12/7/14 Fonthill

I had been planning this trip to Fonthill Castle for a few weeks. Finally, the weather cleared up so the trip was a go. The day before, daughter, Donna called to ask if we could get together on Sunday. I've been hoping to visit Donna for weeks. She's so busy. So, I told her I was going to Fonthill Castle/Mercer Museum/Moravian Tile and asked if she'd like to come along. Three museums. The plan was to leave here at 11 A.M. as the museums are only open until 4 or 5 P.M. and we had an hour drive.  I wanted to get in as much as I could in the afternoon hours. And, of course, I planned to take many pictures.

Donna arrived on Sunday and graciously offered to drive. We got a later start then planned which meant we now would be squeezing in three museums in a shorter time span. I was able to book a tour at the castle for 4 P.M. The only tour of the day because they were holding an open house and there was free entrance up until 4 for the castle and the tile museum.

We started at the tile museum. I was happy to see this tour as I've never been before when it was open. We enjoyed some free hot chocolate, saw Santa ( I wanted to take a picture with him but the line of children grew long so I passed on that plan), we watched demos of tile making and checked out the rest of the museum.

Then we headed over to Mercer Museum. I had lunch figured into the original schedule but since we lost a bunch of time I was hoping to grab a quick snack and continue on our tours. I don't eat lunch so that worked for me. The girls, however, do eat lunch and wanted to find a restaurant. This is where I realized that I am driven to follow my plan and opened my mouth and put my foot in. It was my hope to continue my tour so I suggested that the girls get lunch and leave me at the museum where I could wander until they returned. I wanted to take full advantage of our time so I could leisurely see all I came to see. This trip was one of the two I planned for my Christmas tours before I go away on 12/31. I'm realizing more and more why I go places alone. I'm not a good companion when I'm driven to take full advantage of a trip, I don't have to feel bad if I don't keep up with people because I'm taking pictures or checking out artwork or whatever. I've become a crotchety old lady, not fit for trips with others.

2014 At-A-Glance

I'm making an attempt to bring the Blog up-to-date and current for this year. After going illness free for the entire year of 2013, I started this year with health problems. On January 5, I had what appeared to be a mini stroke. It was freezing outdoors, ice on the ground, so I went outside and picked up a 20 lb. bag of salt to put on the long sidewalk alongside our house. I had the 20 lbs. bag in the crook of my left arm, spreading the salt with my right hand. All went okay, aside from the cold. I came indoors, felt fine, when all-of-a-sudden my left arm went dead and limp. Oh shit! was my reaction. Right away I'm thinking stroke. I did not have slurred speech or droopy lips, tongue, face, etc. Stacy was due home in 10 minutes so I decided to ask her to drive me to the hospital, just-in-case. We get to the hospital and the waiting room is standing room only. There were so many accidents because of the icy conditions. It was even scary driving to the hospital because the roads were that bad. It took a while to get the attention of the receptionist. I'm standing there thinking, what if I'm having a stroke and this girl is not acknowledging me. Finally, when she did look at me, she got me right into the exam room and the tests began. First EKG, then CAT scan. In the meantime, the arm went back to normal. I was kept overnight for observation and had many more tests. MRIs of the brain and spine. Echo cardiogram, Ultrasound of carotid artery, neck and brain. Blood work and god knows what else. They could find no evidence of a blood clot or a stroke. I was given baby aspirin. I learned later that the night nurse was supposed to give me a statin, but never did. I nearly had a heart attack when the phlebotomist came into my room at 5:30 a.m. and yelled my name. I was asleep and nearly fell out-of-bed when she yelled. I mentioned that to one of the many people who came into my room and was told that I would receive a survey form. Never did get the survey form. That was January. It's almost July. I've never heard from anyone at the hospital regarding a survey or a bill. I was visited by people from every department imaginable. I couldn't wait to get-out-of-there. The bed was so uncomfortable. the mattress was constantly moving and I always felt like I was slipping out-of-the bed. Went home the next day and vowed I would do everything I could to not go back into the hospital. That was my first time in a hospital since 1980. And the last, I hope.

Jump ahead to my visit to the Neurologist. She wasn't sure if I had a stroke. She said it sounds like a pinched nerve. However, there's some sort of a calcium shadow on my brain that she thinks was a mini stroke some time ago in the past. So, she has declared that I've had both a mini stroke and a pinched nerve. In doing research on the Internet, I have found that the symptoms could very well be a pinched nerve. Especially because the salt bag was 20 lbs. and held in the crook-of-my-arm. So all the doctors want me to continue with the statin (Lipitor) which I've been totally against taking. I took it for four months and my cholesterol went down to normal with my Internist saying the results were "stupendous".

Lipitor symptoms in the beginning affected my walking. Legs were sore and sluggish. I wasn't happy about that. Then about May, I started to have aches and pains in my shoulder, arm, hand, hip and intermittent other places. I didn't connect it to the Lipitor until June 6, a light bulb went off. Did more research on the Internet and read of many, many people who had experienced the same side affects as me. Stopped the Lipitor and the pain gradually went away. There a couple of lingering issues with my hip and arm muscle but, they are dwindling.

Fast forward now to the cardiologist. He told me that the dose of Lipitor that I was given was high and no wonder I had those side affects. He wants me to take the lowest dose and let him know if I start to experience the side affects again. I also told him that I was considering taking coQ10 as recommended by my Internist and friends. He advised that I should take both. That the coQ10 alone will not keep my cholesterol down. As of today, I haven't taken any more Lipitor. I want to be pain free as my lifestyle was greatly affected from the side affects.

Updates will follow as I find out how my cholesterol is after not taking Lipitor and just exercising and following my usual healthy diet.

Wetlands-Best Kept Secret in Veteran's Park 7/25/13

I had three hours to kill on Thursday, and since it was finally cooler, I went for a walk in Veteran's Park. I think the Wetlands are the best kept secret in the park. I passed a couple of people walking their dogs but other then that, I was alone and at one with nature.

 

At first, I thought these were eggs of some sort.
 On further inspection I discovered that they
are mushrooms.

  

At the end of the wetlands and at the Recreation
Dept. parking lot and office, I found out that
Model  Aircraft are flown there.

 

Deer trail.



 

A large section of the path was covered in this clover.





This is just one fish but there was a school
of them in the stream. Without the sun shining
it was difficult to get all of them.




The mystery tree. There was a tapping sound, like a woodpecker. Never did see it. Funny thing, a bunch of people were stopping and looking up for a woodpecker. No one ever found one. The tree sounded hollow and as if something was inside tapping to get out. It's as ft it was saying Let me out, Let me out. Weird. Tapping was more eratic on the return walk. Some folks asked me if I heard the tapping too.



As you can see, the bench is flooded.

I would normally walk this path along the stream.
Not today, FLOODED!



Fern alongside the path to the lake.



This is the picture with the gazebo across the lake
 where I shot pictures of the geese on Tues.



Changes 7/27/13

Our lives were changed forever last night. I feel like I was coerced into saying words that were never meant to be spoken. The damage is irreperable. Most surprising to me is that my family tells me that I am not the person that I thought I was. Where to go from here. You could slice the air with a knife. The tension is unbearable. In spite of all that was said, I hope for the best for all, mostly for the person who is in need of the most support at this time. Antonio is lucky that he is away. When one door closes, another opens. Holding onto that for now.

New Kind of Bird in the Yard. Stacy and Yard Work.



Stacy, the Weed Whacking Queen.

I was looking through my pictures and realized that a bird visited our back yard just like the one that I spotted in Veteran's Park yesterday. Now I have to Google the bird.

 

Cicada shell. Only found this one so far even tho the cicadas are making a racket and they seem to be in abundance over the back fence.



Cooler Weather, finally 7/24/13.

Today was the most pleasant day. Weather was perfect. I sat outside on the patio, relaxed, watched the birds and did my word puzzles. I had the most wonderful experience when a hummingbird flew onto the patio right in front of me. It was so close I could have touched it. It seemed to be attracted to the flower cushion on the empty chair or my green shirt. Then I realized that I had removed the feeder that was out back 'cause I thought it wasn't being utilized. So I put it back after the hummingbird visit in the back. Then Stacy came home and told me that when the feeder was in the front a large hummingbird was drinking from it and drank from every flower port. Soooooo, now I think that the feeder in the back must be feeding this larger hummer. Oh, and this evening we had a visit from a hummer with a red throat. Maybe the cool weather brought them around. I love the hummers and get so much pleasure from watching them.

Veteran's Park Walk 7/23/13

I've come to the conclusion that I'm a wimp when it comes to the heat. I had time to kill yesterday so I went to Veteran's Park intending to take a long walk. Well, it turned out that it was still hot and humid and I didn't do well with the heat. So, I took a short walk to the lake and sat a bit, then headed back to the car and to the air conditioning of a couple of stores. Snapped pictures while at the lake.

Purple Martin house was busy.



Speckled bellied bird with the coloring of a robin. Not sure what it is. When I first saw the speckles I thought it might be a Northern Flicker.

 

Time for exercise. Everybody line up. Music please.

 

I think this is a swallowtail.





The island was flooded after all the rain.

 

This goose was just cruising along with it's legs lagging behind.



Colors. Love the blue.





All of the ducks and geese were preening.

 

Strutting.

 

Who said these feeders are for the birds?