Waiting for the other shoe to drop

Happy Tuesday everyone! It's a short week for me so today is actually my "Wednesday" since I'm taking off Thursday, Friday and Monday to just have some time to myself! It has cooled off around here, so far this week we've been below 100.

I was pondering my life Saturday, as I often do, and I came to the realization that I am happy! I like my job, I have a nice home, good friends, my basic needs are met, my family is healthy, my kitty is doing well... I thought to myself, Wow...I really am happy in my life! Sounds simple but for as long as I can remember I've been working to get somewhere, doing this for something in the future, not living in the present day and enjoying what is before me...right now. Not really thinking I was unhappy...just figured this was my life. Well it finally came to me at 47 I finally learned how to do be happy in the present! WoW! Then about 20 minutes after that revelation I had another more sinsiter one...when will the other shoe drop and how big is that shoe going to be?

Well, yesterday it dropped. My doctor's office called and she wants to see me on Thursday, my test results are back and I have diabetes. Scary word "diabetes". I don't really know what it means yet, what level I am, what my course of treatment will be...I'm either in denial or really not worried about it. Can't really tell which. I'm thinking "it is what it is" Millions of people have Diabetes and control it...I can too. I may be a blubbering idiot tomorrow but today I'm okay with it....I am a diabetic. I have diabetes....Hello, My name is Cecilia and I have Diabetes...I'm trying it on for size. Odd thing is, I'm not a big sweet or bread person...waiting, I'm not good at waiting. One of those learn to live in the moment things. Last night when I got home after hearing the news I was yet again "pondering" as I do and thought to myself, I'm still happy, I still like my life, I'm okay with this. Good thing I was raised in the military and had to have tons of shots everytime we were restationed somewhere...I'm used to needles and they really don't bother me...I think I could give myself a shot if I had to.

Diabetes...that's an odd little word-has such power to it but you know while the first part of the word is "die" the second part is "beat"....I'm going to focus on that!

HADES

I realize that I live in Texas by choice...actually be default; it's where my parents settled. I moved away to North Carolina but returned to Texas...it's home so I shouldn't complain BUT it's hotter than Hades here this week! We reached 106 yesterday and 104 today! You step outside and you just wilt. People talk about "oh it's a dry heat" as opposed to a "wet heat" like Houston is...let me tell you...at 106 it doesn't matter if it's wet or dry because you're going to have sweated off a gallon of water in a matter of seconds! Hot is HOT! One of the "yard sticks" that we Texans hold up is that Phoenix Arizona is usually much hotter than Dallas (where I am) but yesterday they were a cool 90! I've been to Phoenix and let me tell you it's hot there! I've actually taken an egg, cracked it on the pavement and fried it in Phoenix! Yesterday I have a feeling all you had to do was take the egg, still in its shell, outside and it would have hard boiled in seconds! I could move, this is true, but I'm settled and getting old so here I sit, in a puddle of sweat, with the ceiling fan going full blast and the Air Conditioner working overtime! If it weren't for the fact that people come in my office I might even have stripped down to my undies!

I would never have made it in pioneer days, there's just no way. Give me a tall glass of Ice Tea with a lemon slice on the rim, a ceiling fan and central air any day! Plus there's the whole "bathroom issue" I am not a woman that will ever become accustom to using the great outdoors...I need a flushing WC!

I wonder sometimes who thought up these things? Who invented the toilet? I know that the first flushable toilet was in England (thank you!) but who actually thought it up? Or things like ice machines! What a wonderful invention! Paper clips...now that's an interesting design to twist around like that...weird stuff makes me ponder...like high heels! What satanic MALE thought those up!

I hope you're cool and comfortable where you are, may the AC and WC gods be with you this hot August...it'll cool off around here sometime in December...with any luck.

Ahhh Thursday

I've almost made it through another week! Thank goodness. This week has been CRAZY around here with my doctor's appointment, ultrasounds and blood work...just part of my yearly physical, I'm not anticipating anything to be wrong! I work at my Church and it's just been insane this week! We have a couple of big events coming up next week that are adding just a little pressure to a already pressured job! I will persevere though! My lovely sister, Lisa and her husband Brian, called last night and are coming for a visit on Saturday...they live in Austin, about 3 hours from me. Brian will go back on Sunday and Lisa is staying through Wednesday. Not a lot of time to prepare myself for the "Lisa invasion" ...I tried warning Sammy the cat last night and he actually huffed at me and walked away. He has such a little personality! If you knew my sister, and some of you do, you understand it is a full blown invasion! I need time to prepare myself and the cat!

Today is another gorgeous blue sky day here in Texas! That's one of the things I love about Texas...wide open spaces, miles and miles of blue sky and clear, clean air. At least in the part of Texas I'm in. We had rain last night! Yea! For anyone whose lived in Texas you know how we rejoice over that! The thing is though, everything really is "bigger and better" in Texas. When it rains it doesn't just mist or sprinkle it RAINS! Thunder that shakes the walls of your house, lightning that lights up the sky for miles around, sometimes hail-that can literally be the size of a grapefruit-rarely but it has happened, winds-it's a deluge! Last night was no different! The house was a rockin but not in a good way! Sammy is afraid of "Mr. Thunder" and tends to hide under my arm. Of course it would rain since I washed my car yesterday! Isn't that always the way it goes? So my lawn has been watered, a little river went down the street washing away all the dust and leaves...everything is shiny, green and just seems to be awake with life! All good things!

Oh, I forgot to mention...when the "rains of Noah" where pouring out of the sky last night I looked out the kitchen window to see 3, THREE, geckos on the window screen! Scared the daylights out of me at first...thunder crashing and lightening striking to see these lizard things...I really enjoy storms, usually, but for some reason I was a little spooked last night and then to be confronted with those 3 guys...it had me yelp and jump backwards. Sammy, being the manly man cat that he is, got up on the counter and rammed his head against the window trying to get to the Geckos only to bounce of the glass and fall into the kitchen sink. Poor little guy, I think he gave himself a headache. Geckos are good things, they eat bugs, usually I think they're cute but last night in the dark of night they seemed way bigger than their 1-2 inches they usually are!

Well I need to get back to work, by noon the sun will be high in the sky and with the rain from last night the humidity will be up and I'll be wilty! Texas...you gotta love living here, it's definitely not for the faint hearted! Oh and the picture...NOT of Texas! I couldn't find one of scorched earth!

Let me give you a glimpse into my day today

Usually I'm a very happy go lucky person...I'm nice to most people, they're nice to me. I had my yearly physical today...joy of joys. I had to fast because they did blood work. My appointment is at 9 this morning; I get there, say hello to Charlotte the lady at the front desk. She asks for my insurance card just in case anything has changed from the last time, it hasn't. She ask how my Mom is. (Mom went to another doctor in the same group and Charlotte knew my Mom from other activities) This takes me back just a little because my Mom died almost 5 years ago and Charlotte knows that. She's looking at me with this expectant look on her face and says to me "Cat got your tongue?" I'm so floored that I just bluttered out "Mom's been dead 5 years now". Charlotte looks mortified, mumbles something about she remembers now...she was uncomfortable, I was uncomfortable but I kept telling her "it's okay, really it's fine..." "Don't worry about it, it's okay." I get called back to the doctor and she tells me she's going to do an EKG so I go in another room...told to take off my blouse and bra, put on the lovely paper gown but have it open down the front instead of the back...the nurse closes the door and I start to undress....I'm standing there-unrobed-and suddenly the door flys open, Charlotte wanted to again tell me how sorry she was about the comments on my Mom but she has the door wide open and there are 20-30 people out there! I have now flashed the entire doctor's office! Charlotte doesn't seem to see that I'm exposed to the entire office, and just keeps talking! I said to her...rather I shricked to her "Close the door!" which she took immediate offense too and closed the door but with herself on the other side. My blood pressure is now through the roof, I'm beat red all over and if I could faint...I would have. I finally get finished and I'm leaving, Charlotte won't look at me but everyone else is! One gentleman even said "nice rack you got there" to which I was so mortified I just mumbled thank you and left. He must have been in his 70's if he was a day.

Lemonade!

I so enjoyed my lemonade the other day that I made another batch! It can become addictive so you've been warned!

I got this recipe from a friend of mine in Raleigh...

Michelle's Lemonade

5 lemons

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

Combine the sugar and water in a sauce pan along with the rind of 4 lemons...don't get anly pulp, just the rind. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes to infuse with the lemons.

Juice the lemons and add to the syrup you just made. This is now your "Base" you add water and ice to taste. If you like it strong, add less water, weaker then add more water.

Cut lemon slices and add to the drink for a garnish.

For a stronger lemon flavor you can add 1/4 teaspoon (not a lot) of lemon extract or just add more of the rind when you make the syrup.

With the boiled rind...you can make candied fruit strips...just take out of the water, roll in sugar and you're done...sounds odd, I know, but the sharp bitter taste is gone and they are actually quite good!

I'M CRAZIER THAN NORMAL TODAY

I don't know what I did but apparently I blocked EVERYONE from commenting on the last post...sorry about that! I think I have it fixed now! Please forgive me, I love getting your comments! Apparently I was having a senior moment that I seem to have more and more frequently these days!

Another day

Ah...another Monday, another 100 degree day! I did try to do summer things this weekend to remind me of being a kid....I made homemade lemonade! That was delicious. I had ice cream...that was wonderful! I then decided to put my hair in pigtails and go to the store...that was interesting! I got several "looks" but especially when I decided to skip down the aisle! There was no one in the aisle, people at the ends but not in the aisle, and I caught a "funny bug" so I just went for it! It was very liberating! It had me giggling at myself and this cute little boy at the end of the aisle was jumping up and down trying to skip....it was really sweet! I was saying hello to everyone I passed, talking to little kids..having a good ole time. I checked out and started out the door to my car and was hit by a blast of 105 degree air that took my breath away! Man was it a record hot day Saturday! When I got home I cut up lemons, made a simple syrup and made lemonade...it was wonderful. The smell of citrus is very refreshing. I did as BJ suggested, pulled a chair up to my patio and watched the grass grow....still in my silly mood I skipped to the mailbox and was skipping back when my toe caught in a crack in the sidewalk and I went sliding into the front step! Owww!!! I pulled myself up, checked out my now torn pant leg and the skinned knee underneath! Now that's summer! Skinned knees! I had to laugh at myself because I did say I wanted to do something for summer! I need to be a little more specific next time!