It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: As you know, I've had 2 friends pass away unexpectedly in the last 2 1/2 weeks. Other than older relatives, this has been a first for me. It's completely different when it's a close friend, a girlfriend that you've shared your life and your heart with.

I don't mean to sound morbid, but I'm interested to know if you've ever had a close friend pass away?

This has been a wake-up call and sure has made me think about my own mortality in a more personal and serious way. It makes me want to nurture more carefully the relationships I have with the family and friends that I love. Both of these losses were sudden and unexpected and will leave a hugh void in many lives and hearts. We need to make everyday count because again, you just never know when God is going to call you home.

My Friend Carol

It is with a heavy heart that I have to tell you our beautiful friend Carol passed away early this morning. Her weak body wasn't able to fight off the infection and she went into cardiac arrest in the wee hours of the morning. This time they weren't able to bring her back.

The details are still sketchy but we do know that Paul, Carol's husband and one of the dearest people on earth, is in route right now from Las Vegas to their home in Long Beach. I'm so worried about Paul and her sons, please continue to keep them in your prayers. Carol was outgoing, vibrant, and the rock that held her family together. This is a devastating loss for so many.

I knew without a doubt that if I asked for prayer, that you, my wonderful blogging friends would be fervently praying on Carol's behalf, and I thank you! Thank you to each and everyone of you that took the time to leave a message saying you were keeping Paul and Carol in your thoughts and prayers. Your comments mean so much! Although our prayers weren't answered as we wanted them to be answered, I truly feel that we'll have all of the answers to all of our questions when we get to heaven, and that's where I'll see my beautiful friend Carol again someday!

As information becomes available, I'll let you know more about what caused all of this. We're all just shocked and devastated.

Urgent Prayer Request

Today we got an unexpected email and telephone call regarding one of our very close camping club friends, Carol. Carol is the pretty woman with the long brown hair...


Carol and her husband Paul were in Lake Havasu and she discovered she had been bitten by something (they think it was a scorpion although it sounds like a brown recluse to me). I guess she let it go for a few days until it was clear that she needed to have it looked at. Paul took her to an urgent care where they said she needed to be taken to the hospital. She was air lifted to a hospital in Las Vegas and is in critical condition right now. She's had to be resuscitated once and her kidneys have shut down. My husband talked to Paul earlier tonight and it doesn't look good at all. If she survives, her foot where she was bitten will be amputated.

Please take a minute and say a prayer for my dear friend Carol. She has 2 grown sons, 2 grandchildren, a loving husband, and is a doting mommy to a dog that she's crazy about. She got Rusty because she saw how much joy Jake brings to me. Carol will be 50 years old this September so she's still got alot of living to do!

To The Dentist...Again!

Well I'm off to the dentist again. Saturday night that one front tooth of mine that chipped a few years back chipped yet again. I haven't even left the house because I feel and look like a darn hillbilly!

It's a small chip and the dentist has fixed it before but I have a feeling I'm going to have to do something drastic, like cap my tooth or something. I'm afraid! That seems soooo drastic! What if the color of the capped tooth doesn't match the color of the tooth next to it!

Decisions!
Decisions!

What to do?
What to do?

I can't keep looking like a hillbilly every few years!

Swimming Pool Redo

We have needed to have our swimming pool redone for quite sometime now, years in fact. We have gone so far as to get bids over the last few years but for whatever reason, we never followed through. Finally, we made up our mind that this was going to be the year. This was going to be the year for the swimming pool renovation!

If you've been reading my blog for very long, you also know that we will hopefully be putting our home on the market some time this year. So now you might be asking yourself "why would they spend the time and money to redo their swimming pool when they plan on moving? Are they crazy!?" Well, maybe we are a little crazy but we feel that in order to get top dollar in today's market, your home needs to be in tip top shape. It needs to stand out from the rest. The last 2 projects that we've done, redoing the roof and swimming pool, will help move us in that direction.

As you can see from the "before" pictures below, the 20 year old plaster and tile was really showing it's age...




The hardest part about the project was picking out the new tile because there are so many beautiful tile samples out there to choose from. It's also one of the first things you need to decide on as the tile is installed early on. We found that for us the best thing to do was to bring home lots of samples and then just start eliminating the one's that didn't work. We narrowed it down to two tiles, but in the end we chose this pretty, textured blue tile. I think we made the right choice...


Some "during" photos...







I don't know what I expected but the process was pretty easy and painless as home projects go. Maybe it was so easy because everything was contained outdoors. Finally, a home project that didn't turn the inside of the house upside down!

The pool renovation took about a week from start to finish and we're really pleased with the results. We just keep asking ourselves "what took us so long to get this done!?!





Another home project completed...and just in time for summer!

Getting To Know YOU

Today, for something new and fun, I'm linking up with Keely over at Mannland5 for her Getting to Know YOU Sunday.

The rules are simple. To play, just copy the questions, answer them, post them on your blog, then come back to Mannland5 and link up.

So without further adew...

1. If you could star in any movie genre..what would it be..romance..horror..comedy..suspense or action? Romantic comedy, with a handsome leading man!

2. Do you recycle? We recycle our cans.

3. Have you ever been to a strip club? For my 30th birthday, a group of us girls took a limo to Chippendales in Los Angeles. That was my one and only "strip club" experience.


4. Do you have a nickname? Not really, although one friend at work insists on calling me Linda Lou!


5. What's a name you can't stand to be called? Without a doubt, it's ma'am!


6. What are your Summer staples? Cute flowing skirts and sandles!


7. What was the last thing you bought for yourself? I can't remember! Most of my purchases are for the house, family, friends, and coworkers. But trust me, I'm not deprived! I'm very blessed!


8. Are you happy with your boob size? I was until I put on some weight! Now they're a little BIGGER than I'm used to!

Happy Sunday!

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: If you were going out to lunch today and ordered a sandwich, what type of sandwich would you order?

I'd order either a cold turkey or club sandwich. Would you believe Denney's has the best club sandwiches ever! A couple of times a year I'll be in the mood for a good club sandwich so it's off to Denney's we go! It's usually when we're out traveling. There's just something about eating at a Denney's when you're on the road!

Happy Thursday And A Repost

Since I'm at work today (and we've got nothing interesting going on around here), I thought I'd repost one of my favorites posts from almost 2 years ago. Of course, it's about one of my favorite subjects, Jake!

"Jakester...wanna go bye-bye with Daddy?"

That was what I heard my husband say to our dog Jake as he was leaving the house this morning. This coming from the same man that said the following things only a short time ago:

"I don't want a dog, but I know how much you do...but remember, I don't want a dog!"

"If you get a dog, you're going to have to clean up the pee/pooh because remember, I don't want a dog!"

"I'm not going to do any of the training of a dog because remember, I don't want a dog!"

"Even though we've had Jake for a few months now, if you found a good home I'd say go ahead and give Jake to them because remember, I didn't want a dog!"

"Don't say I'm his "Daddy" because I'm not...it's ridiculous to hear you say that. Remember, I didn't want a dog!"

and the list goes on and on and on...

Well after 2 years now, hubby is singing a different tune. We ALL love Jake and just couldn't imagine a day without him...especially Daddy!

Photo Resolution 2010 and Wordless Wednesday

15/52:


16/52:

Crazy California Weather!

The last 4-5 days have been absolutely gorgeous here, but not today. It's cold, windy, and rainy outside. I think I'll just stay inside and cuddle up with the Jakester all day. Actually, it's a perfect ironing and TV watching day. I only watch TV when I iron, so today just might be my TV day.

The pool is finished and looking beautiful but anytime you have any type of work done, a mess ensues, so Sunday afternoon was clean up day. My husband hosed down the back yard and patio and ended up getting all of the windows wet in the process. Yes, all of them! So, cleaning the outside windows led me to cleaning the inside windows, which led to cleaning the shutters, which led to wiping down mirrors, which led to dusting, and so forth and so on! I'm sure you know what I mean! Why do I always forget that Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest! I(we) worked our butts off but boy does everything look nice. Spring cleaning has definitely begun!

Yesterday I wrote some thank you notes that needed to be sent out, packaged up some good mail, went to the post office, then worked in the yard.

Yep, today just might be a TV day!

Luckily Sooner, Rather Than Later...

I've been on the lookout for a little side table to go upstairs in our loft area. I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg for something expensive yet I didn't want a piece of junk either. I figured I'd run across something that would work sooner or later. Sure enough, a few weeks ago I found this table at the GW, brand new and still in the box, with the glass top included. Do you remember these tables? I know they used to sell them at Mervyn's but I wouldn't even know where to look for them these days.


I know it was meant to be because would you believe I also found the ivory tablecloth on the same day. These are special tablecloths for these tables, so really, what are the odds!?! It was even the right color!


I knew it needed something else to finish off the look so I went to Joann's and picked up some material to make a small table topper. I bought about a yard of some pretty toile fabric, hemmed the edges with iron on fabric tape, and viola! The perfect little side table. I love it when a plan comes together!

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: When was the last time you cleaned out your refrigerator or cleaned underneath it?

This week was a very busy and emotional one for me. I'm not an emotional "eater", I'm an emotional "cleaner!"

I was so upset Sunday after the horrible events of the day before that I did what I do when I'm upset. I cleaned. I cleaned out the inside of the refrigerator, wiped off the top of it, and moved the refrigerator out from the wall and cleaned underneath it. While I was at it, I washed down the walls behind the frig and the cabinets above it. I also cleaned the office from top to bottom, filed papers away, and got rid of the stacks and stacks of papers and junk mail that seem to spring up out of nowhere.

Last night was Nancie's viewing and rosary and today was the funeral. Again, such an emotional time for everyone. I'm sure that means more cleaning will take place this weekend!

I'll talk about the funeral next week but in the meantime, please continue to keep Nancie's family in your thoughts and prayers. Her poor mother is so grief stricken. It just breaks your heart.

It's Been A Rough Week

As you can just imagine, with sweet little Nancie's death on Saturday, this has been one emotional and unforgettable week. I've worked each day so I've been witness to the raw emotions her close friends, coworkers, and patients have displayed. She was a very loved young woman!

Nancie's best friend and coworker (also named Nancy by the way) works directly with me each day and she is just breaking my heart, yet I am so proud of her at the same time. I'm so proud of my coworkers who have been such a support for Nancie's mom and brother. They have been in constant contact Nancie's mom daily, have arranged to bring all of the food to the gathering after the funeral, and even plan on serving the food at the reception. They collected funds for the family and will also be holding a yard sale on Saturday with all of the proceeds going to the family as well. A former coworker of ours gathered pictures and made a 45 minute video montage which will be played at the funeral. What a gift for the family! Our employer and coworkers have helped to lift such burdens for the family at this terrible time. It's truly been a humbling experience and a beautiful thing to see.

I've been amazed at the love and support that Nancie's close friends at work have given. She had a core group of about 8 girls and let me tell you, these girls have taken this task on by storm. They loved their close friend like a sister and they've been there lifting up the family and each other every step of the way. They already had my respect as hard working young girls but they've taken it to a higher level. I stand in awe of the love, support, and honor they've shown their beloved Nancie.

The visitation and Rosary is tonight with the funeral tomorrow morning. If you get the chance, please keep these coworkers of mine in your thoughts and prayers. Everyone is pretty much exhausted, mentally and physically.

Living Room Wall Redo

Do you change your furniture, pictures, and accessories around often? I don't. In fact, once a nail is in the wall, it's there for good. Unless I'm in the mood to spackle and repaint that is.

Well, over the last few years, we've done some big household projects in order to update our home, and painting and spackling all of the interior has been one of them. It's been fun because it's been like a brand new canvas. Fresh new walls, fresh new decorating opportunities.

When we moved into our home 13 years ago, I hung 2 large prints on one of our living room walls. The pictures were perfect for the space and I loved them. Now fast forward 13 years and I've been itching to get rid of them.

Silly me didn't take photos of the wall before with the old pictures still hanging but I did remember to take photos of the 2 prints. I still think the prints and frames are pretty but not necessarily my taste or colors any more. Here is a picture of the 2 prints that I have been wanting to replace...


After keeping my eye out for new pictures that would work on the wall, I found 4 botanical type prints at a sidewalk sale that an interior decorator was having last fall. These were just what I had envisioned and I knew they would be the perfect replacements.



I'm not one to buy things haphazardly so I'm very glad I took my time and waited for the right prints to come along. I love how this wall turned out. So fresh and updated!

You Just Never Know...

When God is going to call you home.

I wasn't supposed to work today but volunteered since they were going to be short staffed (as usual!) Already, first thing this morning we were scrambling because one technician called in sick and one just didn't show up. We kept trying to reach Nancie, the one who didn't show up, but she never answered our calls.

When I say we were short staffed, trust me, we were short staffed! We were so busy the day seemed to fly by and by break time at 2:30 pm, still no one had heard from Nancie. Not showing up for work isn't like Nancie so we were worried plenty by this time. One tech (Gina) decided to go to Nancie's house on break but came back because she couldn't locate the exact house. Two others (Alisa and Lori) said they knew where Nancie lived and off they went. Nancie's car was in the driveway when they got there but everything was locked up tight in the house and they couldn't see in. They called us at work and by that time we had located Nancie's mom's phone number and address. They went directly to Nancie's mom's house which was just around the corner and as soon as they told Nancie's mom that she hadn't shown up for work, she started to panic and knew in her heart it was bad. Nancie is diabetic and had been having trouble keeping her blood sugar under control. There was good reason to panic.

Nancie's mom, brother, Alisa, and Lori entered the house and while Nancie's mom was turning off the house alarm, the others headed to Nancie's bedroom. It was terrible. Apparently, Nancie's blood sugar fell dangerously low during the night and she didn't recover. She was 28 years old!

We are a tight knit group and let me just say the place fell apart when we officially got the news, especially for Nancie's two best friends who were working and had been worried all day. Lots of crying, LOTS OF CRYING, and just plain shock and disbelief. She was just 28 years old!

Whenever I think of Nancie, I'll smile and picture her as Frankenstein this past Halloween! She was the best Frankenstein ever!


Rest in peace Nancie! Gone, but never forgotten!

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: Do you read the obituaries?

I read the obituaries daily, mainly for two reasons...

1) I live in a fairly large city, but it has a small town feel. After living here for 20+ years, I've come to know alot of people. I read the obituary yesterday of a man that I went to church with years ago. He was only 54 years old, much to young to be leaving his wife and children.

2) Being a nurse, it's just something we nurses do.

Photo Resolution 2010 and Wordless Wednesday

14/52:

Beautiful wildflowers!

This post is linked to:
Wordless Wednesday at Embrace the Chaos

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Unfortunately, this past week I haven't been able to visit blogs or post as often as I'd like to. I worked last Friday and Saturday, went out of town on Easter (and didn't get home until 11:00pm), then had to work bright and early Monday and Tuesday. I also had to fit in physical therapy twice during those days so I've been busy, and tired! I'm now off work for a few days so hopefully I'll have time to catch up.

We've also been busy with a big project at home. Our pool redo finally got started. We've needed new tile and plaster for years and finally got around to having it done. They are about half way done with the project. It's not easy deciding on tile but it looks like we made a good choice. I'll post on the pool redo later, but for now, here's a sneak peek...