Let the Prom Drama CONTINUE . . . . . . . .

[mamacatnv]

CORRECTION TO DUMP CAKE - YOUR ARTERIES WILL THANK ME

It's 1 cube of butter - not 1 cup of butter - oops, sorry.
I made it last night and I was thinking that I put down 1 cup

So, here it is again:

Okay - this is so easy and yummy:
2 cans cherry pie filling
1 box white cake mix
1 CUBE melted butter

Loaf or deep dish pie pan

Place cherries in the bottom
Drizzle 3/4 of the butter over the cherries
sprinkle the cake mix on top - lightly smooth with your fingers - don't press it into the cherry mix
Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup butter over the top

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes, until top is light brown and fruit filling is bubbling

serve with ice cream or whipped cream or in our case - plain!

 

[horseshowmom]

Update on FIL:

DH took his mother to the hospital last night. He said that they've taken his dad off of most of his medication, so they can try the new medication to see if it works. He said that right now, his dad is sleeping most of the time. Dh said that he seemed really weak. His mother did ask them to put an IV in because she was concerned about his not getting enough fluids. He wouldn't eat anything at dinner, but the nurses said that he did eat at breakfast and lunch.

The doctor told them that they would be able to keep him there a month. At the end of the month, they should be able to tell whether the new medication is going to help any. Regardless, his health is such that he'll have to go a long-term facility. It was literally going to kill MIL trying to care for him. One of the benefits of his being on the psych floor is that nobody can stay with him (which DH's mother would probably do, and she's not physically up to it). DH cringed when he heard that his sister had told his mother that she could see if they could move him to a regular floor so their mother could stay if she wanted. Fortunately, his mother said no, that she wasn't able (and she's really not).

BIL called SIL with the same type of questions that he called DH with earlier in the week. Fortunately, she told him the same thing that DH did. If BIL has some way in mind to care for their dad, he's welcome to do so, but their mother is NOT able, and they are not moving him back home. I don't think BIL is liking the responses much.

DH had a rough night last night. Between worrying about his dad and worrying about his brother's concerns, he's not resting well.



As everybody knows, today is Halloween, and bless these kids' hearts, they're just about to burst with excitement. I ordered some stuff from Oriental Trading Company to hand out to all of them as they came through the library this week (I have K-5). I gave the K and first graders little spinning tops. Talk about a hit! I don't think I ever got anything that inexpensively that got kids that excited before!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO EVERYONE!!!

 

[mamacatnv]

Sheila: to you and your DH, I know this must be really hard for him. Glad to hear FIL will be staying put and MIL cannot stay.

I love Oriental Trading Co! Great stuff! I'm sure you made their day.
I laughed at your "use" of Wonder Under. Then last night I was driving home and I pictured you trying to iron on the cut outs to the sticky paper and I was laughing again. I am a genius with a glue gun, wonder under and stitch witchery but remember I am also the one who has no clue how to post a picture or anything else techy - we all have our strengths

Agnes: How is DD doing? Did she get reconsidered for that audition spot? Is she feeling better?

I went to DD's class yesterday for their party - her teacher showed them the "Thriller" video off of Youtube. The class loved it. Their teacher told them she was in 4th grade when it premiered......man, I'm old

Our kids are all off for NV. Day (State Holiday) So I popped into work to do some more butt kicking (I have gotten that man in so much trouble this week ) and I am enjoying every minute of it! The antics are long and lengthy, I'll fill you all in over the weekend or on Monday. I have to distribute payroll, throw some payments in the mail then I am out of here.

Company coming for dinner then trick or treating. DS will be home to go with us tonight. The Dad's pass out candy and the mom's take our hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps in our travel mugs and we take all the kids door to door. We stay out until the kids "give". Then we come home and the kids sort their stash, the parents take their favorites and the kids do some trading. It's a great evening and yeah, a Friday night!

Have a great weekend........ DD looks fabulous - I will try and see if one of my techy kids or DH will help me load a picture of the kids in their costumes.

 

[horseshowmom]

I'd LOVE to see the pictures. I can just imagine how well the outfit turned out! By now I'm sure you're loaded down with candy. DD fixed DH and DFi both a nice Halloween treat bag full of their favorite candy, so they got their treats too.


I've been keeping up with your other thread on college freshman. Keep us up-to-date on how things go for DS's BFF and Math Girl!


More news tonight: This evening they called DH and told him that they had moved FIL into a room on a regular floor, and it was decided that he is going to have a feeding tube inserted. I'm not sure when they'll do that or how he'll handle being put to sleep. Everytime he's been put to sleep in the past, he's gotten worse. Plus, he's weak right now from not eating. I don't know where it will go from here. DH has to leave at 7 in the morning to go stay with him (SIL has to leave at 8:30 a.m.), and MIL is coming on later.


DFi got back from Indianapolis late Saturday night. He (along with several chaperones) had carried several FFA members to the National Convention. Monday he got a phone call from the hotel. He was NOT happy when he got off the phone.

1) One of the rooms that the girls were in was trashed - not any actual property damage but stupid stuff like writing all over all the mirrors in lipstick and pinning pantyhose to the walls confused3), and that kind of thing. This was with the "chaperone's" full support (the mother who stayed in that particular room with those girls).

2) He was also informed that hotel security found the same girls wandering around at 3 a.m. When he told them to get back to their room, that they weren't supposed to be out, they told him that they had permission from their advisor. Being quite positive that they were lying, he carried them back to their room where he was told by the same "chaperone" that she had given them permission to be out. By the way, these girls are 9th and 10th graders!

DFi is one mad Ag teacher! He met with the principal to tell him what had taken place (without DFi's knowledge), and the girls were punished (they are prohibited from attending the trip to the state legislator breakfast). The mother will no longer be allowed to chaperone anything at the school. Everybody is astonished because this woman is the last one that anybody would have ever guessed there would be a problem with.

Poor DFi! Welcome to the world of dealing with teenagers and parents!


I booked the Gaylord Palms today for our first night in Orlando. It should be decorated beautifully, and I'm looking forward to the ice exhibit. It's really neat. Now I've got to figure out which section to reserve. The atrium rooms have private balconies that look out into the atrium. Since it's all under glass, you can sit with your balcony doors open and admire the scenery. I've stayed at the Gaylord in Nashville, but I haven't stayed here (did walk through it a couple of years ago though). I think it's going to be a nice trip!


That trip will finish up December. Then in February we'll (all four of us) spend a weekend in Jackson for the Dixie National Quarter Horse Show (3rd largest in the world). Of course, we don't take horses these days, but we enjoy watching, hanging out with old friends, and hitting the trade show. In March, DH and I go to Israel. Then the end of March, DD and I head to Nashville for a couple of nights for her medical tests and doctor's appointment. Hopefully, that will be productive. She graduates in May and gets married in June. Right now, I feel like my life is in fast forward. Do ya'll ever feel that way?


BTW, says that he could do without those stupid coyotes howling right now (and I agree with him)! I told him to be glad that he doesn't live at Sandy's house with the BEARS!



Hey, Sandy! Did you know that they had a smiley! I just found it by accident!

 

[horseshowmom]

Well, my birthday was Monday (had a nice dinner out), so somebody much have thought I needed a present. When we got home from voting yesterday afternoon, I was checking the outside water bowl and talking to the pets when around the corner from under the carport wobbled out a little black puppy.

He seems to be very young but is about the size of a lab puppy. We're not too sure that he can see very well (he didn't even blink his eyes when DH waved his hand in front of his face), but this morning he seemed like he could see better.

I found a flattened down area across the road where it looks like something had bedded down the night before (could have been him and his mother maybe), but I didn't find any other animals.

He seemed very happy to eat when I gave him some food and the same when I watered him. His tail kept wagging the whole time he was eating or drinking.

Poor DH...

 

[mamacatnv]

Well, my birthday was Monday (had a nice dinner out), so somebody much have thought I needed a present. When we got home from voting yesterday afternoon, I was checking the outside water bowl and talking to the pets when around the corner from under the carport wobbled out a little black puppy.

He seems to be very young but is about the size of a lab puppy. We're not too sure that he can see very well (he didn't even blink his eyes when DH waved his hand in front of his face), but this morning he seemed like he could see better.

I found a flattened down area across the road where it looks like something had bedded down the night before (could have been him and his mother maybe), but I didn't find any other animals.

He seemed very happy to eat when I gave him some food and the same when I watered him. His tail kept wagging the whole time he was eating or drinking.

Poor DH...

sorry that was my first response. Somewhere in the animal world there is a hidden map, similar to the underground railroad and the abandoned animals of the world seek it out and make their way to your porch where of course all your other animals welcome them with open arms and food bowls. Then, they figure out the best way to present the new addition.
Whats his Name????? My DH always says, once you name them they are yours for life, hummmm maybe that is why he still calls Baxter "cat"

Happy Birthday You didn't even tell us!

I need to catch you all up on my inv. idiot but I have been so busy riding his butt and doing his job that I am behind on my duties Couple of tid bits, the day I spent in the shop I must have paged him 25 or 30 times "X please return to your office" over and over, he conveniently disappears. Now this continued on and off for 2 days. I am back in my office yesterday and today still resolving issues and I have resorted to emailing him since he is always on the phone. He is avoiding me, so the other day I sicked my boss on him I left to go run an errand and gave her a stack of things that she didn't understand and asked her to have him resolve them. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall. When I returned she says to me. "oh dear, he has no idea how to do this, he keeps insisting you should do it, so I laid down the law and went over his job description with him" (I had conveniently provided her a copy of said description I'm evil, I know) then she says "I think he got the message"

Yeah, well we will see........meanwhile I have been emailing up a storm all morning and I cc my boss all the emails.

How is FIL doing?

 

[horseshowmom]

sorry that was my first response. Somewhere in the animal world there is a hidden map, similar to the underground railroad and the abandoned animals of the world seek it out and make their way to your porch where of course all your other animals welcome them with open arms and food bowls. Then, they figure out the best way to present the new addition.

You know, I often wonder if that's not just exactly the case. I have numerous comfy beds on the porch and carport for Kodak and the cats. Rixie has her own doghouse under the carport with a 5 inch memory foam mattress (to cushion her old bones). The puppy had no trouble yesterday finding the warm, comfy beds at all! This morning, I saw him come crawling out of Rixie's doghouse... If she'll let him stay with her, so much the better!

Whats his Name????? My DH always says, once you name them they are yours for life, hummmm maybe that is why he still calls Baxter "cat"

Haven't gotten that far yet. I'll probably let DH name him to make him feel better (if that's possible ). This morning I told one of his fellow teachers to have compassion on him, and he walked by and asked why. I reminded him about the new puppy. He moaned and walked off...

He's really cute though! I think he's solid black, I didn't see any other markings at all. He's going to need a bath, and I'm sure he needs wormed, plus he'll need his puppy shots. Fortunately, I can get all of that at the drugstore where DD works (I'm afraid I have lots of experience at this ). Overall, he looks really healthy, but I think he was pretty hungry when I fed him. Of course, you have to be careful not to let them eat too much at first, or it will make them sick, but he did great yesterday. Last night, he was all curled up in the warm bed.

I need to catch you all up on my inv. idiot but I have been so busy riding his butt and doing his job that I am behind on my duties Couple of tid bits, the day I spent in the shop I must have paged him 25 or 30 times "X please return to your office" over and over, he conveniently disappears. Now this continued on and off for 2 days. I am back in my office yesterday and today still resolving issues and I have resorted to emailing him since he is always on the phone. He is avoiding me, so the other day I sicked my boss on him I left to go run an errand and gave her a stack of things that she didn't understand and asked her to have him resolve them. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall. When I returned she says to me. "oh dear, he has no idea how to do this, he keeps insisting you should do it, so I laid down the law and went over his job description with him" (I had conveniently provided her a copy of said description;) I'm evil, I know) then she says "I think he got the message"

Yeah, well we will see........meanwhile I have been emailing up a storm all morning and I cc my boss all the emails.

He's been getting away with this for so long that he's convinced himself that it's not his job. Either that, or he just doesn't want to do the work and is trying to find a way out of it.

Very impressive preemptive strike on your part by having the job description available!

How is FIL doing?

About the same, they put a feeding tube in his stomach Monday, so they could take the one out of his throat, but he hasn't shown much change thus far. SIL (who is a nurse in a nursing home) thinks his body may be shutting down. They're kind of just waiting to see what happens next right now.

 

[mamacatnv]

Hi Ladies - thank goodness, the end of a very long week is near. I have an Honor Roll ceremony for DD to attend today (it's our first, DS never made HR in elem. where they had ceremonies - his never ending mouth always got him on his citizenship grades )

Meeting the girls for drinks tonight, tomorrow is hair and nails, get a couple of christmas presents knocked off the list, get a B-Day present for a party that DD will be attending next weekend.........go to the library, take the movies back to the movie store and maybe some grocery shopping. Same old weekend....

Sheila and Sandy enjoy your new babies.........

Agnes have a great weekend

Pam: Is DD coming home for Thanksgiving?

That's it, gotta run........there is a "Blue" drink in my not so distant future.

p.s. still not smoking and getting less cranky everyday

 

[Sandy V.]

Everyone have a great weekend!!! The past few weeks have been NUTS for me; I have been very bad regarding this thread. I start to get ready to write, and then something at work comes up. There's a new reorganization of my group in the works, and tongues are wagging about what it's going to look like. No rest for the wicked, I guess. I promise to be better next week!!

 

[mamacatnv]

I forgot to add - I just bought DD her first American Girl Doll - I have always hoped she would want one, I never brought it up, she did. I bought her Julie, the Hippie girl from San Francisco! How appropriate.

Okay, that's it, had to share with you Mom's of girls

 

[Sandy V.]

Congratulations on the no-smoking!! I am very happy for you!!!!

The doll sounds cool. Let us know how she likes it. I was always a doll person. My own DD wasn't, which was frustrating for me. Her favorite toy as a child was a batmobile!!!

 

[agnes!]

It's so funny you all mention dolls. I just consigned my antique dolls (many German bisques, a few painted metal-heads, a Schoenhut, a vintage Campbell Soup Kid, black-haired china-heads, etc.) to an auction house. A friend is helping me sell my 6" international dolls (plastic & celluloid), doll dishes sets and antique paper dolls on eBay. I even have some Madame Alexanders (Little Women + Disney Alice) that I might also sell there as well.

It's been somewhat traumatic even though the dolls have been in storage for *years*. It was just time that they go to someone who would treasure them and display them. I'm still a little sad though.
I did keep a few - a German bisque that's at least 24" and a small bisque Bye-Lo Baby - and gave some family dolls to some cousins.

DD is still not quote up to par, but is feeling somewhat better. She isn't always able to attend a full school-day though, she's still quite exhausted most of the time.

agnes!

 

[horseshowmom]

Hi Ladies - thank goodness, the end of a very long week is near. I have an Honor Roll ceremony for DD to attend today (it's our first, DS never made HR in elem. where they had ceremonies - his never ending mouth always got him on his citizenship grades )

Have a great time at the Honor Roll ceremoney! Tell your DD that we're proud for her too!

Everyone have a great weekend!!! The past few weeks have been NUTS for me; I have been very bad regarding this thread.

I hope things will settle down soon, but I know you said it would be until the first of the year, so we'll keep a light in the window for you!

I forgot to add - I just bought DD her first American Girl Doll - I have always hoped she would want one, I never brought it up, she did. I bought her Julie, the Hippie girl from San Francisco! How appropriate.

Now, that's pretty cool!

Congratulations on the no-smoking!! I am very happy for you!!!!

Same here, I know that's a struggle, but I'm very glad to hear that you're hanging in there. Good for you!

The doll sounds cool. Let us know how she likes it. I was always a doll person. My own DD wasn't, which was frustrating for me. Her favorite toy as a child was a batmobile!!!

It's so funny you all mention dolls. I just consigned my antique dolls (many German bisques, a few painted metal-heads, a Schoenhut, a vintage Campbell Soup Kid, black-haired china-heads, etc.) to an auction house. A friend is helping me sell my 6" international dolls (plastic & celluloid), doll dishes sets and antique paper dolls on eBay. I even have some Madame Alexanders (Little Women + Disney Alice) that I might also sell there as well.

It's been somewhat traumatic even though the dolls have been in storage for *years*. It was just time that they go to someone who would treasure them and display them. I'm still a little sad though.
I did keep a few - a German bisque that's at least 24" and a small bisque Bye-Lo Baby - and gave some family dolls to some cousins.

Mine was a tomboy too (or as the T-shirt says, "Barn Goddess" ), but she did have a collection of porcelain dolls. Some were just inexpensive ones, but some were really nice ones (mainly the ones bought by my mother ). All but one have been stored away.

DD is still not quote up to par, but is feeling somewhat better. She isn't always able to attend a full school-day though, she's still quite exhausted most of the time.agnes!

I hope she's better soon!



Puppy (probably to be named Soot) is adapting quite well. I googled "black lab puppy", and he's the spitting image of what I found. I was pretty sure that he had lab in him, but it was amazing how strongly he resembled the pictures. I'm sure he's mixed, but he may be like my Siamese (who I know is only half Siamese - they said the was the only one in the litter to look Siamese). You can't tell that he isn't all Siamese just by looking at him. Soot is probably going to look all Lab. My brother has an elderly black lab - wish I could talk him into taking this baby, but that's not likely.

 

[horseshowmom]

Well, FIL died about 11 p.m. last night. DH and his siblings were there (except for one brother), and he said it was very peaceful. He said the psychiatrist was in tears because she had held out hope that they could get him back on his feet. DH said it was very peaceful, and there was no pain. DH got home about 3 this morning and had to be at the funeral home at 10 this morning. He hasn't made it back yet.

The psychiatrist said that the MRI they did last week turned out to be an enigma. FIL's brain had atrophied to the point of indicating he was in advanced, last stages of Alzheimer's, but he still had his mind. Neither she nor any of the other doctors she had look at the results could understand how he was still functioning. I told DH that they just didn't know how strong-willed FIL was.

Here's an eerie coincidence. FIL had a sister who was very much like him in personality and temperament (very difficult to deal with). I was talking to her granddaughter about how things were working out with FIL and how he seemed to have just laid down to die.

She then told me this story. She said that her GM had been living with her mother until her mother's cancer progressed to where she (the mother) could no longer care for her (the GM). The GM had to move to a nursing home.

Although her health wasn't great, the GM was mostly okay. Whenever they would visit her, she would want to know when her daughter was going to be better so the daughter could come get her out of the nursing home (sadly, with the emphasis on herself rather than her daughter who was suffering). The daughter died unexpectedly from her cancer.

When the grandmother was told that her daughter had died, she knew she wouldn't be leaving the nursing home. The granddaughter told me ther her grandmother lay down and died in 3 weeks. Oddly enough, today is 3 weeks since FIL was hospitalized.

I'm glad the family was all able to be there last night. I'm sure that was a help to his mother. DH said that she seems to be doing pretty well. I'm sure that losing a spouse of almost 60 years will be hard, but things have been so difficult for so long that I'm glad that both she and FIL can have some peace now.


Update on Soot: He's getting more rambunctious everyday and is adorable. Today, I had to put him out because he was getting into everything. One second he had DH's shoe and the next he had my dustpan. Then he got stuck between the posts in the end table (he didn't like that too well).

 

[agnes!]

I am so sorry. Sympathy to you and yours.

Prayers,
agnes!

 

[horseshowmom]

I am so sorry. Sympathy to you and yours.

Prayers,
agnes!

Thank you, agnes! No matter the circumstances of how things have been, he was still DH's dad, and it's a hard thing to deal with. We all know death will come at some point, but when it actually happens, it's can be hard. He was 87 years old and lived a long life with 5 children and many, many grandchildren to show for it.

 

[Sandy V.]

I'm so sorry, Sheila. My sympathies to your family, especially to your DH.

How is the brother doing - the one that wanted your FIL to be at home? I hope he's not blaming everyone (especially your DH and your MIL and SIL) for your FIL's demise.

I'm glad he's not suffering any more.

 

[mamacatnv]

Sheila to you and your DH, regardless of the circumstances he lost his father and MIL lost her spouse. I pray for peace for all of you.


Fascinating thing, the human brain. Just shows how much "mind over matter" can really play into ones mental state regardless of disease.

That is a rather eerie coincidence.

Glad to hear Soot is exhibiting normal puppy behaviors I actually made a special stop to get Dexter some toys yesterday, yes, she is growing on me

 

[horseshowmom]

I'm so sorry, Sheila. My sympathies to your family, especially to your DH.

How is the brother doing - the one that wanted your FIL to be at home? I hope he's not blaming everyone (especially your DH and your MIL and SIL) for your FIL's demise.

I'm glad he's not suffering any more.

Thank you for the condolences.

DH's brother is doing pretty well. Last night, there was one point where he wanted them to have the doctor "do something", but SIL (who is a nurse) gently told him that there wasn't anything to be done. Her own daughter came in wanting them to "do something" too, but she told her the same thing.

I think the results of the MRI helped prove to him that FIL really was in very serious condition when they carried him to the hospital. The manic episodes had just carried him further than he really should have been able to go.

I haven't heard anything from FIL's brother who was so unhappy. We may hear something before it's over, but DH has already said that while he has no desire to upset his uncle, he will if he needs to.

He died a natural death - just slipped quietly away. At 87 years old, there was no point in pounding on him and forcing his body to continue living for what little while they could have kept it going. As DH said this morning, the question everybody asks when somebody dies is, "What did he die of?" We've come to rely on modern medicine so much that it's almost like we think people are going to live forever.

Sheila to you and your DH, regardless of the circumstances he lost his father and MIL lost her spouse. I pray for peace for all of you.


Fascinating thing, the human brain. Just shows how much "mind over matter" can really play into ones mental state regardless of disease.

That is a rather eerie coincidence.

Thanks for the condolences, I'll share them with DH.

Glad to hear Soot is exhibiting normal puppy behaviors I actually made a special stop to get Dexter some toys yesterday, yes, she is growing on me

Soot is exhibiting prime lab behavior. He much prefers DH's tennis shoes to the toys I've provided. NOT a good thing... He's asleep in front of the couch now and is doing quite well.

Why buy Dexter toys? Just get her a nice pack of napkins!

 

[agnes!]

I'm having fence problems again...but not with the first house in question, now it's the new neighbors on the OTHER side . Wrote up a new thread about it....*sigh*.

Sheila -
I love having pets, puppies are so wonderful. One of our cats acts like a puppy - chewing on stuff, chasing around the house, playing with our other cat. She's a great comfort.
Hope you and your family are doing ok. I know it's a tough time for everybody, hope the folks who were unhappy have come to a certain peace.

agnes!