Another good one!! Thanks, Dina!
8/31/2011
8/30/2011
Back in Dallas
I'm happy to be home!!!!
It was a long two weeks in Alaska especially because Brian was re-admitted to the hospital the day I arrived in Anchorage. Three more surgeries later, the poor kid is still there. He is most likely looking at least 2-3 weeks longer in the hospital, possibly more than that, and when he is able to go home, his recovery will be a long, slow process. Brian needs lots of prayers.
I did enjoy the time with the grandkids though. The three year old requires lots of energy just to keep an eye on her, and Evan, age 7, is the polar opposite of his sister. He is quiet and calm and loves to play cards....so him and I had a few card game marathons.
Back in Dallas, Henry got caught in the crazy drivers of Dallas and was rear ended a week and a half ago. Our car was a total loss and undriveable, so we are back at square one with the hunt for another car. ---You know the commercial for Nationwide Insurance and their little tune? 'Nationwide is on your side'. -- The lady that plowed into Henry has Nationwide, and I must say they were prompt in the claim process all the way through to settling. They have already paid us and were more than fair.
Wow....it is SOOO NICE to enjoy my coffee without interruptions such as:
'Grandma, I want apple juice'
'Grandma, I want cereal'
'Grandma, can I play PS2?'
It was a long two weeks in Alaska especially because Brian was re-admitted to the hospital the day I arrived in Anchorage. Three more surgeries later, the poor kid is still there. He is most likely looking at least 2-3 weeks longer in the hospital, possibly more than that, and when he is able to go home, his recovery will be a long, slow process. Brian needs lots of prayers.
I did enjoy the time with the grandkids though. The three year old requires lots of energy just to keep an eye on her, and Evan, age 7, is the polar opposite of his sister. He is quiet and calm and loves to play cards....so him and I had a few card game marathons.
Back in Dallas, Henry got caught in the crazy drivers of Dallas and was rear ended a week and a half ago. Our car was a total loss and undriveable, so we are back at square one with the hunt for another car. ---You know the commercial for Nationwide Insurance and their little tune? 'Nationwide is on your side'. -- The lady that plowed into Henry has Nationwide, and I must say they were prompt in the claim process all the way through to settling. They have already paid us and were more than fair.
Wow....it is SOOO NICE to enjoy my coffee without interruptions such as:
'Grandma, I want apple juice'
'Grandma, I want cereal'
'Grandma, can I play PS2?'
8/12/2011
Not So Fast
With the 2012 election coming, we've got lots of possible candidates on the Republican side, including as of last night, Rick Perry, Governor of Texas.
My guess is, Perry will be a strong contender, which means now is the time to find out who Perry is, and exactly who are the people he associates with. Here's a start:
Perry is a friend of the Aga Khan, the religious leader of the Ismailis, a sect of Shia Islam that claims a reported 15 to 20 million adherents worldwide. Sprouting from that friendship are at least two cooperation agreements between the state of Texas and Ismaili institutions, including a far-reaching program to educate Texas schoolchildren about Islam. That’s a partnership that has already prompted a bit of grumbling in far-right corners of the blogosphere and could conceivably become a primary issue if, as expected, Perry enters the presidential race.
The Aga Khan, who claims a direct lineage to the Prophet Mohammed, controls a vast international network of business and philanthropic ventures; he is not a reclusive spiritual thinker, but rather a fabulously rich jet-setter. Perry met the Aga Khan during a 2000 family trip to Paris (the Aga Khan owns a large estate, Aiglemont, north of the city), the Austin American-Statesman reported in 2008. Two years later, Perry spoke warmly at a dinner in Houston hosted by the Aga Khan. Over the years the governor attended other Ismaili events in Texas, culminating in a pair of formal agreements.
One, in 2009, provides for cooperation between Texas and the Aga Khan’s organizations in the “fields of education, health sciences, natural disaster preparedness and recovery, culture and the environment.” Perry was quoted at the official Ismaili website as saying at the signing ceremony that “traditional Western education speaks little of the influence of Muslim scientists, scholars, throughout history, and for that matter the cultural treasures that stand today in testament to their wisdom.”
That sort of rhetoric presents a stark contrast to some other members of the GOP presidential field, who have variously called for resistance to Islamic cultural conquest and outright restrictions on Muslims in public life.
Perry also brokered a 2008 partnership between the University of Texas and Aga Khan University in Pakistan to expand cooperation on programs including the Muslim Histories and Culture Project, which trains high school teachers on Muslim history and culture curricula. “I have supported this program from the very beginning, because we must bridge the gap of understanding between East and West if we ever hope to experience a future of peace and prosperity,” Perry said at the signing ceremony.
And if this isn’t enough, Terrorist Front Group CAIR and the liberal media are praising Perry to the hilt for his pandering to Muslims.
CAIR-HOUSTON: RICK PERRY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSLIMS MAY SET HIM APART
Kate Shellnutt, Houston Chronicle, 8/11/2011
While some other presidential candidates bring up concerns about American Muslims’ loyalty and decry Islamic law in the U.S., here’s a Christian, Republican politician who initiated a teacher-training program on Islamic history and has been friends for years with the Aga Khan, head of an Islamic sect called Ismailis, Salon points out. Perry even laid the first brick at the groundbreaking ceremony for an Ismaili worship center in Plano in 2005….
“The Muslim community has a significant number of political conservatives, and they do support Perry,” said Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations in Houston, a group that took a position against Perry’s recent Christian-only prayer rally. Carroll notes that Muslims donated to President George Bush’s campaign and have given to Perry’s gubernatorial campaigns. (via bni)
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Want to know where Perry stands on issues? GO HERE Perry may say ObamaCare needs to go away, and he may want to invest $100 million to secure the border, but think about it. Will he? Could he?? We all know as President of the United States you must go through Congress to get anything done.
Perry's unusual cozy relationship with muslims is just as frightening as Obama's relationship with them.
Can you say Sharia law?
My guess is, Perry will be a strong contender, which means now is the time to find out who Perry is, and exactly who are the people he associates with. Here's a start:
The Aga Khan, who claims a direct lineage to the Prophet Mohammed, controls a vast international network of business and philanthropic ventures; he is not a reclusive spiritual thinker, but rather a fabulously rich jet-setter. Perry met the Aga Khan during a 2000 family trip to Paris (the Aga Khan owns a large estate, Aiglemont, north of the city), the Austin American-Statesman reported in 2008. Two years later, Perry spoke warmly at a dinner in Houston hosted by the Aga Khan. Over the years the governor attended other Ismaili events in Texas, culminating in a pair of formal agreements.
One, in 2009, provides for cooperation between Texas and the Aga Khan’s organizations in the “fields of education, health sciences, natural disaster preparedness and recovery, culture and the environment.” Perry was quoted at the official Ismaili website as saying at the signing ceremony that “traditional Western education speaks little of the influence of Muslim scientists, scholars, throughout history, and for that matter the cultural treasures that stand today in testament to their wisdom.”
That sort of rhetoric presents a stark contrast to some other members of the GOP presidential field, who have variously called for resistance to Islamic cultural conquest and outright restrictions on Muslims in public life.
Perry also brokered a 2008 partnership between the University of Texas and Aga Khan University in Pakistan to expand cooperation on programs including the Muslim Histories and Culture Project, which trains high school teachers on Muslim history and culture curricula. “I have supported this program from the very beginning, because we must bridge the gap of understanding between East and West if we ever hope to experience a future of peace and prosperity,” Perry said at the signing ceremony.
And if this isn’t enough, Terrorist Front Group CAIR and the liberal media are praising Perry to the hilt for his pandering to Muslims.
CAIR-HOUSTON: RICK PERRY’S RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSLIMS MAY SET HIM APART
Kate Shellnutt, Houston Chronicle, 8/11/2011
While some other presidential candidates bring up concerns about American Muslims’ loyalty and decry Islamic law in the U.S., here’s a Christian, Republican politician who initiated a teacher-training program on Islamic history and has been friends for years with the Aga Khan, head of an Islamic sect called Ismailis, Salon points out. Perry even laid the first brick at the groundbreaking ceremony for an Ismaili worship center in Plano in 2005….
“The Muslim community has a significant number of political conservatives, and they do support Perry,” said Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations in Houston, a group that took a position against Perry’s recent Christian-only prayer rally. Carroll notes that Muslims donated to President George Bush’s campaign and have given to Perry’s gubernatorial campaigns. (via bni)
**************************
Want to know where Perry stands on issues? GO HERE Perry may say ObamaCare needs to go away, and he may want to invest $100 million to secure the border, but think about it. Will he? Could he?? We all know as President of the United States you must go through Congress to get anything done.
Perry's unusual cozy relationship with muslims is just as frightening as Obama's relationship with them.
Can you say Sharia law?
Flying. Ugh.
My son will be released from the hospital most likely on Monday, and I will be flying up to care for him and watch my grandkids. He got great news last night from his doctor. The pathology reports came back and what he has is Diverticulitis which became inflamed and created the abcess that was removed in surgery last week. Had it been correctly diagnosed several months ago, Brian could have been treated properly. The doctor told him last night that the abcess would have killed him if he had not been admitted to the hospital when he was. His recovery will be slow and Brian will have to adjust to the colostomy bag for the next three months, but at this point, I am just thankful that he is on the road to being healthy again.
The thought of airports, airplanes, flying and all the people to deal with is something I'm not looking forward to at all, but you can't drive to Alaska in a few hours, so I am just hoping for no delays. I am excited about seeing Brian and the grandkids though!
The thought of airports, airplanes, flying and all the people to deal with is something I'm not looking forward to at all, but you can't drive to Alaska in a few hours, so I am just hoping for no delays. I am excited about seeing Brian and the grandkids though!
8/10/2011
Furniture Delivery
It has been an exhausting, but fun, past few days. Amanda and I were able to find and purchase all the furniture, accessories, rugs, lamps, and even had time for some clothes shopping. OH, and on our last day together, she had the wonderful idea of treating ourselves to a pedicure.
For Henry's recliner, we had to drag him along to several stores before finally settling on a gorgeous Lazy Boy leather recliner. Everything has been scheduled for delivery today, so I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new furniture. Very exciting!
In the midst of all the shopping, we have had family visiting. My sister, her husband and their daughter arrived three days ago and my Dad and Mom surprised us with a visit as well. It's been crazy around here.
Back in Anchorage, my son Brian, was hospitalized 12 days ago and had surgery a few days ago. He has been very sick for several months, and had been incorrectly diagnosed with an enlarged prostate. What he really has is still unclear, but the 5 hour surgery resulted in the removal of part of his intestine, part of his colon and his appendix. He had a perforation in his colon and abcess, so the doctors have hopefully removed all of the inflammation. Brian is still in the hospital and has a long recovery facing him. When he is able to go home, he's facing at least 3 months of a slow healing process. If all goes well, he will then return to the operating room for the surgeon to reconnect his bowel. It's heartbreaking to watch your child be so ill, and he needs lots of prayers.
That's all for now. I've got lots to do today.
For Henry's recliner, we had to drag him along to several stores before finally settling on a gorgeous Lazy Boy leather recliner. Everything has been scheduled for delivery today, so I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new furniture. Very exciting!
In the midst of all the shopping, we have had family visiting. My sister, her husband and their daughter arrived three days ago and my Dad and Mom surprised us with a visit as well. It's been crazy around here.
Back in Anchorage, my son Brian, was hospitalized 12 days ago and had surgery a few days ago. He has been very sick for several months, and had been incorrectly diagnosed with an enlarged prostate. What he really has is still unclear, but the 5 hour surgery resulted in the removal of part of his intestine, part of his colon and his appendix. He had a perforation in his colon and abcess, so the doctors have hopefully removed all of the inflammation. Brian is still in the hospital and has a long recovery facing him. When he is able to go home, he's facing at least 3 months of a slow healing process. If all goes well, he will then return to the operating room for the surgeon to reconnect his bowel. It's heartbreaking to watch your child be so ill, and he needs lots of prayers.
That's all for now. I've got lots to do today.
8/09/2011
Summing It Up
"Dogs are not eligible to draw welfare." So I explained to her that my dogs
are mixed in color, unemployed, can't speak English and have no
clue who their Daddy's are. They expect me to feed them, provide them with
housing and medical care. So she looked in her policy book to see what it takes to qualify.
They get their first checks on Friday.
WOW! This is a great country!
8/06/2011
Power Shopping
Whew. Not really being much of a shopper myself, yesterday wore me out. But, we had a blast!! First we found our rugs. For The living room we ended up with an 8X10, and a 5X8 for the bedroom. With alot of help from the nice kid at West Elm, we managed to get both rugs in the car. The fun part was getting them out of the car and up to the condo. An 8X10 wool rug is HEAVY, and long....and did I mention heavy? We got it in though and it looks amazing.
By the time the stores were closing and the sun went down, we had most every single piece of furniture purchased with scheduled deliveries set up for Wednesday. Pieces we could fit in the car, we did. One bar stool, one seating cube, a vey cool photographer's floor lamp, a wall clock and one nightstand. I'm not sure what Henry thought when we got back to the condo., but Amanda and I had SOOO much fun. She took a picture of every item we bought, so she could show her Dad when we got home. Today, we continue on. I hope my shins and my knee hold up. :))
By the time the stores were closing and the sun went down, we had most every single piece of furniture purchased with scheduled deliveries set up for Wednesday. Pieces we could fit in the car, we did. One bar stool, one seating cube, a vey cool photographer's floor lamp, a wall clock and one nightstand. I'm not sure what Henry thought when we got back to the condo., but Amanda and I had SOOO much fun. She took a picture of every item we bought, so she could show her Dad when we got home. Today, we continue on. I hope my shins and my knee hold up. :))
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| The Rug-It has shades of taupe and gray, depending on light and the time of day. Very soft under the feet. |
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| My chair for the living room. It looks a bit darker in this picture compared to what I remember. Fortunately, Amanda thought to ask for a swatch. |
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| The very cool photographer's floor lamp. |
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| Our seating cubes. We got two of these, and they were an end of the day find, but we loved the color and they look great in here! |
8/04/2011
And, THIS Is Why I Don't Fly
We're not off to a very good start with our extreme shopping experience. Amanda got up at 3:00 a.m. to catch a 6:00 a.m. flight out of Phoenix. They boarded the plane and shortly after received the announcement of 'there is a mechanical issue but we should have it resolved in about 10 minutes.' --- 30 minutes later, the airlines had all the passengers deboard the plane and instructed them to rebook a different flight.
The next two flights leaving Phoenix were scheduled to depart at 9:25 and another one at 11:40. Amanda rebooked for the 11:40 because there was only standy available on the 9:25 flight. She put her name on standby, but of course, was not called. So, she is still in Phoenix as I type this, waiting for the 11:40 flight. She won't arrive in Dallas until 4:10.
The entire day has been completely wasted and she is having to spend 7 hours hanging out at the airport.
When you fly, you are at the mercy of the airlines, so like I said, this is why I don't fly. What a pain!
Amanda and I spent lots of time finding a direct flight from Phoenix to Dallas that didn't have layovers in Memphis and Denver, yet here we are, succumbing to the airlines and their incompetence. Guess they didn't have another plane they could have used? And, what is up with telling passengers THEY are responsible for rebooking a different flight? Unbelievable. Or, as Henry says, really not unbelievable at all. Ugh.
The next two flights leaving Phoenix were scheduled to depart at 9:25 and another one at 11:40. Amanda rebooked for the 11:40 because there was only standy available on the 9:25 flight. She put her name on standby, but of course, was not called. So, she is still in Phoenix as I type this, waiting for the 11:40 flight. She won't arrive in Dallas until 4:10.
The entire day has been completely wasted and she is having to spend 7 hours hanging out at the airport.
When you fly, you are at the mercy of the airlines, so like I said, this is why I don't fly. What a pain!
Amanda and I spent lots of time finding a direct flight from Phoenix to Dallas that didn't have layovers in Memphis and Denver, yet here we are, succumbing to the airlines and their incompetence. Guess they didn't have another plane they could have used? And, what is up with telling passengers THEY are responsible for rebooking a different flight? Unbelievable. Or, as Henry says, really not unbelievable at all. Ugh.
8/03/2011
Building from the rug Up...says Amanda
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| Andalusia |
Her plane gets in at 10:30 a.m., so I will pick her up and we'll probably come back to the condo. so she can check it out, then we're off to the stores! I'm really hoping we can find all the furniture at one location and have it delivered at one time, but who knows. It may not work out that way, but that is the plan.
She has requested manicotti for dinner, so after shopping, we'll come home and I'll start cooking!
****Scratch this rug.**** Henry and I went to pick up the rug last night, only to learn that shipping and receiving had returned it to their corporate warehouse. Apparently, the salesperson I spoke to failed to put a hold on the rug. Quite frustrating. Henry saw another one he liked at West Elm, so Amanda and I will make that our first stop so she can take a look at it. Headed to the airport in about an hour to pick her up!
8/02/2011
How New Yorkers See The U.S.
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| Click on the map to enlarge it I stole this from our daughter's site. You can click on the title of this post for the original link. As Amanda says on her site, this is hilarious. I seriously believe New Yorkers see their city as the only city in the U.S. and they're not even sure that there are people outside their own state. Notice the author of this map doesn't bother to include Alaska or Hawaii, Texas is 'the south' and California is 'wine vacations'. Reminds me of a cruise we took a few years ago. My daughter and I went on a trail ride in Cozumel and were visiting with a couple from New York City. As we returned to the corral, the woman asked if any of us knew what the 'mud nests' on the ground were. Amanda and I just looked at each other shocked that the woman had absolutely no idea what the cow pies were. Really?? Are they seriously that out of touch with the rest of the country? |
Yay Internet!
It's been hectic the past few days, with turning over the coach, camping out in a hotel for a couple days, closing on the condo, and finally moving in. So, we've been here since Friday, and as of yesterday are all unpacked. The move in to the condo. building was interesting. We had to park the UHaul truck on the street close to the parking garage entrance, and then haul the boxes down the steep decline into the garage, into the elevator and up 5 floors. Fortunately, we were loaned a dolly, so that helped, but with temperatures over 100 degrees, Henry got quite the workout in the3 hours it took for him to get everything in.
Fast forward through all the unpacking and decisions on where to put things, we are finally here! I think we are really going to like living here. It's quiet, it's safe, it's convenient (15 min. to Henry's job), and everyone we have met so far are all very nice.
Jack was reluctant and unsure about getting on the elevator, but by yesterday, he was feeling more comfortable with it and just walked right in. Now, he walks around like he owns the entire building. :)
We are flying our daughter out and she will be here Thursday morning. She and I will go find some furniture and other things. Right now, we are sitting on camp chairs, using a cooler for a table and watching the TV (Henry bought one over the weekend) that is perched on another cooler. In the bedroom, we are using boxes for nightstands. Kind of reminds me of days gone by.
Henry got us set up with internet yesterday, so we are on our way!
Fast forward through all the unpacking and decisions on where to put things, we are finally here! I think we are really going to like living here. It's quiet, it's safe, it's convenient (15 min. to Henry's job), and everyone we have met so far are all very nice.
Jack was reluctant and unsure about getting on the elevator, but by yesterday, he was feeling more comfortable with it and just walked right in. Now, he walks around like he owns the entire building. :)
We are flying our daughter out and she will be here Thursday morning. She and I will go find some furniture and other things. Right now, we are sitting on camp chairs, using a cooler for a table and watching the TV (Henry bought one over the weekend) that is perched on another cooler. In the bedroom, we are using boxes for nightstands. Kind of reminds me of days gone by.
Henry got us set up with internet yesterday, so we are on our way!
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