Adventures in hair coloring

The first time I ever colored my hair I was 18. A friend talked me into frosting it. That was really big back then. Of course, she volunteered to do it, even though she had never done anything like that before. My hair is naturally very dark brown, almost black. It ended up being very blonde. I was horrified. I went back to the store and got a dark brown semi permanent color thinking (in my naive mind) that by the time it washed out I would be back to my own color. All it did was turn my hair a darker shade of blonde. So I just let it grow out. The next time I ventured into color territory I went wild. I colored it eggplant. Now if you have ever looked carefully at an eggplant you will notice that it is almost black with a purple cast to it. I loved it. When I was in the sun the purple really came out, and purple is my favorite color. I wore it like that for several years and finally decided it was just too expensive. I had to be done at a salon and after about three weeks the purple faded away. After that grew out I found out that it was time to start coloring for a different reason. I was unbelievably gray (or is it grey). Any way I had always heard that as you get older your hair should get lighter. So I started coloring it a medium brown, which by the way, is very dark. From there I went to light brown. For the last several years it has be sometimes a dark blonde sometimes a medium blonde.
I can imagine you are thinking, ok so why are you telling me all of this. Well, my hairdresser wants to do something dramatic with my hair. I have an appointment for Valentines day. We are going to a wedding that day and I figured it would be the perfect time to try something new. So if I don't see you very often, the next time may be something of a shoch. We'll see.

2009

As I think back to the last year of my life. How blessed I am. I spent from February until July on the couch, homebound. Recovering from what will be my last knee surgeries. God sent us to the Mayo Clinic and to Dr. Arlan Hanssen. He truly is a God send. He saved my leg and my life. I spent four years recovering from various knee surgeries and in that time I learned a lot. I learned to be thankful for such a wonderful husband, not that I wasn't befoe. This is different. He proved/showed me how very much he loves me. I learned to be thankful for my daughter who was there to help when ever she could be. And then there is Shelby. She had never known Grandma without a boo boo. She helped me with my walker, helped me lift my leg and generally watched out for me. When I got to the point that I was using a cane, she would remind me to take it with me. I learned to be happy in my circumstance. I would be lying if I told you being alone most of the time unable to do the smallest thing for myself was fun, but God was there with me and kept me from getting depressed. I tried hard not to complain and look for the bright side.
Now that I am recovered I find I am more content. I don't need to be entertained like before. Before I didn't like sitting at home, I wanted to go. Now even though I am still very social, I find I can be content. I am calmer, more at peace. So if you are ever going through a trial just remember God's word says: Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. I figure he waited four years to heal me because I had a lot to learn, and I am at the point now that I have taken steps to see that this does not happen to someone else. God never waste suffering.

Things that make me happy

It has been a long time since I blogged. I tend to compare myself with my fellow friend bloggers and I do not measure up. But I am going to carryon anyway. I have been thinking about what it takes to make me happy. I work with someone who seems never to be happy. Maybe my standards are low, I can think of so much that makes me happy. I will cut the list down or it could go on forever. Some are personal some are general, and in no particular order here they are.
Spring
Flowers (not florist flowers, although they are nice)
Shelby
Kenny
Bree-Ann being happy
Getting something right
Baking
Doing something for someone else
Purple
Crafting and sewing
Clothes that are not too tight
Music
Seeing my husband smile
Hearing my two year old granddaughter be very polite
A clean house
Friends
Knowing I am loved
Feeling loved
Laughing
Cows
Shelling corn in a combine
Travel
These are a few of my favorite things (that sounds familar). I could go on for sometime but I have to go to work. That sometimes makes me happy.

Government Insurance

If Medicare is any indication of what government insurance will be like, count me out. I work with insurance and Medicare everyday. Medicare covers nothing at home. They want you to go to an extended care facility for something you can easily do at home and for much less cost. They won't cover any antibiotics that are given IV at home. Any treatment that you may need at home has to be administered by some sort of machine (durable medical equipment). You could probably do it cheaper another way but Medicare won't pay for if you do. You must jump through so many hoops to get anything done with them that sometimes it just isn't worth it.
Any time the government gets involved there will be problems. Some Senator probably owns stock in a durable medical equipment company so he puts in the Medicare bill that you have to use that equipment in order for Medicare to pay for it. You get the idea.
If someone has a Medicare supplement insurance policy and Medicare denies the claim, so will the insurance company. You have to have a secondary not a supplement. Let this be a warning to you.

Shleby

I love being a grandma. The first time Shelby called me grandma I thought it can't get any better than this. But it has, much better. She is the best little girl and always has been. She is two and a rule follower even at this age. When she started to crawl I told her she was not to touch grandma's "pretties", and she never has. She has always picked up her toys before she went home. She has to have a napkin to eat. She does not like messes. Her face and hands need to be clean and she wipes up her own spills. Kenny was working on the recliner the other night and she said "Papa made a mess, I'll clean it." When she got up one morning this week I said how about you help me make the bed, just as quick she came back with "that's a good idea". When we go shopping she stays right by my side wanting to help. One time I was getting her out of her car seat and she said grandma where is your cane? She reminds me to take my purse. She is so smart she can count to 10 and knows most of the abc's. Her Papa and I love her so much, she is such a joy (there is that word again). You will just have to live with my bragging I make no apologies.

Choose Joy

Most of you reading this know of the problems I have had for the last four years with my knee. I just thought I would let you know how faithful God has been to me. The day that I got sick with my second infection I was off work and running around. I got a call on my cell from an attorney's office in O'Fallon IL wanting to know if I was interested in doing some freelance paralegal work for them. Now the first time I was sick I was off for four months and got no pay because there is a time limit for it to kick in. I ask them how they got my name and they said I had sent them a resume four years earlier (when I graduated with my paralegal degree). That night I was back in the hospital and off work for a year. During that time I did get my disability payments (1/2 of my salary) but I also had the work from the law firm that I could do at home and make about twice what I was making at the hospital. Is God faithful or what. He knew before I got sick that money would be tight and he provided. I spent about six months total that year in a wheel chair with no knee. I had three surgeries and got a new knee replacement. When people would ask me how I was I would try to be honest about how much pain I was in. But I would also say I am doing fine. I'm going to be ok. Recently I figured up how much time I have been out of work in the last four years, it comes up to two years and seven months. I have had 14 surgeries on my knee, had it removed twice, once for nine months and once for four months. Through it all I have had a smile on my face. I have tried not to complain to anyone. I chose JOY. I am so glad I did. It made my time recovering so much easier. I knew God was taking care of me and I chose to sit back and let him do it.

I am going back to work day after tomorrow. I have been praying about this job for months. I told the Lord you know what I need and I am going to trust you to provide. The job I am going back to is a desk job. I will work no evenings, no weekends, no holidays, and take no call. That is almost unheard of in nursing. I even got a raise. I will be working with the same people I have been working with for the last two years.

So when you are down or in a bad place, choose joy, it really helps.

I'm sold

I watched Sarah Palin's speech last night and I'm sold. She is the do everything woman. She is not afraid of the "big boys" and I believe she will whup up on Joe Biden in the debates. I think he is running scared. Go Sarah!