I'm very happy for you, Martha. I think it would be very hard to first write a book but then try and get it out to the public. Maybe the path to your dreams and goals is opening up. Congratulations.

We've had a very quiet Memorial Day weekend. Brian's old place is ready to start cleaning. I don't know where I failed as a mother. I tried to set a good example but he is just not a good housekeeper. I refuse to clean bathrooms so those will be left to Brian
 but Don and I are going over tomorrow. We will start in the bedrooms. The moving has gone so well that we have a week to get the place to the point where there should be no question about security deposit. Got to admit that there is not a mark on any wall; looks like the new paint job when he moved in. Maggie sure does have a lot of toys that have a lot of little pieces!

Don said that summer was officially here; I made a taco salad on Sat. It sure was good. Love, Bernice

Hey Martha! Great news! Why don't you tell us more about your first book as well as the one you are now working on? I think we would all be interested....

Martha,

Wonderful news! Wonderful opportunity! I am so happy for you; you have worked so hard and for so long for this.

You go girl!

Take care and God bless all.

Congratulations Martha!!&#A0;

Hugs
Loretta
&#A0;Have a Nice Day!&#A0;
�A;�A;�A; ________________________________________________________________ _�A;Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. Go to Yahoo! Answers and share what you know at http://ca.answers.yahoo.com

Just in case some of you missed this I have to tell you about my good luck. A woman I met through the internet has just published a book. We have been contacting each other for about a year and she lives here in Charlotte. Her husband is a marketer and will be doing the marketing for her book and has offered to market mine too... AT NO COST!!! He said he had been looking for something to do when he retires and marketing books would be perfect. Plus he already has the contacts. Is this not great?!

I hope everyone is doing great. I want to thank everyone for any part they played in the safety and care of our great country. To me, memorial day is for all of you whether you were military, police, fireman or any other profession that guards and protects all of us. THANK YOU

Love & Hugs and God Bless everyone, especially our protectors.

Most of us have either known someone, or were related to someone, who gave their life for our freedom. We celebrate this Memorial Day in honor of those who paid the highest price for our country.

So many view this holiday as a day off from work or school, a great time to bar-b-que, or watch favorite sports. How sad that is. I remember the parades and the placing of flags in the cemetery, learning more of our history and of the wars that were fought to found this country. I don't know if much of this is even taught in our schools today.

To every service person, those gone and those still fighting, I certainly honor them on this coming holiday.

To all of my friends here, take care and God bless and thank you for the prayers which are helping me to cope with my current problems.

Edited by author 05-20-2009 08:31 PM
Bernice, yes the eyelid surgery was postponed until after the shingles are gone. I have no idea when that will be; I saw the doctor again today and he has me on another anti-viral medicine for that and is sending me for a CT scan tomorrow morning for acute diverticulitis. I've had this before and it, too, is very painful. I told him where the sharp pains were and he confirmed what I thought. So, I also have to take an anti-bacterial pill, too. If all of this doesn't cure me, I don't know what will.

To all, thanks for the prayers, thoughts and concern. I appreciate it and all of you.

I'll keep you posted on the latest saga of "illnesses as you grow older".

Take care and God bless.

Lillian: What about your eyelid surgery--postponed?

We have been helping Brian move and Don and I are pooped. I hope we don't have to help him again for a few years.

Saw a cute one on the back window of a car today.

It was a sticker in the shape of a doggy paw, with the message

Hi , my name is No, No, Bad dog! What's yours??

Do you need une, Martha?? LOL

I am still unable to get my e-mail. Crazy things going on with this computer.

We have had some really good rain and are so thankful. We are still way behind in what we need, but this will help. The grass didn't crunch under my feet today! That is something to cheer about.

I am still under the weather and will see the doctor tomorrow. I am so tired and the pain just won't let up for a minute. I am up at 2 or 3 every morning, going to bed at 11:30 or so. Not much sleep.

Tomorrow is another day and it will be better than today, I am sure.

Donna, I will be going to library this Saturday, I hope. I'll look for the latest recommended book by you. How great to have someone find the good books to read and all I have to do is read the title and author. Thanks, my librarian friend.

Take care, all, and God bless.

Hope everyone is feeling better today...meaning you Lillian. I think you are the "sicky" in our group this week.

We are having beautiful weather...in the 50's at night and in the 70's during the day, but it won't last as warmer days are forecast for later in the week.

James is into his fishing big time now. He goes to the lake every morning and when he gets off the water, he gives me a call to tell me he is safe and sound once again. He's had some good luck, but still waiting to catch the really big one.

I just finished reading The Longest Trip Home by John Grogan. He wrote Marley and Me. This book is about his childhood and growing up in Michigan and goes through to the current time. He's a good story teller and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Hope everyone has a nice evening.

Donna

Hello, All,

I am among the living but can't stay on here for more than a few minutes.

Leslie found the problem with the QT; actually it was a glitch with the people who run it. They apologized and we are up and running again, as you can see.

I will keep my posts short for awhile since I am so miserable. Can't shake the pain and it is non-stop. Oh, well. This, too, shall pass. I just hope that it is soon.

Take care and God bless.

Testing . . . posting should be working again.

Leslie

Everyone,
The recipe Lillian gave me for Grape Salad is great but I did make some changes to it today. I added some sliced fresh strawberries, 1 Granny Smith apple chopped and 2 oranges cut up. This gave it another flavor that is wonderful! You have to try it.

Got to go do some more puter work.
Love & Hugs and God Bless Everyone especially the weatherman for being right today. It rained and I didn't have to water my flowers.

Lillian, just read your latest post and I'm so sorry about you feeling so bad. I've heard that the shingles are something that just make you miserable. James & I both took the shingles injection a couple of years ago when our doctor recommended it and I'm glad we did, but if you had ever had the shingles, you couldn't get it. Medicare wouldn't pay for it, but the doctor recommended it so we were game. I thought I saw somewhere the other day that Medicare was now considering it, but I'm not sure about that. Ours was pretty expensive, but I guess considering what treatment cost, plus the misery, it was worth it.

We've had rain again this week and more is predicted for tomorrow. I'm sure not complaining as when it quits, it will be rare for us to get a drop until fall. I did get caught in a storm on Monday while I was out running some errands and it didn't even look like rain when I went in the store, but since the weatherman said it was going to rain, I carried the umbrella with me and was I glad. It was pouring when I came out. It let up some so I made one more stop and then after I got home, we had a full blown thunderstorm with much rumbling and high wind and more rain. Luckily, we haven't had any damage from any of the storms.

We had friends from East Texas visit with us on Wednesday and she and I shopped all day and I was about to drop when we got in late Wednesday afternoon, but we enjoyed the day. Of course, we found time to take a leisurely lunch which we both enjoyed. James and her husband visited at the office where they used to work and they all went out to eat so they enjoyed their day also. They brought us fresh onions from their garden and they are a really nice size and he said they soon will have squash..both yellow and zucchini. I am ready for some good ole East Texas tomatoes!

Hope everyone else is doing okay.

Donna

Lillian, I am so sorry about your Shingles. Don had them about 2-3 years ago and I can remember what he went through. He went through it without the pain meds also. You and he sound really alike when it comes to medicine--can't take much. I can remember his shoulder surgeon saying, Man, you're really making it hard to me to help you when they were trying to find something for Don to take for pain.

Yes, the bean seeds can be saved from year to year and we have planted them when they were two years old. I usually save a "mess" to dry for seeds. Maggie loves green beans but Brian wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole. I don't know where I failed!!

Brian isn't moving too far from us or the place that he last rented. Last place you didn't get on the interstate; this one takes about the same time to get there if you go interstate (75). He will be in East Ridge, Tn. Last exit before you are in Georgia. Alabama is also very close. When we first moved here years ago I was shocked at insurance rates. They were much higher than we were used to. Someone told me that it was because you could steal a car in Chattanooga and have it in a chop shop either in Alabama or Georgia (across state line) before you knew the car was gone.

Everyone, try and stay well. Love, Bernice