A BUSY WEEK

I am so enjoying my Spring this year.  The weather has been so nice.

This has been such a busy week.  Well, the last three weeks have been busy.  When I look at my planner there are no white spaces on any day.  I need a break!

So let me continue from yesterday and tell you about my week.

Monday:  Early in the morning... well, early for me... I was scheduled for a stress test.  I knew there was nothing wrong with my heart but my cardiologist wanted to explore every angle and so scheduled one.  My appointment was for 8:00 a.m. and I was the third one there.  Every 15 to 30 minutes another person would come in.  By the afternoon (yes, afternoon) there were 12 people and the nurses were bringing out folding chairs because we had run out of places to sit.  I was there for 5 hours.  I had taken some catalogs that had come in the mail with me to look at.  I knew I couldn't concentrate enough to read a book.  As I'm sitting there I hear a man and woman behind me introduce themselves to each other (Jim and Sue) and start talking.  I'm not really listening until I hear him say he works for the city and he's about to retire.  Wait a minute!  I turned around and told him I had worked for the city and I had just retired.  So I joined in their conversation.  More and more people came in.  Everyone was so nice and friendly and we ended up having a "party" of sorts.  We laughed.  We kidded each other.  There was one test that had to be done both before and after the actual stress test where you sat in a chair that moved slowly in a circle while a machine took pictures of your heart.  Sue started saying that everyone should have their tickets ready for the ride.  Sue and I talked a lot.  She is a really nice person.  You couldn't eat or drink until after the stress test and so as each person came out they were allowed to get lunch.  The rest of us were saying, "What are you eating?  Oh, that looks so good."  When I went back for my test the nurse asked what was going on out in the waiting room.  I said, "We're having a party."  She said, "I can tell.  I've never heard so much laughter going on.  I want to be invited."  All in all it made the experience so much better.  Everyone went back for their test relaxed and happy.

I was supposed to get the chemical stress test but the doctor insisted I get onto the treadmill.  I told him about my knees and he said he would take it easy on me and not incline it.  OK.  So I started.  At first it was OK but then they made it go faster and I couldn't keep up.  Then I heard a "pop" and my knee went out.  I cried out, "Ow!  My knee!" and I had to stop walking.  I almost fell off of the machine.  The nurse quickly stopped it.  So they made me sit down and do the chemical test.  I asked if they could make it slower.  Much slower.  And was told that was the slowest it went.  Believe me, I would much rather have walked then have the chemicals, but you can only do what you can do.

I got out of there around 1:00 p.m. and went to Wawa which is a block away.  I got something to eat and an iced tea.  The technician told me to drink caffeine to make me feel better after having had the chemicals in me.  Then I headed to the garage to put my car in.  I ended up sitting in the shop for about an hour eating my food and looking at the rest of my catalogs.  (6 more in the recycling.  Whoo hoo!)

It turned out that the sensor in the tire had gotten bent and fell off when I started driving fast on the highway.  The extra weight in the tire made them unbalanced which is why the car was shaking.  And then when I really got up speed and it was bouncing around inside the tire that was when the check tire light went on.  They gave me another type of sensor which is attached to the valve stem and won't come off.  It now drives like a new car.  I'm very happy.

I spent the rest of the day sleeping because I really didn't feel good.  So Joe called out for dinner and got me a fried chicken platter that I like from Old English Pizza around the corner from us.  What a guy.

Tuesday:  I woke up around 2 a.m. as I usually do, but instead of going back to bed I realized I had never finished studying for my Bible study lesson that morning.  I hadn't printed my handouts either.  Oops!  I was just so out of it on Monday.  So guess what I was doing from 2-4 a.m.  And it turned out great.  We had a really good Bible Study with lots of interaction which I really like.  I think that's a sign of a good study.  I don't want to lecture them.  I think everyone should be able to think about it and make it their own.

The flowers in the church yard are gorgeous and all blooming now.  Here's some pictures I took for you.

The dogwood in the church yard is starting to bloom too.  It's such a pretty tree.
 

Here's one of the neighbor's in full bloom.  I love dogwoods.
 

I also forgot to show you the flowers I got for Easter last Saturday.  They are so pretty and I have to get them into the yard soon.

And Joe and I went to the farm.  Here's what I got:

 Red cabbage, a rutabaga, 4 shallots, asparagus and 2 baguettes.

I knew I had forgotten something last time.

Tuesday afternoon I had an appointment with my gastroenterologist.  I went to where I thought the office was and I was in the wrong place.  So I had to call Joe and ask him where I was going.  When I got there, I couldn't figure out how to get into the parking lot, made a wrong turn and almost got hit.  God was really looking out for me.  I got there only 5 minutes late.  Everything is good with me.  Just need to see him sometime next year.

Wednesday:  Joe had Physical Therapy but his allergies are still bothering him so much that he cancelled.  He'll just do the exercises at home and go today.  We did go to Bible study though.  He slept most of the day and so was up to teaching.  And he did a good job too.

Thursday:  I just couldn't get myself together in the morning.  I watched TV, read blogs and generally just napped off and on.  Too much running around I guess.  I did get a phone call from the cardiologist that everything was great with my echo tests and with the stress test.  I knew it would be.

There was an Elders' Meeting last night at the parsonage.  I took Joe and brought my knitting.  I get a lot done when all I can do is sit there waiting.

And that brings us up to today.  Carolyn's uncle died and the funeral is today.  So Pastor and Carolyn won't be at church.  Both Carol and I have keys so whoever gets there first will open up for the Crafter's meeting.  More knitting, chatting and enjoying.  

Then in the afternoon I will take Joe for his Physical Therapy.  I think this may be the last one. He is supposed to have one more week, but we are going away to the Annual Conference of the Bible Fellowship Church next week which is being held in the Pocono Mountains.  It's two hours away and Joe is a delegate so he will be in meetings all day.

I am so tired, but am looking forward to getting away.  The worship at the Conference is incredible.  And this year instead of staying at Pinebrook we got a hotel room nearby for the three nights we are there.  Joe and I really need the handicapped bars in the bathroom and the hard mattresses made it so painful for me that I couldn't sleep much last year.  Of course Joe loves a hard mattress and actually can sleep on anything.  The hotel is only 5 minutes from the Conference Center so we will easily be able to go back and forth as needed.  We are taking our meals at Pinebrook so we will be able to interact with all of our friends there.  

I am hoping that during some of the sessions that I can't participate in I can go shopping.  I found a store online that is nearby that I really want to check out.  They have novelty gifts and I have a bunch of friends having birthdays soon.  I thought it would be fun to give them something they wouldn't get in a regular store.  

Also, there is a Japanese/Chinese restaurant that we want to go to the last night for dinner.  It's called Ichiban Hibachi Steakhouse.  They serve sushi, hibachi dishes and Chinese food.  Joe and I love sushi and hibachi so it sounds perfect.  It got really good reviews too. 

Of course you know I will be taking you all along with me.  What fun would a trip be without having all of my friends join in?

And now I have to run and get myself ready for today.  Hope you all have a great day.

Kathy