More Daffodils

Daffodils are coming up everywhere here. I don't know why they did not bloom last year. Larry's Mom planted them all along the fence and around a lot of the trees. I love them as they are a sign of spring to come.

Feeling Much Better

This month we hope to get the roof fixed on our little house. The roof on our house has very little pitch and we have rotting around the eaves. We are having someone who did work for us over 25 years ago...come and replace all the wood with siding. I am excited.

I feel so much better. It is like a cloud has lifted. I did not realize how sick I was. I think my system was totally poisoned. I am hopeful to have more energy than before. My side is not hurting as badly as before. I am on the mend.

Patsy is usually right. Over 30 years ago...I had a bad episode with my gallbladder. It was the pain attack like Daddy had. I could not stand and thought I would have to go to the emergency room and then it passed and my life continued on. I am sure it was a stone in a duct. I would think it would take 30 years for my body to make 1000s of stones and a gallbladder 10 times its normal size.

I am looking forward to feeling better. I was so tired. Well, Erin says that is the anemia. My iron prescription is at Walgreens and I will get it and start taking it.

Daffodils in the Fence Row

Yummy!

Laura brought these this morning. She is a good girl.

Moving Slow

I am moving slow but glad to be home. In a few days, I will probably not have all this hurting. Glad that gallbladder is gone.

Here you go!!

This is what will happen tomorrow.

Astrid and Eleanor

One Of My Favorites

This is me!!

WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Taken from the book
When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple
Editd by Sandra Martz

Random Selection

Erin used to work at the court house here and she knows that juries are supposed to be randomly selected. Laura has jury duty again. I think I have had it 3 times--once Federal. Eric has had twice, Larry has been picked and Laura is on her third round I think. I always get excused because after teaching almost 40 years I know all those being tried or their mother! Larry wants to get picked when he is called. The red headed girl is a stand out and every time she is chosen to serve. You know she has a soft heart. Once a young mother was up for hot checks the 3rd time and all the old folks wanted her to get prison time. She had 3 little kids. Laura said they could stay there for days and she would not agree to prison time. Yesterday it was a dui case...she got picked. Thank heaven they settled. The guy had 2 little kids at home. Laura would have been a hold out! Erin might have said where are the keys.

Friday!!

Friday is D day for me. I will have surgery about 1:00 P M.

For Fleta

Larry saw two eagles today hunting. He was too far to see them like you did, Sister, But I hope you can see the bird with the white head in the tree. He was excited about seeing them.

FYI

Sisters, Dr. was in surgery...so I will have to go Monday afternoon and find out about my surgery. I don't think I will be waiting until spring. I am ready to be rid of my sick stomach.

Would Not Want To Live Here

Winnie, this is South Dakota...worse than K C, Missouri.

Two Boys In The Snow

Robins

American Goldfinch

Martins Will Be Here Soon

Three Sisters

The snow is melting and the robins are out looking for worms.

Mutation Rates

The Powell who is one marker off from us only paid for a 12 marker test. If he would upgrade the riddle would be solved. Either the other markers will be the same making us alike or different eliminating him as our relative. Fleta is going to contact him about upgrading.

Dys # where he is one number away is 389-2

This chart shows the mutation rate from fastest to slowest.

Larry and the man who matched him were 2 mutations different in the first 12 markers. But both paid for 37 markers and the rest matched. Plus, we have the anscestor match through research. The two Dys #s that did not match on them are: 390 adn 385b

Ok--one of the ones that Larry/Don are different 385b has the fastest mutation rate of all the markers. The other marker 390 is in the high mutation range. Both of Don's and Larry's are one pt. away. If they were 2 numbers different that would be a 2 mutation rate even though only one DYS # is involved.

Clayton's dna and the Thomas Powell dna are different on at 389-2 and there is only one number of difference. 389-2 is the 4th fastest of all the genes. So, I am hoping Fleta can talk this guy into upgrading test. Our luck will be he is dead!

Submitted Richard's Photo

I sent Richard's grave photo to the Arkansas Grave Stone project for addition to Alpena Cemetery. A little birdie sent me the picture.

Thirsty Bird

The birds get thirsty when all the water is frozen. I watched this bird eating snow. Dogs will eat snow too.

Photos of Grave Stones

Photos of Graves

Fleta found this site. You can put in a name and find a photo of the stone. Not all in Arkansas are there. But lots are. If I had a photo of Brother Richard's stone I would add his name to Alpena Cemetery.

It's a Bird eat Bird world?

I watched the poor Red bird get booted from his feeder by a red headed woodpecker. The Red bird is smart and waits and watches until Woody moves on. I filled the feeder right before the storm and am so thankful as lots of birds have come to dinner here. Yesterday a flock of black birds lit and cleaned the ground where the others had dropped their crumbs.

The weather man says next week I might plant those red potatoes. Larry is going to get onion sets at the Co-op. I want to plant a bunch because I am dreaming of getting to eat them with cornbread and buttermilk after this nasty stopped up gallbladder is vacuumed from me.
The smart Red bird is hiding behind the feeder. Even in the bird world it's a bird eat bird mentality.

Bird House?

Today, I kept noticing this one smart Red bird. He would stay in the squirrel feeder like it was his house.
Woodpecker eating at my feeder.
I filled the sunflower feeder yesterday. They have eaten almost half a feeder of the seeds today. Once, a herd of red wing Black birds were there having lunch.

For Erin

Erin you should count your blessing. Poor old Belle can't hardly navigate in the snow!

"Gloom, despair and agony on me-e!

Deep dark depression, excessive misery-y!

If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all!

Gloom, despair and agony on me-e-e!"

Finally It Stops

It quit snowing about 3:00. We have about 7 inches.

Noon

It has been snowing for four hours. No letting up. I guess we have about half a foot. Wish I had not read all my books.

Two Hours Later

Two hours after! I took the first picture about 8:00, at 10:00, we are still getting more.

Again....

There was no snow at 6 when I got up. But it came quickly. I went out to get the Gazette from the paper box and took these pictures. It will snow here until in the afternoon so....more to come.

No school. They called it off last evening.

Siggie's Sick

Siggie was sick today and stayed with Pop. I don't know what they did but maybe they ate too much candy.

News

Helen, spoke of Fleta weaving along. I noticed coming back in the snow that my tracks s'ed along like a snake. I am happy that I can enjoy my coffee again. I will not know about my surgery until after Feb. 17 when I go to see the surgeon.

I have to stay at school until 9:00 this evening for conferences. I am sure I will be really tired tomorrow.

I have had a stack of books in this snow. The best was about the dna of men of the Isles. I really enjoyed reading it and wish I could find more about DNA. I have been reading some on the internet. The Christian site says all the evolutionist have the age of man wrong. All the mdna goes back to one female. The Christian site says it is Noah's wife. Anyhow, I think the dna knowledge is so interesting. It holds the key to who you are, completely.

One of my books was about medical myths and facts. It was co-authored by a liver specialist. Drink coffee to protect your liver; 6 cups a day has proven in lots of studies to cleanse the liver and stop cirrhosis. Coffee has other benefits too. Including lowering the incidence of heart attack and stroke. Lower colon cancer. So drink up. Aspirin is the other miracle drug. Take one a day.

It has snowed here, but is above freezing so I will be off to work soon.

Fleta, will you fix the misspelled email address at the picture site. I want to download some of the old pictures.

Shimmering in the Sun

The water glistened with diamonds for me!

More Red Birds

Snowing

Before the snow got going strong, I ventured out and filled my sunflower feeder. They are eating the feeder dry in a week or less. Soon they can find things to eat. The Red birds like the Cedar berries, too. I see them in the Cedar trees.

No School

No school for us today. A big storm is heading this way. Notice Astrid is the only volleyball player without the wild socks. She is a conservative girl.

Ahhh

Now, I can see Greta's blue eyes here.

Dr. said my gallbladder had to come out but I am anemic. Have to go to hospital for more test...yuck.

Two Tests

I had two tests yesterday, I asked Erin about the one and she said she had never heard of it. Well, that was because I told her the wrong name. The other test was an ultrasound and we all know what that is. I searched google and this was my other test. I had to do this test about 8 times, all morning long as the radioactive stuff never got to my gallbladder. The tech said it was probably full of stones was why. I go today at 2:15 and am anxious to find out.

Here is the test I took.

An additional test is the radionuclide scan, commonly called a HIDA scan. This test is usually done to look for evidence of acute cholecystitis. In this case, the cystic duct is blocked by a stone or inflammation. This prevents flow of bile in or out of the gallbladder. The test involves intravenous injection of a very small amount of a radioactive substance or radionuclide. The substance is then excreted by the liver into the bile. In normal circumstances the gallbladder will fill with the radionuclide. A gamma camera is used to visualize the gallbladder and bile ducts. If the gallbladder is visualized, the test is considered to be normal. If the gallbladder is not seen, a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis may be made. A variant of this test is also used in certain patients who have symptoms suggestive of gallbladder disease, but no evidence of gallstones. In this test, called a CCK-HIDA scan, the HIDA scan is done as described above. After the gallbladder is visualized, the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) is given to cause the gallbladder to contract. By using a computer attached to the gamma camera, the amount of radionuclide ejected from the gallbladder after stimulation with CCK can be calculated and reported. If the "ejection fraction" is very small, one may predict that removal of the gallbladder will relieve the patient's symptoms.

When should the gallb

Harrison

Nothing going on here yet. Just wind howling. Erin said this is what it is like at Harrison.