NASHVILLE, JUST NASHVILLE

 

          I honestly don’t know how I had any kind of life when I was working full-time. I’ve been trying to sit down and write about my Tennessee trip since I got home last Saturday and this is the first opportunity I’ve found…and then only because my tummy isn’t happy and I thought it was better to stay home close to my own convenience rather than risk going to my fitness class and being totally unfit.

          The trip to Tennessee was splendid. Everyone got along and we all had a lot of fun. We arrived in Nashville Thursday afternoon, checked into the hotel and went out to find Broadway…this is the street that has bar after bar after bar. Honestly, I was absolutely amazed at the crowds of people that were walking up and down the street. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people except for functions like the breast cancer walk.      

          And, I was totally enthralled by the wide variety of appearances of the various individuals strolling along. Again, I’ve never seen such huge differences in how people dressed, made up their faces, combed (or not) their hair. I could have happily sat on a chair on the sidewalk and been entertained for an entire day.

          Not only is it bar after bar, but every single one of them has live music. As I walked past one, the sound began to fade only to be replaced by sound from the next location. Out of all the musicians I heard, there was only one talentless guy…AJ told me to silence my hearing aids and I did, but I could still hear him…he managed to make a few of my favorite songs sound absolutely awful.

          Many of the bars have an extension on the roof. At one place, I counted 74 steps; at another 95 steps. Do you think I got my exercise in Nashville? I also have to admit that I did have to stop and breathe for a bit when I climbed the 95 steps. I definitely needed a drink or a beer once I arrived. If there isn’t live music up top, the band on the bottom is piped to roof speakers. At the place with the most stairs, the sign indicating the mezzanine was behind the door (or the door may have been open covering the sign), so I didn’t stop where the kids had told me they were. I got to the top only to realize the top wasn’t the mezzanine because I couldn’t find my people. When they found out where I was, they made the trek up to retrieve me.

          At one place, I talked to the man who perused IDs to make sure the person entering was old enough. I was never ever asked for ID…can you believe that? Anyway, I asked him for the name of the band that was playing. He told me he didn’t know, that several groups would be there playing throughout the day and night. When one group left, it would go to another location and play there while a new group would come into that bar. I guess there’s lots of work for musicians and singers in Nashville.

          There was one very impressive young woman who played the fiddle. We (more like Haley and Tyler) kind of followed her and her band to various places. When she came around with the tip bucket (seriously, like a 5-gallon Home Depot bucket), I got a chance to talk to her. She’d been playing since she was four years old, so she’d been playing for twenty-two years. Her fiddle-work was amazing and she was cute as a button. Haley said that at one place, it looked as though the tip bucket had more than $1,500 in it.

          AJ and I were out and about every day wandering here and there, but were fairly happy to call it a day by 8:00 or 9:00 pm. Haley and Tyler stayed out every night until midnight or 1:00 am, bar-hopping and dancing and listening to music. To say they had a splendid time would be an understatement.

          I have to confess I did drink one afternoon/evening. Back at the hotel, I laid down to wait for AJ to do whatever he was going to do. Then I’d get up and get ready for bed. Well, I fell asleep (or passed out) and didn’t wake up until the morning. OMG, it’s been decades since I went to bed without brushing my teeth or washing my face. I couldn’t believe how bad my mouth tasted and felt. I think I used half my toothpaste scrubbing.

          We did tour the Ryman Auditorium. The tour begins with a wonderful video about the Ryman’s history. It was narrated by an actress portraying Lula C. Naff. This widow and mother began to work at the Ryman in 1904 as a stenographer. In 1910 Ms. Naff became the official Ryman manager, a position she held until 1955. She often went by L. C. Naff to avoid discrimination. She was responsible for efforts that went toward saving the Ryman when the possibility of it being demolished was promoted. The video was very informative and interesting and if you’d like to know more, look at Wikipedia. Anyway, I don’t think the kids realized the video made me cry. I managed to suck it up before we had to get up and leave. The video just brought back so many memories of growing up and listening to the Grand Ole Opry with my mom and grandma…they would have loved, loved, loved the tour.

          At the end of the tour, you can stand on the stage and have your photo taken. Well, of course, we all did that. Unfortunately, my photo has gone to another dimension for the time being. I know I unpacked it, put it on the counter with other stuff, but it’s disappeared. I’ve looked in all the places I could have put it, including the garbage, but it’s no where to be found. I wanted to frame that damn photo, so the fact it has gone to that other dimension, really pisses me off.

          On Saturday, we toured the Country Music Hall of Fame. OMG, again, the memories some of the exhibits brought back was amazing. After an hour or two, I got to the point where I felt overloaded with music, information, photos, etc. To do this place justice, I think I’d need to visit several days in a row, leave and then return the next day to take up where I left off. There’s Just. So. Much. To. Take. In. Also, there is one exhibit that must get changed periodically according to who’s currently the most famous. There was one entire long wall, plus additional exhibitry devoted to Luke Combs that began with his birth. Again, I’d like to be able to take my time and absorb the entire Combs exhibit.

          We could also get food at almost every single place we visited. I only had barbequed ribs once, but they were soooooooo gooooooood. I tried to have them for the last time in the Nashville airport coming home, but that restaurant didn’t take orders and then serve. Instead, you chose from what was behind the glass and those ribs didn’t look very good. I’ll have to have a Briley’s fix in the near future.

          Here I am at three pages and I haven’t even left Nashville yet. So, I’m going to stop and post this to my blog. I’ll continue with the family visit and other tours as I continue to write and blog about the trip. I know there’s lots of stuff I could have included in just this post about Nashville, but I’m older now and think I may be having difficulty with my short-term memory…that, or it was simply overload, or at least that’s what I prefer to think.

FALL PLANS...A PEP TALK...KINDA

 

          My blog hasn’t’ seen a new post in quite a long time. It’s not that I haven’t written anything because I have; however, the main reason I didn’t post them to my blog is because on rereading them, they were more of a pity party than not. Who wants to read “poor me, poor me, poor me” ad nauseum?

          Anyway, I have way less to poor me, myself and I, so I’d just better look to the future and make plans for the betterment of my life. Seriously, there’s really no reason for me to feel down or sorry for myself. I have what’s basically a new heart, plus the other things that are affecting my body aren’t terminal, just mainly annoying.

          So, I’m not going to go into detail about the various annoyances, rather I’m going to write about what I’ve been accomplishing and/or what’s in the future.

Next week, I’ll board a plane with my son AJ, granddaughter Haley and Haley’s friend, Tyler. We’re flying into Nashville where we’ll spend a couple of days. So far, we’ve made reservations to tour the Ryman auditorium and have our picture taken on the stage. I can look at that later on and pretend I’m an actual country singer…as if. We’re also going to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame and walk down Second Street which is lined with bars. We don’t plan to imbibe at each of them, but the one named AJ’s is a definite visit. My brother’s wife also suggested we visit Printer’s Alley.

After those two days, we’ll get up and head for my brother’s house which is about two hours from Nashville. It’s also his birthday and I think he’s planning to have a fish fry to celebrate, welcome us and have other family guests. I’m looking forward to that and to introducing my Washington family to my Tennessee family. It’s going to be so much fun; I can hardly wait.

We don’t have the following days all planned out, but on one of them we’ll drive to Haleyville Alabama (for Haley, of course) and to Mussels Shoals, the home of the oldest, and still operating, recording studio in the state. Haley and Tyler also want to go fishing and I think my brother, Ricky, is going to oblige them. Heck, all they really need to do is walk down his hill and stand on the bank of the Tennessee River and toss in a line. I don’t know if that really would work, but not being a fisherwoman, I don’t know.

Memphis was also on our list of go-to places, but I think we’ve decided to give it a miss. The cheapest tour of Graceland (why we were going to go) is almost $100 and you don’t get to see much. We could drive in to Memphis (another two hours) and just walk about the grounds which are quite lovely I’m told, but according to the Tennessee natives, Memphis is not a very safe city.

Still, there’s lots of stuff we can see and visit with Ricky’s house as our home base. Shiloh National Military Park is just minutes away and I found it very interesting on my first visit. Plus, Savannah Tennessee is just on the other side of the river and has lots of things to do, i.e., the Tennessee River Museum, Historic District, whiskey tasting, a Civil War History Tour, and who knows what else. I know the whiskey tasting will be top of the list…most likely.

AJ’s wife, Angie, couldn’t join us because school is in session. And Kuma, well, Kuma gets a vacation as well at Roscoe’s Ranch in Maltby. He spent last Sunday night there as a test and he did very well. The person who dealt with him on Monday indicated he was a “Goofball.” Since Haley’s worked there for years, I know Kuma will be in good hands while his “Mommy” is gone, but I’ll still miss him, I’m sure.

Once I return home, it will be time to begin putting the garden to bed for the winter. Because of all my health problems for what seems like the entire year, lots of work I would have normally done didn’t get done. But I plan to get it done this fall so that come spring, it will rejuvenate in a much better way than it did this past year. I’m even thinking about purchasing some new lily bulbs. I’ve saved the catalogs and know I have to place my order by November 1^st. I guess how much I spend on lilies will depend on how much I spend in Tennessee.

My return will also include having Xander most every weekend until we complete his Halloween costume. He wants to learn to sew and we’ve begun. We bought the material, washed and dried it and cut out the pants. We did a bit of sewing on the pants and Xander is getting more comfortable with the machine each time he uses it. I’m going to have to cut out the jacket before I leave town mainly because the pattern is much more difficult than I expected. It’s been a long time since I’ve made anything using a pattern. Most of my sewing has been simply mending, so I hope my teaching Xander allows him to learn. 

So, as you can see, the remainder of September and October are pretty much on the books. There’s going to be no time for sickness, doctor visits, urgent care visits or feeling down for absolutely no reason at all. I think I’ll print out this blog and put the copy beside my bed. Me, myself and I will read it each night and remind ourselves that life is good, life is busy, life is exciting, life is fun, life brings new experiences each and every day, in one way or another. How’s that for a pep talk…I think me, myself and I rather like it…a lot.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

 

          Fifty-eight years ago this evening, John and I became husband and wife. He’s not here to celebrate with me and I miss his presence deeply on this particular day. It is a number we would have celebrated together with cards, dinner, drinks and physical afffection.

          Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of his passing. I had told him that day it was okay to move ahead and go beyond to join my father and those he loved who went before. Our son, AJ, did a masterful job of remembering and celebrating his father and his family and I was touched and pleased that he wanted me to publish it on Facebook.

          I remember being so young and so in love that the thought, the very idea of days like yesterday and today weren’t even on my personal horizon. I’m still amazed at how quickly all those years passed. It doesn’t seem all that long ago the two of us were just beginning our journey together. Looking back, it’s true we had our difficult times, but the good times, the good memories far outweigh any negativity that visited and that negativity was always on a temporary basis.

          Just yesterday our granddaughter, Haley, asked me for some examples of her Pa’s handwriting. I thought perhaps she was going to weld me a sign that said, “I love you, John,” but no, she wants to have a tattoo on her body with her Pa’s name. In the process of looking for a good example, I pulled out of the closet the three big shoeboxes of cards we gave each other, our sons and the cards our sons, granddaughter and friends gave us.

          I spent yesterday afternoon on a trip down memory lane. My dining room table is currently a big mess that spills over onto the kitchen counter. I decided as I went through all those cards that I would return to our children and grandchildren the cards they bestowed over all those years. And, in the process, I found a few gems I thought had already been passed on. To AJ will go the pictograph letters his dad sent him from Naknek Alaska in 1977. To Thor will go the teapot shaped card he gave me with a Stash Peppermint Herb Teabag still in its wrapper with a little rhyme that says, "...I'll try my best in every way, but when you get upset with me, relax and have a pot of tea. 

          In all these cards I also found ones that friends had given both John and I. In some cases, I am thinking about putting them in an envelope and returning them with a thank you for the love and affection provided when the card was given, but also the love and affection and great memories they provided this, the second time. I wonder if those recipients will be pleased with this gift.

          It is my hope our children, grandchildren and friends will enjoy looking at these pieces from our pasts. I hope it reminds them of the love we held/hold for each other. My journey yesterday brought some tears, but more than anything else, a tremendous feeling of being surrounded by love throughout our entire pasts right up through the typing of this blog.

HEART HEALTH UPDATE

 

          For more than a week now, I’ve been trying to write a post about how I’m doing after my heart attack and stent placement. I want to be informative as well as amusing; however, my funny bone seems to have been affected in some way and refuses to find humor in much of anything these days…very annoying, not to mention depressing.

Anyway, as of this afternoon, it has been three weeks since the doctors placed six stents in my cardiac arteries. I’m still amazed by what they did, the fact they needed to do it, and how much better I think I’m feeling as a result. The miracle of modern medicine undoubtedly saved my life.

          As for how I’ve been doing and am doing currently, I still feel very tired and could probably take a nap every afternoon, but rarely do. Of course, if I lay down to read my book, then the next thing I know, I’m waking up and the I-pad is on my chest. I’m assuming it’s just my body adjusting to blood coursing through all my veins and arteries the way it’s supposed to.

I’m also fighting off depression, i.e., how can I possibly be depressed when I’m alive and better off than before stents (BS). Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, although some articles I’ve read seem to indicate becoming depressed can be considered normal. Part of the depression may be not having a normal schedule as I did before all this happened. That will change Friday when I return to my fitness class. I don't have to wait six weeks to exercise after all...good news. That means I’ll see people three days a week rather than just now and then. I’m sure that will assist with lifting the depression…I do miss my friends and my schedule.

To keep myself busy, I’ve been working around the house and in the garden. I did become a bit concerned during the weed wars when my heart rate got up into the 120s. I felt just fine, but thought I should check it out on the internet. Turns out my optimum heart rate with exercise is 137 beats per minute, so I had more than a few beats to spare. That’s good news, or at least I think so.

          The week after the procedure, I saw the cardiologist as well as another doctor from my personal doctor’s team. It certainly seemed like overkill to me, but the general MD did order blood and urine tests which the cardio MD did not. I also received a covid booster. I would have gotten the flu shot as well, but it won’t be available until fall. Now, the good Lord willing and the creeks don’t rise, I don’t have to go back until October.

          I’ve also been talking to my cardiology nurse once a week about how I’m doing and how to go about changing my lifelong habits so they are more heart healthy. I must admit I haven’t been doing a very good job, i.e., last week I had two (2) bacon cheeseburgers, onion rings and two (2) small milkshakes, not to mention a restaurant breakfast. Add to that the fact I only walked two (2) days during the week and there are no gold stars next to my name. On the other hand, I did purchase a heart healthy cookbook for one, and except for those two BAD days, I’ve paid close attention to my diet…I was paying attention those two days too, but OMG, every single bite was absolutely yummy.

           Lastly, there’s my brain function. I’m beginning to wonder if some of the plaque in my arteries got loose during the procedure and has taken up residence in my head. Or, I suppose it could be due to being tired, but I find myself searching for words when talking or thinking. Eventually what I’m looking for churns its way to the surface, but I sure hate the wait and sometimes the wait is so long, the conversation has moved on to another topic. Did these spells last this long BS or does it just seem that way because of my experience and my search for changes?

          I also have a new mattress which arrived yesterday. It came all rolled up and the delivery guy carried it in on one shoulder. I was amazed how it EXPANDED once they took off the plastic wrap. He told me it would take 24-48 hours for it to fully expand, so Kuma and I alternated between the twin bed and the couch all night…I’m tired today and figure we’ll sleep like logs tonight. I decided on getting a new mattress because there was no back pain when I got up in the hospital, but it returned big time the first night home. I have high hopes this new mattress will alleviate any further suffering…I’m way more than ready.

          So, there you go. This is how I’m doing three weeks out. I wish I could have posted more amusing information, but like I said, my funny bone refuses to cooperate. I’ve great hopes that once I’m working hard at being fit, it will wake up and rise to any challenge I…or anyone else…might present.

MY REFURBISHED HEART

   

       Those of you who read my blog are aware of my June diagnosis of Stable Angina. What you don’t know is the fact it developed into Unstable Angina. I began to keep track of the episodes on June 27^th. By the end of the day July 8^th, I had had a total of twenty-six episodes and the last six had occurred on that very day. Was I concerned? Sort of, but if I took a nitroglycerin tablet and breathed, the episode went away within five minutes or so.

          On July 9^th, I had my scheduled phone call with the cardiology nurse. This is the program I joined to improve my heart health. I had sent her the table of my episodes sans the last day, i.e., July 8^th. We didn’t do the scheduled program after we talked about the table and the previous day’s six episodes. She said she wanted to talk to my cardiologist and would get back to me.

          The cardiologist called me a few hours later, the end result of which was for me to go to Swedish Cherry Hill Emergency and be admitted to the hospital as soon as possible. She planned to have an angioplasty performed the following day. I wasn’t prepared for this, i.e., Xander was spending the night, so his dad had to come get him. AJ needed to come get me and take me to the hospital. Haley had to come stay at my house for the night with Kuma.

          After a small glitch regarding my admission (the orders couldn’t be found initially), the paperwork was completed and I was in a room hooked up to all the machines as I had been the beginning of June. In the ER, however, I was told the cardiac enzymes indicated I had had a small heart attack…how about that!!! Let me add here that I had had no episodes at all on Tuesday, having made sure I moved slowly all day. The heart attack must have happened on Monday but none of the six episodes, or any of the episodes really, seemed like my idea of a heart attack. Once I was settled in, AJ went home.

          After a not so restful night (they kept coming in to check this and that), a woman showed up early and performed an echocardiogram. She told me she couldn’t tell me anything because the doctor had to read the results. Seriously, how does she know what to look for and document if she cannot read what she’s seeing on the screen???

          Nurses were in and out and a total of three doctors came in to see me. The first one was Dr. Brown and he was the most important since he would be the one doing the angioplasty. A variety of times for the procedure were given but finally, a nurse came in and hauled me off to the operating room. I thought I was totally aware during the entire procedure; however, I was totally wrong.

          As it turned out, I was extremely fortunate I didn’t have a huge heart attack and fall over dead. I did, however, have a Non-ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction. Dr. Brown installed six, that’s SIX, stents in my heart. A percutaneous coronary intervention was performed on my left anterior descending coronary artery and two stents were placed. A percutaneous coronary intervention was performed on my circumflex coronary artery and two stents placed. A percutaneous coronary intervention was performed on my left main coronary artery and two stents installed.  There’s a lot more verbiage in Dr. Brown’s report; however, this is what was accomplished.

          Dr. Brown’s report was completed with the following, “This was a complex procedure due to bifurcation disease, calcification. Additional work required beyond usual steps included serial balloon dilations, T-stenting left main bifurcation. Usual time for this procedure is 30 min and this took 70 min.” I guess you could say I was one lucky individual to have survived long enough to have the procedure(s).

          My chest hurt when I was returned to my room. The nurse gave me a Percocet and I pretty much slept/dozed until the following day except for the multiple times nurses came in to check a wide variety of physical responses. Eventually, discharge orders were written and AJ came to pick me up and take me home.

          My orders at this point in time is to remain calm and rest for about the next week. I’m also to not do anything that requires great physical exertion for six weeks. I am to take up walking on a daily basis but not to the extent I am exerting myself. Of the three new prescriptions given in June, one has been deleted and two new ones added. I have two cardiology appointments next week and one at the end of the month.

          Let me tell you how absolutely amazed I am by all of this. I am also extremely amazed I’m still alive. I was a walking heart attack just waiting to happen. AJ, Thor and other family and friends could be planning my memorial service today instead of just checking in to make sure I’m doing okay and don’t need anything. Seriously, how could my coronary arteries become so bad while my body continued to move about as though there were nothing wrong…my heart rate got up to 124 beats/minute exactly one week before the myocardial infarction.

          In any case, I guess I’ve been given a new lease on life, or at least will be after the next six weeks. I’m not exactly sure what that means at this point in time, but I’m sure those six weeks will give me the time I need to reflect and plan for the future. I’m also extremely grateful for the staff at Swedish Cherry Hill and Dr. Brown and his crew for saving my life. I’m also extremely grateful for my family and friends who rallied round to take care of stuff when I couldn’t and who will continue to monitor my well-being.

          I think you could say I’m one enormously lucky woman.

HAPPY SECOND BIRTHDAY KUMA!!!

 

Today is Kuma’s second birthday. It’s hard to believe this furry fuzz-muffin  has been my companion for so long…it will be two years in October that he came home with me. I cannot begin to share just how much he has added to my life when it comes to love, laughter and, of course, annoyances.

Unfortunately, I sometimes feel that even though Kuma knows I’m his person, I’m letting him down. He loves to play bally-ball either in the cul-de-sac or at bally-ball hill…that involves a car ride with his head hanging out the window to catch all the new smells. I feel like I should play bally-ball with him every single day and I don’t. It seems, to me, like that is horribly unfair to him. If he had a younger person, he’d definitely get more exercise.

Still, I am his person and he does love me just as much or more than I love him. I do toss his chickie-ball and beefy-ball down the hall repeatedly during the day. He loves to chase it, make it squeak and play keep-away even though he wants to have it thrown again. And, if he did have a younger person, would that person be ready for bedtime peepee and bed at 8:30 pm…I think not although I’m sure Kuma would have adjusted his schedule.

I do spoil the heck out of him. He has free reign of the entire house and all the furniture. Whatever I’m eating, he gets the last bite and maybe one or two in between. I purchase frozen boney-bones and he gets one a day. When I have a project and need him to be occupied, I give him a big one. Whenever possible, he goes wherever I go as long as it isn’t too hot. And, even in winter, I open his window and turn up the car heater so he can stick his head out. I also give him lots of hugs, pats, loves and talk to him often even though he cannot respond, although I swear there are times he knows exactly what I'm saying and how I'm feeling.

This year with the nice weather, we have developed a special time at the end of the day. Kuma gets a frozen boney-bone and I get my martini. I sit and enjoy my deck and garden and sip my drink while he snuffles and chews his bone…very relaxing for both of us. I know it’s time to go in when he brings me his clean boney-bone. Not long after, it’s time for bed.

I’m not giving Kuma a birthday party, but I did make him a hat. Getting him to pose in the hat was not an easy task…it took a lot of treats, but I finally managed to get a couple of photos with the hat on his head. I also filled up two of his hollow toys with spendy dog food and put them in the freezer. He’s enjoying one as a reward for the hat photo as I type this. There’s another, bigger one waiting in the freezer for later today.

I love, love, love this doggie. He’s added so much to my life and I’m so very grateful.  Happy Second Birthday Kuma-doo-doo…may you have many many more.

WEED WAR

 

          Last Monday I went to the senior center for my fitness class. At the end of the class, we were informed that a staff member had tested positive for covid so the center would be closed most likely until Wednesday while they did a deep cleaning. As it turned out, the center was to remain closed until Monday, July 8^th.

          Wow, an entire week with nothing on the calendar. No appointments, no classes, absolutely nothing. So, I know you’re asking yourself, what did I decide to do with all that free time. Well, wait no longer for the answer…GARDENING!!!!

          Until this year, I’ve always begun my weed war in February and continued on through the entire growing season. Because of my back issues, I did not get out there and do a single thing. Let me tell you, the weeds were so damn grateful. They flourished as if given a huge shot of fertilizer. They pretty much took over all the flowerbeds.

          This week, I spent hours out there removing weeds. I have almost filled my yard waste tote to over-flowing. And, still, I’m not done. I did, however, find three dahlias I didn’t know had returned. Of course, they’re not very big, but I’m going to protect them with wire cages and provide a hefty drink of fertilizer. I also found a couple of hydrangeas I’d forgotten I had transplanted to the back garden. My hope or plan is to put hydrangeas all through the back flowerbed and just have these easy-care plants. I’m hoping the transplanted ones that made it through the winter will flourish now they aren't buried under weeds.

          I’m going to see how the rest of the summer progresses, but it may be time for me to bite the bullet and hire more than just a kid to mow and edge the lawn. Perhaps it’s time to look at and determine if the budget will allow me to engage a firm that has employees that know a weed from a flower to come and fight off the weeds. Perhaps a service that would come once a month and beat them back. And, in looking at that, perhaps it’s time to evaluate whether or not the budget would allow a housekeeper a time or two a month.

          And, no, I’m not becoming lazy, just older and kinda feeling it after my weeding marathon.