My New Bedroom

Feeling a little bit better... though not completely. Ribs still hurting, not as bad, but mostly in the mornings or when I push myself too hard.  Then I developed a weird rash around my neckline... so I've been pretty much "out of it" for this past month.

Anyway, enough about me. Thought I'd share some pictures of my "new bedroom" -- a huge step for me as this room was planned to be Bob's therapy room...

My grandparent's dresser from 1932.

The pictures above the bed used to belong to Hamlin Garland's mother,
given to me by great granddaughter. They are fashion prints from the 1860's.

Bob & I found this Victorian dresser in a junk shop when we were newlyweds.

I've had these antique curtain rods since I was 20 years old!

Ripley's favorite spot on the window seat and his wicker bed in the corner.

This photo shows the "true" color of the walls... during daylight.

Finally, we are all getting used to the changes, including Ripley! Will post pictures of the "dining room" (formerly my bedroom) once I get it together -- but will have to take some time with my ribs still hurting....

When will it end?

So you all know I cracked/fractured my ribs and it's been over 4 weeks ago -- so yesterday I was feeling quite fine, after taking many many days recovering....  Thought, yes!! I'm feeling better!

By "recovering" I mean not doing much at all.  Do you know there's actually a TV station that plays nothing but game shows from the 1970's?!  Ha! That's what I've doing ...  watching too much stupid TV shows with an ice pack on my ribs...

Anyway, yesterday, felt better, decided to vacuum this house which was covered with dog/cat hair and driving me crazy --- did it, vacuumed and though my back hurt a little afterwards, still took Kona on a longer walk that evening and thought, good, back to normal --- but today woke up in sooooooo much pain in my ribs....

Damn! Thought I'd be better by now. These past weeks, I've been very depressed, prone to crying at the drop of a hat such as a catheter commercial or Medicare commercial, and I am tired of hurting and crying and feeling so alone...

Tomorrow is Halloween... and the next day my birthday... so hard without Bob...

Trying to hang in here. Happy Halloween everyone!

This Time I Really "Did It!"

You know how it is when you move into a new place, or rearrange your house, and you get bit little confused, especially at night....

So! It's nighttime here at the pink house, and I get up to use the bathroom and it's not the same direction as it used to since I changed my bedroom and as I was entering the bathroom I slipped or tripped, don't ask, it happened so fast, but turned wrong and ended up falling right into the bathtub/shower at which point I got tangled/grabbed onto (don't ask, happened so fast) with the shower curtain and tore the shower curtain down as I fell down into the tub, and not only pulled the shower curtain down, but also the curtain rod and the gizmo that holds the rod onto the ceiling came down and also broke the bracket in half that supports the road on the tile wall.

Landed sort of on my back and side, thankfully didn't hit my head, but cracked/fractured my lower rib cage and bruised myself all over....

I layed there awhile in the tub, legs hanging over the edge, trying to figure out how to get out, but somehow managed and crawled to bed and woke up in the worse pain, then saw the damage I'd done in the bathroom...  jeepers

Managed to get a handyman to come and fix the curtain.

A few days later, was finally feeling a bit better and went out to water some of my plants (as the sprinkler system still not working) and Kona was with me and I guess I wasn't watching her, because when I went to roll up the water hose I saw her eating bird seed that had fallen from the bird feeder.  Didn't think much of that, until three hours or so later when she began vomiting, and vomiting, and vomiting.... 2-3-4 finally 5 times. And there I am on the floor cleaning up dog puke, scrubbing rugs, and then on the 4th pile, beginning to dry heave, then running into the bathroom and puking my guts out which did nothing to help the healing of my ribs, I tell you, in fact, made it feel much worse.

That night, after I finally convinced Ripley to come to bed in the "new bedroom", Kona puked again this time on the cat. So was back to square one with Ripley not wanting to sleep in the "new room", can't say I blame him....

That was two weeks ago. Kona's better. The curtain rod is back up in place. Ripley finally making his way back onto the bed at night. But my ribs are still killing me. So I'm out for the count for a few more weeks. Mostly spend my days and nights with an ice pack on my ribs and watching way too much TV. A trip to the grocery store takes it out of me. So many things I need to do but just not up to it.  Even hurts to sit up at the computer for too long.

So I'm typing quick as I can...  please excuse any typos....

Did it!

Moved bedroom furniture from dining room into an actual bedroom -- whoa.... I know it doesn't sound like much, but a very HUGE step for me..... (as you probably know my bed etc. was in the dining room to keep an eye on Bob, whose medical bed, equipment, etc. was in the living room)  -- and then this "bedroom" was going be Bob's therapy room, planned on getting parallel bars, maybe a Nu-step and hire a PT to come in weekly....  So all Bob's clothes were in the closet and the door has been closed since he died....

So a BIG step for me, first emptying his clothes out of the closet, going through his clothes, crying, they went into boxes -- just stored aside -- then painting the room -- the paint job that was there was a for shit job, you could see where spots were missed, etc. Painted it a grayish blue (very calming color) Then planning the whole thing, hanging curtains and shades .... not sure if I wanted to, not sure what to do with dining room, not sure, not sure.... but finally did it --- hired a guy to help me move furniture.. and a day spent "decorating" i.e. hanging pictures, etc.... so it is now my bedroom.

More on this, and maybe some pictures, later. Right now, I am exhausted.

And Ripley doesn't want to sleep in the "new" bedroom, though Kona does follow me wherever I go,  I have to call her to bed --- but miss my Rippy-dips... in bed at night.

Happy Anniversary

25 years ago we married at the court house by a judge  -- before that we went to the mall and had our photo taken at Sears...

Happy 25th Anniversary 

My darling, my love and my life.

I love you.

Miss you.

Together forever.

And on and on

Well, Dorian is gone, thank goodness. Spent days stocking up on water, etc. and bringing things (porch/patio furniture/plants) in the house and garage and then --- taking every thing out again...  a lot of work for nothing -- though, that's a lot better than having the hurricane here, I will admit.

Thank goodness didn't hit here, and of course, my thoughts and prayers with those people directly hit by Dorian.

My goodness.

The Picture of Dorian Gray.  Kept thinking of that literary reference as the storm approached and I was glued to The Weather Channel.

Now we are looking at a storm called Humberto -- may be coming our way --- and can't help thinking about Lolita by Nabokov and the character Humbert Humbert...

Literary storms? What's with that?

Keeping my eye on it. And hoping the damn thing goes a different direction.

Meanwhile, I finally decided to move my bedroom furniture from the dining room into an actual bedroom. But that leaves the dining room quite vacant. So went out today, with Kona, antiquing.  You know, she is a good girl when antiquing, I remember the first time I took her into an antique shop and was worried that she'd wag her tail and knock something (expensive! yikes) over, but she's perfect. Heck, today, I knocked a wrought iron fireplace screen over. It was me, not her....  anyway....  that's rather sad, antiquing with your dog, but no one here to go with besides Kona and no one bothers me as she has her service harness --- so...

Kona and I went looking for a bookcase or bookshelf, that was the plan, but came home with a lamp! A very cool early 1900's table slag lamp. Hey, that how it goes when you are treasure hunting...  And it will look good on the library table I intend to move into the dining room, right now it's in my office with the printer on it and all sorts of junk, anyway --- no bookcase found today.

But! Saw a Victor Talking Machine, "high boy" just like the one I used to have and had to sell when Bob and I hit rock bottom --- always said, I'll buy another, someday --- but this one not working correctly. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but a professional Victrola restorer is going to look at it tomorrow to let me know how much it would cost to fix it, before I decide if I will buy it.

Okay -- besides that pool pump is replaced (yay! but cost $800, jeepers) sprinkler system still on the fritz, termite damage still there, garage roof still needs repair, think the termites are gone (?) then door needs repair, insulation in attic needs to be tacked back up... and furniture to be moved to put the bedroom furniture in the bedroom... and move several other pieces of furniture into dining room. Damn! It's hard to move furniture around when there is only one of you, so got to hire help.

One day at a time.

September 16th will be our 25th wedding anniversary.

Miss him so much.

I do wonder why I am still alive.