Just Sharing Some Photos Today

Riley and Dixie. I took this when they were done riding, which is why Dixie looks like she's about to fall asleep :)


Riley and Dixie/ Chuck and Susie. Riley and Dixie hit it off right away and as for riding?? Riley is a 'natural'! She sits a horse like she's been riding forever.





Timmy and Poppy moving some 'recycled hay'. LOL

Take the Good With the Bad

Riley and Tim arrived just fine yesterday morning.  Their trip was pretty uneventful and they had no problems at all.  We had a great day yesterday.  Didn't really do anything special, but it was sure nice having them both here without too much other company or too many 'interruptions' :)

On a sadder note, my MIL passed away today.  Things were looking pretty grim yesterday and this morning and Chuck had been on the phone with his sister several times regarding her condition and changing plans we all had for next week and such.  His sister called back at noon, however, and MIL was gone.  Chuck has a very hard time dealing with death and expressing his emotions at times like this.  Even after 42 years I can't break thru that barrier. 

So, next week, rather than the Wagon Train Trail Ride with his sister and the kids, he will be heading to upstate NY for her funeral, then possibly back to Florida to help take care of her home and possessions. Sadly, he will lose out on spending several days with the kids, but it is what it is.

MIL would have been 95 in August and has a full life.  Always been pretty healthy and able to live on her own right up until about 8 months ago or so, when she did have to finally be placed in an Assisted Living Facility.  It was no specific illness that took her, but rather just that she was worn out.  And her time had come.  She didn't suffer; simply went to sleep. 

Hopefully tomorrow I will have a better post about the kids and some pictures to share.  For today, this is it.

Never Fails to Amaze Me

My dear sweet Maggie is going to be 13 on the 17th....this Thursday.  I have purchased several things and sent them on their way, but you only turn 13 once and it IS a big deal, so I wanted to send her flowers as well.  OMG!  Last time I sent flowers was to Riley for her Sweet 16 and have the prices ever gone up since then!!  But I found this and thought it would be so cute and perfect.

It was only $29.99. A bit pricey for what you get, but within my 'budget' considering I had already gone over budget. Heh. Well, let me tell you. Add to that $9.99 handling fee and $29.95 delivery charge= Grammy changed her mind! Is that unreal or what?!?!  Gads, they're going to North Pole, Alaska.....not "THE" North Pole! Oh well......Maybe another time, my sweet Maggie.

Let's see......on my list of exciting things that happened today is my Tahoe (affectionately known as my Big Black 'Ho) rolled over to 100,004 miles when I rolled into my driveway today.  Even when I've had older vehicles, I've never had one roll over 100,000.  Quit a milestone, and she's still purrs like a tiger.  Nothing like a good ol' Chevy truck to go the extra mile(s) for ya!    Hubby's van is close to 180,000 at last report and it's still running great.

Another exciting thing that happened to me today was to find out that my Surgeon won't give me any more Vicodin.  He says that Tylenol should be all I need at this point and if I still need something stronger, he needs to see me.  F*$#!  Most of the pain I have now is located in my lower back/upper hip area on my right side.  J, my PT gal says that it is my muscles and it's from over-doing it or doing things I shouldn't be doing.  She can give me a massage in that area and I'm good for a couple of days, then .....boom.  It's back.  Hurts to walk, mostly, but aches all the time. In between massages, that is.  Unless I take Vicodin.....I've tried Tylenol and it doesn't help.  Can't take Advil or ibuprofen because of my arthritis meds.  F$#*!  I'm a little bit frustrated (what else is new) and I guess, I'll see what J says tomorrow and if she thinks I need to go see him, I will.  It's been 11 weeks today and I would really like to have him take an X-Ray and see if the healing of the bone grafts has begun.  It can show up as soon as 3 months but sometimes not until 5 or 6 months.  He didn't want to see me for 6 months.  BAH!!!!!!!!!!!

So what the hell am I supposed to do?!  Chuck can't work all day and then come home and do everything!  I know I am bending and lifting and carrying a bit too much, but there are SO many things that I am still not even attempting to do that it seems like my body would allow me a little leeway here!  Guess not.  I sit too long sometimes, I carry too many bags of groceries at a time, I reach up too high putting dishes and such away.  But I don't sweep, mop, wash windows, carry ALL the laundry up and down stairs.

Maybe I'm gonna be one of those people that doesn't get total relief from the surgery.  God knows, it is 1000 times better than it was.  Pain isn't shooting down my legs and I CAN walk, after all.  Poor Chuck gently reminds me every day that I am expecting too much too soon.

And Chuck is home and out mending the fence that The Girls kicked down and I can't even go out and whine to him because his 'shadow girl' is there!  So you guys get to read it.  All 3 or 4 of you that come here.  Heavy sigh.  I have 2 Vicodin left.  Had I known I couldn't have more, I would have saved it for when the kids are here.  F*$#!

Okay, enough sniveling.  The good news is that tomorrow I will have PURPLE low-lights in my hair.  That will surely perk me up.  Heh. AND in 3 days at this time, I will have been hugging and kissing on Riley and Timmy for 7 whole hours!!!!!!!!!

In the meanwhile, I will go to the barn and hug her:


and her:

"Snoopy Sniffer" LOL

I Need Your Input

My dear friends.........please tell me.........is it "normal" for a 13 year old boy to spend {literally} hours riding his bicycle back and forth on the short road between our houses, singing {VERY badly} at the top of his lungs, or just talking, to his imaginary friends I assume {because he has alienated the other kids in the neighborhood} and hopping off his bike to dance and sing in the middle of the public road???

Yes, I am referring to the "terrorist" next door. Anyone that has been reading me for very long has heard me mention him from time to time.  This is the same kid that sneaked up into our hay loft and cut the twine on about 100 bales of hay.  The same kid that I found in my yard throwing rocks at my horses.  Poking at them through he fence with a metal rod and sticks.  All this after being told to not go near the barn, horses or into our yard unless Chuck was out there.  The same one that "stalked" Maggie and Emily last summer and this summer is "stalking" the 10 year old girl across the street.  Chased her into the woods on his bike the other day, and whislt trying to escape she fell and split open her toes on a fallen tree.

We have been neighbors for 5 years now and I have tried so hard to like this kid and I can't.  When he comes over here, which is rare these days, he smart mouths me and talks back to me.  His Mother blows it off, so I went to  his father's place of business and talked to him about it 2 years ago.  THAT worked a bit better.  I told his Dad that his son was a frog's hair away from getting knocked on his ass, so he better do something!    I don't believe in hitting kids.

This is coming from a woman that spanked her only daughter ONCE, when she was about 8 years old and 2 minutes later I was in her room hugging and kissing her while be cried together!  After that, we were always able to talk stuff out and reason it out.  No need for spanking.  Guess I was just lucky to be so blessed with this child of mine, and to have 5 grandchildren that are successfully being brought up the same way!  Sadly, Chuck spanked her twice.  Both times for things I had told her it was okay to do, but he didn't get the 'memo' in time.

Anyway, in addition to the 'terrorist', we also have a girl across the road that wants to spend all of her time with Chuck and/or me.  Preferably Chuck. She's the 10 year old that the Terrorist chased into the trees, BTW.  The story with her is that her Step-Grandfather bought an empty lot across the road from us and moved a trailer in.  A nice old, kinda run down trailer.  Yay!  he and his wife lived there for awhile, then they split.  He is off living with his new girlfriend and the trailer is inhabited by his daughter {who just got out of jail, for God knows what) and her boyfriend/husband....whatever.  It's not clear.  So, the little girl, H used to be around on weekends and would be over here alot because of the horses.  Well, her dad found out that his ex-wifey was doing meth, so he went and got H and she now lives with them.  They don't do anything with her, tho' so she spends ALL of her time over here.  I try to be nice, but am forced to chase her off from time to time.  That works until she sees Chuck's van pull in at night and over she comes.  It's pretty much gotten so that if I need to talk to Chuck about anything, I have to call  him...but that can be another post.

Now that I have managed to drag myself away from my computer for 25 hours a day and get back into reading books, I like to sit outside and enjoy the quiet solitude and the breeze with only the occasional nicker of a horse as background noise {music to MY ears}.  Between H popping over and the "Singing Terrorist" it just doesn't happen that way very often. Very frustrating, indeed.

In 5 days Timmy  and Riley will be here and I shall be very possessive of my time with them....which means, if I have to become "The Bitchy Old Lady" in the big house, then so be it! 

Showin' Off My "Grand-Lass"

Just gotta show off my beautiful Grand-Lass, Riley!  She got a new cut and some awesome green color added to her hair!  It's perfect!  I was planning on having my gal, Becky, do Riley's hair for her while she was here, but Riley said I can treat her to a pedi instead!  Works for me!  Now I shall splurge on myself instead and have some purple "chunks" put in my hair next Wednesday.  Becky and I already picked the color and she's ready.  Since the last color she used was only a couple shades away from the one I want, and it worked so well....we're pretty sure this will.  If not........we can fix it! 

I'm just all about "me" these days.  As I begin to have more good days, with much less or even NO pain, I feel better about myself.  I want fun hair, I've been getting my nails done again, I've finally joined the ranks of the "Ladies of Pedicure" and I want fun stuff.  Like new makeup and Coach bags.  My dear friend Victoria has been so instrumental in these changes.  She's known me for 7 years now and we have been thru most everything a friendship can go thru.  She knows where I need "to be" and is pretty darn good at steering me in that direction.


Man, I am getting so excited that there are only 6 more days before Tim and Riley arrive!!  3 whole weeks of love and laughter and fun to fill my big old house.  What bliss!  If only they could all come!!  Someday maybe.  If Chuck keeps buying those lottery tickets and hits a big one!  LOL

Well, it's only 86 outside and there is a great breeze blowing.  I think I shall put my roasting chicken on (for our chicken and biscuits dinner) and go sit outside and read a bit.  See all y'all later!

I'm Craving a Coach

and it has nothing to do with my horses....or Cinderella.....nor does it have wheels!  I love purses/handbags/pocketbooks, whatever your choice to call them is.  Actually, I haven't heard them called 'pocketbooks' since my Mom passed.  She always called them that.   Hmmm....now I'm wondering where that expression came from.  Okay, so Wikipedia says:

Pocketbook may refer to:

• Purse, a bag for carrying possessions and/or money, sometimes known in American English as a pocketbook

I guess it's 'Early 1900's American English'.  Whatever........Anyway, I want a Coach.  I love purses and have dozens.  Most of them are leather and thus, last forever!  I have a collection of Vera Bradley bags, some of which are pretty worn (as they are fabric) but I simply can not, WILL not part with them.  I love them, each and every one and they have served me well!  My problem with Coach is that I like/need a large purse and when you're talking Coach in MY size, you're talking $$$$$$$$$$!  But they have a dark brown leather called Mahogany that I have always loved.  It is to die for!

Gads........what am I thinking!  I am officially 'retired' with my current income having been deemed as 'unspendable' by the boss man and I'm craving a potential $3-400 purse!  Actually my checks go into our Money Market account and he DID tell me that it "is there if I need it".  To me, this would qualify as a 'need'.  For him....I'm thinking not.  LOL  Maybe if I referred to it as needing a new Saddle Bag.  After all, Terri coaxed a Coach out of Mike for her birthday by referring to it as a Gun Case!  Hmmm...I might try that.

I did go and buy myself a new computer chair today and am ever so confident that it will be just what I need!  Actually I did some research last night to see what the various stores in the area had to offer and finally found just what I want and need at Staples.  You can even check and see if your local store has it in stock and they did!  So off I went today and trudged on in and alllllll the way to the back of the store where the furniture is, and I couldn't find that particular chair.  An associate came over and asked if he could help me, so I described the chair and he couldn't find it either.  So he went to look on their computer and still didn't see it, but he also wouldn't let me look.  Anyway, I left.  Went out to the Tahoe and looked it up online on trusty Max The Mighty iPhone.  Still said they had them in stock.  So I called; talked to a gal; gave her the item # and she said they had 5 in stock.  So I told her my story-that I'd been in and the guy couldn't find it and that I was sitting outside (gave the old hard to walk because of surgery story) and she put me on hold and had them check the warehouse and BINGO!  She said she'd have one brought up front for me so I could try it and it seemed pefect, so mine is in the box, sitting in the garage waiting for Chuck to assemble.  The feature that I needed so badly was a "knee lift" and this was the only chair under $400 that had that feature.  (this one was on sale for $169).  This way, I can raise the seat up in front so that it tilts back and 'forces' me to sit back with my spine resting against the lumbar support.  It has a mesh back and padded seat and it pretty well built for the price.  So...........if he ever gets done messing with the horses and gets in here, I'll get him to assemble it and we shall see!

I suspect I've bored you enough for one day and shall go harvest some pretend crops on FB or go out and water my real flowers.

Only 9 days till my sweet babies arrive!!!!!!  HAPPY DANCE, HAPPY DANCE, HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!

Kickin' A$$

I went to Physical Therapy this morning and J (my sweet and awesome Therapist) decided that since today marked 10 weeks Post-Surgery, she wanted to analyze my flexibility and range of motion.  The results were much better than she anticipated and I am totally jazzed!!  Next week she is going to go over with me what housework I can start doing and give me tips on how to do it.  Darn! 

The great thing is that I have had very little pain this past week.  More yesterday afternoon and evening and this AM that during the past few days and I know that it is a result of spending too much time in my computer chair messing with this blog.  I have tried everything to make this chair more conducive to my condition, but all attempts have failed. I really need a different chair. I know that I can not sit in one place, especially if I am sitting incorrectly, for more than 1/2 and hour to an hour.  Need to move around, walk some, do stuff, sit in a different chair, etc..  She did bump me up to 15 minutes on the Step machine, so I'll be doing that everyday for sure, before the kids arrive on the 18th.  It really is helping my walking so hopefully by then I will be able to walk farther and stand longer!! 

So....about the Blog.  I added a Blog Roll, but right now all I have on it are pretty much people that I know, or am pretty sure still read me.  I know that some of you have Blog Rolls and some of you don't.  What are your reasons for having or not having one???  I, personally, like going to someone's page and seeing "Yankeechick" on their Blog Roll.  Makes me feel good.  Connected, ya know?!?  What do you say???

Good Morning from Blogger!

Well, then.  Let's get this new show on the road!  I love this template and am all into the 'chocolate and pink' thing, so this is perfect.  I was going to go for my all time favorite 3 column version, but I think for now I will stick to the 2 column.  Maybe it won't look so cluttered around here :)

My first order of business this morning was to find a new 'comment' format other than the one that comes with this template.  Amazingly enough, that took about 2 minutes and even less time to install! This is rather disturbing, as my luck doesn't typically run so smooth......especially at 8:00 AM, when I'm just awakening (after having gotten up at 6:45) and only 1/2 way thru my 2nd cup of coffee!  Either the rest of my day is going to go in the toilet, or it will be exceptionally good, as well!   I pick "exceptionally good"

How bad can it be when my second stroke of good luck came mere moments after posting a test post to try my comments and K~Lo appeared to be my first Guest Comment Tester!  Yay!!! Thanks, Kathy!!

Mayhaps this is what I needed to get my blogging mojo juiced up again.  For one thing, I love that there are so many great options out there for templates for Blogger!  I got this one from The Cutest Blog on the Block and they certainly have some awesome and fun things available.  There are many others, as well, but I have been drawn to this particular template for a very long time, plus they have so many helpful tips and extras.
I think I should dive right in and post some pictures and maybe a video and see how smoothly that goes!  Stand by.

Well, the first one isn't that great cuz it's tiny and fuzzy, but you can still get the benefit of my darling, handsome, adorable, youngest grandbaby (Xander) pretending to take his Daddy's place on his talk show.  Isn't he just too cute?!?!?!  I think I'll try a little video next.  Hmmmmm.........

Okay. Forget the video for now.  I can't find one 'suitable'.  Needs some editing first and I'll work on that later.

Man!  It was supposed to be hot and sunny all day today, but the sky is turning black and I hear thunder rumbling off in the distance.  The black clouds seem to be traveling at warp speed, however, so they may pass over before they spring a leak.

On the medical front, I am pleased to report that I have been feeling much improved these past 3 or 4 days!  For the last 1 1/2 weeks I have been able to go to The Adult Wellness Center and use the exercise equipment there, in between PT appointments.  So far I can only use the resistance machine for strengthening my legs, gut and butt :) and then only for 10 minutes, but it is making a difference!  Everything about this is 'baby steps' but thank God I'm finally getting more benefit from it!  I'm hoping that when I go to PT tomorrow, she will tell me that I can do 15 or 20 minutes, but I doubt it.  !5, maybe.......never 20.  Too soon, I'm sure.  So, yes!  I am being good and not over-doing it, or anything else.  I'm saving myself for Timmy and Riley!  LOL

Only 10 more days!  OMG!!  I can hardly believe it!!!!!!!!!  I'll want to spend the first 2 days, at least, just hugging and kissing them!!! 

Well, I better go hit the shower and get into town for my big "work-out" at the old folks gym!  LMAO!  Let me know how you like my new place!

Testing comments

testing comments

My New Home

I have moved from WordPress.  I had a bit of an incident last night and lost my entire WP blog.  What happened is this.

About 2 or 3 years ago I hired someone to create a custom template for my blog.  In order to use it, I had to have my own Domain, which we set up as "yankee-chick.com".  A domain name had to be registered and this gal did that for me with her Hosting Service that she used.  Yesterday she emailed me saying that it was going to expire in 35 days and what did I want to do.  Well............about a year ago I switched to a different Hosting Service, as I was having a difficult time trying to make any changes to my template thru her Hosting Service.  While I was able to have an account with my new Hosting Svc, I was still registered with HER Hosting Svc, so we decided to transfer the registration, which was done successfully.  However, I didn't realize that I had to backup my blog, or that I would have to download WordPress to the new Hosting Svc., so when all was said and done, all I got is what you see on the page that directed you here.

I have no business having my own domain name or using Wordpress.org.  I am not that savvy with all that stuff, nor to I want to boggle my brain with it.  These days, I prefer to stay in "KISS" mode, as in Keep It Simple, Stupid!  So, here I am and I suspect, here I will stay.  I have some work and adjustments to make on the template, which is easy stuff.  So, if you wanna keep reading me, bookmark this page :)

And a bazillion thanks and hugs and kisses to Marna for finding and sending me all of my entries from my WP.org blog!!!!!!!!!!!  All 387 entries!  I don't know how she did it, but I at least have my content.  Sadly, there are no dates, but if I need to, I can figure things out pretty close!  Marna~you are an angel!!!!!

That's it for now!