Friday, August 20, 2010

Thoughts and Deeds

I can feel it coming and I am so ready.  It is time for those end of Summer chores in anticipation of the cold, wet days of winter.  No, it isn't fall yet, but in order to enjoy the turning leaves and the cool mornings, there is much outside work to be done.  The mornings are cooler and the late afternoons are conducive to getting those bushes straightened out, cleaning that garden up, planting the fall veggies, and just general maintenance.

I have spent two wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable weeks with friends and family.  A couple of hours of an afternoon in the pool and good conversation brightens my day.  I have wonderful friends and good things have been going on in their lives.  Nothing restores me better than their positive attitudes, their laughter, and the fellowship we share.  Can't wait until the next visit. Thank you my friends.

With the heat and the rain I am much behind in my grass cutting.  I have talked myself out of getting out there just by watching the weather forecast and the potential for rain, but today I can procrastinate no longer.  It must be done and I must do it.  The trick is not to cut the television on and see a weather forecast.  Glenn Burns can sometimes be my friend, but other times he is the devil's advocate leading me to be slovenly in my outdoor chores, but I cannot blame him for the 100 degree temps we have seen of late. 

My banana trees have grown tremendously.  The little information tab stuck in the side of the pot when they were purchased advised the trees could grow as much as 2 feet per week.  Well mine just sat there, adding a few little leaves every week, but not growing at all.  Not knowing what kind of fertilizer a banana tree prefers, about four weeks ago I took the chance and mixed a weak Miracle Gro (all-purpose) solution and doused each tree with a half gallon.  While I anticipated the leaves shrivelling up and turning brown, I was much surprised when they grew about a foot in the first week and then another foot on the second week when they received another half gallon of solution.  The trees tripled in size and the dark green of the leaves are beautiful.  Wish I had become desperate sooner, but hey I am still new at this tropical plant stuff, but I am learning!  Now if I could find the answer to making a Sago grow faster, but I have been told they are slow growers.  We will see, maybe they need a little Miracle Gro solution also.

Earlier in the week I made a visit to the local thrift store and hit the jackpot.  I found a dozen or so books to add to my reading for the fall and winter.  All the books were in great condition and I even found two or three first editions in the batch and all for about 50 cents each.  Not a bad find if I say so myself.  I am working through Grisham's books at the moment, but found a Ludlam, Clancy and Grimes I wanted to read, plus some authors I haven't read before so I am excited to start on those and see if we can become friends. I was so excited I may make another trip next week.  Joy can be found in the strangest places.

I am much excited over my daughter's research into the cause of her eczema and food allergies which she has suffered with since two years old.  An Air Force baby, I had taken her to the base for a well baby check up even though she was prone to head and chest colds.  The base did not have separate waiting rooms for well and sick babies.  In a weeks time she had developed a nasty cold which earned another trip to the based doctor.  A small patch of red had developed under her little nose that wouldn't heal and I was advised she had developed impetigo.  After rounds of cream and antibiotics the patch finally cleared only to have a rash break out on other parts of her little body.  The doctors advised it was heat rash and gave me an ointment.  As soon as I would get one rash cleared another would appear and for the last 34 years my daughter has fought the rash.  Doctor after doctor could not identify the cause so to the allergist she went sometimes with me sometimes with my mother.  Picked, probed, and stuck over and over, we were told she was allergic to food and her diet needed to be rotated as when she would eat something repeatedly she would develop an allergic reaction to it. 
 
Thus has been my daughters life with allergies.  This week she has been researching the causes of her health problems.  Hopefully she has found the answer in the form of Candida albans, a fungal yeast that thrives in the body once it establishes itself and destroys the healthy bacteria that keeps our body's functioning as God designed.  You can link to her site through the link at the bottom of the right hand column of this page.  She is documenting her problems and progress through this adventure in the hope that it may help some other soul that is experiencing like problems.  She as always is in my prayers and I hope she has found the answer.

I have a new grandchild in the form of a 4 month old Maltese.  Bentley is his name and he is a precious addition to our family.  The grandchildren love him dearly.  If they can keep the little bundle of white fur out of the lake he will give them many years of happiness.

Dad felt the hand of God clear the blood clot from his body and it was caught by the age old stint.  He is back in motion and riding his scooter.  He told me yesterday he had cut back the English Ivy off the house that had overgrown the window sills.  He may have been down for months, but he is back at it and going strong.  Maybe God just wanted to keep him out of the garden and the hot sun this year.  I am just glad he is up and about once again and the angel of death has given us a reprieve.  

For the first time in many years I am ready for fall.  The summer has been extremely hot and humid and has hindered my activity and as a result my motivation and thinking.  I look forward to the cooler days of fall.  Well, that about catches me up with our doings, so until next time . . .

Happy reading!
Belle 

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