Hi DDA!!!
I hope everyone had a good time with friends, family and loved ones during this holiday season. Lets get the sickies done with!!!
We spent Thanksgiving at Guennas house and Christmas at Howies house. There was good food to be had both times. Hal made Amish White Bread both times for sandwiches and I made Sage Cornmeal Biscuits. The Caprisi Tomatoes were just fantastic. We even watched Brave and I liked it. Need to watch it again without kids around!!!
It will be three years in February that I have been unemployed and a year and half for Hal. I remember when he finally filed for Social Security how emotional he got and was surprised how it affected him. But when I filed, I finally knew how he felt. We both had so many interviews and they always seemed that we were so close to getting hired. After this many years, I finally gave up and said just shove it and filed. Since Hal was 64 in September, he knew with the SS money and his teachers pension, plus my SS that we would survive. I will actually get a pension from the seven years I worked for Bell Atlantic/Verizon but not until I turn 65. That was a big surprise for me. Just need to somehow save money for Disney trips!!
The main thing was getting health insurance. Since Hal was in the Navy, we knew he qualified for VA but didnt know what his options were. Finally after six months of hemming and hawing, he went for a first visit and found out his co-pays were only going to be $20 per visit and much less for prescriptions. With blood work that he had done, he found out that his PSA test was over 50 and when he went back for a talk with an Urologist, they talked and Hal decided to have them do a biopsy since there was some concern. That will take place on January 28. Naturally I am upset since he waited so long to finally go there. I try not to dwell on this but naturally I am very concerned.
Since I have no health insurance, it is amazing to find out how much things cost!! Lots of payment arrangements had to be made for a few visits I had to make.
The grand children are getting cuter every time I see pictures of them. Vivian is so busy, reminds me of her mother! Caleb with his red hair just makes me laugh with every picture I see.
Within the last four weeks time we had to put down our two female cats. First Josie and that was so very hard because she was first Guennas cat but we took Josie in when Nicholas became allergic. That was the best four years. I got her to eventually not only sit with me but sit on my lap and she loved getting belly rubs and lots of brushing. She was just shy of 17 years. We were all there, Guenna, her son Nicholas and Hal and I. She stood by me when I was having such problems getting left go from my job and then having problems with Vertigo. She just knew she needed to be near me.
Ella was so different. When her brother Miles died in my arms right after my being left go from my job, she started meowing a lot. We actually thought it was just because she was going deaf. We finally figured out when Josie was put down, it was really because she was mourning their passing.
Then four weeks later we had to put Ella down. She was almost 18 years old. It seemed that every cat that we had, they went downhill very fast over the weekend. Hal admitted that he didnt want any more pets because it hurt so much when we would have to make the final decision. Two dogs and seven cats and we just cannot take that stress anymore
Then we found out that our good friends in WV had to put down their cat Callie of 16 years because of extreme Kidney failure about the same time we put Josie down. She had been there from the first time we visited way back in 1996. Carol was very allergic to cats, so Callie was an outdoor cat. In the beginning I had to make sure to look before I stepped outside cause she loved to leave presents for me!! It became my mission to hold her, brush her and just giving loving. Finally after about nine years, I could pick her up and we would sit on the front porch in the morning and then I would brush her and give lots of belly rubs. In the last five years of her life, she stayed by the house and looked forward to our visits.
Finally the straw that broke the camels back was that our Disney friends had to put down their German Sheppard. Hal and I had gone over to visit so we could get used to the dogs and cats they have. I will be pet sitting when they go on a cruise to Hawaii. Hal was the first male that Ginger took to ever.
Two days after we put Josie down, was the second anniversary of Hals mothers passing. Since then his dad has been steadily going downhill. The last few months he has been falling down a lot. When the guys went up to hunting camp, Opa drank a lot and fell almost every day. We chalked that up to his being with the guys. He says that when he is home, he does not drink but we cannot be sure since he says that he has fallen once or twice. He has dementia, a hard liver, diabetes and high blood pressure. The past two days he has fallen again and it is worse because Wednesday night he laid on the floor for 12 hours before he could get to the phone to call 911 and then Hals brother was with him in the VA emergency ward for over five hours. Then he fell again Thursday night but was able to get up. He has told Hal a few times that he is ready to go to be with his wife. He is giving up; he says he is halfway to his grave. Granted he has lived a very full life. He was a POW in WWII and can talk about it without getting upset. Hal is planning to go over tomorrow to be with him and make his peace. Then we will tell the kids about his falling.
The only good thing about all of this is that Opas nurse also happens to be Hals brothers girlfriend. They knew each other since second grade but lost touch when she moved out of town. Then when Opa went to the VA, she handed him a note to give to Bob and after 30 years apart, they are together again!! She is a sweetie and a big Disney lover!! She convinced Bob to go on a
Disney cruise and they rode back on the Fantasy behind Sandy!!
The 3rd of Janu ary also marks the 20th anniversary of Hals brother Brads killing. Then Jake will be 20 in August. He looks just like his dad and also talks like him.
I am glad that the good times weigh out the bad. Just let the year of 2013 be much, much better!!!!!
I kept thinking I would need too many points to buy DVC but finally realized I could buy some points that I can use for family trips for now but if the kids outgrow Disney I won't have so many that I can't use them for solo trips.
Yup. We're going all out. 
Thank God we have too incomes or we wouldn't be able to afford healthcare, mortgagae and food. I never imagined things being so tough in the USA.
Maryland is the hardest state that I have looked into in terms of getting the license but I will get it, I am determined!!
