Oh Boy

 I forgot to check morning temperature but I think it was about 65°f. Clear, light breeze.

These days are getting too hectic, folks. Let's go back to Wednesday. It was a fairly normal day, me in the kitchen canning, Larry doing whatever he does. I finished up and made dinner. Called Larry to come in, and he was nowhere to be found.  A bit later a car pulled up, and there was Larry, with our neighbor Grace. He had gone down to her house to get a mower that her husband Isaac gave him. Larry had snuck off to get it because I had said, very vehemently that I did not want another piece of junk on our place! But he was determined to get it, and wouldn't you know, his four-wheeler broke down. Serves him right. 

So I had a nice visit with Grace while Larry went to charge the battery in his four-wheeler.  We were looking at my gardens when Buddy realized his control collar wasn't working and took off. Grace and I got in her car and went after the dogs, and met Larry, who had the dogs in the van, at the top of our driveway. He suggested we follow him back down the road so he could get the four-wheeler.  I wasn't enthusiastic about that, because the dogs had to go with us...and as soon as we got to Grace's and he opened the van door both dogs were out! Picture a three-ring circus as we corraled them and got them back in the van. 

I followed Larry and the #$%^ four-wheeler back home, to find neighbors Jeff and Tamara there, delivering our new rabbits! More three-ring circus as I fought my way out of the van--- the dogs were beyond eager to go see what was in the cages! I won that battle, and helped get the rabbits settled. Then Tamara and I let the dogs out of the van and went to get the bucket of veggies I had for her. I replaced the battery in Buddy's collar, Larry turned on the electric fence he had put around the rabbit cages, and whew...I was ready for a glass of wine.

Then yesterday.  Larry had a doc appointment in Charleston, and I stayed home to do guess what. Canning of course. Mixed fruit jam, cranberry juice from berries i had frozen, and more dill pickles. That's the 4th or 5th batch, but my family eats them like crazy. Also canned that marinated salad I have been wanting to get to. In between I worked on getting Larry's lost cell phone replaced. I was outraged to find that a) the insurance plan T-Mobile sold us still meant we had to pay $249 for a replacement phone. And that plan was $18:a month per phone! I had planned to cancel it and get a plan through USAA for $99 a year, but wanted to wait til we had replaced his phone. Next I tried to cancel his line, but  b) that would cost $750 for the lost and supposedly "free" phone. Total ripoff. After internet searches and a few phone calls, I finally was able to get a new SIM card which we can put in my old phone, and he can use that. I complained bitterly about the way we were misinformed at the time we signed up for T-Mobile,  and ended up getting a $20 per month discount on service for the next year. Whew again.

By then Larry was home,  with some uncertain news about his health. He has not been himself for a while now, tiring easily, feeling lightheaded,  and being a total grouch most of the time. He's made my life a misery as he snaps at me about everything, complains about doing anything I need him to do....well, it hasn't been fun. So Wednesday I called and l

left a message for the doctor describing Larry's changes in behavior, etc. I knew he would be furious if he knew I had called, but I was at my wit's end, and nerve ends too. Apparently she listened carefully to my message because he came home and different man. They will be doing a lot of tests to see what's going on with him, and he has several more appointments already.  His VA doctor is very good, and I am so thankful she took my message seriously. He was much nicer last night and apologized for how he'd been acting, but of course today he's back to the same old stuff. I need to be patient, and wait til his new meds arrive to see if they help. Fingers crossed. 

Meanwhile, we are stocking booths today, and fortunately it is a light day as I don't have a lot ready, just too much garden and canning right now. Tomorrow we do apples; Sunday it will be tomatoes. And onward we go.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.