Now go to Sleep.

Who ever coined the phrase “The Golden Years” must have been some jerk trying to scam some middle age people into buying a time share someplace. The years should be called something like the gray years, or the hospital green years, the black and blue years (falling down while on blood thinners), or maybe the dimly lit years. So, now that I, Babka, (Polish Grandma) have reached those years when you hear a lot of… “When you get to be your age…” …. Umm… where was I…. OH! So, here is part of my story.

The ailment list is a bit long, but thank God it’s not as long as some. Yes, other’s lists are longer. And, yes, I know I am not alone, but anyone who goes through this $#!+ will tell you it is no fun. Along with living with my X-XY (think of genes) and living with my present XY, and teaching middle school, other things have caused stress in life. Low blood sugar, allergies (dust, mold, pollen, and 5 different antibiotics), bursitis, arthritis, back deformity, mini-strokes, 4 surgeries that I remember, and the most fun fibromyalgia, to name a few. Many of you most likely can top that list, but here is the deal.

A new dimension has been added to my life. I was feeling foggier than usual. Is that possible? Anyway, I got over being angry at my MD long enough to get a referral to the local neurologist just to see if any brain was left up there (or where ever I keep my brain) He ran 4,329.5 tests or there abouts. Then he said he wanted to have me do two things: 1. Go to my internist to have more blood tests (who happens to be the refering MD) and 2. Get a sleep disorder test.

Those of you who have been tortured with a sleep study will understand my lamentations. They have you come in a 9:00 pm. After spending 45 min sticking electrodes and stuff all over your head, hand, legs, chest, back and abdomen, they stick you in bed and say go to sleep. Aye Right! First of all, it has taken the technician so long to put that stuff on you that you have to go to the bathroom which is not in your room but down the hall. Secondly, you can barely move for all the wires. And third, you are a stranger in a strange place, AND people are watching everything about you.

In the morning the technician actually complained that it took all night for me to get into dream sleep so they could get an accurate reading. Go figure, it took me awhile to get into a sound sleep. I wonder why. Oh! And the whole time we talked the difference between Christianity and religion. The technician even tried to convince me that I was being lead astray by saying the rosary.

Guess what? I have to go back and do it all over again with an air thing on my nose because I was tired in the morning.

I came home and went to bed. Good for the students of Ashtabula County that Mrs. K was not their sub today. Ain't life a ball of joy?

God Bless

Prayer Help Needed !!

Please, if you read this, send up prayers for my friend, Melody, who is very ill and may not be with us much longer. Selfishly, we are not ready to have her leave us. She is a sweat and gentle soul, one of those people who does not know how loving and admired she is. May God grant her what she needs.
Thank you for your prayers for Melody. God bless you.

Camp Denison

What a fun few days. I never had a four hour tour go so fast. I learned a great deal about the camp and the area. Did you know that Morgan and His raiders tried to invade the camp and were turned back by ray recruits, local militia, and invalids? What a story. It would be a great screenplay.
The food was great, the people were great, but there were not a great number of people who came to see the show. Some pictures are up on Flickr, if you want to see them.
God Bless

Travels

1. Pop just got called into work. It looks like he is getting to know what it is like to be a substitute. He is working lumber. That should do his knee all kinds of good ~ ~ ~ NOT! But he feels better as he is bringing in some money. But he is a big grouch as he has to put up with the crazy people up here and he can't just do what he wants.

2. Today I, Babka, am traveling (alone) to Camp Dennison, Cincinnati, Ohio. Sister Anthony, (me) will be taking care of the troops there like she did at the start of the Civil War. If you are in the area, come and see us.

3. I'm jealous of my Laura with all her travels, but I also worry about her health. She always put TOO much on herself. Her blog is at scifilaura.blogspot.com You should check it out. She loves comments. (Don't we all?)

Well, I've gone packing.
God's love is with you all, and so is mine.

News Bits

God’s peace anyone who cares to read this blog.
It’s been a while since I posted anything. So let us see if there was anything worth posting:
1. Popo finally got therapy for his knee paid for by the insurance. I guess the insurance company did not want to pay for a knee replacement and that therapy. Pop was released to go back to work with no limitations last Friday. After Home D gave him some grief about not having hours to schedule him into, they called him in today for 4 hours, but had not put him into the computer yet.
2. I have worked the last 6 days at Washington Elementary School for a teacher whose baby girl had a major health problem. She spent over a week at the Cleveland Clinic. Please, PRAY for them. I could have worked more days but I promised ~~~
3. That I would be Sister Anthony at Camp Dennison, near Cincinnati. I will be there Wednesday night through Saturday night in my little tent.
4. Still working at the APL.
5. Pop put a little deck on the side of the house. That and the deck he put on the back are awesome. Should add $$$ to the house.
6. You may have heard that my step-mother and brother are moving to Sycamore Valley, Ohio near Marietta, Ohio. They say in the fall but the walls over there are bear and shelves are getting empty. If they are still here in June, I’ll be surprised.
7. This leads us to the question on everyone’s lips, “What are you planning to do, Babka?” The answer to this is really, “I don’t know.” First they have to really move. Then, we have to do some house fixing over there. Then, we have to sell Dad’s house. Then, maybe we can think about what we are going to do.
8. Pop and I have been walking on the beach quite a bit. It is great now because you don’t see very many people. We spend time together, yet get lost in our own thoughts. The mantra of the wave song in harmony with the west wind pulls your meandering thoughts to untroubled places. We hunt for “lake glass” and beautiful bits of rock rounded by the movement of the water. The lake ice of winter pushes up onto the shore, and like the glaciers, leaves as it melts a morainal supply of new rock for the tides to reclaim or break into sand. One point for staying in Ashtabula.
9. Each sunny glorious day, you hear everyone talking about how awesome the day is. People in Ashtabula praise God much more for a sunny, dry day. No taking a good Spring day for granted up here. By the time Spring truly shows her head, we are just about insane for need of the sun. If you can’t stand snow, you won’t last long in A-town. Is this a point for or against staying in Ashtabula?
10. The kitchen project is at a bit of a stall as I’ve been working and to lazy to paint when I get home.
11. WE miss family even more now that we will have no “family” up here.
12. Laura, has been burning her candle from all sides still.

I’ll let you all know how Camp Dennison was.
God’s speed to everyone.

Popo's Knee Part 4

We just got home from the doctor's office. The doc says that Pop can't go back to work for a month, at least, and no twisting or pivoting or ladders or kneeling or jumping or hop-scotch or running or long walks or climbing or crawling or standing on concrete or ...well you get the idea.

Pop is to call the doc if he has ANY problem and he will get him right in. Pop is a candidate for a new knee or at least a partial knee if anything at all goes wrong, so Pop HAS TO TAKE TIME TO HEAL!

Of course the insurance is not covering the physical therapy. Oh Well, more off taxes next year.

God bless to all.

Bragging Rights

Having ALMOST reached the over ripe age of 60 years, there is not much more for me to brag about in my life, except the things that we old people brag about: still walk up right, latest surgery, still driving, “my pain is bigger than yours is”, and our kids.

Since I have not heard much of the accomplishments of Pop’s children and grand children, I will just have to brag about my daughter and her husband. Not that they (Pop's clan) are not doing great things with their lives, we just don't hear about it.

Anyway, both Daughter and Hubby are very busy doing great things, the most fun one seem to be Raven Con. Check it out! They are both speakers! http://www.ravencon.com/guests.html

Not every Babka (grandma) can brag of 5 grand-cats and that their kids are speakers at a science fiction convention!

God bless to you all.