Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Ours was pretty good except that Sissie and I are still a little under the weather. Luckily, Shelby jumped in and did most of the cooking. (the one good thing about being sick is you don't have an appetite to stuff yourself with LOL) Other than a couple of incidents, things are going ok right now. Johnny has been good the last 2 days but we know that this is normal.

Sissie talked to his dr. yesterday morning and she assured Sissie that Johnny's heart has healed from 15% to 60% on both sides. She said that she has seen this before and that if he doesn't stop the drinking then it will occur again. She said that in a couple of weeks we will begin to notice the coughing, tiredness and other symptoms again. He refused to talk to the dr. himself and that is because if he hears it from her then he can't use the excuse of being told that the drinking could be the problem. He claims he is drinking because he doesn't believe his heart is healed and that he wants a second opinion. The dr says she has seen this numerous time with other patients who drink. She also said that the heart will not continue to heal itself and each time this happens could be the last. He has an appt on Jan. 11th so we will be able to see how well he is doing unless he doesn't stop drinking then it will be to see how bad. His choice to make.

He still has not started taking his stats again and no longer taking his insulin shots. Of course he has great excuses for that also, but whatever excuse he can come up with, it all ends the same.

So for a lighthearted ending. I once again have found some products that we may all be glad are no longer available.

Pepsi Kona

Pepsi Kona was an innovative creation by Pepsi, being a mix of Pepsi and Coffee. In 1994, when this soda came out, Pepsi began to limit production of the lines that were just released; only selling 20oz and 2 liters

LEWHIF

"Marketed as the diet-friendly cure to the "something sweet" craving, this sassy new product delivers a mouthful of fine chocolate powder from a canister that looks like a tube of lipstick — function and fashion — but contributes less than one measly calorie per sweet whiff.




The Kumato is a standard size variety of tomato weighing between 80 and 120 grams. It is a green to reddish brown, and sweeter than typical tomatoes due to a higher fructose content.

Pickle Sickle

Pickle Sickles: popsicles made with pickle juice.

Egg Roll

No info found.

WARNING! The words you are about to read..

~ We must accept finite disappointment,

but we must never lose infinite hope. ~

Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

So here we are only four days into a new chance for Johnny to do things differently. To get his life back on track. To accept the miracle that God has given him. Only four days, and right now he is standing on my front porch DRUNK! He has already drank two days of the four he has been granted. On top of all that, he has been driving drunk and hunting in the woods drunk. Drunk!

I am so tired of holding my tongue. I am so tired of watching my sister fight a battle that she lost years ago. I am so tired of trying to keep Frank from knowing the truth of how bad the drinking has been lately that I am compromising my own marriage. Why? Am I so desperate to keep Sissie here with me that I am willing to be a part of the problem? How do I kick my own sister out? I can't! She literally has nothing in this world. They have no home to call their own. They have a truck that is barely running. She has no clothes to speak of . She has nothing! She doesn't even have a dime to her name! But by golly! Every time he wants a beer, he gets it, Every time he needs gas he manages to get it. He makes sure his needs are met. And I don't want to hear how he is just upset because he can't work or how she treats him like a child or any other excuse he has had lately. He hasn't been on disability or out of work all that long. What about all the years he worked and still drank. There are a million and one reasons, excuses, and answers to why he would want to drink. But there is only one reason to not drink. That is to live. There are no other ifs, ands, or buts about it.

He has literally thrown everything back into the face of God. I don't believe I have ever been so angry in my life. And though you may not think that I have any rights to be angry about anything he does, I do have a right to protect my sister. She deserves better. That's right, She deserves better. And I know that he can do better. He has done it before. He has given 32 years of his life to the beer. When does he start giving his life to Sissie. He has been offered help. Lots of help. He has refused it everytime. So he chooses drinking over Sissie, Life, God, and everything good life can offer him.

So in the end here, should we keep trying knowing he doesn't want help or care about anything but where the next beer is coming from? No I don't want to keep trying, but the sister part of me says I must. Like Dr. King says, we must never lose infinite hope while at the same time accepting finite disappointment, but I say can't enough disappointments negate any hope at all?

Right now, he is the bedroom with Sissie, served dinner first so he will go on to bed, keeping her in there with him honestly believing that we don't know that he has been drinking and schmoozing and loving up on her trying to keep her from being mad at him. It's a vicious cycle. He will sleep for a few hours, and by morning he will once again be in his recliner, watching TV acting as though nothing happened. By mid-afternoon the excuses to leave the house will begin and by evening... Well "second verse, same as the first".

Thankful for Each Other

Dear Lord,
As we gather together around this table
laden with your plentiful gifts to us,
we thank You for always providing
what we really need
and for sometimes granting wishes
for things we don’t really need.
Today, let us be especially thankful
for each other--for family and friends
who enrich our lives in wonderful ways,
even when they present us with challenges.
Let us join together now
in peaceful, loving fellowship
to celebrate Your love for us
and our love for each other. Amen.

By Joanna Fuchs
Our family would like to especially give Thanks for the wonderful Thanksgiving Miracle we have received. God works in wonderful and mysterious ways. Not often a person gets a second chance in life and a chance to make a great a comeback with health as Johnny has. Yesterday began a brand new chapter in his life if he chooses to take it. We are all praying for you Johnny!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Family and Friends!

WANT SOME GOOD NEWS?

Sick, Sick, Sick

Boy do I hate being sick. First Devan and Mikey and now Sissie and me. Sissie has been in bed for almost 4 days now and is only beginning to feel a little better. I guess I am getting it now. I had a sore throat the other day and now it seems to be getting worse. I honestly don't know which is worse, a sore throat or a cough. How about neither one. This will definitely keep Mom from coming to Thanksgiving dinner. Her lungs are always so susceptible to any germ that even though we want her to come over, it really is better for her if she doesn't.

Do hope I get to feeling better as I am planning to make the dinner with all the traditional trimmings this year since Sissie is home. I love cooking it but sure don't want to if I feel like this.

Everyone is doing ok other than us two. Frank is working everyday (Joyce, the wreck with the fatality over on 121 just out of Lake Butler was one of the drivers that work out there with Frank. The driver was hurt pretty bad and the pickup driver was killed.)

Frankie and Shelby are doing pretty good. Both still working. She finally felt the baby move the other night. Boy was she excited.

Johnny is Johnny of course. He sits around all morning watching tv and then goes out in the afternoon and messes around with the truck and other things just trying to keep busy.

Other than this, not much else is happening.


Today's Fun are 13 Interesting Facts:

13 Interesting Facts to Share:

13. Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.

12. During the great fire of London in 1666, half of London was burnt down but only 6 people were injured.

11. Shakespeare invented the word "assassination" and "bump".

10. Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

9. If the population of China walked past you single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

8. A pack-a-day smoker will lose approximately 2 teeth every 10 yrs.

7. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle built in 1903 used a tomato can for a carburetor.

6. Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.

5. Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.

4. The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute.

3. Eating breakfast cereals like "Fruity Pebbles" and "Cap'n Crunch" will cause your bowel movement to come out green.

2. When you sneeze, all bodily functions stop even your heart!

1. The first toilet ever seen on television was on "Leave it to Beaver".

It's Official!!

It is a BOY!

Yesterday, Tues. November 9, 2010 it was deemed 100% official that it is definitely a Boy!
As the ultrasound photo shows.

This is one of the 4D photos that was taken. He has his little arm and hand over his face.

Another 4D shot of the baby. He now is 6" long and weighs approx. 12 ounces.

So Hello -- Gregory Adam Osteen

Our Days in Pictures

Yes I am so ashamed to have ignored the blog like I have. Life interferes and things happen that make me not want to write about (if you know what I mean). But today I am feeling much better and I have some great pictures to share.

First of all, Johnny is ... well what can I say. He is no longer trying to not drink. Though he still tries to hide it, just not as hard now. He is making numerous trips a day. The tension between him and Sissie is continuing to escalate. I just don't know what is going to happen between the two of them. He is now no longer taking his insulin at all and refuses to do any of his stats everyday. His Medicaid was discontinued and now his insulin is an outrageous price and so instead of saving the money for that he is fussing about it and spending on "other" things.

The first two pictures here are of Devan. He and Mimi were decorating for Halloween and this is what they did for the front yard together. Unfortunately Devan is battling with pneumonia this week. Luckily they caught it in time to keep it from getting to bad. He will be going back for X-Rays tomorrow to see how well the medicine is working.

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This picture is of Devan pretending to have races at the waters edge like the good old days at Daytona.

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Mikey fell asleep in Poppa's lap and it appears by the look on Angel's face she is not too happy with sharing Johnny with him.

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I walk out my back door and this is what I see. Should I be concerned? LOL!

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Mimi and Mikey doing arts and crafts together. Mikey makes a cute little Pilgrim.

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Mimi and Mikey carved a pumpkin together and Mimi wasn't bashful about letting Mikey jump right in and help. Here he is removing the top after I had cut it out.

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I just love the look on his face on this one. He looks like he isn't sure whether he is going to get in trouble or not.

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Here they are digging out all the goody.

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He says "I can get it, Mimi"

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This is the final product. They decided to carve a bat. I think they did a real good job.

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Here is a nice load of Swamp Cabbage that we were lucky enough to get last week. Boy they sure were good!

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"Somebody please make Uncle Johnny give me a "Treat"!!

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"These puppy-dog eyes of mine work every time!"

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"Singing in the Rain"

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"Stomping in the Rain"

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"I need a deeper water hole!"

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I just love this picture, he looks so happy and I love the spike "do"!

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"Come on Mimi! Let's play in the water!"

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Father and Daughter

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Loving that water hose

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"I'll brush your hair Nanny"

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"Two brushes are better than one"

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"I even brush my own hair"

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Multitasking = Jumping on Nanny's bed while eating Italian loaf bread and avoiding going to "night-night"