QUEEN ANNE'S LACE & MY RECENT RECLAST EXPERIENCE

By OLIVENE GODFREY

One recent, sunny day, I was resting in my recliner in the den and glanced out of the big window. My eyes caught a glimpse of some large white objects moving around across the road.
At first, I thought they were white chickens but I quickly rejected that notion as I didn't think anyone around here raised chickens. Finally, I stood up and between tree branches I saw the bright white and rounded flowers known in northwest Georgia as Queen Anne's Lace. Son Barry did some research on these flowers that resemble lace and found out the red flower in the center represents a blood droplet where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making lace. The function of the red flower is to attract insects. The USDA has listed it as a noxious weed and it is considered a serious pest in pastures. It persists in the soil seed bank for two to five years.

Barry found it fascinating that the domesticated carrots are cultivars of a sub species of the plant. As with food gathering extra caution should be taken as the wild carrot bears a close resemblance to a dangerous species Water Hemlock. And, this is probably more info on Queen Anne's lace than you wanted to read.

-----------------------------------------

Last week, I had the Reclast treatment for post menopausal osteoporosis. It is supposed to increase bone density and strengthened bones. It is an IV so it by passes your digestive system, going to work to help protect you from fracture for 12 full months Treatment is given by a nurse or doctor and takes about 15 minutes. However, the person giving me the treatment increased the period because I am so "frail'. She also said I had "frail skin" when she gave me the IV. And, when I was weighed on a scale, my height was measured. All of my adult life, I have thought I was five feet, four inches tall. But, I am now barely five feet, one inch tall. Barry told me later that was because I have COPD which prevents me from "standing tall". The person who gave me the treatment did say the report of my blood work I had the previous day at the local hospital, was "excellent". So that was one bright spot of the day.

My vital signs continue to be just about perfect and so I don't understand why I often feel so lousy. I guess my IBS and year round allergies explains my feeling bad a lot of the time.

See you next time.

GOOD MEDICAL REPORT & OTHER TOPICS ON MY MIND

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Last week, I had an appointment with my family doctor and at the end of the visit, she told me I was doing so well, I didn't need to see her again for three months. We were both pleased that my COPD seems to be under control with my oxygen readings in the 90s and my lungs sound clear. The Home Health care nurse will continue to check on me every few weeks and I will still send my vital signs on my "smart monitor" every day. If I could get rid of my IBS I would feel better than I have in years. I am under the weather today with a bad attack of IBS and hope I feel better tomorrow. On a personal note, I told the doctor I liked her new very short haircut. And, my hair is still short after growing some and she said she liked mine too. Son Barry says my hair is too short but it is so easy to take care of that I will try to keep it this way during the summer.

We went to the local hospital today so I could have blood drawn for a test before keeping an appointment tomorrow for an injection of a bone medicine which will last a year.
We were very impressed with the newly remodeled hospital.

The weather is very hot here today with hot temps forecast for the coming week. I am so grateful for our air-conditioned house.

My favorite T.V. is Marty Stewart's fast paced music entertainment on cable's RFD-TV. The show only lasts 30 minutes and there isn't a dull moment. His wife, country music star, Connie Smith and his talented band plus super guests, provide great music. I watch the show on Saturday nights at 8 P.M. EST and even watch their repeat shows.

See you next time.

NOTES FROM YELLOW LEGAL PAD

By OLIVENE GODFREY

Two adages I try to live by are, "When in doubt, don't!" and, "Put off until tomorrow what you'll make a mess of today.' Sometimes I don't follow this advice to my regret. Since I fell flat on my back with a horrible sensation of the room spinning on March 2nd, I haven't had much energy. And, I haven't dusted as often as I should and Barry has about all he can do, what with doing most of the housework, cooking and working at his job but he did dust once with the vacuum cleaner for which I am grateful. But, when I've tried to dust I've made a mess of the job. Last week, I felt somewhat better and decided to give the dusting another try. I was exhausted when I finished the chore but felt a sense of satisfaction. That night I was so tired but I thought, " Well, shoot! it wasn't as hard as the physical therapy work outs that I had recently."

-----------------------------

I've been writing in this space for seven years now. Widowed a year and was at loose ends at that time, Barry suggested I try writing a blog. I had been retired from a writing career for several years so decided to give it a try. And, it has been a good outlet for me to express my writing ideas.

-----------------------------------

I've written before in this space that it isn't easy to impress family members and friends. No matter how high a person may rise in the world, these people aren't impressed. Some of the people say they don't want the "celebrity" to get a "big head". When son Barry was a small boy he knew I was writer and sometimes he accompanied me on assignments and I spent a lot of time working at my typewriter at home and on the phone but he seemed to take it in stride. How little my work impressed him I found out when his school teacher asked students to draw pictures of their mother at work. That afternoon, I picked Barry up at his school and he proudly showed me the picture he had drawn of a woman pushing a broom! I did do a lot of sweeping at home. But, I smiled and complimented him on the great picture which seemed to please him. In later years, Barry told me he guessed at an early age he just thought all mothers were writers and it wasn't a big deal which, of course, it wasn't.

See you next time.

MY MOTHER'S DAY & GOOD LUCK VS BAD LUCK & BLACKBERRY WINTER IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA

By OLIVENE GODFREY

My Mother's Day was wonderful, thanks to my devoted son, Barry. Actually, it started on Saturday morning. I have been searching for a pair of spring and summer shoes that were both casual and semi-dressy. Since I fell and broke some bones several years ago, I have only worn low heels with non-skid, safety soles. Barry wanted me to look at some shoes pictured on the Internet and I looked and showed him a picture that were similar to what I wanted. He said he just hadn't known for sure. I got busy and forgot about the shoes.

We had planned all week to go to Dalton to eat lunch on Mother's day. Barry and a friend went to Dalton on Saturday to eat lunch and browse in the stores. They returned about three p.m. and Barry found me in my bedroom. He told me that the Rockport store in Dalton was going out of business and were having a fantastic sale. He then said that he had bought a pair of shoes for me that were my size and he hoped I would like them and they would fit. I was stunned into silence. He left the room and returned with a shoe box and they were even better than I had been looking for. I tried them on and they fit perfect.
They are made of glove off white leather with a low heel and the soles are non-skid. Barry said, "You can wear them tomorrow with your light green pant suit." I thanked him several times and all day I thought of his thoughtfulness and as I often do, thanked God for him.

Perhaps it was the excitement, who knows?, but I had a spell with my IBS that night. I told Barry if our good luck held we could go eat on Sunday. I burned my mouth on a spoonful of hot soup for supper and that was bad luck. But, a few of Hall's cough drops healed it up by morning. On Mother's day, the weather was coldish which was apparently Blackberry Winter as the blackberries are in full bloom. I got all "dolled up" in my light green pant suit and new shoes and we enjoyed eating lunch off the bountiful buffet at Western Sizzlin. I didn't pig out as I usually do so felt better the rest of the day. Barry went to Ace's in Chatsworth that afternoon and bought me a pot of dark purple, lilac and white petunias. They look pretty next to the red, white and pink inpatients on the patio.

That night at bedtime, I said my prayers and thanked God for a wonderful Mother's Day and a thoughtful son.

See you next time.

SPRINGTIME IN ALL ITS GLORY HAS ARRIVED IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA

By OLIVENE GODFREY

May 1 is always a special day for me. I was married May, 1 1947, in a small, decorated chapel which was packed with relatives and friends. If my late husband, Ralph, had lived we would have been married 63 years. On our 50th anniversary Ralph gave me a gold chain which I wear now with my gold wedding ring on it. In 1978. we moved to our house and Ralph planted shrubbery and little trees he had dug up in the woods near our house. I am grateful Ralph lived to see the beautiful large trees he had planted. Now that springtime is here , the trees provide shade to the house and beauty to the landscape.

Yesterday, son Barry went to Ace Hardware store in Chatsworth and bought a large wheel barrow. He also bought some colorful bedding flower plants for the huge container on the patio. These flowers will attract humming birds to the patio. When he came home, he planted the wildflowers on the patio. The day was sunny and warm, so he used the wheel barrow to bring the plants in the garage to the patio. The asparagus fern I started from scratch over 30 years ago is larger than it has ever been with long runners on it. The other plants, including the huge Thanksgiving cactus, are all looking pretty. Barry recently bought a multi-colored impatient (red. white, pink.) plant which is thriving on the patio and will be a large ball soon. I am so glad that Barry shares his parents' love of watching plants grow and treating them with love and care, as I couldn't do now.

I remembered today when my late mother and I would go to a greenhouse that sold flower bedding plants. We would buy a car full and when I got home, I would change my clothes and then, on my knees, I would plant my flowers in the soil that had been tilled by Ralph earlier. I miss those happy times in the spring.

Happy Springtime!

See you next time.