Sunday, October 31, 2010

It's Halloween and Betty Ann is coming up to spend the night. I like to see the kids out trick or treating but if I am home, I keep the door closed.

I still remember the fun of HOmecoming yesterday and riding in a hay baled rig behind this white truck. Floats were beautiful and I was delighted that I did not have to line them up and all that.

I remember Mark screaming when we had Thanksgiving on Stokelan Dr. in Malden. He was petrified. Not Sara, she went for all the candy. One Halloween night I found her in her bed with a pepsi in the middle of the night eating all of her candy. Happy Halloween. I am ready to be tricked or treated.

Homecoming Weekend 10-30-10

Copper Dome Dinner. Three of the Alumni Merit Award Recipients who have Charleston ties; Smith Deline, me and Larry Ferrell (Bartley Ferrell's son). He lived in Charleston until he was in the 8th grade. Worked with the prosecutor's in the trial of Saddam Hussein.

Bill and Shirley Virdon came to the breakfast. Longtime friends--he was manager of the Astros. Live in Springfield.

So I lived through the weekend --went to the dinner on Friday night, did the breakfast this morning and rode in the parade with the former Alumni Presidents -- Mike parker, Mike Richey, Joan Gohn and I --had a great time! But I was cold! It was okay after the Parade started--sun was fine. Dobbins had to pass by me so he had to speak. Shad Burner, the new alumni director, made a few mistakes but they will survive.

After the Parade Joan and I went to drive-in (Sonic) to get a sandwich and then we decided that we would forego the game. Too cold and you could watch it (as I did) on the Webcast. I was really frozen. Thought I would turn on the fireplace but it did not work. Called Gene.

Glad I did all of this. It did not make me sad at all. Made me happy to see everyone and they acted like they were delighted to see me..

Homecoming --Merit Award Dinner 10-29-10

So I went to the the Merit award Dinner --talk about dead. Shad Burner, the alumni director, never was alllowed to say a word --It was Dobbins show all the way! Dobbins never came to speak to me. But Dick Davidson talked abbotu Board of Regents, so did Gene Munger, Mary Sharp, Norm Braasch, I saw Jane Stephens and Kim Mothershead and I am sending notes to him. Also saw Jim Limbaugh. Good reception. I sat with Smith and Mary Ann Deline at their table and that was good. I will include pictures in the blog for tomorrow but did not want to forget any of this. Also saw Bill and Suzanne Burch and Larry Swindle. It was good to see them all. Saw Shirley and Bill Virdon, Doug Greene, Don and Gloria La Ferla, Mike Lincoln and on and on. Fun to be back.

And the Beat Goes On 10-28-10--

And the beat goes on. So it is not the tombstone of May and A. B. Cooper but it is some mother's tombstone and I am trying to remember them. Had to write a guest editorial about Thanksgiving memories and I did it last night and sent it to Lucas Presson at the Southeast Missourian. How ironic that he would be the grandson of one of Mama and Daddy's best friends, Bill and Edna Thompson and his mother, Janet Thompson Presson, grew up in Charleston and will remember that game. Don't know if I can put this on blog or not but will try. Can't figure this out but I sent it out to everyone late last night.

Mark and Leigh just sent emails saying that they loved it. Hope Luke likes it too. It was fun remembering. Wish Rose Marie would read it but she does not do attachments. At least, her kids will read it!

Thanksgiving Meal Planning -- Oct 27, 2010

Now that I know that Jim and Mark are both coming for Thanksgiving, I need to start looking for recipes that I want to make. For many years, we went to Mama's for Thanksgiving. Then we went to Julia's. She was famous for her rolls and her dressing. I cannot begin to do either one to her standards. Mama would always have celery stuffed with pimento cheese (with olives and nuts) and black-cherry salad. We also had sweet potatoes and marshmellows and pumpkin and mince pie. I remember all this because I don't like sweet potatoes or pumpkin if I have a choice. But I loved the dressing. Julia would sometimes fix brussel sprouts and little onions which was delicious and we always had green beans. It was a lovely time.

Velna would always bring a dish -- I remember a cranberry dish which was good. Our dining room at the old house seated 10 and the men fixed their plates and ate first. I thought nothing about this. I was obsessed with going to the football game between Charleston and Sikeston and coming home crying since I never saw Charleston beat Sikeston. I would fix a plate for supper and eat the things I liked again. Julia used to say that her secret for making dressing was to use the broth of a chicken. She was the master of rolls. Betty,not known for her culinary ability, was not big about bringing a dish. In fact, I don't ever remember her bringing a dish for Thanksgiving. But she was good about washing dishes and she did that well.

After the meal and the football game, we played cards. We always played cards if Jennie was there and Warren was in the game. They played for blood. If Joker got into the game, money went down fast as bets were made. He was the born loser!

I will think about all these things as I prepare my lists for a meal. We have to have turkey and dressing, cranberries. The rest needs decisions.

Rain finally comes in --Homecoming week10-26-10

When I was Alumni Director I used to love for rain to come in early Homecoming week so it could get finished and we could be dry (Only had to cancel one Homecoming -- my first and biggest one); I got wet once though. It has rained a good part of the night. My good deed for the day: sent email to the Springs family about death of Doris Collins --old and dear friends since college days. It is good to be able to send notes to families on email now.

Wrote HB to Catherine and Emily today on FB. Hope they see it. Gloria will be here to clean? today so I am doing cleaning beforehand. Why do we do that? After Liz left yesterday, I took a nap and did nothing else. I think Bristol Palin will be on Dancing Witht he Stars forever. They will probably sent Kurt Werner home tonight and give her another week. Jennifer Grey is my choice to win but she keeps messing up!

No bonfires for this Homecoming! Burn order has gone out. Land is too dry! Must get back to cleaning.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

What a blessing to feel good! I slept all night --only took 2 Advil yesterday and can't believe how much better I feel. Swelling is no longer a knot in my jaw and is going down. I want to scream with joy.

Today I want to get some things in order. I have my list done already and it is 8:23 a.m. Liz is coming this afternoon so I try to get a list done and then I work on it until she gets here. So many things are little tasks I have not taken care of during this ordeal.

I read the paper today and read an article in Parade Magazine I liked called "The Lists that Keep on Giving". She and her husband live in different parts of the country and they keep the relationship alive by making lists of things that happen during the day that they talk about at night on the phone. Lillian Hellman once called these things "the daily mess of life". The author, Connie Schultz, says "The nice thing about list keeping is it makes you cherish the world around you." She goes on to say that the last thing you want, at the end of the day, is a list of nothing to share. So you are more observant about yourself and the mess of life you live ordinarily.

I do this with Blog. I am far more observant about the menial tasks that I do each day and wish I had kept better notes. George Will said: 'It is extraordinary how extraordinary the ordinary person is." God did not make anyone ordinary. We should all remember that!

Zonta Women of Achievement Friday, Oct. 22, 10

I went to this Zonta Achievement Luncheon today and now as I look at the photograph, you can see the swelling in my face over the abscessed tooth. I could do no more smile than this. But had a good time, saw lots of people and had people coming up all morning to speak to me. Can't beat it.

At my table, I had Bev Hickam, Debbie Bickings and Joan Gohn and I was so happy that they could all go. It wasn't something that I would have wanted my kids to drive down here for. But they sent flowers! I came home beat and tried to sleep. Feel better.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The infection is back and I am back on antibiotics. The swelling has come back but it is not too noticeable, says Debbie, unless I mention it. Yukko! I hate to go to that luncheon tomorrow and that party tonight like this but I have no choice. Maybe it will be better!

I have a few things to do today and Liz is coming to work this afternoon, I think, so I need to shut down the blogging and concentrate on something besides this blasted tooth. I have talked to Mark and Sara both on the phone and Jim has sent an email. I will get to feel better soon, I know, and my mind will be active again. Right now, I am lethargic and unenergetic.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

It is Adam Dyer's birthday! I can't believe it has been so many years since Jim Stacy and I rushed up to the hospital to see his face for the first time. I sent him a card and a Lowe's gift card. I pray earnestly for him today as he makes his way forward in his career and in his life. He is a good boy and that is the highest compliment (according to Daddy Cooper) that anyone can say of anyone else.

I was on FB looking at the great letters from Charles Wiles, Judy and Bill Arnett, and Mike Price and then I saw one from Mike Finnegan. It flashed before me. I have no idea why he would write me. Strange.

I feel better this morning. I was useless all afternoon yesterday. Just laid on the couch and watched television. Hope I do better today. I need to make phone calls but this Regents position has kept me curious and thinking about something positive that might happen in my life. I have worked too long and have no talent for the things that other women my age are doing. I will not be painting pictures or playing bridge. One time we were all supposed to give Mama Cooper something we had made ourselves and I gave her a check. And she took it---quickly. I still think she liked it the best!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Susan's birthday. Can't wait to call and sing on her phone. She was such a darling little girl who could run on her toes through the hall. I always felt she was Mama's child but she was really our child more than all the others except Pam and Harry. We had constant care of all three of them. By the time the others came along, their parents were more settled and more able to cope. Pam, Susan, and Harry were lucky to have such a big dose of Mama Cooper in their early lives. Every child needs that nurturing!

Daddy called Susan "Mouse" and it would infuriate Velna. Not that he cared or noticed. "Mouse" it was! He had such a way of ignoring what he did not wish to see. Wish I had inherited that.

Had no trouble with mouth last night. I think that Sara realizes that things have not been easy here with all this infection, and that I no longer am willing to be any kind of family punching bag!

The bottom line, to me, still in all of this is that for whatever reasons, Bailey came into Cape Girardeau, spent four days, and saw me less than 10 minutes. That is hard to take for any reason. Sara told me Bailey spent all this time cooking food at Annie's while I was hiring someone to go to Crackerbarrel each day to get me some vegetables that I could eat. I live with the bottom line of all this and they, I am sure, all feel that they have a different bottom line. I am still so sadly hurt--even though I understand that all kinds of things play into this --the pain of Betty Hearnes and her actions, the simple fact that I feel a sense of betrayal by Annie and her kids --and Jennie--the situation with the N. Carolina visit when I ended up worried about the situation when I had nothing to do with creating that situation--when I asked Jordan, after paying him all summer to do errands, to be certain that he picked me up to get groceries when he picked his grandmother up each week--6 houses away--and I have yet to see him. And the infection from the abscess and the female parts which ransacked my body and spirit. All of this has made me want to push away from everyone involved with family, except my three children, Jim, and Velna's children and my dearest friends. I want to put this back together but I cannot hurry it along and patch it up in a way that will do anything but keep the bandage on until the healing is over.

So, I will turn to the positive things at hand (forgetting what lies behind and forgetting that the dental trip still looms ahead of me next week.) I have the luncheon on Friday -- I can say truthfully I care nothing about being named the person--being a nominee is fine and serves the point I need it to serve; then I go to Homecoming with the expectation that I will be so happy to see everyone and Ken Dobbins will be tearing his heart out that I did not run off and hide somewhere) and then the fight and the strategy planning for the Board of REgents position. Robert Cox called me today and the Pikes are writing emails in my support. There are many who are sending beautiful letters--Many St. Louis women are writing in to say that it is time to appoint a woman after so many years of all men!

The best thing about all of this is that the throbbing and itching pains are gone and I can sit on a couch or put my head down without being frantic. Nothing else matters quite so much!

October 18, 2010

Sara is here and most of the day was consumed in fixing the abscessed tooth at Dr. Freeze's office. It still is not finished --have to go back next week but the hard part is over. Still infection there so he had to put in temporary filleing.

Fun news is the stuff about the regents and writing all these emails. They must be beseiged with letters -- great letters. Now we are watching dancing with the Stars. All I feel like writing.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Sunday, Joan Gohn picked us up (Sara is here for my oral surgery tomorrow) and we went to Marble Hill for lunch at Jer's and then went to her farm to see her horses. We had a great time out in the peaceful farm area. Joan has 5 horses and cats. It is an experience to eat at Jer's.

I am working on my stuff for the Regent's appointment. Al Sullivan called yesterday to say that he had talked to the Governor about it and he said it might be nice to get some more letters and emails in.

I think it would be great if I could get it. It would give me something to get out of the house about and keep my mind functioning on something useful.

Saturday, October 16,2010

Saturday morning--Sara is here and we are doing projects and waiting for Betty Ann to call and say when she is coming up. Sara got here about 1:30 and we went to Lowe's and got a carbon monoxide detector and some yard furniture coverups. She is outside looking over the yard now and doing some stuff out there. Then we drove to Sikeston where her in-laws, Harold and Frances Dyer, had stopped on their way to Carthage for a family reunion and we went to Throwed Rolls to eat.

I finally remembered the name of Jenny Lerew who works for Dreamworks. I got acquainted with them when someone did a scholarship in her mother's name, Loida Farrow Lerew and I visited her and her brother, Michael, in LA. I went thru the web and found her and her email address and sent her an email about Colin doing an intership there. Wouldn't that be something! I think she has to be well into the field but what do I know about it. Colin would know something.

We will just wait and see.

Friday, October 15, 2010

It's 5 oclock in the morning and I got up because I need a cup of coffee. Joan went with me to the kickoff party for Zonta last night at Diane Howard's and it was fun to be in the land of the living. I have known Diane and Tom for many years. I met Kaycee Strohmeyer who is an optometrist here and met the other nominees. Grace Hoover was out of it. Ellen Dillon is my ambassador. I met Kathy Swan's daughter, Maria Childress and Nancy Jernigan, another nominee. It was good to see so many familiar faces--Janet Brunton, Cheryl Mothes, Amy Lincoln, on and on. Real fun time.

Monday I get this root canal and then Friday is the luncheon. Then on to Homecoming festivities. Then Joan and I go to Kansas City with Frank Nickell and a tour. Then Thanksgiving. I need to continue to get out and visit with people. I have been behind the 8 ball with this book and now I need to be like the old serial of Joe McDoakes and get out from under it.

I need to call Lucas Presson back today and tell him I will write a piece for him for the Southeast Missourian about Thanksgiving. He called last night. I have my ten things that I need to do today all written out already. Heck, I got up so early, I could have these done by 10:00 this morning. Then I could just sit and wait for Sara to get here.

We made arrangements for Sunday to go to the farm and eat at Marble Hill. I think Sara would love to do that. Joan will pick us up after going to church.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

It had to happen! Just when the world was cheering on the saving of the 33 Chilean miners, the press begins to report what was really happening on the outside world watching! It has been widely reported that these men were all going to be rich from signing contracts with media for their stories. In fact, they said that they agreed that they would all share equally in any profits! They had signed that down in the mine.

However, poor Yanni Barrios! His wife and his mistress both showed up. But his wife went home when she found out he had invited the mistress also. And one man had a wife and 4 mistresses show up. Television does that for people. Be sure your sins will find you out! See the picture of one of the mistress --Yanni Baby, your goose is cooked internationally! Why don't you get back in the tube and hide out for awhile!

Getting my stuff ready to go to Safehouse. I have two sacks of stuff that I have gotten from hotels--soaps, lotions, etc. Then I have recycled cell phones and pajamas. I need to get all this to their Outreach Office at 1810 E. Plaza Way as soon as I can. I try to do this at least once a year because I believe in the program. We need to wear purple in October to stop Domestic violence.

I sent the money to Feed the Hungry here in the county for 30 meals for Thanksgiving. I pick my causes and these are two of them.

I love Thanksgiving! It is my favorite holiday. My house says it all over.

Dancing with the Stars --October 13,2010 I

It was a long day yesterday. First, Gloria was here to clean and I kept adding to the list. Then the bug man was here to spray and then Ricky Renfroe was here to fix the fireplace. Sounds simple. Ha. took all day! The fireplace is now fixed with new insert, new remote and it works. I couldn't use it last year and I was determined to get it fixed. It will probably cost me $1000 but why have a fireplace if you can't use it!

It was almost 5:00 when they all left. So I sat down, looked at my clean house and sat down to watch "Dancing with the Stars". I am pulling for Jennifer Grey --she is wonderful and has danced all her life. Last night the 4 in trouble were Bristol Palin, The Situation, Kurt Wehrner and I can't remember the last one. The Situation was sent home. I hope that Bristol is off next week. She is a non-dancer and not a star at all.I always wanted to be a good dancer but I was terrible!

The Chilean miners are coming out. No. 16 came up today -- there are 33 down there and they have been trapped for 66 days. What a wonderful story! It could have been a terrible set of news.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

It' s Tuesday and Gloria is coming to clean. My house is more than clean already but it needs the vacumn run and my bed changed. The rest is overkill.

I want to be able to watch the miners who have been stranded in a mine in Chile for 66 days come up in this tube and be rescued (Thanks to American ingenuity). It will take all day today and tomorrow. They have to come up and be in a tube for 20 minutes to reach the top. First, a doctor will go down with them. Talk about paying for a house call! Families are waiting outside for their loved ones to come up. All I can do is watch and pray for all of them. And I am doing that!

According to reports, the men have been arguing about not who will go first but who will go last! What a theological lesson that is to the rest of us! Donald Miller says that character is only molded in conflict, and if you want your characters to bond, you have to put them through hell. He has some good thoughts about dealing with conflict and writing about it. I aim to do this.

Today, I want to accomplish these things:

1. Man is coming to spray the house at 1:00

2. Gloria is coming at 11:00

3. PDQ is printing a copy of my book and will call when it is finished. I am to call Liz then.

4. I need to call Ricky Renfrow again about my fireplace.

5. I need to email Terry Begley about my taxes.

6. I need to contact Frank Nickell when the book copy is in hand.

7. I need to send photos back to people who sent in.

8 I need to find information out about the Zonta party on Thursday night.

9. I need to work on appliance workbooks in closet.

10. I need to locate plastic covers for my outside furniture.

If I do that today, it will be plenty. And I need to pray for the safety of the Chilean miners.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Starting the week off. Debbie came to do my hair. I stayed at home yesterday all day and never heard from anyone by phone --that is strange. It was okay. I wanted to rest and I did that. Today, Liz will be here to finish the book and Julie will be here to use the drill so I will have some company. I think I am doing better but there is still some swelling in my jaw.

Debbie had a garage sale and they sold about $150. Very few people came. She is most disappointed but she is saying that she cleaned out her house. She said people came but they wanted free stuff. This is a bad economy.

I will be so happy to get this tooth fixed a week from today. Didn't think I would ever say that! But I will.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

I can't remember much about Halloween when I was a child. I don't remember costumes, or trick or treat or anything like that. Maybe we had no one come because we lived out on the highway but nothing else. It was not a major holiday in the Cooper house to my mind. I don't remember ever carving a pumpkin or anything.

I do remember once getting Mark and Sara dressed in costume when we lived in Carbondalel and we took them to Charleston. Mama and Daddy came out with treats when they rang the doorbell (Bill and I stayed in the car) Finally they told them who they were and Mama and Daddy laughed and laughed. That was a fun memory trail.

i have my house ready for the Fall and decorations are everywhere. It lifts my spirits to see it done up and I hope to have friends in and be more sociable. Finally got the book finished and yeah, I hardly know what to do with myself. I will find my way to something that is meaningful to me.

Happy Sunday. Happy boring Sunday with no book to work on!

-Saturday, October 9. 2010

Slept till 10:30 and then Julie came with lunch and with some purchases. She did some errands for me today and I spent the rest of the day counting and recounting my pages for my book. Look forward to tomorrow when no pressure.

Friday, October 11, 2010

THE BOOK IS DONE! We finished it today. I will number the pages this weekend and then Liz will take it to printshop on Monday and then we will take it to Frank Nickell. HALLELUJAH! fOR ONE YEAR, i HAVE KEPT AT THIS! i Feel like I have been in a cave like I was here at Ste. Genevieve with Shad Burner and Nolan Brunworth last summer!

This is a good thing! Liz, Julie and I all celebrated together and then they stayed and finished decorating the house for Harvest, put up a new back splash in the kitchen, moved furniture around and made a list of other things we needed for tomorrow. I cleaned up all the book stuff and the house looks incredible. My tooth still aches but I don't care as much!

I cleaned the washing machine, ran the leaf blower on the front and the back and we are ready for the Thanksgiving holidays! yeah --yeah!

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Yeah! I slept for three hours at a time and I feel better. Swelling on abscessed tooth is still there but it is better. I am taking medicine faithfully and have hired both Liz and Julie to work today so I can get finished. Julie finished section 2 and 3 this morning and all we have left to do is for Liz to finish 60's and 70's today and tomorrow. Monday, we number all the pages and take it to printing and then to Frank Nickell. Then it is out of my hair. I have actually cleaned up my family room.

Julie is decorating with Thanksgiving. She put a wreath up out on the outside of the house and it looks terrific. It lifts my spirits! today she is going back to Cracker Barrell and getting me two vegetable plates for today and tomorrow. One is chicken and dressing --my favorite.

Then she is mailing back my QVC stuff that was not what I ordered and going to Lowes for: new burner bibs for stove, filters for furnaces, fireplace starter set instructions, a pole to keep anyone from getting into my patio door, wood restorer, Tilex, degreaser, and etc. That will take some time for her.

Debbie came and got the stuff for her garage sale and it is out of the house this morning. I am cleaning a little at a time. I cleaned the guest bedroom closet last week and Debbie has already loaded that up for the garage sale.

So I am making progress. I think I actually care about seeing to things again.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Julie Sharp is here working today. She went up in the attic and got all of my Halloween decorations and is putting them out. My computer is fixed but my printer is not so I'm doing the best I can do. I am trying to do the Giants section , the 80s and the Bios and I am making progress. That way when Liz is here on Thursday and Friday, she can do the 60's and 70's. We can take to printer and be thru with this thing.

I am not going to the Perry County trip. Don't feel like doing it so I cancelled this morning and I will get my money back.

I have to do an interview with David Deline at 3:30 this afternoon for one of his classes. I hated to turn him down so I didn't. His mother called me. I am into the Harvest decorating -- I think I have 28 sets of pilgrims -- I love Thanksgiving. Rather than go up to my attic, I just buy new ones every year. Julie went to grocery store for me, Macy's to pick up makeup and then to get us some lunch. She will come back and finish decorating and printing book pages. Well worth the money. And she is broke without a job so I can help her!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Sleep was fitful. I thought I would take this medicine and sleep like a baby. I did--a baby with colic. Liz is coming today and I have a barrel of things for her to do. She is so kind to me. Went out last night and got me some orange juice and a coke.

I got up about 8:30 and started taking medicine. I'm thru until 2:00. I did a number of things: Called Craig Mitchell about fixing my fireplace, wrote my review of the New Children's International Bible -- excellent! Wrote email to my family list; emailed Leigh who said she got my birthday message --she is 58. Now I am caught up until Liz gets here. I will continue to take it easy today --don't feel like doing anything else. Joan and I are supposed to go to Judi Hutson's birthday party Friday night and then to a bus tour of Perry County on Saturday with Frank Nickell and I hope I feel like doing all this.

I really feel better when I am doing something and don't sit around thinking how bad I feel. I guess that is always the way, though!

Monday, October 4, Leigh's Birthday

Leigh's Birthday -- I will call her today! Dr. Freeze's office called and I do have an abscessed tooth. I have been walking the floor with the pain and I went out for x-rays on Friday because a dentist can never see it. I have had four of them before. They are bringing anti-biotic out to stop the infection and I go in on the l8th for root canal, unless I can't stand it before that time. Anything will help. I went on web md to read about my lichen scherosis outbreak and now the abscess but quickly got off the web--Way more information. Do I want to know that lichen is incurable and that the abscess could cause death.

Leave me to the pain. Thank God Broadway Prescription just drove up!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Sunday, so I need to do some reflection! I got a quick course on reflection this morning when I opened the newspaper and learned of the deaths of Kim McDowell and lenore Bierbaum. Kim was 68, a Christian Scientist, and died of cancer. She was the sister of Wendy Rust and Joy Gilbert. Lenore was the head of the Education Dept. at SeMO and I was in Albert Hall with her some years ago. That is relection enough! Most of the things I worry about are insignificant in the big picture.

Joan just called and wanted to know if I wanted to ride to Marble Hill. I don't think so today. I am trying to get some things ready and my toothache is sitting there ready to pounce again.

I have my lunch cooked and my list of things to do sitting before me. I must be at the task and think of these menial tasks.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Saturday morning -- slept until 10:00 Very restless night. The Prescription Shop did not deliver my medicine yesterday and I spent another restless, itchy night. I finally got it. It is so powerful that I can only use it twice a week. I have lychen scheroso and it acts up at time. Stress makes it worse and this time it is terrible. I read on the web about other people who have it and get crazy with it. No cure for it. But the ointment relieves the itch.

I am crossing my fingers that this will be better and that the throbbing from the toothache will soon cease. Since I have had the xrays, I know that I will know something on Monday--I can't believe it is sinus -- I have no headaches. Just the throbbing. Talked to Mark and Andrea today and they are at Wake Forest for Parent's Day.

Joan came today and brought me some groceries from Sams. I went in and fixed cheese grits, pork chops and fresh vegetables steamed. It was delicious.

Went thru my manuscript and will send it to the editor on Monday. Did a couple of sheets on the book. Rosalie is bad--I saw Swayne Byrd in the Dollar General Store at Sikeston yesterday. I will call her tomorrow.

Life comes crashing down on you October 1, 2010

Last night I went to bed after hearing about an identified man being shot in Charleston who got caught in the aftermath of a drug shooting. I looked at the car and saw the low license number and I immediately thought it had to be someone I knew. Worried about it half the night. Called Harriett and Betty Ann this morning and found out that low license number belonged to a deputy and it was no one we knew. In the process I visited with each of them.

I am really down. I am going to Sikeston today with Joan since she thinks I need to get out and away from this book and problems with my health. I have felt bad for weeks, I chalked it up to the flu bug I had but I have an infection which is going thru my body. I called Dr. Williams office this morning and she is sending me something out. I called my dentist office this morning and I am going in for xrays this afternoon. If there is anything, they are going to see me early Monday morning. I am afraid that it is another silent abscess which affects my physical and my mental. I am so upset about the Bailey visit, Betty Hearnes, my whole family --I wrote a note to Julia trying to tell her how terrible all of this is on all of us.

I talked to Betty Ann and Harriett this morning and told them about the note I wrote to Julia. They both agree that it is terrible about our family. Harriett says that Joker is driving Julia crazy and she talked to Jamee in the flower shop telling her that it is time for them to get full-time help no matter what the cost. She said that she sold her mother's farm to take care of getting help for her mother and that is what Julia needs to do now. Harriett says that if they go into a nursing home, they will take the farm anyway.

I just talked to Judy at Dr. Williams and they are calling in the medicine for the infection I have on my body. I have fooled with all this until I go to sleep hoping that I will be able to actually get some sleep. At least, I am doing something hoping to heal myself.