A few Pictures

These next four are some of the Giant American Begonias. Enjoy.

This is one of the one of our 'Sumatra Lilies'. This is our first year to have this beautiful flower. We planted 8 bulbs and had flowers on each. This is a 'Giant American Begonia'. We planted bulbs at both ends of the Island. We were not sure about these but they still have new buds. There is a mix as far as the blooms. I will try to include each variety. Some of the blooms are 6 inches across.

My Back

I told you I would update you on the progress with my back. I had the Procedure yesterday as scheduled. There was one thing different this time. The gave me some if that I can't remember drug so I didn't go through the pain as I had in the past. I feel very good today. I have been active most of the day. I laid down for my usual NAP but I couldn't go to sleep. I am getting tired now and will go to bed early. Sorry, I am just not in the mood to Blog tonight.

J

To Mark

I have no idea what you must be going thru right now. It has been a long hard road you have been following in the past. I am sorry to say that I didn't really know Tammy very well, other than seeing her at a family gathering. I know you have a real network of Family and Friends there with you. I talked to your Mom for a long time this afternoon. You are very fortunate to have the love and support of Aunt Bobbie. Mark I miss Mother so much, in times like this she had a way of putting her arms around you and make you feel that all would be OK. Your Mom has thoes same arms. Don't forget they are there.

My Thoughts and Prayerrs are with you tonight.

John

Surgery Today.

I will update you tomorrow. I wanted to update you tonight but I am just too tired.

I can't sleep

Charles is taking Jeff & Reilly down the Ocoee. This is Jeff and Reilly in the front of the raft.

I couldn't sleep (HURTING) so I got out of bed and came to the kitched where I keep my laptop. I have my laptop and a printer on the Bar/Island in the kitchen. It is not in the way and I like having it set-up all the time. I can readE-Mail or other things while I cook. I multi-Task all the time. A made some additions to "As I remember It" tonight.

Dawn and Jeff were here this this past week and weekend. They stayed at the cabin with some friends. Charles took Jeff and Reilly down the River. I will try to insert a picture of them.

I don't know why but it always put the picture at the front of the days posting rather in the middle of the comments. Anyway that is a picture of Reilly and Jeff. They had a great time. I am sure this was a highlight of Reilly's summer. Charles tried to get Dawn and Jeff to let Jake go down but Dawn said not NO but HELL NO. Her little for year old is not getting on a raft. All in all they ha a good stay. Dawn had used my van while the were here so they dropped it off on their home. I went out to the car to tell the boys but both were sleeping hard. They were worn out.

I just got news that a friend's wife died suddenly this past month. Tom and Sue had shared the Rock House at the Fold school. She and Tom had a room next to me. I am planning on calling Tom but i hae delayed it because it is so hard for me to do something like that. I am not good around deaths. I guess it is because I have lost so many family members.

I am having a procedure on my back to try and relieve me of some of my pain. The Procedure is called a "Denerveation Procedure" The Doctor uses a special needle with an electrical point on the end. He inserts the needle (HUGE) and touches the nerves along my spine until I can identify one that efffects a pain point. Remember I am awake (must be to talk to him while Identifying the correct area) when he touches the nerve. It really hurts, it is like a sudden sharp pain down your leg, back, arm. This goes on until he finds ONE OF the correct nerrves. Once he finds the correct nerrve he applies RF energy for 15 seconds while burning the nerve ending. Now it is like a sharp pain for 15 seconds. Oh, how it hurts. This is done until he has burnded several nerve endings thus cutting off the signal the brain identifying pain. It is very painful while the nerve ending heals and then I will be pain free in that area of my back for a few months we hope. He will do the right side of my spine thursday and I go back sometime in August and he will do the left side. Insurance Companies some time give the Doctor a hard time approving the procedure. They call it expermental. I have it done before but he says he will put me almost under for the 15 seconds but I still feel the pain.

So think about me Thursday morning around 9:00am. Pray, Burn a Candle do something I need the help.

I am still working on "The Tree House". Its't comming along fairly good but I look forward to Pebbie coming down on the 21st and giving me some advise. It is a real challenge with some of the colors such as the bark of the Pecan Tree. It changes colors as the light shines on part of it, part is in shadow and part is just in the shade. Getting the names on the side will be interesting also. I am going to need help from someone to identify some of the printing, it is very faint but it is there.

Holly cow it is 6:00am I hve been up for three hours. No wonder I am about to go to sleep. Well what should I do make some coffee or go back to bed? I will spell check this later.

Good Night.

Too Sleepy to do this

Well, it's Friday night and Betsy is in bed playing some game on her laptop, eating Wheat Thins, I am in bed Blogging, eating a Peanut butter sandwich. Mitsy has her little head laying on my pillow waiting for the last bite of my sandwich which she knows she will get. Now that is over \maybe she will go to sleep. Now she moved and put her face on the edge of my laptop. Wait just a bit while I get her settled.

She is not spoiled.

Let's seenow what did I do today. i went to see my JUNK Dealer and looked at some 55 Gal. drums. I am going to get three drums and make 'Rain Barrels' using these 55 gal barrels. I am going to place the barrel so that I can direct the down spout from the Gutter system into the barrels which I have put on a raised stand. I have inserted a water faucet close to the bottom of the barrel there by saving rainwater to be used for flower beds, flower containers, small vegetable garden, thus saving on our utillity cost. I will have to clean the barrels and paint them so they will not stand out. I will also landscape in such a way to hide the barrels.

Hump Day

Well it's in the morning but a few days later. Anyway, Good Morning. I hope you have had a good cup of coffee or are having one with me right now. I slept late this morning. I don't do that very often. I woke up hurting about 5:00am and took some pain Medication and went back to sleep.

This is our week to use the Cabin. Charles was moving up last night or today. Jeff and Dawn are coming tonight or tomorrow. They are spending a long weekend at the cabin. They will have both of the Boys with them. Reilly and Jake both love it up there. We don't have a boat any more. We did share one with Betsy's sister but every time we went to the cabin something would be wrong with the boat. We sold our half and got out of being boat owners. Never share a boat with anyone especially family. It just causes problems. Anyway, I feel like a boat is only a hole in the water in which you pour money. I am sure some one famous said that one day but I agree and will use it anyway.

W4e hope to go up to the cabin while the kids are here but only if it is not too hot. This heat, I could do without. The heat is rough on us fat boys. I have got to take a break now an go out on the patio and water my tomatoes. I need to take a picture of my tomator tree and wheel barrow tomatoes. I will be right. Oh, I heard Mitsy Bark so I guess Betsy is awake now. I will take her some coffee don't go away.

OK I am back. Betsy is up so we will have breakfast and maybe I will get back to you later today. I am going to paint or work on my taxes. Can you believe we haven't filed our taxes I filed for an extension so I have until August 15th. I need to do it so I can get that big Check from President Bush that is going to soleve all my problems. Don't get me started. Now to my tomatoes.

Later

Let start over

I am sitting here noding off.I will finish this in the morning.

A late Sunday night in the bed with Betsy

You can tell a couple has been married for 30 years when they are both in bed withtheir laptops at 12:00 at night. It is also very hard to type with my "Little white Girl" in bed with us and trying to see her picture.

A few Pictures

The view of the rusty roof done at the Folk School
The Original of the second Barn made of old Barn Wood & Tin.

Reilly's 9th Birthday

Reilly's 9th Birthday

Jake learning to ride without training wheels

One of many falls but Daddy there to catch me


The front view of the barn that I finished after I completed the Folk School
Painting with a tough Critic

Glenda and I painting during her VISIT

These are a few pictures that show some recent activity. The first is of our oldest Grandson Reilly at his Birthday. Next are pictures of our youngest Grandson Jakob riding his bike for the first time without his training wheels. Then there are pictures made when Glenda was here for a week of painting. Notice I have some help (MITSY) as I paint. There is also a picture of the barn I made of old barn wood and tin.

Raining in Tennessee

Good morning,
I haven't been with you for a while now. Lots of things have happened. I have finished both paintings now and am now painting The Tree House. This is the tree house at Aunt Bobbie's. There are lots of good stories connected to this tree house. I am sorry if my typing is not very good this morning but I am in a lot Pain this morning. It is so bad that my pain medication will not touch it. If it doesn't get better soon I am going back to bed. Betsy is making the coffee this morning and that is always my job. I get up before she does and I make the coffee and sometimes take her a cup in bed. It is ready now and she is getting me a cup so that I don't have to get up and walk.

Dawn and Jeff came three weekends ago and we enjoyed their stay as always. They had to leave early Sun. to take Reilly to camp. We went over there last weekend. Dawn's Birthday was June 24 so we celebrated her birthday. We went to eat at Miller's Country Store in Christiana, TN, where Dawn & Jeff live. It is an old general store that has been turned into a restaurant and now people drive from Nashville and around other places even further away. They served a varied menu and had a three piece Blue Grass/Country Music Band playing. It was true Tennessee Country. We had a ball. The band played a Blue Grass version of happy birthday to Dawn.

I think I will go over to the life story entry now and add a bit more to it. Take care. OH yes, Dawn and Jeff are coming Wednesday Night and staying at Stony Point. For those of you that don't know that is the name of the Cabin on Lake Ocoee. We share the Cabin with Betsy's two sisters. We have the cabin about 7 or 8 weeks from spring to fall. We stay in the early spring and fall. I just can't stand the heat in July & August. This hot weather is rough on us fat boys. My pain is getting better now but it never goes away. I have been taking steroids for 20+ years and they have destroyed the disc in by back. I am having a procedure done in two weeks on the nerves on the left side. The Dr. Uses a Large needle that has a special tip that is connected to RF energy. He probes around until he hits a nerve and based on the effect of pressing on the nerve he identifies the source of the pain. He then turns on the RF energy burning the nerve ending. I am not asleep because I have to talk to him to I identify the correct nerve. That 15 seconds is very painful, Its like pain you can not imagine. It is still painful for a couple of weeks while it heals but then my pain is better. The Procedure is considered experimental by most insurances companies and we have to fight with BCBST and Medicare ever time we do it or about any thing else. Don't get me started on Insurance Companies or Drug Companies they run our health care system such as it is. I don't need to go there either. I am leaving now will be back as soon as I find a spot of time. My spell check is not working and you all know I can't spell. (I'll ask Betsy to proofread this.)

Take Care and My Love to All of You.

John