daily 2007 november page

Kay's Daily Journal
November 2007

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2008 Old Farmer's Almanac Predictions for November 2007 in the Mid-Atlantic Region

Temp 52° (4°above avg.); precip. 4.5" (1" above avg.). 1-4 Sunny, then heavy rain. 5-10 Sunny, cool. 11-16 Rain, cool; wet snow north. 17-27 Sunny, cool, then warm. 28-30 Heavy rain.

Important November Things

Holidays & Important Days:	Anniversaries:	Birthdays:	Miscellaneous:
November 11 - Veteran's Day	November 1, 1991 - Denie's Death	November 8 - Jimmy	Birthstone - Citrine or Topaz
November 22 - Thanksgiving		November 15 - Joey	Flower - Chrysanthemum
November 24 - The Full Beaver Moon		November 18 - Shelly	National Novel Writing Month
		November 25 - TJ	Tobacco Awareness Month
			National Talk Like a Robot Month
			Diabetes Awareness Month
			National Beard Month
			National Native American Month
			National Alaskan Month
			International Drum Month

November 30, 2007 - Friday

Busy day, did a little shopping. Man, I love to shop this time of year! The stores have so much stuff in them, wish I had a million dollars! What I could buy for people!!!

I'm not ready for Christmas decorating yet so I have alot to accomplish the next couple weeks here at home! I'm starting to feel better each day, though the hearing isn't perfect yet. But at least I'm feeling like doing some "fall cleaning" that I didn't get done earlier this year! I worked on the sewing this past week, so now next week I can concentrate on the house!!!

So for what it's worth, here are my accomplishments for this month. Maybe doesn't seem like much, but I've been busy the whole month, well, with the exception of while I was sick. And you can see that my reading and webpages activities are up compared to previous months. So even when I'm sick I'm doing stuff!!!

Accomplishments for November 2007:

Bible Read (NIV-New International Version):
Numbers

Home Studies:
     Online SS Lessons: 2007 - 4th Quarter:
          11/02 - Extreme Heat
          11/09 - Struggling With All Energy
          11/16 - Indestructible Hope
          11/23 - Seeing the Invisible
          11/30 - A Life of Praise

Note: Online SS Lessons are available at: Current SS Lessons

Daily & Continual Readings:
     Guidepose Daily Devotional 2007 - November 1 - November 30
     Chancellor Church Daily Devotional - November 1 - November 30

Books Read - Non-fiction:
     Country Pathways, Vol. 5 - by Annette Dozier
     Painted Christmas Ornaments - by Plaid
     Painting the Drama of Wildlife, Step by Step - by Terry Isaac
     Finishing Touches III - by Anne Hunter

Books Read - Fiction:
     Winter Roses - Diana Palmer
     The Scottish Companion - Karen Ranney
     The Perfect Bride - Brenda Joyce

Audio Books Listened to:
     Chesapeake - Nora Roberts

TV Specials:
     CMA Awards 2007
     Oprah & the Osmonds

TV Movies:
     Next
     A Grandpa for Christmas
     Deck the Halls

Contests Mailings:
     Total Contest Entries for the Month: 3387

Webpage Updates - kayurie.com
     Daily Journals (dailies)
     News Archives (end of month standard)
     Index (end of month standard)
          Updated nature_sand_page.html
          Updated index.html (for new pages)
          Updated vacations_page.html
          Added vacation_NM1975_page.html
          Added nature_sand_page.html
          Updated collections_page.html
          Added layout music_justkaysingingII_page.html
          Added layout music_justkaysingingcontemp_page.html
          Added layout music_justkaysingingtradI_page.html
          Added layout music_justkaysingingxmasI_page.html
          Added layout music_justkaysingingxmasII_page.html
          Added layout music_justkaysingingcountryI_page.html
          Added layout music_justkaysingingcountryII_page.html
          Added layout music_justkaysingingcountryIII_page.html
          Added layout music_justkaysingingold_page.html
          Updated music_page.html
          Updated music_photos_page.html
          Updated music_justkaysinging_page.html
          Added mp3s to music_justkaysinging_page.html
          Added mp3s to music_justkaysingingold_page.html

Sewing Projects:
     New:pioneer hats 3 (1 adult female, 1 child female, 1 baby), pioneer cuffs 8 (2 adult, 2 child), pioneer collars 4 (2 adult-1 male, 1 female, 2 child-1 male, 1 female)
     Mendings:jeans

Note:
If you are interested in reading or listening or watching any of the listed items above, please check with your local library. Most of these books, audiobooks, CD's, cassettes or DVD's can be found on their shelves. The household, craft and hobby projects are mostly my own and many can be found on these webpages under the same category. If not my original ideas, then credit is given, if known, where due. For instructions, corrections, additions or comments, please email me at the address listed at the bottom of this webpage. Hope you have enjoyed my entries.

November 29, 2007 - Thursday

All clothing accessories for the people on the our church's float in Saturday nights parade are all completed. I did spread them out on the kitchen table and take photos of them. Jim drove me to town and I gave them to the preacher's wife. Hopefully, it's what she had in mind.

Jim and I did just a little tiny bit of Christmas shopping, things like wrapping paper and scotch tape and icicles for the tree since they are usually hard to find by mid-December. After we got back home I finished my online contesting and then we watched a Christmas movie called "Deck the Halls". It was cute, not as funny as "Christmas Vacation" but cute none-the-less. I love to watch all the Christmas movies each year!!

Can you believe it's almost the end of the month already??? What have you accomplished this month? My list is short but will appear in the journal tomorrow, if I get chance to log my day. I've got a ton of housework to catch up on, since I spent part of this week sewing!

November 28, 2007 - Wednesday

Continued to work on the collars, cuffs and hats. I'm really pleased with the men's ruffled collar thingys. I can't think of the proper name for what they called them. However, when they are all completed I'll try to take a picture of them and post it here.

November 27, 2007 - Tuesday

Worked on the sewing stuff for the parade float most of the day. Well, still cooked meals, did dishes, laundry and contesting, but otherwise.... So I got 8 cuffs done for the arms and the woman's bonnet. That was the hard one. I don't have any patterns, so I just researched online to see what it should look like and tried to draw it, cut it out and sew it. Not completely happy with it, but it is what it is. Tomorrow I'll try to get the rest done. Still have a woman's collar and a girl's collar to do as well as the man's and a boys, which are different, cause back then the men wore the ruffles. And a childs bonnet is still to be done. I'm going to design it a little different so that it will be easier to make.

Won another little thingy that I'm going to put in Jim's Christmas stocking. So I won't say what it is for now. Nothing big or expensive. A lot of the contesting I'm doing right now is for little items for the kitchen and household.

November 26, 2007 - Monday

It's about llpm and I'm tired but todays things were accomplished and now behind us. Nothing that needs to be journalled but kept us busy all day. Now it's done and I can move forward with other projects. Like the stuff I have to make for the parade. So that's what tomorrow is going to be about. All day, chance to sew. I haven't made anything like this in years without a pattern. So I'm hoping things will turn out. Thank goodness for elastic and velcro!!! Helps make "one size fit all", hopefully? Anyway, I'll report more tomorrow night.

My hearing is getting better everyday. I still cannot hear real well in the left ear and the insects are still buzzing around in the head, but it's SO much better than even a week ago. Four people that I know have had this same "bug". And 2 of them told me that it took 3 months before their hearing returned to normal! So that means I'm ahead of the curve!!!!! Yeah! It's only been 6 weeks and I'm hearing better now than I was.

November 25, 2007 - Sunday

Busy day again today. I wanted to make some progress on the house today. Plus, I forgot!!! I'm supposed to make the cuffs, collars and hats for the parade next Saturday night. So I've got to concentrate on that for a day or so.

I thought I had what I needed to make everything, but upon inventorying decided I needed a quick trip to the store. So off we went, and I got what I needed, hopefully. I won't get chance to work on it until Tuesday, because tomorrow is all tied up!

November 24, 2007 - Sabbath

It was 25° at 7am this morning! Yes!!!! I LOVE this weather!!!! Crisp and sunny and fallish. With the taste of Thanksgiving still on my tongue and the promise of Christmas around the corner. The best times of the year!

We watch Jesse Duplantis on Fridays at 6:30pm EST, I forget which channel, but it's one of the religious channels that DirecTV and most cable stations carry. He is absolutely one of the best speakers, one of my 4 favorites. The sermon he preached last night was the best one yet! He just has a way about him, his manner, his devotion, very expressive and quite a character! If you ever get chance to watch his sermons, please do it. He will lift your spirits and it's all about Jesus.

When I said 4 preachers that I love to listen to, well, in no particular order, there is our preacher, Charlie, who is a great speaker. He thinks "outside the box" if you know what I mean. I've read the same old Bible texts year after year. But when Charlie preaches on them, he just has a different way of examining it, that makes you really think about what was said and what was meant. Like I said, Outside the Box! You can listen to Charlie's sermons on our church website, Promised Land Praise and Worship Center.

Then there is Walter Pearson, whose program is "The Breath of Life" also on the religious channels. This man brings the Bible to life. His re-enactments of various Bible stories during his sermon with a modern twist on the personalities, after all they were human like us, are just too wonderful to believe. He can express those stories and make you see the whys and what were they thinkings of them all.

Of course, Jesse Duplantis, listed above is one of the four, with sermons having a Cajun flavor. He gets so excited and brings another take on so many issues.

Then 4th but not necessarily the last is, Phil Baker of Riverview. He/They are located in Perth, Australia and again, a preacher that thinks outside the box. When we first started watching him on the SkyAngel satellite, I had a hard time understanding him speak. He speaks Australian with an English twinge. And he uses terminology that is different than what we hear in America, such as boot of the car. Regardless, I've gotten through that and absolutely love to hear him teach the Word of God.

But the most important thing about all 4 of these preachers, is, they don't just preach it, they LIVE it. You can tell that each one of them is sincere, not just doing it because they were expected to, not just doing it for a paycheck, not just doing it and bowing down to an Organization who says what they can preach, where and how. These men are called of God. They preach WHAT God tells them to preach. They preach WHERE God tells them to preach. And if it goes against what the so-called organization wants the congregation to hear or not hear, it doesn't matter. They are following what GOD has TOLD them to DO, not man! I've known alot of preachers in my years. Some weren't very good speakers. A couple were callous and single-minded with blinders on. A couple were mean. A couple were so strict and sad and sober that it scared me to death. One, when asked why he never smiles, said that as Christians we should realize that life is serious and that there is NOTHING to smile about. Occasionally you'd have a preacher that wasn't trustworthy. Most were good, yes. Most were decent. Some were sincere, as long as it agreed with what the organization told them to do or say. A couple just didn't care at all. But what I've seen in these TV preachers and what I've seen in person from our own preacher has changed my opinion about preachers. They don't just "talk the talk," they "walk the walk". And not for themselves, but for others. Always for others. It puts me to shame. It's inspiring. And they don't make a move without first consulting the "boss", God. That's the most important thing.

So when I say my 4 favorite preachers, now you know why. And that's just a brief summary. Catch them on TV, go to their websites (linked above), go to our church website or come visit our church and listen to Charlie's sermons. You will be amazed.

Now to be fair, there was also a couple of preachers and teachers over the years that have made a positive impact on my life, so I'd really have to include them as the good guys. And my parents, Jim's parents, the best examples I could've ever had. Hard working, good honest people, who love the Lord and their families. How blessed we have been!

This among many are my "Thanksgiving" things to be thankful for, my God, my family and the good life we've had.

November 23, 2007 - Friday

Black Friday !!!!

You know, shopping day??? This is the day that a lot of people do their Christmas shopping. This is the day that the stores go out of the "red" into the "black" in their profits! Hence, Black Friday. If you haven't ever shopped on Black Friday, it's absolutely NUTS. You can get good bargains, if you're fast, determined and EARLY. Lines began forming in front of Best Buy at noon on Thanksgiving Day for store openings at 5am this morning. They were going to hand out tickets to the first in line at 3 am, trying to avoid fights and people stampeding each other to get to the big sale items. There are good bargains, but good luck. I've never been able to get what I want. The stores are always out of stock and no rain checks on sale prices. Like I said, NUTS.

I got inspired after being at my brother's house. Penny has everything so nice and beautiful in their home. It's decorated just gorgeous! I want to fix my own place up too. It inspires me to get "busy"!!! I'll go into my ideas about the house at a later date. And her good dinner yesterday inspired me to get busy with my own Thanksgiving dinner today!!! Thanks again guys!!!

Well, I had to finish my online contesting last night so that, plus email, plus other miscellaneous things to be done, I didn't go to bed until after midnight. I was really tired too, never woke up until this morning after 8am!!!! Jim had gone to town to do a little "Black Friday" shopping and I baked pumpkin pies and started my turkey. By the time he got home, turkey was about half cooked. I do the same basic menu for Thanksgiving that I do for Christmas. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, macaroni, succatash, rolls, gravy, pumpkin pie for dessert. I didn't do big amounts this year, but enough to have leftovers for a day or two. I love the leftovers, especially the turkey! If you want to read about things I make with leftovers, go to my "Holidays - Christmas Page". At Christmas, I usually do large quantities and also add cookies and other desserts for the whole gang and whoever is here. Read my "leftovers" section and don't forget to check out my "mistakes" also!

So the small dinner was delicious, we ate too much, as usual but it sure tasted good going down, as always! My pies were especially good this year. When we lived in Westminster, we used to grow our own pumpkins and I would freeze it to make my pies during the holidays. But now, I've been buying the canned stuff, which is good. But a couple years I tried the pre-mixed, which is also good, don't get me wrong. But I was inspired to do a more from scratch type pic today and I can cut the sugar in the kind that you mix yourself, which is what I did. For example, the spices, call for teaspoons and instead of leveling off the teaspoon, I round it off, you know, have more in the teaspoon than a level teaspoon. Then for the sugar, for example, the large cans, which make 2 pies, call for 1½ cups of sugar. I change that to just under 1¼. Don't get me wrong. I really love everything sweet. I'm diabetic, so I CRAVE sweet. However, over the holidays I tend to eat TOO much sweet. So I'll cut back on recipes, where I don't notice it so much. It works!

Besides the dinner, I also did a little housework, not as much as I should have or even as a normal Friday. I love having the house cleaned up for the weekend. But it almost NEVER happens. Seems like I work towards it all week, then it all falls apart on Fridays! Too many hobbies! At least today, I really did have a good excuse. Dinner, remember?

Now, my hearing. Well, it is slowly coming back. I can hear more today than yesterday. I'm still getting a lot of vibration which almost borders on painful. If I talk too loud or hear loud stuff, it's not so good. Fortunately, people don't have to yell for me to hear them anymore. That's a good thing. The ears still "click" a little but not so loud as they were. I'm not dizzy at all today either which I think is a GREAT sign! The insect noise is still pretty prominent, but it doesn't bother me until I try to sleep. And Tylenol PM's or Excedrin PM's are helping that situation just fine. I don't like to take them often but figured right now, for a short time, is OK.

Oh, I received a prize in the mail today, a small one, but a prize none-the-less. I won one of those small battery operated canopeners that you set on the can and just let it go and it cuts the top of the can off! Ain't that COOL???

November 22, 2007 - Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving Day !!!!

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. We were a little blue since Seth lives so far away and Jimmy was also going to his girlfriend's family dinner this year (they came to ours last year) and we understand, but we just missed having everybody together. (Is this empty nest syndrome???) But my brother, Kevin and Penny invited us over to their house for dinner. So we visited with both of our parents for a short time and then over to my brothers. My parents were able to come to his house, since he lives close to them and we had a wonderful time! The dinner was delicious! Penny is such a good cook! Thanks guys! You saved our Thanksgiving!!!!

Kevin's daughters were there and TJ the boyfriend, too. I didn't get to talk as much with them as I had wanted, but we'll get together again soon! And we do talk on the phone sometimes too. It's so great to have family like them!!! Jim and I feel very blessed with both our families!

We got home a little after 7pm. Both of the boys called us, Seth earlier in the day and Jimmy right after we got home, to wish us Happy Thanksgiving. It was good to hear from them both too! We appreciate that they call us often and keep us up on what's new and going on in their lives and families, during the times when we can't get together! Seth's group had been called to help out at the site of the forest fires in NM last night and though the fires weren't under control, there was no immediate danger, since there isn't much in the path of the fire currently. They are also expecting snow during the night, so his group was released mid-day to go have their Thanksgiving dinners!

I will still do a small dinner for us but not tonight! We're still "stuffed" from the good dinner we had at Kevin and Penny's. I do love to have a turkey cooking this time of year, love the smell of it through the house! Love this time of year! Crisp outside, warm and cozy inside. Today started out quite warm, I believe the news people said it hit 77° in DC, which probably means 78-80° for us. But mid-afternoon, a little rain, blue-black clouds and the temperature started to plummet. On the way home we drove through a little rain and saw just a few flurries mixed in. By the time we got home, it was in the 40's and very blustery. In fact, sitting at a stoplight, Jim commented that he thought the truck was running rough, but then he realized that it was the wind shaking the truck!

I LOVE this time of year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

November 21, 2007 - Wednesday

Not dizzy so much anymore, guess my poor little brain is adapting to the hearing loss and imbalance that I've had and felt over the last 3+ weeks. Though I believe I'm hearing a little bit better each day, but the insect noise is still pretty strong and very noticeable at night especially.

Checked on Dad and Dot and also Carman today and all were doing better, at least so they told me. I hope so, it's hard to not live closer and be able to check on them (or have them check on us!). But we do the best we can.

November 20, 2007 - Tuesday

Busy day, had to pick up some groceries. It's the first time I've been grocery shopping since I've been sick, so it was a busy day. Needed to restock alot of staples so I was tired when I finally got home. Otherwise pretty routine. I've been trying to catch up on things around the house. It's still weird not being able to hear things real clear, like the washer and stuff.

November 19, 2007 - Monday

I had already ripped about 4 cassettes out of about 30 or so over the years, of these older recordings. (There are more with the newer songs also to be done!). I had originally ripped them as one long file so now I'm breaking them down into individual songs. I got several done last night when I couldn't sleep. So I'll start putting some of those online real soon.

Called Dad and he was feeling a little better today. And Carman was doing pretty good too when I called her so that is all good news. And I'm doing a little better each day too. Still don't have hearing back totally but one ear is about 90% and the other still around 60%. So that's good news too. Good day.

Otherwise, worked on some housework today, laundry and such. Routine mostly, just trying to catch up abit. Thinking about Christmas and some of the things that need to be done beforehand. It's such a GREAT time of year! It really truly is my favorite time of year.

November 18, 2007 - Sunday

Happy Birthday Shelly !!!!

Thankfully, Dad is out of the hospital and back at home. I think he was happy to be back there too! The doctor told him to take it easy for a while and to just slow down. He had been feeling bad all last week, so hadn't been eating right. Well, you know how it is when you're sick. You just don't feel like eating or drinking or anything. So he had overdone it. Thanks for all the prayers that I know were given! And continue to keep him and my mom in your prayers.

It is just absolutely beautiful weather outside. I went with Jim to the dump today, just to get outside. My hearing is very, very gradually coming back. Not there yet, but there is some improvement. It's still hard to hear someone on my cellphone, but the regular phone is getting better everyday. TV still sounds abit distorted but I can follow what is happening much better without the volume being at jet-engine level loud! So that's all good news. And I'm starting to feel better all over, not so dizzy and weak as I felt initially.

Now if I can just catch up on the old housework, I'd be pretty pleased! Got a lot I want to accomplish before I start hauling out Christmas decorations and such. Will it all be done before Christmas? Ha, not likely. But I'm making dents in the paperwork at least. (That's all the magazines and bills and genealogy papers and recipes and miscellaneous stuff that piled up LAST year during my broken ankle-torn achilles, 4 casts over 12 weeks etc time period!).

I've been a little restless and can't sleep at night. Also have felt hungry all the time the last 2-3 days. I looked at the paperwork that comes with the prescriptions and guess what I find? Side effects: Sleeplessness, restlessness, increase of appetite, yada, yada, yada.... Just what I need, increase of appetite. Fortunately, I only take this medicine for 2 more days. Does that mean I'll have a "decrease" in appetite when the meds are finished?????? Yes???????

November 17, 2007 - Sabbath

I updated the Music Page and uploaded the basic layouts for all my "just kay singing" pages listed under the November 12th journal below. It will take me awhile to get all of the "clips" uploaded, since I've got to finish ripping most of them from very old cassettes. But at least the pages are ready and that is something.

I think some of my earliest cassettes are from the mid-1980's where I recorded on an old big cassette recorder. I even have a couple songs that I recorded my voice 2-3 times so that I'm a duet or trio. It's pretty awful sounding as far as recording quality is concerned, but for "historic" value it's awesome. I was AHEAD of my time!!! I would record the melody and piano first. Then I would take that cassette across the living room to my cassette-stereo system and play it back very loud. And then I would sing with the cassette and record it again on the smaller portable cassette player. Then I would swap the newest cassette with the original in the stereo system, play it again and record a 3rd voice harmony on the original cassette. So you get alot of hollow or echo sound in the recording. But it worked! That was about 1985, if I'm remembering correctly. I'll have a better date, when I check the original cassette.

My Dad has been feeling poorly all week and he ended up in the hospital today. They're running some tests on him and keeping him overnight just as a precaution. Please keep him and my mom in your prayers! I talked with him on the phone after they settled him in a room and he said he is feeling better and was kinda upset that they were going to keep him overnight. Otherwise he sounded good.

There are also some clips of the boys singing with me when they were little. It's precious and they were so funny, we had a blast doing it!

I will definitely post here in the journal as I add the clips on the various pages. This is going to be fun!!!!

November 16, 2007 - Friday

Today is the first day that I've felt good enough to do anything around the house in almost three weeks. I actually did a little scrubbing and stuff today. It was driving me nuts. Is my house clean? No, not by a long shot. I've fallen so far behind by being sick that it will take me awhile to catch up. But at least I feel like doing some stuff now.

Hearing better today, especially in the right ear. Left ear was about 60% but closed up mid-day. Maybe I did TOO much today.

I also did over 600 online contests entries this week which is a record! That's about a hundred a day. It takes about an hour or so but I also got the first notification on a win this morning. It's a Christmas CD. I was surprised to hear I had won! Most of the contests I've been doing online are for small items like CD's or DVD's or kitchen stuff or household items. Some are for gift certificates and a few are for cash and vehicles. I'd really love to win some of those too!!!!

The thing with contests is you have to be persistent. If it is a contest you can enter everyday, then enter it everyday. I keep a log sheet so that I know which ones I can do daily entries and which ones are "one-time entries". I also just have a very brief description, such as the name of the contest, the date it ends, the prize and then a count of my entries. Keeps me from disqualifying myself by entering more than once on a contest that has "one-time entries only". Anyway, this system works for me so far. I'll post it if I win anything else!!! Here's hoping.......

November 15, 2007 - Thursday

Busy day today. Jim got his truck fixed and is happy to have it back on the road again! And I saw the ENT specialist this morning. It was a long appointment as they also ran a bunch of hearing tests on me. First, the bad news. I do have some permanent hearing loss. Most of it is due to age and heredity, since most people in my family do tend to become hard of hearing. My loss was added to just abit more by the infection in my ears. The good news however is, that I should return to almost normal in a few days, now that the doctor has me on some additional medications. The good news is also that hopefully I won't have to have any tubes put in my ears. The meds should get the fluid out on their own. Worst case scenario is that I might have to have one tube, if the meds don't work. But the doctor feels very confident that these meds will clear up the remaining fluid from the infection and that no further action will be necessary. He is also going to monitor my hearing loss over the next couple years to see how fast it is progressing. So there you have it!

I started my first doses of meds and today, the first day I have 6 pills to take. Then each day it drops down until there is just one pill left. I've already had 3 of my pills and I would say I'm hearing about 40%. Some things are still distorted, but I am hearing them alot better now. Amazing thing! So hopefully now I'm on the road to recovery. I know I will sure feel alot better when I can hear again!!!!! Hallelujah!!!

First measureable rain in quite awhile. We got 8/10ths of an inch. At least it's something!

November 14, 2007 - Wednesday

Did some laundry and caught up my snail contesting today. Of course, did dishes, cooked meals and all that normal stuff too. Slowly feeling better, if I could just hear also!

Good days and bad days. Some days I feel like I'm getting well. Other days it's like a setback. But I'm chuggin' along.

November 13, 2007 - Tuesday

Updated my Home page and the main Music Page to include the new music layouts that will be coming soon.

I can't believe that next week is Thanksgiving already. I haven't even bought my turkey and stuff needed for dinner! I've been feeling so bad that I just don't know if I'll do it this year or not. Will depend on how my ears are doing and how I'm feeling overall.

November 12, 2007 - Monday

Honor and Gratitude to our Veterans Today !!!!

Felt a little better today but still cannot hear. Otherwise got a few things done for a change. I also worked on some of my webpages and updated a few things. I finally added the rest of the sample clips to the "Just Kay Singing" page. I've also added some basic layouts for some more "singing" pages, but they are not yet online. The ones that I will be adding are Just Kay Singing II, Just Kay Singing Traditionals I, Just Kay Singing Christmas I, Just Kay Singing Christmas II, Just Kay Singing Contemporary I, Just Kay Singing Oldest Recordings, and Just Kay Singing Country I. I've certainly got some work cut out for myself. (As if I didn't have enough to do already!). As I add clips of my songs that I have been singing over the years in churches and get togethers, I'll put them online. I'll post it here in this journal when it happens. So much to do, so little time....

And if you try to click on them right now, you will get an error, page not found, since I haven't uploaded them yet.

November 11, 2007 - Sunday

Since Jim's vehicle is incapcitated and we needed some things from the grocery store, I drove my car. Jim was with me. It's hard, since it's a stick shift, I couldn't hear the engine to know when to shift gears. But with Jim in the car, at least I could get out for abit.

I felt pretty wrotten this morning, but better later in the day. Still no hearing back and I wasn't hearing today as good as yesterday. Not much pain anymore, except for Jim, having the TV up loud enough that I can hear it is hard on him.

Otherwise it was a routine Sunday. Jim worked on his truck this morning and most likely it's his alternator that's gone bad. So maybe he can get that fixed in the next couple days.

Man, it was nice to get outside for a short time today. I haven't been outside in a couple weeks, due to this cold and ear infection. I just LOVE this weather! I will love it even more when it stays in the 30's during the day!!!! Though here in VA, in the woods, it usually stays a little warmer in the winter since we don't get the wind as much. But none the less, I LOVE this time of year!!!!!

Being sick, not being able to hear right and being dizzy because of all of that, I've spent alot more time on the computer. I entered over 500 contests online, last week! Good contests too. Most of them were for small prizes, you know, kitchen gadgets, books, misc stuff. But some of them are for bigger prizes, cash, vehicles and electronic stuff. As many as I have entered, you would think that I would win something, sooner or later? Most of them don't end until December or January. Some of the trips and vehicle contests don't end until next May and one goes thru next September! And you can enter them daily. So guess what? I'm doing it. You can enter once a day until the contest ends. So I have a little checklist and shortcuts to the website and I've been doing this, actually, for a couple months now. (Well, not as many as the last couple of weeks, but quite a few!) Problem is the list is growing. It takes me a little over an hour a day now to do them. But who knows? Maybe I'll WIN something!!!! If anyone is interested in some of these contests, let me know and I'll send you the link so you can check them out.

November 10, 2007 - Sabbath

Congratulations on Graduation to Shelly !!!!

My brother in California called and though it was difficult for me to hear him today on the phone, I got that he had emailed me photos of my niece's graduation!!! So BIG CONGRATULATIONS to her for a job WELL DONE!!!! And a big THANKS for sending me the photos too! I really appreciated that!!!!

Still can't hear, though the jaw exercises that my friend told me about seem to be helping one ear. The other ear is just not responding. I'll keep doing them regardless. It's like I told her, some relief is better than no hearing at all!!! Today was a rough day. I didn't feel very good at all. I don't know if I've caught something new or if I'm just having a little relapse of the same old cold. My left ear is hurting me tonight more than it has since I first got the ear infection.

I will say that yesterday I felt better than I had for several days, (though the ear thing keeps me a little dizzy). I actually did a few things around the house for a change, yesterday, that is. Nothing big or heavy, like I SHOULD be doing to catch up, but a couple loads of laundry and vacuuming and stuff like that. Maybe I overdid it after being so sick?

I will also say that I felt a little better this evening and was able to eat something, whereas this morning I felt so bad that I just stayed on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket and alternated between watching the 3ABN programming and sleeping. But tonight, other than the earache, I'd say I feel somewhat better.

Yeah, yeah, it's all about me. My journal, my whine spot. As Ally McBeal once said when asked why she thought her problems were always more important...." cause they're MY problems." That says it all, but I'll stop for today!

Jim started for town this morning and his truck had problems. He made it back home but it will have to sit until he can get it into a shop for some work. He's going to work on it some tomorrow and see what he can do also. He can always use my car, since I can't drive it right now without somebody with me. (Can't hear anything, remember?)

November 9, 2007 - Friday

Well, I hate to sound like a whiner, but I'm coming up on two weeks with very little hearing. Guess I'll have to see the specialist afterall. Actually, late last night I emailed a good friend who is a nurse and she told me some things I could try. So I'm working on those, hoping that I can resolve this without going to the specialist.

I tried a couple of the things she recommended this morning and actually got about 30% of my hearing back for a couple hours. It faded into oblivion after that but I've emailed her back to see how often I can try the procedure or if I used enough when I did it. The doctor called me and said that he was pretty sure I had ruptured one eardrum and the fact that I've been on antiobiotics should keep the other one from doing the same. He is sending me to see a specialist sometime in the next couple weeks.

I've added the 1975 North Carolina Honeymoon photos that we took way back when. Man, I was thin back then!!!! And young. And lots of hair. Dark hair. Those were the days, my friends. You can view these by clicking on the words underlined or by going back to my homepage and scroll down to Vacations. I also added my Sand Collection page. This one is just the basic layout with a short paragraph about how I got started collecting sand. I will photograph the vials of sand, probably after the holidays are over and add them early spring of 2008. I'll let you know if I get it done any sooner. I need to do the same thing with my Rock Collection.

I have also updated my Collections webpage with links to other related pages that are either already done or a work in progress. Many of these items are simply interests that I have while others are actually small to large collections. Mostly the larger collections are things like my rocks and shells and books and quotes and taglines and language equations. You know, the things that don't cost money for the most part!

I managed to get a couple loads of laundry run today and at least vacuumed the living room. I just haven't felt well enough to get back into my "routine". It's frustrating and exhausting at the same time. Time, we're all given the same amount of hours in a day. But it seems some folks just know how to get more done. I do have a good excuse right now. I'm sick, remember?

November 8, 2007 - Thursday

Happy Birthday Jimmy !!!!

I remember well the day (night) you were born. Your Dad was taking classes at Johns Hopkins and working full time too. He came home about 8:30 pm and I cringed with a labor pain when I met him at the door. He said, "Not tonight." Our hospital stay had already been scheduled for the end of the month. Your Dad had been through a very long rough day and was exhausted but he took control of the situation and off we went. And he forgot all about being tired once you were born!!!!

Your brother was 2 years old and so Dad called Grandpa & Grandma Urie to ask if they could come and get your brother, since they knew where the hospital was located. The plan had been to take your brother over to visit with all the grandparents for a week or two, in another 3 weeks, (you were due after Thanksgiving). It was a scheduled C-section, so we knew what date you would be delivered. But you had other plans.

At the hospital, Dad stayed with your brother until the grandparents arrived. They waited until you were born, saw you and then made the hour and a half trip back to their home with your brother. (They didn't even wait to see me, only you!!!) Dad was present when you were born by emergency C-section. I asked them to halve the pain meds after the surgery so I would be more alert this time. It was a little more painful but at least I was awake and could enjoy time with you during the day while we were still hospitalized! We spent 4 days in the hospital, mostly for my recovery. 9 lbs 8 oz, blond hair and blue eyes, just a beautiful baby! There's a long detailed story about the room I was in and I won't bore you with that one online. Needless to say, I was later moved to another room at my request, where I was able to keep you with me most of the day. And it was a good thing since the nursery had an outbreak of a staph infection. All the babies were tested and you didn't have the infection, so we were discharged a couple days earlier than we would have been normally. Dad & Seth came to the hospital from visiting the grandparents to pick us up late that night and it was cold and snow flurrying when we left the hospital.

Dad & I both came down with a bad flu a few days later. We were scared to death that you and your brother would catch it. We were both so sick that he took care of your brother and I took care of you and we took turns swapping off each of you until we were well enough for me to handle it all. Your uncle also landed in the hospital the same week right after you were born and I spent some time running back and forth to visit him during all of this too. In addition, you had to have a minor surgical procedure done in the doctor's office when you were about a week old. But you were a good healthy baby even though you were 3 weeks early.

When we came home from the hospital that snowy November night, we placed you in the crib at home and this time knew a little more how to take care of a baby. I still worried that I would do something wrong but we must've done something right because here you are all these years later! Happy Birthday!!!!!

November 7, 2007 - Wednesday

I had wanted to go vote yesterday. But first off, I didn't feel very good and can't hear right. Secondly, I don't know which of the so-called politicians voted for the "Abusive Driving Fees", so I certainly wouldn't want to vote for one that had agreed to that stupid, stupid law. Talk about "biting the hand that feeds you"? The law only applies to Virginia residents. My Advice? VOTE THESE IDIOTS OUT OF OFFICE. DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR TAX DOLLARS to let them STEAL EVEN MORE from the VIRGINIA RESIDENTS. I haven't looked at the statistics yet today, but I really suspect that most of them were voted OUT of office yesterday. I have HIGH HOPES anyway.

I'm getting impatient to get feeling better now. I've been sick long enough. Enough is ENOUGH!!! I've got things to do, housework to catch up on, yada yada yada.... If I'm going to tolerate swallowing those horse pills, the least they could do is make me feel better and clear up my hearing problems!!!

November 6, 2007 - Tuesday

I actually slept laying down last night, but that seems to have been a mistake. My hearing is, if you can believe it, worse this morning. I also don't feel as good today as I did yesterday. Go figure....

No problem however, once again, getting that pill down. Hallelujah. And I actually had an interesting thing happen in the evening. I heard a loud, sounded like a drain draining. Then I actually had about 80% hearing in my right ear. It only lasted for about an hour, then it seemed to close up again. But that's giving me some hope!!! Now my left ear, which has been the bad one since this all came about, is still about the same. It does click occasionally however, which is probably a good sign, except it hurts a little when it does....

Last night Jimmy had another flat tire, same wheel as last week. Think he was probably accidently sold a bad tire. It was a bad situation, a dark narrow road at night with no place to pull off the road. Jim left to go help him, but by the time he got there, a couple wonderful police cars were there, with lights flashing and a flashlight so Jimmy could see to change his tire! Now he won't have to worry so much about that happening, since he's driving a different car from today onward!!!!

November 5, 2007 - Monday

Jim took the day off from work today and really got alot accomplished! It was a big help to me since I'm not feeling so good yet. My hearing still hasn't returned, so Jim called the doc and a new prescription was called in for me to try. If this one doesn't work, the doc said he would refer me to a specialist. I'm hoping it doesn't come to that.

So Jim got my new prescription and it's once again only 5 pills, expensive ones at that. They are quite large. Now I'm a person who has some difficulty swallowing pills anyway. There have been times over the years, when I would land in the hospital and a nurse would bring me a pill to take, with a teeny, tiny little less than a swallow cup of water. I would tell them I need ALOT of something to drink. So they would patiently get me a larger cup full of water and I would choke down the pill. Honestly, my gag nerves work overtime! I even have a problem when the dentist tries to x-ray my teeth! So I get these new huge antibiotics to take today and guess what? I want to get my hearing back SO bad, that I haven't had any problem swallowing them. At least this first one....

November 4, 2007 - Sunday

I've set up my template journal pages for 2008. I usually work on them this time of year, because the last part of this month and all of December get crazy busy. So I start the designs early. Too bad I don't start other stuff early like this! I haven't done the backgrounds or anything like that yet. Just the preliminary pages with the basic htmls that I use. Later I'll add backgrounds, decide on font colors and styles, cliparts and animation (if any) and so on. It's not hard, but takes a little time.

The worst thing about not having my hearing back yet is the ringing and insect sounds that I hear. I hear the phone "melody" playing over and over in my head, making me think that it's ringing. One night it was Halloween style organ music. That was actually kinda awesome! Some nights it's just the insects in the woods in the summer sounds. Tonight, well, I'm getting the phone "song" and the insects. Very disconcerting to say the least.

I've been taking some cold-congestion OTC meds and as they wear off the noise gets worse. So I have a built in "alarm" as to when it's time to take some more....

November 3, 2007 - Sabbath

Don't you just LOVE this cooler weather? The fall is my favorite time of year! The air gets crisp, you need a jacket to go outside. The leaves have changed color and are now starting to litter your lawn. The hint of holidays are just around the corner, where you have family together once again. Yep. My favorite time of year!

Many of you have already had your hard freeze or at least a good morning frost. Central Virginia has had theirs already. But we, along the No'thern Neck are still waiting. It has been chilly in the mornings and several have been in the mid 30's. But I'm still waiting for that heavy frost. I think we will get it this week!

And what was this Hurricane Noel???? I guess we just missed the bullet on this one! Though along the coast, I'm sure they have had some beach erosion which is a constant battle between the summer tropical storms and hurricanes and nor'easters in the winter. Later this month I'll get my 2007 hurricane webpages updated.

Hearing still bad, but it seems that the right ear, I may be able to hear a little better in than the left. The left is the one that hurts and was the first to lose the hearing in with the infection. I have high hopes.

November 2, 2007 - Friday

Well, still no hearing back, but feeling a little better each day. I've added my October Accomplishments to the October Journal page, so if you want to see my meager accomplishments last month, you'll have to click on the Archives near the top of this page and then on October 2007.

I did enter a lot of contests online last month. I have a routine of sites that I visit daily when I check my email. And some of them have ongoing daily contests, for example, the Woman's Day magazine website has roughly 50 or so dailies that you can enter. I do hope to start pulling in some prizes one of these days! If you want a list of websites that are reliable, contact me and I'll send it to you.

November 1, 2007 - Thursday

Well, here it is, November. And I haven't accomplished anywhere near what I had hoped to have accomplished during the last couple of months!!! I have been busy however, and sick. Still don't have my hearing back, which is extremely irritating! Jim can't put the TV up loud enough for me to hear it and him still stay in the room. Oh well, watch too much anyway!

Otherwise, I'm actually feeling a little better. I don't have any energy yet, but that's probably because of the coughing. But I don't FEEL sick like I did. And if it weren't for my hearing, I think I could function almost normal speed. But not hearing seems to have my equalibrium (sp?) out of whack, so I'm dizzy very easy. But I'm hoping that the meds the doc gave me will kick in soon. Still having some pain when the pain meds wear off every 4 hours, so I'm also still taking those regularly. But the pain initially, on a scale of 1 to 10 was a 7 or 8 that first couple nights. Now, it's only about a 1 or 2 when the meds wear off, so I'd say that's a HUGE improvement. Now if I could only HEAR!!!

Just one other thing, today is the 16th anniversary of Denie's death. Several years ago I did a short webpage in memory of her. She was truly a special lady. I know that I'm glad to have had the chance to know her!

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