All together now can be too close for comfort!

We just returned from a family vacation where we went and joined my brothers and sisters and their families (as many as could come) for a family reunion at my parents home. One dinner we counted between 25 and 30 people present. Now, our parents have a small, two bedroom, 1 1/4 bath home that is all of about 1000 sqaure feet or so. Needless to say, personal space was at a premium. The kids favorite saying was, "Move your feet, you lose your seat!"

We had a table and chairs set up in the front yard, five tents scattered around the perimeter, and at night it looked like Nightmare on Elm Street, with bodies lying everywhere in the front room. To add to our claustrophobic dilemna, there were several days when it rained--hard--most of the day, keeping us all inside.

We survived. We even had fun doing it. We talked, played games, watched old (and some new) movies, and caught up on what we had been doing with ourselves for the previous year.

We'll all do it again next year, and in fact look forward to it. We like making our parents happy twice--once when we come, and once when we leave.

Take care. Luv yer guts! Stick.

Twisted Up

Our hallway bathroom sink has a problem with water pressure in the hot water line. We thought it was a bad valve, that wouldn't turn on right. SO I bought the valve, turned off the water to the house, took off the old valve (with many an exclamation and contortion to get to it under the sink), found out I bought the wrong replacement valve, went and got the right replacement valve, vcame home and put it on (with an equal number of contortions and twisting of my body under the sink into positions that a body my shape does not wish to be twisted into)--still no water pressure.

We called my father-in-law, who is a plumber (among other things), he thinks we may have a flattened pipe, or something blocking the pipe. He says it could be anywhere in the line. Terrific.

We'll deal with the low water pressure.

Take care. Stick.

Sleepless in ....

Every so often lately, and I'm not sure if it is allergies or what it is, I have trouble breathing at night, and I wake myself up constantly. This doesn't happen every night, but often enough that it is a pain. SO here I am again, 5 am. in the morning, and wide awake, and have been since 3:30.

I have found that when this happens, I can usually go to the basement, and lie down on the couch and fall asleep again. I'm not sure if it is the harder surface of the couch, the cooler temperature of the basement, or just a mental thing, but it usually works. Not tonight.

So, I'm lying on the couch, eyes at half mast, 4:00 am., and my youngest son's alarm clock goes off, and off, and off. Realizing that he is not going to wake up and turn it off, I get up and go into his room to do it myself. However, in the dark, I hit the wrong button, and switch his clock from alarm to radio. Loud, static filled radio. This wakes him. He and I fight in the dark to turn off the radio, and finally succeed. He is back to sleep in 2 minutes. Me, still awake an hour later. There is no justice.

Take care. Get some sleep. Stick.

More Joy

I wrote that my youngest son had an intestinal flu the other day. Since then, his brother got it. My wife got it. My youngets daughter got it, and now, I have it.

The only bright spot in this is that it moves fast. After 24-48 hours, it's gone. In the meantime, suffer in silence, and don't get too far from the bathroom.

Take care. Stick.

The Key to Success

My three youngest daughters went to a friend's house tonight to roast marshmallows and play games. They went out to get in our van to go. Two minutes later, they came running back inside telling me that something was wrong with the brakes in the van.

My immediate thought was, Great, another repair that we don't need right now. I went out to see if I could find out what was happening. I got into the driver's seat, took one look, and reached down and turned the key to start the van. I said, "It helps if the motor is running."

Keep smiling. Take care. Stick.

Under the Knife...Again Hop-a-long

My third daughter under went her second surgery yesterday. This was to correct the Haglan's deformity on her other ankle. Everything went well, and the Doctor is happy with the way the first surgery is healing.

The problems come because she now thinks she is an old hand at this. She doesn't want to stay down with her foot elevated. She hasn't been keeping the ice pack on it the way she is supposed to. She hates the boots, so she keeps leaving them off. In other words, she is ignoring the Doctor's post op instructions that helped her heal so quickly on foot number one! We keep telling her that she is going to be sorry if she doesn't do what she needs to do, and we are constantly nagging her to either put the ice back on, or the splint.

Only time will tell if she listens and what will happen if she doesn't. I'll keep nagging.

Take care. Stick.

Joyful! Joyful!...Awful!

I tend to be a creature of habit, at least up to a point. Every morning when I get up, I go downstairs and get on the computer to post and write. I check my e-mail, read blogs, etc.

As I walked down the stairs this morning, it smelled like an open sewer. I thought, Oh great the toilet is backed up, or the drain is clogged. It was worse. My youngest son had caught a case of either stomach flu, or food poisoning. He had tossed his cookies no less than four times in four different places. This was not the worst part. Every time that happened, he also lost it on the other end. I found him laying on the floor wrapped in a blanket. Thank goodness for carpet cleaners and washing machines. After a half an hour cleaning, things are better, but he's not. I can only hope that he will make it to the bathroom if he has another spell, and that he gets better fast.

Take care. Stick.