I stayed busy with housework and shopping on Ebay.  The girls need half slips and I can find NONE in the stores.  Ebay has them and they're cheap.  I needed a few thing, too, so I'm spending money at my desk - not necessarily a good thing - BUT, necessary!

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I made chicken salad yesterday afternoon.  A HUGE bowl.  The largeness of the batch must have been a leading by God, because a neighbor (one whose daughter is friends with our girls') mom was dealing with 2 children who had medical problems.  Her little boy has a staph infection with complications and the teen daughter had major hand surgery, yesterday (a cheer leading camp injury).  I scooped half the chicken salad into a container, pulled OUR brownies out of the oven and cut and cooled them. 

                  
                                     The basil and aloe is doing great!

                             
                                        I'm so grateful for the neighbor's crepe myrtle trees!
                                                   They make "our" yard pretty!!!

Independence Day was a rainy one.  We went to church in the morning (no rain, thank you, God!) and it was decided that I would give my cancer testimony NEXT Sunday, as attendance was low on the 4th.

                         
                                   Our crepe myrtle trees are much smaller than the neighbor's.

Jesse cooked outside a lot over the weekend, and we were able to pick from a variety of ribs, chicken breasts, beef fajita meat, hot links, etc., AND,  baked beans and deviled eggs.  We didn't even attempt to set the dining room table with a white tablecloth and china!  This was kitchen table food!  And, very GOOD, too!

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As the sun began to set, there was, ONCE MORE, a break in the rain and we took our paltry bag of fireworks to the backyard.  No chance of fire - everything was soaked heavily.

          
            The sky's colors of pink, blue and white looked like a decoration for a baby shower for a boy & girl.
                                    The softest pastels I've ever seen!  So pretty!

 
             We had white smoke.                                                     We had blue and green smoke.

             
                 And, we had ordinary dark smoke, that spit multicolored fiery sparks and ended with a loud pop! 

As things began to darken up, we went from smoke fireworks to the things that shot colorful sparks up.

                  
              Isn't there just something sweet about a look of excitement in a child's face?

Jesse bought some oversize sparklers - the ones that have paper wrapped at the ends.

 
And the girls enjoyed the sparklers and the pretty lines they could draw in the night's dark sky.

It looked like everyone was having fun . . .

until we found someone not smiling.

Apparently she had been holding her feelings of fear inside and the sparks got the better of her.  She went inside to clean her face and came back out with an apology!  She was shaking with fear, earlier.

After that, Jesse lit the remaining things in the sack.

He had these neat things that spun on the ground. 

The flame made a perfect "O" as it spun!  That is *IF* you set it down correctly!

Last year Jesse accidentally bought some things that shot up over the roof of the house. Not wanting to make the same boo-boo this year, he didn't buy ANYTHING that shot upwards - not even fountains that only blew about six feet high.

I was a little disappointed.  I kind of like those fountains; especially the ones that whistle!

Soon we were all smiles again and no one whined, "Awwwwww" when the last of our fireworks had been lit.

Really cool!!!

The sky was black with storm clouds, we didn't get to see the sky display the community center puts on, each year.

BUT, some neighbors a street or two away DID, and we enjoyed those - until the raindrops began, again.

We quickly gathered our burned fireworks.  Jesse had been putting them in a dish of water before putting them in a sack.  Like I said the lawn was squishy with water and there wasn't much danger of a fire that night.

There was a clap of thunder as we opened the back door to go inside and then the rains came again.  Heavy rain!

Rissy wasn't the only one afraid.

This is what was staring at us as we came in the back door:

I don't think the animals thought it was all that great.  And, the bird didn't appreciate the whistling fireworks because they always ended a loud boom!

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Some new shirts arrived yesterday (Ebay purchases) and I've washed those and have all the shirts for the day washed and ready to go into the dryer.

The girls and I are going to COC (Church of Christ) tonight and dinner will be simple, as well as all of our chores and summer school work done early.  I like it when there's nothing to do, chore wise!  

Please pray for my friend, Lori K.  She is facing surgery next week for female problems and is in a lot of pain this week.  Pray that her children are cared for AND that the right people rally to help the family out.

BE Blessed ~

Stephanie agreed to let the girls come to her house Wednesday morning and let them spend the night, with the agreement I'd pick them up around lunch time, on Thursday, so they could go to their therapy appointment.  Talk about some happy children!!!  

First thing that happened, after the PET scan,  Jesse took me to Red Lobster for lunch.  Remember, I couldn't eat after midnight and now we're talking 12 hours later.  I was ravenous!  I ordered coconut shrimp with pina colada sauce, rice, a salad with bay shrimp, and those DELICIOUS garlic butter biscuits they make.  I didn't eat much of the rice, but . . .

I ate like I hadn't eaten in . . . oh, I don't know . . . twelve hours!!!???!!!!

I ate most of the salad and THREE biscuits.  The third one was fresh out of the oven and there is nothing to describe the flavor.  SUPERB, flaky, melt in your mouth, hot biscuits with more cold butter melted in the middle.  I gave almost half of my coconut shrimp to Jesse (who had a shrimp combo dinner).  We ate and left in less than an hour.  On my way out, I explained to our waiter why I had eaten like a hog!  

Next was the HUGE wait at the hospital.  I asked the PET scan guy to leave a tube in my arm for the MRI people, later that afternoon, and that saved time at the hospital, since I'd already been "stuck."  We still had to wait a half hour to be registered at the front desk and get a paper bracelet to match my bright pink arm bandage around my tubing.

  After being registered, I waited a while for the MRI person to call me. (Later I asked Jesse how long I was on the MRI table and he said over 1 1/2 hours.)  

You aren't supposed to wear any metal, so I took out the clips that hold my headcovering in place.  He locked my head between foam rubber wedges (to keep it still), and tied my arms to my body with a sheet (like a swaddled baby), and the test began.  I started the test with a Lifesaver in my dry mouth and a 2nd one in my hand for the tech to put in my mouth when I came out of the machine and received the dye injection.  He told me not to suck at the beginning of the test, as that would move my neck.  You LITERALLY can't do much more than breath.  NO FIDGETING at all. 

Between the loud sounds, I transferred my Lifesaver from one side of my jaw to the other!  My only friend in the huge plastic tank: me and a Lifesaver! 

Mid way through the first part of the test, I was aware of a horrible pain on my scalp.  Like a small rock.  The longer the test lasted, the more painful the spot on my head.  THEN I REALIZED, my headcoverings have a small snap in the back of them and here I was with METAL in the MRI machine!  

When he scooted me out of the machine to inject the contrast dye, I told him to yank off the headcovering (I couldn't move to do it myself) and once he did, I was SO MUCH more comfortable.  He told me there was a small dent in my scalp from the snap.  So, I wasn't imagining the pain.  It was pretty bad! 

He popped the second Lifesaver in my mouth and said the next part (with the dye in me) should be shorter - like around 20 minutes, instead of an hour.  Again, I had to be careful not to move my jaw while the noises were going on.

I can't begin to tell you how sore and stiff I was when the test was FINALLY finished.  Try laying on a counter top for an hour and a half without moving a muscle.  I cheated and moved my fingers because my hands and lower arms had gone numb!

I got to the car and drank my HOT bottled water down.  Jesse asked if I was up to going to Sam's, and I said I was tired but I could just get one of their motorized carts to ride.  When we got there, there were no carts available.  I had to walk.  

Jesse saw me weaving, as I walked, and holding my lower back; so, he tried to finish up his shopping quickly.  Still, it was pure agony trying to stand up, the pain was getting worse, I broke out in a sweat, and ALL I wanted was my soft, comffy, beddy bye!   Although I tried not to complain, I think the pain was written all over my face - besides, he's my husband!  He knows me well.

Here's the biggest part of my surprise.

We walked into the house through the garage door and a bouquet of flowers on my bar met me (and the dishwasher was mysteriously running)!  I figured Jesse had punched it on when he came through the front door to open the garage door for me.  But how did he get the flowers in?  He was with me all day???????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then I noticed the house smelled clean.

The flowers were from him and there was a note from my church friend who cleans for me whenever she can.  SUCH A SWEET NOTE!!!!!!!!  She works as a florist and Jesse had ordered the flowers from her in advance.

The house looked so good.  She left no stone unturned, yet apologized in her note because she had wanted to do more.  She is such an excellent cleaner.  Works quickly and does A+ work!

It was such a fantastic surprise - lunch at Red Lobster, beautiful flowers, and a freshly CLEANED HOUSE!!!!!

But, I *was* tired and went back to the bed to lie down and rest my back.  Jesse joined me.
 

I changed into my special nightgown - one of the ones I wore the first month we were married, then on our 10 year anniversary get away, and for the third time Wednesday night - to make the day even more special.  (wink!  wink!  that's all the info you get!)

It's a set of gown with pearls and clear sequins and a matching robe, also with pearls and clear sequins.  Very satiny and luxurious feeling.

We talked, we shared, we relaxed, it was just so nice and I enjoyed Jesse without having to share him with the children.  I ate 2 slices of banana bread for dinner and Jesse made himself some fried eggs.   And we went back to lie down again and talk.

I think couples need time to be quiet and away from the children.  We do EVERYTHING with our girls and there is hardly ever time left for just the two out us.  So, I treasured the night with all my heart!

The dogs cuddled with us, and the cat.  A very cozy family night - without our *human* children!!!

 
      (Since Little Bit has been shaved, he gets cold easily.  This isn't an uncommon way from him to get warm.)

The next morning, the therapist's office called to cancel the girls appointment.  THAT MEANT I HAD THE WHOLE DAY ALONE IN THE HOUSE! 

My mind began to whirl! 

Oh, the possibilities!!!!!

I made a list of more things that needed to be done around the house and tackled the list with zeal.

I finished entering Jesse's checks in the books and prepared a deposit slip, worked in each of the girl's rooms (you know those little corners that accumulate junk?), cleaned the bins of lotion, etc. under their bathroom sink, and 92 million other little things. 

I was definitely stiff yesterday evening - after the previous day of lying still on a "rack" and then the housecleaning work out I gave myself!!!!!!

When the girls came home, they were pleased with their rooms and bathroom cupboards.

NOW, I'm reluctant to cook or do anything in the house that might mess it up!  I'm REALLY loving our new clean house.  It rarely happens!

Jesse is off work for the weekend and is taking Rissy and Annamarie to lunch.  When he comes home, I'm going to do the grocery shopping ALONE!!!

He plans to cook outside a lot this weekend, so I have to get creative with some side dishes.  

One of the things Jesse and I talked about Wednesday night was replacing the glass that is broken in my marble chest.  Also, the glass on top of my dresser is broken.  It's dangerous and needs to be taken care of soon.  I told Jesse I find Chirper in the marble chest behind the glass all the time. 

He laughed, trying to picture Chirper, but this morning I was able to get a picture of him in the cabinet to show Jesse.

           
                                                    Isn't my cat statue real looking?!!!!!!!!!
              

Have a nice weekend and

Be Blessed  ~