Nothing to exciting has been happening. I'm back in Tennessee. I drove here yesterday. The trip was uneventful. Traffic was light.
Kathy didn't come. She felt like she needed to go visit a friend of hers in Lebanon, IN.
I didn't do much today. I had a nice visit with Tom & Mary Lou this morning. One of my neighbors stopped later in the morning for a short visit.
In my last post I mentioned physical therapy for my back. I did have some back issues but am over them. The physical therapy is for the torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder. After 4 sessions I think they have done all they can do. When I get back to Missouri I will go back for a final session. I've been doing the exercises they recommended. I'm to the point where I still have some occasional pain, but nothing that an Ibuprofen can't handle. My back took care of itself. It is fine again.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Friday, January 13, 2017
Jan 13th - Winters Back
Temperature dropped below freezing yesterday. It probably won't get back above freezing until mid-day Sunday. We have been warned about freezing rain starting today and continuing on through Saturday. We got a little, maybe a tenth of an ice of ice so far. We are supposed to get more tomorrow. Fortunately we are on the very edge of the storm. I heard a report that a place in SW Missouri had 3/4" of ice by mid-day today. I don't think we will get enough ice to do any significant damage. I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere. We are well stocked with food and water. I have a small generator that will run the water pump on our wood fired boiler and the furnace fan. It will also provide enough electricity to keep things in our refrigerators and freezer from spoiling. It doesn't have enough capacity to run our well pump. If need be we can dip water out of the hot tub, or even the pond (might have to knock a hole in the ice), to flush toilets.We may be stinky from no showers but we will be well fed.
Wed AM was our Men's Fellowship. We had breakfast and a good time discussing this weeks lesson, as well as discussing a lot of other "important" stuff.
Yesterday morning was my 2nd physical therapy appointment for my shoulder. The therapist has now seen my X-Ray and MRI scan. She isn't allowed to tell me much but did tell me that she doesn't think the tear in the tendon is full depth, which is a very good thing. I suspect the tear probably isn't any worse than it was back when I had physical therapy in 2009(?). I think I probably just irritated it somehow. My guess is that another couple of therapy sessions, and maybe some exercising the shoulder at home, is all that I will need. My back, that I "popped" splitting wood, is doing much better. Hopefully I'm close to being able to fire up my chainsaw again.
Kathy, Kelsey & Nolan went to the Amish grocery stores mid-morning. Lydia had stayed home from pre-school and we "hung out" at our house.
I spent the afternoon on the initial stages of planning a spring trip. I still want to see Canyon Country in Utah & Arizona, including the Grand Canyon, and the new bridge over the Colorado River at Hoover Dam. The route I'm looking at initially is about a 3600 mile round trip, plus whatever we drive sightseeing along the way. Looks to me like it will be a 3-4 week trip. The average overnight lows don't get above freezing in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah & in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona until mid/late May. A problem is that the stop at the Hoover Dam is between these 2 national park stops. By late May the average high temperatures near the dam are already above 90 degrees. I hate days above 90! (If my worst problem is trip planning and having to endure a few days of 90+ degree temperatures I'm one lucky fellow.😊)
That today's news from Centertown.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Wed AM was our Men's Fellowship. We had breakfast and a good time discussing this weeks lesson, as well as discussing a lot of other "important" stuff.
Yesterday morning was my 2nd physical therapy appointment for my shoulder. The therapist has now seen my X-Ray and MRI scan. She isn't allowed to tell me much but did tell me that she doesn't think the tear in the tendon is full depth, which is a very good thing. I suspect the tear probably isn't any worse than it was back when I had physical therapy in 2009(?). I think I probably just irritated it somehow. My guess is that another couple of therapy sessions, and maybe some exercising the shoulder at home, is all that I will need. My back, that I "popped" splitting wood, is doing much better. Hopefully I'm close to being able to fire up my chainsaw again.
Kathy, Kelsey & Nolan went to the Amish grocery stores mid-morning. Lydia had stayed home from pre-school and we "hung out" at our house.
I spent the afternoon on the initial stages of planning a spring trip. I still want to see Canyon Country in Utah & Arizona, including the Grand Canyon, and the new bridge over the Colorado River at Hoover Dam. The route I'm looking at initially is about a 3600 mile round trip, plus whatever we drive sightseeing along the way. Looks to me like it will be a 3-4 week trip. The average overnight lows don't get above freezing in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah & in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona until mid/late May. A problem is that the stop at the Hoover Dam is between these 2 national park stops. By late May the average high temperatures near the dam are already above 90 degrees. I hate days above 90! (If my worst problem is trip planning and having to endure a few days of 90+ degree temperatures I'm one lucky fellow.😊)
That today's news from Centertown.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Jan 10th - Almost Summer
Today's high was in the 60's, what a nice change. No below freezing temps until Thursday night.
Not much happening. Nolan was here yesterday, that keeps Kathy BUSY.
Yesterday morning I met with a physical therapist to see if she could help me with my sore shoulder. After an hour with her she thinks the pain in my shoulder may be related to some misalignment of my spine. She gave me an "adjustment" and some exercises to do. She has not seen my x-ray nor my MRI so she reserved final judgement. I have another 5 or 6 appointments scheduled, 2 per week.
I'm still waiting for my back to get back to normal, after "popping" it while splitting wood. I think it is a little better every day. It was very windy this morning but this afternoon would have been great weather to cut some more wood.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Not much happening. Nolan was here yesterday, that keeps Kathy BUSY.
Yesterday morning I met with a physical therapist to see if she could help me with my sore shoulder. After an hour with her she thinks the pain in my shoulder may be related to some misalignment of my spine. She gave me an "adjustment" and some exercises to do. She has not seen my x-ray nor my MRI so she reserved final judgement. I have another 5 or 6 appointments scheduled, 2 per week.
I'm still waiting for my back to get back to normal, after "popping" it while splitting wood. I think it is a little better every day. It was very windy this morning but this afternoon would have been great weather to cut some more wood.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Jan 7th - Nolans Party
Yesterday I mentioned that I split a few pieces of the wood I hauled to the Hardy. The 2nd swing of the splitting maul and I felt my back pop. I only needed to split a few pieces so I finished and didn't do much else the remainder of the day, except sit in my chair with a heating pad on my back. When I got up this morning it didn't feel bad at all. I went out and threw a couple of pieces of wood in the boiler and came back in the house. (Our thermometer on the front porch said zero degrees when I came back in the house.) In about a half hour I could not bend over. I thought I was going to have a really bad day. A little more sitting with the heating pad on my back loosened up. It's not 100% but its not all that bad.
Lydia came over early this morning and stayed for the day, while Kelsey got ready for Nolan's birthday party. Doug & Anthony had bought her a "craft kit" but it didn't get delivered until after they went back to Indy. Lydia and I worked on it this AM.
She is decorating one of the penguins.
The penguins, which she decorated, are for "snow bowling". I'm not sure why she has the end of a jump rope in her hand.
In addition to the penguins we made a clay snowman who, when the clay dries, goes into a "snow globe". On the right are some frozen paints we mixed up. The paints are to make post cards. We didn't have a chance to try them.
In the afternoon we went to Kelsey's for Nolan's first birthday party. This used to be Kelsey's car but Nolan loves it. It is pretty funny but he is afraid of the cow "rocking horse", which they have had for a couple of weeks.
Lots of family at the party. Only a few of them in the photos below.
Desserts.
Nolan with his 1st birthday cake. Kelsey lit the candle and he immediately grabbed the flame putting the flame out. He didn't hurt himself. I didn't get a photo of him after he ate about half of the cake. He was wearing a lot of it. There will probably be a photo of him wearing it on Kelsey's Facebook page.
It was another good day.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Lydia came over early this morning and stayed for the day, while Kelsey got ready for Nolan's birthday party. Doug & Anthony had bought her a "craft kit" but it didn't get delivered until after they went back to Indy. Lydia and I worked on it this AM.
In the afternoon we went to Kelsey's for Nolan's first birthday party. This used to be Kelsey's car but Nolan loves it. It is pretty funny but he is afraid of the cow "rocking horse", which they have had for a couple of weeks.
Nolan with his 1st birthday cake. Kelsey lit the candle and he immediately grabbed the flame putting the flame out. He didn't hurt himself. I didn't get a photo of him after he ate about half of the cake. He was wearing a lot of it. There will probably be a photo of him wearing it on Kelsey's Facebook page.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Jan 6th - Still Cold
It was 5 degrees this AM when I went out and threw a couple of pieces of wood in the boiler. It is now 13, at 4:30. Supposed to only get down to 7 tonight and then clear up to 28 tomorrow.
Nolan had a checkup early this morning. Kathy went to Jeff and picked him up so that Kelsey could go to the dentist and get a molar pulled. I had a 9:30 appointment with my diabetes doctor, just a normal checkup. Everything looks good.
In the afternoon I cut up the rest of the larger sections of the tree I had cut down a couple of days ago. All that is left now is some small stuff from the top. I split a couple of these pieces but all of them except the crotch section will fit into the boiler without being split.
Having this platform to carry the wood is far more convenient that dragging my trailer around out in the woods. I can't carry as much on the platform but what I have on it is about as much as I want to cut, load and unload at one time. If I got really ambitious I could do one load in the AM and another in the PM.
Tomorrow is Nolan's birthday party, his birthday was the 3rd.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Nolan had a checkup early this morning. Kathy went to Jeff and picked him up so that Kelsey could go to the dentist and get a molar pulled. I had a 9:30 appointment with my diabetes doctor, just a normal checkup. Everything looks good.
In the afternoon I cut up the rest of the larger sections of the tree I had cut down a couple of days ago. All that is left now is some small stuff from the top. I split a couple of these pieces but all of them except the crotch section will fit into the boiler without being split.
Tomorrow is Nolan's birthday party, his birthday was the 3rd.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Jan 5th - More Than A Dusting
I thought we probably would not get any snow last night but when I got up this morning I found out we had a little over an inch on the ground and it was still snowing lightly. Probably got less than 1.5" overall.
Andy made it in and out with his front wheel drive car, to pick up Lydia and drop off Nolan. I didn't think I could get up our driveway with my 2 wheel drive pickup, but I gave it a try. Didn't even come close to making it out. I saw where Andy had done some slipping and sliding while getting up the hill. I managed to get my truck back up to the house and took Kathy's AWD minivan. I don't think it spun a tire going up the hill. By late afternoon the snow had melted off the blacktop section, which is the slippery part. By then I could have gotten out with my truck if I needed to.
Made it to my MRI on time and didn't have to wait. The only interesting part was about 15 minutes into the scan they told me "Only 1 more to go.", then nothing happened for over a minute. They backed me out of the machine and told me they had some problem with the machine and could not do the last scan. We went to another room with another MRI machine and they put me in it to finish the last scan. I'm a little surprised that they didn't have to do the whole thing over again in the 2nd machine. I sure was glad they didn't. I don't know when I will hear anything about the results.
The only thing I accomplished today was to unload the wood from my tractor. The piece I was unable to split in the woods split without much trouble.
It was 18 degrees when I drove in to Jeff for the MRI. I'm not sure what the high was for the day, maybe 25. I just looked and it is 11 now. Current forecast is for an overnight low of 4, a high tomorrow of 14 and an overnight low tomorrow night of 8. Brrrh!!!
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Andy made it in and out with his front wheel drive car, to pick up Lydia and drop off Nolan. I didn't think I could get up our driveway with my 2 wheel drive pickup, but I gave it a try. Didn't even come close to making it out. I saw where Andy had done some slipping and sliding while getting up the hill. I managed to get my truck back up to the house and took Kathy's AWD minivan. I don't think it spun a tire going up the hill. By late afternoon the snow had melted off the blacktop section, which is the slippery part. By then I could have gotten out with my truck if I needed to.
Made it to my MRI on time and didn't have to wait. The only interesting part was about 15 minutes into the scan they told me "Only 1 more to go.", then nothing happened for over a minute. They backed me out of the machine and told me they had some problem with the machine and could not do the last scan. We went to another room with another MRI machine and they put me in it to finish the last scan. I'm a little surprised that they didn't have to do the whole thing over again in the 2nd machine. I sure was glad they didn't. I don't know when I will hear anything about the results.
The only thing I accomplished today was to unload the wood from my tractor. The piece I was unable to split in the woods split without much trouble.
It was 18 degrees when I drove in to Jeff for the MRI. I'm not sure what the high was for the day, maybe 25. I just looked and it is 11 now. Current forecast is for an overnight low of 4, a high tomorrow of 14 and an overnight low tomorrow night of 8. Brrrh!!!
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Jan 4th - Wood Cutting
Kathy had Nolan today, which kept her quite busy.
This morning I met with our Men's Fellowship group for breakfast & study. As usual, a good time was had by all. After our meeting I finished constructing the platform for the back of my tractor.
The high temperature today was around 25 degrees, ideal for working in the woods. After lunch I felled a tree, started cutting it into sections I could split and loading it.
The one unsplit section was right below a crotch in the tree. I couldn't split it with just a spitting axe. I parked the tractor in the lean-to overnight. Tomorrow when I unload it I will us a wedge and split this piece. I haven't tried to start my splitter in many months. I'm sure I would spend more time trying to get it started than it will take me to split this piece, and maybe one more piece, that I can's split with just an axe.
My rotator cuff isn't complaining to much after running almost a tankful of gas through the chainsaw and splitting and loading this wood. Tomorrow morning I go in for a MRI of my right shoulder to access the level of damage. I had physical therapy for it back in early 2011. I haven't had any significant problems with the shoulder until maybe 4 months ago. The level of discomfort, after working it, isn't all that bad, but it seems to be getting worse. I don't think it is bad enough to let anyone do any cutting on it yet. I'm scheduled for a physical therapy session next week. I'm hoping that a few physical therapy sessions will solve my problems.
Andy stayed for supper tonight when he and Lydia picked up Nolan. Lydia is "sleeping over". Andy will pick her up for preschool when he drops Nolan off in the morning.
It looks like the folks living 25+ miles north of us will get some snow tonight. I don't think we will get more than a light dusting, if anything. Temps are going to be cold for the next couple of days, falling to 17 degrees by noon tomorrow and then on down to 10 degrees tomorrow night. Overnight lows are forecast to be 9 degrees Friday night and 11 degrees Saturday night. It isn't supposed to get above freezing until midday Monday.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
This morning I met with our Men's Fellowship group for breakfast & study. As usual, a good time was had by all. After our meeting I finished constructing the platform for the back of my tractor.
My rotator cuff isn't complaining to much after running almost a tankful of gas through the chainsaw and splitting and loading this wood. Tomorrow morning I go in for a MRI of my right shoulder to access the level of damage. I had physical therapy for it back in early 2011. I haven't had any significant problems with the shoulder until maybe 4 months ago. The level of discomfort, after working it, isn't all that bad, but it seems to be getting worse. I don't think it is bad enough to let anyone do any cutting on it yet. I'm scheduled for a physical therapy session next week. I'm hoping that a few physical therapy sessions will solve my problems.
Andy stayed for supper tonight when he and Lydia picked up Nolan. Lydia is "sleeping over". Andy will pick her up for preschool when he drops Nolan off in the morning.
It looks like the folks living 25+ miles north of us will get some snow tonight. I don't think we will get more than a light dusting, if anything. Temps are going to be cold for the next couple of days, falling to 17 degrees by noon tomorrow and then on down to 10 degrees tomorrow night. Overnight lows are forecast to be 9 degrees Friday night and 11 degrees Saturday night. It isn't supposed to get above freezing until midday Monday.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Jan 3rd - Happy New Year
Made it back to Missouri late yesterday afternoon. Traveled over 1,300 miles since leaving here Friday morning.
We first stopped by Doug & Anthony's, in Indianapolis, on Friday, to drop off Doug's tile saw. Kelsey had borrowed it when remodeling one of her bathrooms (she did a great job). Then it was on up to my Mom's in Michigan. We arrived at her place around 8PM.
We spent all day Saturday at her house and had an opportunity to spend some time with my brother David and his wife Kathy. I took a walk behind Mom's house Saturday afternoon. Stood in a filed and watched 5 deer for quite a while.
We also spent Sunday morning at Mom's. Sunday afternoon we went to Cindy's (Kathy's sister) house, near Montpelier, Ohio. Kathy's other 2 sisters, plus other family members, were also at Cindy's for a New Years Day dinner. It was a great opportunity to do some "catching up" with folks we had not seen for awhile.
We left Mom's early Monday morning and headed back to Missouri. We normally travel through Indianapolis but decided to go through Chicago for our trip back. It cost us $7.50 to drive across the Indiana Toll Road but the traffic was light, no stop and go, and the roads were FAR better than I-70 in Indiana. Actually traffic was very light the entire way home. We drove "cross country" from Springfield, Illinois to Kingdom City, Missouri, so that we didn't have to worry about traffic in St. Louis. St. Louis traffic problems seem to be a routine occurrence when I travel through there.
We had the thermostat set at 55 while we were gone. Andy, our grandson-in-law came over Sunday and filled up the Hardy boiler. He said it was still about half full. When we got home and set the thermostat up to 69, where we usually keep it, we got the Hardy puffing.
I didn't do much today other than catching up on some book work, to be as ready as possible when tax time comes around. I will stop there, if I continue thinking about taxes and the fools running our nation my blood pressure will start rising😉.
Temperature is 30 degrees now, 6PM, it is not supposed to get above freezing until Sunday afternoon. Hopefully I can motivate myself to get out tomorrow and cut some firewood.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
We first stopped by Doug & Anthony's, in Indianapolis, on Friday, to drop off Doug's tile saw. Kelsey had borrowed it when remodeling one of her bathrooms (she did a great job). Then it was on up to my Mom's in Michigan. We arrived at her place around 8PM.
We spent all day Saturday at her house and had an opportunity to spend some time with my brother David and his wife Kathy. I took a walk behind Mom's house Saturday afternoon. Stood in a filed and watched 5 deer for quite a while.
We also spent Sunday morning at Mom's. Sunday afternoon we went to Cindy's (Kathy's sister) house, near Montpelier, Ohio. Kathy's other 2 sisters, plus other family members, were also at Cindy's for a New Years Day dinner. It was a great opportunity to do some "catching up" with folks we had not seen for awhile.
We left Mom's early Monday morning and headed back to Missouri. We normally travel through Indianapolis but decided to go through Chicago for our trip back. It cost us $7.50 to drive across the Indiana Toll Road but the traffic was light, no stop and go, and the roads were FAR better than I-70 in Indiana. Actually traffic was very light the entire way home. We drove "cross country" from Springfield, Illinois to Kingdom City, Missouri, so that we didn't have to worry about traffic in St. Louis. St. Louis traffic problems seem to be a routine occurrence when I travel through there.
We had the thermostat set at 55 while we were gone. Andy, our grandson-in-law came over Sunday and filled up the Hardy boiler. He said it was still about half full. When we got home and set the thermostat up to 69, where we usually keep it, we got the Hardy puffing.
I didn't do much today other than catching up on some book work, to be as ready as possible when tax time comes around. I will stop there, if I continue thinking about taxes and the fools running our nation my blood pressure will start rising😉.
Temperature is 30 degrees now, 6PM, it is not supposed to get above freezing until Sunday afternoon. Hopefully I can motivate myself to get out tomorrow and cut some firewood.
God is good. May He bless you and yours.
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