I woke up at 8:15. Hope was anxious to leave the bed. I carried her to her leash in the laundry room/kitchen. I ate Lucky Charms and drank a Caffeine Free Diet Sam’s Cola for breakfast. I let Hope loose and she ran around excited.

I checked email. I did not read all the messages I had received, but checked to see if there was anything that demanded my attention.

I drank three cups of coffee with vanilla syrup.

Mom was talking about working out in the yard despite the rain. I asked her if she would like to go to town. She said yes. I dressed and packed my library books. I drank another cup of coffee with vanilla syrup. I packed a cooler so I would have drinks while we were in town. Mom brought the Explorer to the back door so that I did not have to carry the books a long way. We left about 10:00. We stopped and Mom put the thank you card I had written for her to the pastor in the mailbox.

Our first stop was the dry cleaners to drop off a pair of pants Mom needed hemmed. We went to the feed store where Mom purchased lime and fertilizer. We stopped at the library where I checked in the art books and checked them out again. I also checked out some other new arrivals. We drove to dollar tree where I purchased some licorice, dog toys, and stickers. Mom bought some things as well. Next, we went to Wal-Mart. I found a military outfit for Hope. I went to the craft section and picked up some closures and line for beading. I found some needle nose pliers and cutting pliers to use with beading. I loaded some groceries into my cart. When I checked out my purchases totaled $96.02. I did not need to spend so much money, but that is what I get for going to Wal-Mart. Mom’s bill was not so high. We headed for home from town, but I stopped at Dollar General for just a couple of minutes to pick up some strawberry filled candies.

When we arrived home I let Hope loose. Every time I went out to the Explorer to bring something in Hope came outside and picked up a leaf to carry inside with her. I had to take each leaf away from her so it slowed down the process of bringing stuff inside. It had stopped raining so we were able to get our purchases in without getting wet.

Mom cooked canned collard greens and cornbread for lunch and we ate around 3:00. It was a good lunch. I was glad we did not eat in town because I am running out of money.

I put Hope’s new outfit on her and she looked so cute. She now has three outfits. I need to take some pictures of her dressed and post them here.

I checked email. There was a Freecycle message about some silk scarves. Mom had been looking for scarves in the stores lately. I asked her if she would like me to try to get the scarves. She said yes so I called the lady about them. She said we could have them and gave me directions to her house. It was raining again so we decided against taking the dogs with us. We drove into town and I got the scarves. Mom looked through the bag and was pleased. There were thirteen scarves and they were very pretty. We stopped at Dollar General on the way home because we had ice cream that would melt and did not take time to look at the 90% off sale items the first time we were there. I bought two housedresses and a shirt. Mom bought a few articles of clothing too.

Mom washed her scarves and they looked even better after they were clean. I figure the scarves are worth at least $100.00. She will enjoy them.

I ate a leftover piece of pizza for supper and had a little chocolate ice cream afterward.

I read in Become a Better You by Joel Osteen. I am very pleased I was able to check this book out of the library on the day it was released. I think Mom will purchase it, but reading the library copy saves me some money. This is a wonderful book.

I hope it will continue raining. We need the rain in Georgia so badly. Everything here is dry and the water crisis is becoming very serious. We could use several weeks of rain. Even though we need the rain very much I have heard people complaining about the weather. I do not understand how anyone could complain about rain here now. I am happy to see it. I definitely do not mind getting a little wet. It is refreshing.

Always,

Jo Ann

I woke up at 7:00. Hope and I began our day. I had forgotten to bring Hope’s leash to the bedroom last night so I carried her to her leash. I ate Lucky Charms and drank a Caffeine Free Diet Sam’s Cola for breakfast. I did not set up my medicine for the week last night so I had to take my Nexium and Wellbutrin directly out of the bottles.

Mom did not leave for church until 8:30 so we had some time to talk. I asked her if it would be okay to skip vacuuming because the house looked good. She said yes, but I might have to do it later in the week. I thought that would be okay.

I checked my email and for comments on the blog. I try to answer all comments on the blog, because I think the interaction is important. I have written in the blog every day, but one, for a month. I am glad I have committed to writing every day. Even though my entries are sometimes mundane, it means I am recording my thoughts and experiences. That helps me through the days.

I turned on the iPod in the Bose SoundDock. I was listening when "I Walk The Line" by Johnny Cash came on. This song blew me away. It has always been one of my favorites. The rhythms and message are great and I played the song a second time. I listened closely and thought how I wish my writing were as good.

I called Richard and we talked about twenty minutes. He was going to his mother’s today to spend some time with family. I told him Alex was doing well. I wanted him to pass along the information.

I finished reading Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark. This was an excellent book with many great tools for writers. It focused on tools to use instead of rules to follow. That was refreshing.

I began reading Become a Better You by Joel Osteen. This is a very encouraging book. It focuses on the positive and makes you think of good things. I read Your Best Life Now when it came out a few years ago and it helped me through some problems. I think this new book is going to help continue the positive momentum I am building in my life. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to exceed where they are now.

Mom came home from church with a Goody’s bag. I had given her a coupon for $25.00 off an $100.00 purchase. She bought a beautiful outfit and I was glad I had helped her. I did not have the money to spend $100.00 so I could not have used the coupon.

Hope has been off and on the leash today because she has tormented Penny quite a bit. I wish I could convey to her that if she leaves Penny alone she can be loose, but unfortunately, we do not speak the same language. I know she understands some of what I say, but consequences are not clear to her. She lives strictly in the moment and does not understand reactions to her action.

I did not chat with Alex today. He had to go to work so he probably slept in and missed getting online. I hope his day goes well. He is such a wonderful young man. I am fortunate to have such a good son. I think he will go far in his life. I am so proud of him. He has already accomplished a great deal.

I set up Mom’s medications for the next two weeks. I had to leave out the Aggrenox, which is a blood thinner, so that she can get a cortisone shot in her shoulder. I have to order seven medicines next week when I call in her prescriptions. I know she must get tired of taking so many medications. I am glad I only have three. I set those up for the week too.

I asked Mom to wake me at 7:30 in the morning so we can get to our appointment at the Ford dealership on time.

Always,

Jo Ann

I woke at 8:00 this morning. Hope was very glad to get out of bed. I was not so much because I went to bed at about 12:00 last night. I ate a slice of pound cake and drank a Caffeine Free Diet Sam’s Cola for breakfast. Mom was not up when I finished eating and I felt sleepy so I went back to bed. It is after all Saturday and okay to sleep a little extra. I slept until 10:15.

Mom bathed Hope and I blew her dry. After she bathed Penny, she dressed her in a baby outfit. I dressed Hope in the dress I bought her a few weeks ago. The dogs look so cute.

Mom went up to James’ and I got dressed. I wore shorts again today even though the day was a bit cooler. I love cooler weather. Even deep winter chills do not bother me. I can bundle up for the cold, but it is harder to stay cool in hot weather. I am one who loves to be comfortable.

Mom came home with bags full of aluminum cans. She crushed them and I helped her put them in one large trash bag. We will take all the cans we have accumulated to the recycling trailer and get money for them. Mom usually gives the money she gets from the cans to Alex for Christmas.

We ate leftover pepperoni pizza for lunch.

Hope has been terrorizing Penny today so she has been tied a lot. I wish there were some other way to stop her from bothering Penny, but nothing else seems to work.

I did some blog surfing, read, and replied to my email. I was glad to see some of my blog buddies had made recent posts. I read a few chapters in Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark. I hope to finish this book soon.

Hope and I rode to the mailbox. I have not felt like walking the last few days. I seem to be suffering from my chronic fatigue syndrome right now. I am exhausted all the time.

We had Margaret Holmes Seasoned Turnip Greens and homemade cornbread for supper. These are excellent canned turnips. They are as good as you get when you eat at most restaurants. They are not quite as good as fresh ones out of the garden though.

I have been giving Mom copies of the poems I write. She wanted a notebook to put them in, but I did not have an empty one. She went into Alex’s room and I followed. I found a notebook she can use. It is one Alex had used in high school. He will not need it anymore, so Mom may as well use it.

Alex came online so I said, "Hi". He answered me and we chatted. La Tes is not with him, which surprised me. I thought they would be inseparable this weekend. I was glad he was alone, but surprised. He is trying to find something to fill the gap left by his quitting World of Warcraft. He is watching television, which is something he never does. We have neither one ever been much for television. Actually he is watching a movie. We like movies. I am really surprised that I am watching television shows this season. It has been a long time since I found a show I liked, much less three.

Mom is going to church tomorrow so I will have the house to myself for a few hours. I will vacuum and just hang out some. I hope to read some.

Monday is Alex’s dad, Richard’s birthday. I have already sent him a card, but will probably call him to wish him a happy day. I think I will do it tomorrow since he is usually very busy on Monday. I also have to take the Explorer to have the transmission serviced at 9:00 Monday morning. I wish my brother had not made such an early appointment. I will have to get up at 7:00 to make it. I like sleeping later than that when I can.

Hope is lying on my bed. I am glad she is being good. I love her to be loose.

I am very concerned that Georgia may have a real water crisis because of the drought. I do not understand why our water has to be used to keep mussels and sturgeons alive when we need it to keep people alive. We are fortunate our water comes from a well, but other people are dependent on our reservoirs. I think the government should be more thoughtful of the people it serves. Water is something people must have and in this severe situation, it should not be wasted. I try to conserve here by taking shorter showers and not washing the car very often. We have not ever watered the lawn so that is not an issue.

I hope your weekend is going well.

Always,

Jo Ann

The phone rang at 8:00 and woke me this morning. Hope and I were out of bed in a hurry. I ate a piece of pound cake and drank a Caffeine Free Diet Sam’s Cola for breakfast.

I checked email and blog surfed to my blog buddies.

I washed a load of various colored clothes.

Alex called to tell me he was on his way to pick up his girlfriend at the Greyhound Station in Raleigh. He talked to me about an hour as he drove. He did quit World of Warcraft. He is playing CounterStrike again. He is working on a couple of stories. I am encouraging him to participate in National Novel Writing Month, but I do not know if he will do it. He says he will very likely come home for Thanksgiving. I am so glad he is talking to me.

Mom cooked a pepperoni pizza for lunch. We are using up all the prepared food in the freezer so we can buy fresh.

I stayed in my pajamas until Mom asked me to come outside and go through some stuff in the barn. She was cleaning out the homemade closet out there. Many of my old things were stored in it and she wanted me to sort those things I wanted to save from the trash. I was shocked when one box revealed my Dungeons & Dragons manuals, Dragon magazines, and Twilight Zone magazines. I thought the manuals were lost years ago. I called Alex and told him I had found the books and he was pleased. He plays Dungeons & Dragons. He will be happy to get the manuals. They are first editions and in good shape. He thinks they might be worth something as collector’s items, but I did not see much indication of that on eBay. I put the books and magazines in the storage building. I also found an old Barbie doll, but she has mildew on her arms and legs and I do not know if she would be worth anything. I received her as a Christmas present in the 1960’s. I am soaking her in a sink with Tide with Bleach. I hope that will help remove some of the mildew.

Mom picked collards from the garden and cooked them for supper. She also cooked cornbread. A country supper was very good. I did not think I liked collard greens, but I do.

I read in Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark. This book focuses on prose writing. There is little about poetry in it. It has some very helpful tools in it.

Sam’s Mom called and said she liked the card I sent with the poem in it. She thanked me for writing the poem.

Mom read the poem I wrote about her to her best friend, June, and she said that there was money in writing poems like that. I do not know about money, but there is a great satisfaction in writing poems that touch people.

I am thankful:

1. For libraries.
2. For the five new books I bought this week.
3. For finding my Dungeons & Dragons manuals.
4. Alex called me five times this week.
5. For writing poems.
6. Hope did not get sick after scattering Mom’s medicine from two bottles on the floor.
7. For blank books.
8. For telephones.
9. For fresh collard greens from Mom’s garden.
10. For HP Learning Center free lessons.

Always,

Jo Ann

Hope licked my face until I woke up at 7:45. I ate a brownie and drank a Caffeine Free Diet Sam’s Cola for breakfast.

I checked email and blog comments. I made some replies. I try to answer all the comments made on the blog.

I packed a cooler and an activity bag for my trip to the hospital with my brother. I tied Hope up so she would not do any harm while we were gone. Mom and I drove up to James’ house a few minutes before 11:00. James drove to the hospital. Alicia and I rode in the Explorer’s back seat. We had a little conversation on the way. Mom rode in the front passenger seat.

Shortly after we arrived at the hospital, James was called back to a room. Mom and Alicia sat with him as he waited for treatment. I waited in a waiting room. I read several chapters in Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark. After about an hour, I went to tell them I was going to the restroom and James was upset that I had a soda in the hospital. He said I could catch something from the germs there. Mom went with me to the gift shop after I used the restroom. She and I sat in the waiting area for about an hour. I went back to the room to see why Alicia had not come out. They told me there was an emergency in the room where James was supposed to go. I went back out to Mom. We went back into the gift shop looking for angel pins. We found one she liked and she purchased it. As we came out of the gift shop Alicia walked up saying she had been looking for us for ten minutes.

We went to McDonald’s and had lunch. I ate a Big and Tasty with cheese meal. Mom ordered the same thing without cheese. Alicia ordered a chicken sandwich and Mom and I were seated with our food for several minutes before she came to the table. I asked her if they had to kill the chicken before she got her meal. She laughed.

When we finished eating, I drove to Hobby Lobby where Mom wanted to shop. I had a gift card that June had given me for my birthday so I picked up some things. I purchased a sketchbook with a purple plastic cover, six blank books, two textured bookmarks to which to attach beads, and a thanksgiving cup. Mom bought a piggy bank. Alicia said she would not tell James we bought anything. We put our purchases in the back of the Sport Trac where they could not be seen. James thinks we have too much clutter to buy anything new.

We went back to the hospital. Mom and Alicia went back to see how James was doing. I went to the restroom. When I came back out to the waiting room Alicia came to the window and motioned for me to come outside. James was in a wheel chair waiting for Mom to bring the Explorer around. I took the driver’s seat and James and Alicia rode in the back.

The doctors were not able to do the biopsy as planned. Evidently, James’ anatomy is a little different to the average person and they could not reach the adrenal gland with the needle. That is why we were able to leave early. Unfortunately, this leaves questions about James’ condition. He says he will go out on his Harley and do some meditation and maybe the problem will disappear before they do more tests. He has such faith and will to survive. It has brought him through many health crises already. He walks after having a broken back, he lives after a horrible heart attack, and he has survived lung cancer four years after being given only two weeks to live. He is the strongest person I have ever met. He is not ready to die and he does not plan to do so.

I was exhausted after we arrived home so I did not walk up to the mailbox. The mail can wait until tomorrow. I do not understand why I was so tired, but maybe waiting with nerves can cause energy loss. I checked my email.

Hope managed to get two of Mom’s medicine bottles and scattered medicine all over the floor. I hope she did not eat any of the pills, but we could not find one of them out of one bottle and I do not know how many were in the other. I will have to watch her closely tonight and tomorrow. I have her tied up right now so she will not bother Penny. She is in rare terrorist dog form this evening. She looks so deceptively innocent. I have never seen nor heard of a dog that could get into so much trouble.

I hope each of you had a good day.

Always,

Jo Ann

I had a restless night because Hope kept coming up and licking my face. I woke up several times before I got up at 7:45. I may have been restless because I forgot to take my Risperdal last night. I ate a brownie and drank a Caffeine Free Diet Sam’s Cola for breakfast.

Mom felt worse this morning so I called her doctor and scheduled an appointment for 3:45.

I called in Mom’s medicine. She had six prescriptions to order.

Hope would not leave Penny alone so I tied her up. She was very energetic and anxious. I read in Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark. This book has some good reminders of lessons I have learned. I checked email and wrote some replies. I let Hope go because she seemed calmer.

Alex called. He was very excited because he ran three miles in twenty-two minutes and twenty-five seconds. He wanted to share his happiness with me. I am proud of him and very glad he called.

I had a bologna and cheese sandwich for lunch. Mom ate a pineapple and cheese sandwich.

Alex called again. He was still excited and celebrating. We talked about thirty minutes. I congratulated him on a year as a Marine. He is happy he is a Marine. He said he might start a real hobby since he is quitting World of Warcraft. I do not think he realized how much time he spent on the game. I suggested he participate in National Novel Writing Month, but he said he did not think he would have time. He is writing stories though.

I read some more. The doctor’s office called at 2:00 and said Mom could come in. I packed a cooler, tied Hope, and we left. We waited about twenty minutes in the office. Mom has bronchitis and congestion causing her throat soreness and dizziness. The doctor gave her some samples and a prescription for an antibiotic.

We stopped at Arby’s for a Jamocha Shake for Mom. We went by Lowe’s and picked up Miracle Gro. At Sam’s we ate hot dogs and picked up Mom’s prescriptions. When we got home, I let Hope go, but immediately tied her back up because she attacked Penny. Penny was left outside on the front porch while we were gone. I am glad the weather was mild.

Hope and I drove to the mailbox and picked up the day’s mail. The cashback bonus Borders gift cards came. Mom gave me $50.00 worth of gift cards. Her DirecTv bill charged her for the service call that was supposed to be a courtesy call. I called DirecTv and they credited the charge. I wonder if they thought we would pay that amount without question. The check from Alex for the truck payment arrived.

I took my shower because my television shows come on tonight. I look forward to watching Chuck, Heroes, and Journeyman.

Always,

Jo Ann