to hold true especially these days. Other diseases and illnesses are still occurring. Anyhow, the chest X-ray did reveal atypical pneumonia.

Sunday, August 29

It’s now four days later and I finally have a couple minutes to jot down whatever I can remember from those last four days. To say it’s been a whirlwind would be an understatement but many folks have been praying and we’ve both felt and have seen results from those prayers. I will try to keep it brief as y’all know I can be a little long-winded when I’m writing, ha!

CountryBoy had a heart cath Wednesday afternoon. The results were not good and he was originally told that there wasn’t much they could do. They said there was a possibility of repairing one of the grafts from twenty years ago but it would take a specialist and they didn’t have much hope that it would be successful and if it was that it may not last long. Talk about a punch in the gut. However, a group of cardiologist were getting their heads together to consider all the options.

Fast forward to Thursday afternoon – his assigned cardiologist (we found out that his cardiologist was no longer practicing in the area which is why we’ve not heard hide nor hare from him in a while, frown) came in and brought with him some good news. CountryBoy has a “God-given bonus artery” (as the Dr. says!) that goes around the back of his heart (which is how he survived his first major heart attack) and they could go in through the groin or arm, drill through the plaque in that clogged artery then place a stent. The procedure requires a specialist and special equipment so he’ll be transferred to Lexington Monday morning, have the procedure then they’ll keep him a few more days to make sure all is well. What a blessing that this can be done!!!

To say that Wednesday and half of Thursday till the Doc came in were the longest, hardest days is another understatement. I think the not-knowing is the hardest part of anything. Now that there was a plan we both felt a huge load of stress and relief lift off our shoulders.

I know many people have been praying for me as well throughout all this and, as I mentioned before, I have felt and have seen the results. All my comings and goings and keeping up with the farm and the cabin/guests has run so smooth. One example is Friday afternoon when I was coming home from the hospital in the pouring rain the tire pressure gauge popped up on the dashboard screen in the truck. It has never done that in the midst of driving so I knew something was up. After getting home I took care of the animals, checked the email to verify when to expect the guests then drove over to a neighbors to have him look at the tire and to hopefully put some air in it. I had to go to work the next day and then to the hospital and ain’t nobody got time for an uncooperative tire. The neighbor found the problem, pulled a partial screw out of the tire, plugged it and then put air in the tire. He didn’t even want anything for it. Thank the Lord for good neighbors.

Two minutes (literally) after I got back home the guests pulled in. We chatted for a few minutes then they were on their way up to the cabin to enjoy a peaceful weekend and I was back in the house ready to collapse. As I said, though, all the going here, going there, doing this, doing that while keeping the farm going went smooth which was extremely helpful making the whole situation a tad less stressful.

Monday, September 6

Happy Labor Day! It has been a whole week since I’ve taken the time to sit down in front of the computer. Lots has happened in a week so again, I will do my best to recap.

A week ago today CountryBoy was scheduled for his procedure. Early in the morning he was transferred to Lexington via ambulance and put in a pre-op room. I found out later that I was able to be with him (after originally being told that I couldn’t be there) so I headed to Lexington. I found his room then stepped out for five minutes to get rid of some coffee (wink) and came back to find him with some tissue over his nose trying to stop a nose bleed. The blood was pouring out both nostrils so I pulled the garbage can over so he could lean over and let it flow in there rather than all over him and the bed. We notified the nurse who immediately freaked out and appeared to not know how to handle the situation. I mean, after all, he was just supposed to be hanging out until time for his procedure. What could go wrong?! Anyway, I asked for a wash basin while she was trying to figure out who to call. One and half hours and two wash basins later a rhino rocket (basically an inflatable tampon) was shoved up his left nostril to stop the bleeding. It took a while but the bleeding was finally under control. Not completely stopped but under control at least. The rhino rocket had to stay in until Friday afternoon. Talk about uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, every nurse and doctor that entered the room questioned him about whether or not he normally had nose bleeds. The answer was no every time. The nose bleeds started the second night he was in the hospital. That night it stopped shortly after it started. The third night was a different story. He could not get it to stop so he made his way to the bathroom. When it still wouldn’t stop he pulled the cord in the shower to call for the nurse. A couple nurses came in to assist and they said it looked like a murder scene with blood all over the floor in the room and all over the bathroom. It took a while to get it to stop but eventually it did. After that they cut his blood thinner dose almost in half. The fourth night he thought it was starting again while I was there but it didn’t come out his nostrils just a bit down the throat. Other than those three nights nose bleeds are not normal and yet when we answered no we felt that they didn’t believe us.

Enter the Doc that was to do the procedure… the conversation started out with having to wait a few days to do the procedure and ended with not doing it at all. I think the shift happened when I mentioned that we thought he was given too much blood thinner during his stay at the hospital. He got a little bristly about the comment and it was after that that he started backing out of the surgery. Well, if you’re not going to do anything we’re leaving. An hour or so later we were on our way home. Six days in the hospital and nothing was done for his heart. At least the atypical pneumonia was gone.

He is currently being treated with meds but I will be doing some research as to the root cause of how and why plaque gets built up in the arteries then will make a plan from there. Meanwhile, we are trying to eat super-nutritious foods, he’s drinking a couple ounces of pomegranate juice daily, drinking water, minimizing any strenuous labor and taking the meds. Soon we will seek a second opinion.

So two weeks and two days later since my last post this is where we’re at…

We’ve made the decision to sell the farm – livestock, equipment and all. We’ve worked hard over the last six and a half years making the farm what it is today and while we have enjoyed life on the farm it is time to enjoy life on a lake! We’re looking for a house and property that is easy to maintain, that’s directly on a lake and that has a boat dock. That’s about all the criteria we’re looking for. Oh, and no fixer uppers!!! Cosmetic changes and maybe some easy fixes or changes but nothing major. It’s time to kick back, relax, cruise up and down the river and do some fishing. Well, I’m cruising and CountryBoy will be fishing. We’d also like to do some traveling.

A co-worker asked if I would still blog. Absolutely! Of course I’ll have a new one with a new name and we hope that you’ll hop on over to keep up with the capers but I’ll keep you updated on that. The co-worker even came up with a new blog name for CountryBoy and even myself that I will share in the first blog post on the new blog.

So, there are lots of decisions to be made and lots to do in the upcoming weeks but we’re taking it one day at a time. Tons of stuff were donated to our church for their yard sale. More stuff given to different people, and more stuff will be donated to a thrift store. We are thankful for the power of prayer and knowing that God’s got this. He knows who’s going to buy the farm and when and He knows where we’ll end up and when. We can rest easy knowing that He’s in control otherwise I’d be a bag o’ nerves.

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This morning, as I was headed to the barn for morning chores I was greeted with heavy fog that hung low on the farm…

It was beautiful. I’m going to miss these views and the fog creeping across the mountains although I know there will be other beautiful things and moments at the lake.

I told CountryBoy we’ve come full circle. He’s had a house on a chain of lakes in Florida and a speed boat, then we had the 32′ fishing boat we docked on the east coast and now, Lord willing, we hope to be back on a lake with a pontoon. Let the lake house search begin!

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The birds have been busy planting some pretty flowers since I didn’t get around to it…

These are growing underneath the bird feeders. We noticed them coming up so we’ve been mowing around the cluster and viola, some pretty volunteer sunflowers.

Thanks birds, the bees love them and so do we!