As promised Christmas pictures but running late.

Ken, Mira my daugher, Jeff, grandson


Kevin Ken's son, Megan Kevin's daughter, Joy Clarks wife.


Clark my son, Helen




Helen me, Kevin Ken's son, Megan Grandaughter, Joy is Clarks wife.
Grandchildren belong to Kevin.

Please check out the previous entry, Sorry everything is messing up

I am so sorry that I messed up on the previous entry of the movie. I am glad at least that it came through.
Donna, I didn't erase your comment. It got deleted somewhere along the way. The font and everything is messing up this morning.
Anyway, My son And DIL was leaving our Christmas gathering yesterday and she was getting her small dog Baby to show off. After I saw Patches was joining in I grabbed my camera. If you will please check out the previous entry. I thought it was so funny.
Have a blessed day everyone. Helen

My DIL and her dogs plus our Patches sitting on the floor joining in.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

Christmas tags by Sugar, Thanks Sugar

We would like to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas. May you all have Peace and Joy through this season.

May you have good health and happiness and of course may your financial situation be good.

Have a very Blessed Christmas! Ken and Helen

Full moon

I tried folks. It was to cold to stand out there long. I never got one without the small blue ring around it and when I backed off the zoom you couldn't see the craters on it. I had it set on the auto setting of course and used no tripod. I couldn't stand for any length of time either.
Helen

MRI results

Hey ya'll, Just a short note to say we went to the doc and got home safely before dark. No show snow. Weather people most always miss it.

The doc said that I have some arthritis in my spine was what was probably causing the pain. Said the MRI showed everything was still in place good and was stable. Said to just take it easy for a while and let it heal more. To take over the counter meds like aleve for it. I am glad I am not facing surgery again for a while anyway but wish the pain was gone.
Have a good night, Helen

Just a quick update

Thanks everyone for your input, you were so good to respond to my question on the medical care question. Seems like prices are higher in some places more than others.
Well I had my other MRI done last Thursday on the 4th of Dec. and will go to see the doc on the 11th of Dec., this Thursday. I am getting antsy about what he is going to find and tell me. I take my MRI xrays with me when I go. I just hope another spinal fusion is not in store for me yet. Just a wait and see thing. I don't know anything yet about what the outcome will be.
I hope everyone has a blessed week.
Helen

Added info to an earlier entry this AM

Just wanted to add something to my earlier entry this morning. I already have some comments so I am doing this as a new post.
I did call the DR's office in Birmingham and got an appointment there for the 11th of this month so that is almost two weeks earlier than if I had waited to see him here.
I just want to ask a question to you all. It might be according to how much they scan and where it is when doing an MRI. I just looked at the bill which came several days ago where I had the full spinal scan on 8/27/o8. This place had charged Medicare $9,215.85 for that MRI. They paid their part and my supplement insurance paid for the rest of it. Plus the doc who read the MRI charged $465.00 to read it. He was allowed $224.30. That seems awfully high to me. I can see why medicare is going broke. I just wondered how much other places charged?
The hospital where I had my surgery only charged a little over $ 5000.00 for the use of their hospital, which included a two night stay. Plus the Doc had his charges as well as the person who put me to sleep had theirs. I was really surprised at how low they charged, that is if no more bills come from them later.
Helen

Hoping for a closer date

Good morning all, I got the phone call yesterday telling me my MRI was scheduled for this Thursday the 4th of Dec. after lunch. Thing is I can't see the Doc here until the day after Christmas. I am thinking I will call the DR's office in the other city today and see if he has an appointment earlier there. That would be one and a half hours driving one way with me laying in the backseat of the small car but that might be better if I can see him earlier. Three weeks is a pretty long time to wait for the results when I am in pain. They offered me that option yesterday and I told them I would just wait but my mind is about changed. It would be according to what time of day we could see him. Ken can't see how to drive if I didn't get out of the office way before dark. You all know how long it usually takes to see a doctor.

My daughter is still not doing well at all. She is still not working. She did see the chiropractor Monday and is supposed to see her again today. She felt better right after the adjustment but it soon wore off. She called me early this morning and said that she couldn't hardly stand and pain was running down one leg.
Thanks for your prayers and good thoughts for all of us. We appreciate them very much.
Have a blessed day everyone. Helen

Myself, family, and a long time friend

Hi everybody, yes Ken and I did have a good thanksgiving here at home, just the two of us and our pups. Not the traditional TG dinner but one we cooked up together. My two children couldn't make it because of bad back problems. My daughter has been in bed most of this past week although she saw a doc and got a torodol shot and some meds the first of last week, she is still not better, still in severe pain. Today she will see her chiropractor to gets xrays made and start some adjustments started if the doc thinks she should. That doc has been out of town but told my daughter to call first thing on Mon. to let her check her schedule. I am sure she will work her in. She will miss work today and I don't know how many days she will be out. My son has been trying to work and comes home from work and goes straight to bed.

I have an online friend of many years who has been in the hospital for around a month who has had a stroke and is doing therapy, hoping to come home soon. He is 88 years old. He needs some good thoughts and prayers sent up for him as well as my children and myself do also. I will get to myself in a minute down below. My friends name is Sam and goes by Gravydogg55 on AOL. (Here is his blog) I have been so worried by not seeing him post lately and have sent some emails to him asking about his health. I got an answer from his daughter as to what has been going on and she also posted it for him in his blog. Please call around with some encouragement for him if you get a chance. Your comments will not show up until he reads it and allows them to show. Jeannette also posted about him in our support blog. Thanks Jeannette.
Now on to me. I am still not doing well at all. Still in a lot of pain and not able to sit but a few minutes at a time. Ken is still doing most everything here. (He is such a good person. He even went to the grocery store and got my daughter a bunch of groceries because she was out of food and could not go to get groceries and then he took it to her which is 1 and1/2 hours away driving in the rain most of the way.)I called my Doc's office last week that did this last surgery and they are going to get another MRI set up to try to find out what has happened. I am waiting to hear from the MRI place here that will get that set up. Then I will take the xrays back to see him when he comes to our town. To tell the truth I am looking for more surgery to have to be done. A bone may have chipped off and slipped down. We just won't know until the MRI gets done then I see the Doc. again. So all you people can see why I am still asking for good thoughts and prayers.
I am so sorry that I haven't been around to visit with many of you and leave mostly short comments when I do get a chance to visit.
Thanks for all your visits and comments plus all those good thoughts and prayers you have been sending our way. We appreciate it very much.
Much love to you all. I will post again when when I find out something. Maybe one day I can post about something good.
Helen

Happy Thanksgiving, may it be a blessed one!

I Hope each and Every one of you along with all your loved one's and friends have a very Happy Thanksgiving. May God's blessings be with all of you.
Love you all. Helen


Graphics by Sugar, Thanks Sugar, I hope you have a great Day!

Helping Dad of "Dad's tomato Garden"

Hi everyone, Dad (Ray White)from "Dad's Tomato Garden" has lost his blog. In the meantime here is a temporary blog he started and will be using until blogspot can help him find his blog. Here is his email to me and I was glad to help anyway I can.


Help please! To our dismay Mary and I cannot find my Blog! The page that comes up says that it has been deleted, but we know we didn't delete it! We contacted Blogspot and they are working on getting it restored. In the meantime, would you please make a note in your journal November 21 and let people know where I am for now. This will be the link to another Journal I started but didn't keep working on. Here is the link for it. I will make an entry there in the morning, and until my real Blog is restored.

http://tomatogardeningwithdad.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much for helping me out.
DAD

Dad's Tomato Journal

Dad's Tomato Garden Web Page

Dad's Memoirs Web Page

Dad's Fried Green Tomatoes Web Page

Dad's Songbirds and Roses Web Page

Snow Flakes and Dear Ones

Good morning everybody. Yesterday was a better day for me. I layed in the backseat of the car and went with Ken to get our two dogs their shots updated. I got so sorry for them. There were so happy to get to go ride then was so disappointed when they saw where they were. Daisy went to their glass door and kept whining to get out. Ken had to pull her away from it. We didn't have to sit but around 5 minutes before they called us in. Patches pulled back on her lease so the technician had to pick her up and carry her to the weighing machine, She weighed a little over 13 lbs but Daisy has made a chubby girl. She went over 19 lbs. She is shorter so that makes her a really chubby girl. Anyway it was great to get out for a while and I did really good.
The above picture is close to our house. Ken went to Walmarts the other day, came home and really wanted me to see the mirrow finish on the lake so I crawled in the car for a few minutes and went with him and got a couple of pictures. This lake never has any pretty leaves around it because most of them are pine trees. I still haven't had a chance to get any pretty pictures and it is supposed to rain the next two day and will probably knock off all the pretty leaves. I am trying to find a good color of font that can be used on this background so bear with me please.
Have a blessed day everyone.
Helen

Good morning everybody, sorry about not making an entry lately or leaving any comments in blogs. I have had a bad setback with this back. It seems to be some better this morning so I thought I would try sitting a few minutes to make an entry. The Doc said I had either tried to fast to get well or another bone had chipped off and fallen down in my back. I hope it is not the latter one.

I haven't had a chance to get out and take any fall pictures but took a couple through the storm door to across the street.

I hope everyone is doing fine.

Have a blessed day. Helen

Doing ok

I have been fooling around with backgrounds this afternoon and surely messed up some text and comment colors and don't know how to correct them and can't sit long enough to fool with it to find out. I should have let well enough alone LOL.
Yesterday I went back to my back doc and he was well pleased at how I am coming along. I can do my exercises without any pain and can walk down the street for around 10 minutes without very much trouble. I am not taking any pain meds now. The doc dismissed me for two months unless I have some trouble, in that case I am to contact him.
I am back into my old habit though of not sleeping well. I think I slept myself out when I was on so many meds.
I just pray that my back stops hurting soon. It has not quit yet but is a lot better since I first had surgery but am still hurting like I was before surgery. I am holding on though with faith that I will be a lot better soon.

Sorry that I didn't get any pretty fall pictures yesterday. The trip was rougher that I thought it would be plus no pretty leaf changes yet. I told Ken let's just come on home and not try to find any pretty colors yet.
Have a blessed night and weekend everyone.
Love to you all,
Helen

Hello everybody. Just another short entry to let you all know I am still getting better. Slowly but surely. Still doing physical thereapy three times a week. I didn't get to get out and walk today because it has been raining all day. I did get out in the front yard a couple of days ago and made the above picture. It was hard squatting just a little to get it above the house LOL. Sorry to do such short entrys but a stay at home person not able to get out any yet there isn't much to tell.
Thanks again for your prayers and good thoughts for me and my family.

Have a blessed weekend everyone.

Love to you all, Helen

Doing fine

Hello everybody, I am happy to report that I am coming along great with this back surgery. I can now walk around the house and do some physical therapy. In fact the physical therapist has just left. The biggest problem is sitting.
I want all of you to know that I really appreciate all your good thoughts and your prayers. When I went into surgery I was not afraid at all. I could feel every ones love and prayers surrounding me. Of course it was really rough for the first couple of days after surgery then I started getting better. My biggest problem now is sitting. I am limited to how long to sit. I have a limit of 30 minutes and if I overdo it my hip tells me about it. I have to go now and get off this sitting.
I think Ken enjoyed making entry's and reporting on my progress and reading all the comments you all made.
I forgot to ask you all to send prayers and good thoughts up for my daughter Mira, After taking care of me at the hospital and sleeping on that hard couch she has been down in her back also and needs your love. She has been working this week in a lot of pain. Thanks in advance.
Thanks again to all of you.
Have a blessed day. Helen

Hoping for a new beginning

Sometime tomorrow morning is the day for my back surgery. The hospital will call today to tell me a time to be there. I had some requests to do a reminder entry when the time got closer. I am hoping for a new beginning of being pain free or at least not nearly as much pain as I have been having. I will be going to Saint Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham Alabama for the surgery.

If I do ok after surgery in the morning then they will have me up walking that afternoon. Then if I am still doing ok they will start physical therapy on Wednesday morning. I am thinking they probably show me some exercises. If I am doing ok then I can come home on Wednesday. If not then I will be there a few more days. They have already told me to take it easy for three weeks afterwards, to walk around some and not lift over five pounds. I am going to follow instructions

to a T.

I want to take this opportunity to once again thank everyone for your prayers and good thoughts. I will ask all of you to please keep remembering me in your prayers and good thoughts for a safe surgery and a fast healing time. I am thanking you all in advance. I have no idea how long it will be until I can do another post.

Love and hugs to you all.

Have a blessed week everyone.

Helen

Wondering if I messed up

Just wondering if I messed my blog up because I tried to add a 2 on the end of the name for moving my files from AOL, then my blog disappeared and somehow I got it back on. I could not get it back on by going to my favorites or to my task bar icon and went to another blog that had me listed and pulled it up from there I hope it will work ok now. I have put it back in my favorites and reinstated it back on my task bar. I'm really trying it out to see if it will take a new post.

Helen

It is true

I now see it is true that AOL will close down journals permanently. I am checking out Blogger to see if I want to use it. I want to see if it will take pictures and movies as well.

Now to see if movies can be added and how to go about doing it.
This is the same movie I put on my AOL Journal.

Well everything seems to work out ok Now I just wish this site had alerts. Have a blessed day. Helen