MY FALL OVER THE WEEKEND

September 29, 2014

By Olivene Godfrey

I fell this past Friday before supper.  I had been so careful and hadn't fallen in several months.  Since I was feeling weak, Barry brought the wheelchair for me to use.  Then he left the room briefly.  I was standing in the bedroom with my walker.  I decided impulsively and foolishly to sit in the wheelchair and wait for Barry to return.  He always puts the brakes on the chair when he parks it.  And I always check to make sure the brakes are locked before sitting down.  But, without a thought started to sit and I suddenly discovered the brakes were not locked.

I felt myself falling and I reached out to grab the foot of my bed.  The thought flashed across my mind, as I hit the floor that I'd been so careful and I should have waited for Barry.  I called out to him and he rushed back to the room.  He checked me and decided I wasn't physically hurt.  But, my trauma shook me up.  I had planned to go to Walgreen's to do some shopping and get a flu shot either Saturday or Sunday.

On Sunday morning I felt better so we went to town.  Barry and I both got our flu shot.  I was able to find every thing on my list at Walgreen's except my favorite lipstick.  I had used the lipstick for years but now the color has been discontinued.  I bought two different shades to try.  I also found the support hose that covers the entire legs instead of the knee highs I wear now.  The price was more than I wanted to pay for the hose, so when we returned home, Barry ordered a pair from Amazon for me to try wearing for a lot less cost.

I found perfect greeting cards I had wanted and several other items.  When we returned home, we ate a light lunch and rested awhile.  Then, later I watched several recorded music programs that I had missed.

Last night, I was ready for a good nights sleep.  Unfortunately, I had weird scary dreams.  But, as I write this early Monday morning while I wait for Tam to arrive, I'm feeling better.

See you next time.  Comments welcome.  (As told to Tam)

MEMORIES OF MY SISTER, JEANETTE

September 25, 2014

By Olivene Godfrey

Sometimes just a whiff of memory can take you back to another time and place.  That happened to me this morning, when out of the blue I had a mental image of my sister, Jeanette, when she and her twin, Joan, were about four years old.  It was a hot summer day and the twins were dressed in sun suits and were playing in the yard of our home located in a Chattanooga, Tennessee suburb, which had once been farm land.

Being a book worm, I was sitting under a tree in the yard, reading a book. The book may have been "Little Women" which I loved and often re-read.

I heard a car speeding on our chirt road. Then a loud thud and I rushed to the front yard.  We had a succession of small dogs, all named "Daisy". This Daisy had been struck down on the street by the speeding car that hadn't even slowed down.

Jeanette started screaming and using every "dirty word" in her limited vocabulary.  She was sobbing and yelling at the "mean man", he had killed Daisy. Jeanette always loved dogs and cats, and to this day still does. We often tell her, she should have been a veterinarian.  It was a Saturday and daddy was home and he placed the remains of Daisy in a box and buried her in an area at the rear of the house. Later in the day, we had a funeral for Daisy.

Back to the present. Barry and I plan to get our flu shots this weekend at Walgreen's.  I also have a list of items to bring that I've needed for awhile. I pray that I'll have a chipper day.

See you next time.  Comments welcome.  (As told to Tam)

BUSY PAST WEEK

September 22, 2014

By Olivene Godfrey

I have so much to tell you, I don't know where to start.  I guess the highlight of the past few days is that I was given a booster shot at my blood doctor's office.  In the past, these shots have given me more energy and a sense of well being.  My primary care doctor wants me to get out of the house more often.  She suggested Barry take me out to lunch once a month and take me by her office which is open weekends to get my monthly blood test.  That way I should keep from having the lack of energy that causes one to feel so awful when my blood count is low.  (I have anemia.)

The doctor also told me to increase my nebulizer treatments to three times each day.  She also wants me to start taking Singulair to replace the Claritin for my allergies.  I had more rattling in my chest as she thinks it will work better.  The doctor changed the Linzess to a lower dose.  Then, the doctor said I need to be walking more for my general health.  Since I have the Rollator it's easier to walk around the house now.

Barry and I had a quiet weekend at home.  As I write this, Sunday night, we're ready to get back to our weekly routine.

On Tuesday, the young writer from Dalton's The Daily Citizen will come to our house to interview me for a feature article.  I'm looking forward to meeting her.

See you next time.  Comments welcome.  (As told to Tam)

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HAIRCUT, OUR PLANTS, NEW READERS & UPCOMING INTERVIEW

September 15, 2014

By Olivene Godfrey

I had a much needed haircut last week.  Tam's daughter, Carrie Jackson, in Dalton cut and styled my hair and it's so much easier to take care of now.  Since the weather has been so hot here, I just stay in my air conditioned home.  As I write this, the weather is gorgeous outside with 78 degrees and sunny.  Our plants are still looking pretty due to  Barry taking good care of them.  The indoor plants are pretty, too.  Barry's peace lily has eight blooms on it.  When I took care of the plant, it never bloomed.  He's taking extra care of the red rose bush Tam gave me and it's looking good, too.

Barry told me this week that my blog is being read by readers outside the American South.  I'm happy to have my Southern readers but it's rewarding to know that folks in England, France, even China, and several other US states have been reading my posts.

I have an appointment this week with my primary care doctor for a 3 month check-up.  I have a list of ailments to discuss with her.  I hope I get a good report.

Besides being my caregiver and personal assistant Tam is becoming my public relations agent!  She has been able to set up an interview with a talented young reporter for me.  The reporter is with Dalton, Georgia's The Daily Citizen.  We hope the interview for a feature article will generate more sales for my novel,"Catch The Brass Ring".

See you next time.  Comments welcome.  (As told to Tam)

REFLECTIONS ON AUNT CLARA & UNCLE HENRY

September 11, 2014

By Olivene Godfrey

I've been thinking about my Aunt Clara lately.  She was one of my daddy's sisters.  She had a wonderful personality and was often kidding and laughing when my parents and sisters and I paid her and her family a visit in the summer.  Aunt Clara raised turkeys and her husband, Uncle Henry farmed their Middle Tennessee land.  Their home was modest but looked like the house indoors and outside had been scrubbed and it was spotless.

Compared to our home in Chattanooga, their house was primitive as it didn't have electricity or indoor plumbing.  At night, they used oil lamps.  I loved eating a meal at the long wooden table with benches on each side.  The food was delicious as Aunt Clara was a good cook.

Aunt Clara and Uncle Henry reared three boys, Alton, Ralph, and Fred, and a girl named Laura Ann.  She was a few years older than me and we enjoyed being together.

Years passed and in 1976, my daddy's only brother, Uncle Sam, died.  My late husband and son, Barry, and I drove across the mountain to Murfreesboro to a funeral home, to pay our last respects.  We decided to stop in Pelham Valley to visit Aunt Clara.  They had built a nice, new house with electricity and indoor plumbing, and the inside of the house was tastefully decorated.

Aunt Clara was ill and was lying on a hospital bed when we stopped by to see her and some of the family.  Laura Ann had cooked a delicious looking lunch.  We regretted that we'd eaten at a restaurant before visiting them as they invited us to eat with them.  Aunt Clara was pale and very thin but her eyes still sparkled as she kidded and joked with us.

The family members, except Laura Ann, are all dead now.  We talked on the phone often until a few years ago.  The last I heard from her, she was living with a sister-in-law.  I used to send her copies of my blog as I do several others.  Then, Laura Ann's letters were returned.  I have a bunch of Tennessee relatives but don't have any addresses or phone numbers for them.

One of the many reasons I hate being 86 years old is that so many of my family members and friends are gone now.  I count my blessings often as I have Barry and Tam to help me.  And with my new book published, Tam and I are working on publicity plans.

Remember my new book, "Catch The Brass Ring" is available through Amazon, Kindle.  See you next time.  Comments welcome.  (As told to Tam)

WEIRD DREAMS

September 3, 2014

By Olivene Godfrey

My dreams are in story form and are usually weird and often scary.  Barry's dreams are in fragments and he says they are weird, too.  So, when I woke him up a few days ago when he had been deep in sleep, he told me I had ended a strange dream.  He said he was having a boxing match with a dog!  The dog was standing on his hind legs and had boxing gloves on his front paws and was moving like a human boxer.

I couldn't help it.  I started laughing and Barry joined me.  We laughed until we were weak.  Later, I woke up in the night and thought of the boxing dog and chuckled before going back to sleep.

When Tam, who took a long Labor day holiday returned to be with me, I told her about the "dog dream", and we both nearly collapsed with laughter.  We could just picture Barry and the dog boxing.

My friend, Jeanette Greeson, asked why I wasn't smiling in a recent picture Barry posted of me.  I told Barry, I would be "all smiles" if my new e-book, Catch The Brass Ring would start selling.  It hurts that none of my "friends" have bought the novel.  A lot of time and work goes into publishing a novel.

See you next time.  Comments welcome.  (As told to Tam)