Monday, Monday

Happy Monday to you all.  It's taken me all day to write this post between other things happening today...like physical therapy.  Oh my aching back is all that I have to say about that!  :-)

Barry gave me this beautiful bouquet last Monday.  The garden has now been plowed under for another year and these were the last beauties before the tractor got them  Aren't they beautiful?

Last Wednesday I met my BFF Jenny for lunch while she was between work appointments.  She chose Jimmy John's.  I have never eaten there.  My sister did pick up their sandwiches about five years ago when I was visiting her in Omaha, but I had never been into one of their fast food places.   Just look at these eager faces waiting for our order!  I couldn't believe how fast they were.  Before I had finished ordering and paying, they were handing me my sandwich.  All with smiles and welcomes.  I was really impressed.  Jenny took the next two photos because she was as impressed with their attitudes and speed as I was.

And my sandwich was delicious too!  We had a great visit and there was no pressure to give up our seats as there sometimes is at a busy lunchtime place.  I got an old fashioned bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.  Yum!  Maybe not very healthy but it was good.

Saturday was bittersweet.  We started closing up camp at the lake about 8:15 and by the time we finished unpacking at home, mowing the grass, etc. it was after 6:00.  Dennis got Panda Express for us while I folded some laundry and started another load of camper sheets. 

Here is Larry on the ground and my handsome hubby in his muscle shirt, (LOL), up top.  I have no idea why he tied a piece of the cover material around his head!  Crazy guy!  They were putting the cover on Larry and Nita's camper.  None of us wanted Larry on the roof.  He turned 71 a couple of months ago and has had some health issues this year.  He has always been a force to be reckoned with and it's hard to see friends age but he did play volleyball Saturday night on the church team!  You can't stop that guy.

I have no idea what he and Larry were joking about here.  He was laughing at something when I snapped this picture.  It  was HOT on Saturday and it seemed VERY, VERY wrong to be closing up camp in that beautiful weather. 

Making progress.

The carpets are up and the furniture...

...is stacked and tarped under the roofless gazebo.  Everything is ready for a northwest winter of cold and snow.  At least I hope we get snow this year.  We need it desperately so we don't repeat our fire season of this year.  We've blown out the pipes and put antifreeze everywhere antifreeze is supposed to go.  The potty can't be used anymore,  which means I can't stay there long.  The slide outs have been slidden, (is that a word?), in.:-)  Doesn't it look lonely and sad?  But next year we'll be back.

I finished a sweater, hat and sock set for the children's shelter.  It's a light blue and white yarn, but the flash makes it look more of a creamy white.

This is closer to the correct color. It's another sweater that is about half done.

Alex called us from Japan on face-time Saturday night and we talked over an hour and a half.  He got very sick while he was in Australia a couple of weeks ago and we hadn't heard anything from him.  This Mom was getting a bit worried because he's very good about calling us every week.  He said by the time he got home from work every day, he just wanted to sleep.  But he also said being that sick made him realize he missed my crocheted blankets he used to wrap up in on the sofa when he didn't feel good when he was growing up.  So he asked me to make him a blanket.  Well of course I will!  When your 27 year old son asks for a crocheted blanket to remind him of home, what else do you do?  He asked for specific vintage type colors, orange, brown, yellow, dark green in granny squares.  Isn't that funny?  I'm so HaPpY that he wants a blanket from Mom.

My Ipad has been giving me some, (a lot), grief lately.  It's five years old and hasn't wanted to do the past few updates from Apple without a lot of coaxing.  And now the screen has been freezing up on me.  So guess what my wonderful husband went and bought me yesterday?  This....

A brand new Ipad Air.  I love it.  It's much, much lighter in weight than my old one and the colors and graphics seem crisper and clearer.  Although I spent much of the afternoon setting it up, a process I detest with new electronics, I think I'm going to like it very much.  I ordered a case for it on Amazon which should be here tomorrow.

The church music team has been telling me for a year that they would buy my old one from me anytime I got a new one.  They will use it during services, so we're all happy campers!

I don't even want to tell you how much pain I was in with my back last night.  Suffice it to say that I slept about 1 hour all night long.  I told the therapist today that I didn't think things were working and maybe we needed to try something else.  He said to give him another week, that this was the "hump" he knew I would have to pass over to begin healing.  So...I'm giving him one more week and if it's not better I'll be going back to the doctor.  Dennis won't let me do anything around here and I feel terrible that he's doing everything.

After talking to the PT on Thursday last week and getting his permission, I cleaned the bedroom carpets.  Do you know that didn't bother my back in the least and the carpets look wonderful!  I have no idea what happened last night.  So, if you would, please pray for me as we have a 6 hour drive planned for Saturday, another 2 on Sunday and then the 8 hours home next Wednesday.  The PT told me today that it will be fine and he'll give me some advice for the drive when I see him on Thursday. 

What a bother it all is!  This has officially been a bummer of a summer physically for me.

But...I have an amazingly wonderful husband who spoils me and friends who care.  Who can really ask for more than that?

I hope you're all having a wonderful October.  I've been enjoying looking at the beautiful fall decorations on blogs.  I'm always surprised how many people say that fall is their favorite season.  I would have to vote for spring.  :-) 

 I'll see you all again soon.

"I will keep my eyes always on the Lord.  With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

Psalm 16:8

Blessings always,

Betsy