Friday, September 11, 2020

Kidney Stones, Lily the Mouse and Doo-Wop Music to Soothe the Beast


As I start this post this morning, you might get photos and you might not.  Google is running rampant today and no matter how hard I have tried to upload photos, it is not willing to participate.
Just one of life's little aggravations.

Speaking of aggravations, last week at about 1AM on Monday night, I had a BIG aggravation with excruciating pain each time I took a breath.  What the heck was my first thought? Covid was my next thought and pain reliever was the last thought. 

I made it through the night with no sleep and had little pain during the day Tuesday.  Then Tuesday night and Wednesday night were a repeat of Monday night.  But, by Wednesday the pain had localized where my kidneys are and due to the intensity of the pain, I went online to Mayo Clinic and read about kidney stones.

My son John had had them about eighteen years ago or so and a few times more since then.  Always extremely painful. His doctor had said to drink lots and lots of water.

According to Mayo they will usually pass, the kidney stones with drinking lots and lots and lots of
water. I was doing that like I have never before and finally the culmination and passing happened on
Thursday.  By then I was a basket case but grateful for the "outcome". Then no pain since!

In the meantime, one block over at the house of my son and grandchildren, it seems that Corazon the Cat had brought into the house a newly born baby mouse.  Matilda managed to extricate it from the jaws of Corazon and save it from certain death.  She and her Dad fed it, and lo and behold, Corazon wanted the baby mouse, who was by now named Lily to sleep on her stomach.  The pictures are absolutely adorable.  I give up.  Can't get photos on blog, argh.

The "outside" world continues to intrude, whether it is wanted or not.  Even though I limit my exposure to news to thirty minutes at 5:30PM, it seems like the whole world is teetering on the brink of all those things we never imagined could happen!

To counter all that, last Saturday or Sunday night while looking for something to watch on PBS,
there was a Red White and Blue concert from several years ago that was playing two or three hours of doo-wop music and blues.  Those "of a certain age" were enthusiastically dancing in the aisles and clapping along to all those WE listened to in our teenage highschool years.  It was on PBS Seattle.
How wonderful to see all the groups who had many hits and a few that only had a couple of big hits. Heck the Everly Brothers and Connie Francis both sang!  I must admit my toes were tapping and I know I was smiling as almost every single song brought back memories.  Later I wrote to the group of friends that played a part in those memories.  Some of them also had seen it and had the same feelings.  What a nice surprise and a wonderful way to escape the mayhem of the world for a few hours.

We've had much, much, much rain this past week.  Lots of it has been electrical storms with big booms of thunder and lightning strikes to light up the skies all night long.  Whew.  Here in the semi-arid part of Mexico we never complain about rain because we know in another month or so, the rain will stop and then no more til next year!

The flower gardens are glorious at this time.  Yes, I have many photographs to share, but you'll have to take my word for it.

If you have read any great books lately, with no violence, please forward your suggestions.  I'm ready to order a few books.

And, to end on a funny note that only people living outside the USA will understand I think.  I found cornmeal this week in Mexico!  I know that is insignificant to most but it has been the bain of my existence to have to bring it from the USA for the past twenty years!  NOW, HEB, forty-five minutes away has it.  Yee ha.  Many other things too that might make you laugh. Fritos, Leseiur peas, Bisquick just to name a few.  No more Miracle Gro plant food in Mexico, so now I either have to find another plant food by Vigoro or have someone bring Miracle Gro from the USA for me.  Right now I'm using coffee grounds, banana peels and egg shells. 

Life is always an adventure!




11 comments:

Steve Cotton said...

I hesitate to say this, but cornmeal is a staple on the shelves of Hawaii. There are some advantages to living in a Canadian colony in Mexico. Jaja.

In truth, Alex stocks the cornmeal for the huge number of pizzerias here. Of course, that may be just another way of stating ky first sentence.

norm said...

I read Travels With Charley a few weeks ago, not the first time but being old, it seemed fresh. It is set during the run up to the Nixon/Kennedy election. Some books are timeless. I keep a copy of Catch 22 in the car for when I have to wait on Mom. It has violence; it is set during WW2 and the protagonist is bombing things but the humor and the writing are sublime. It has been in the car for a few years. I use it as salt on my daily bread.
Our weather has changed here in Ohio, cooler in the morning, more rain, gardens are about done producing. I'm going to gather the winter squash today-it is going to take the truck...

Babs said...

I know Steve. Hawaii is a treasure! It never ceased to amaze me that I could find things there that I could not find anywhere else in Mexico. You are so lucky to have it near. That and the ice cream store across the street! YUM. Sure do miss that area that for so many years was my life for two months a year.

Thanks for writing.

Babs said...

Norm, great to hear from you. I have read Travels with Charley and Catch 22. Both were well worth the read and I might dig them up again. I DO have 3200 books on my Kindle, most of which have been put on there by the other 4 members of our Kindle group. I have found all kinds of books and authors that I had never heard of to be absolutely a treasure. Reading is one of my means of meditation.

Our weather has changed here too. In the low 70's during the day and low 50's at night. LOTSA rain. I don't have any vegetable gardens, just flower gardens but I have a friend who has acres and acres of fresh vegetables that she sells to restaurants and a few other choice people. I'm lucky enough to be one of them and today she brought carrots and Kentucky wonder beans. A huge bunch and now I'm thinking of what I will cook using each of them. She said they were harvested yesterday! I'm so blessed.

Winter squash............ahh, you are blessed as well.

Contessa said...

You were very brave to deal with those kidneys stones on your own. Well done but ouch!

Babs said...

Contessa, I just kept reading the instructions from Mayo Clinic which were quite specific and knowing how my son has dealt with them in the last 14 years, I just followed his example.
Actually when I figured out what the pain was and could read about it, I was relieved and knew how to deal with it. I just wish it had happened faster.
Now I realize that I had been building up to this with some syptoms that Mayo mentioned that I had previous to the pain. My ankles had been so swollen the week before and I couldn't figure out why......Well, they are back to normal now!

I can hope that I don't ever have that happen again! I AM drinking lots more fluids now just for good measure.

Rick said...

Well it's nice that you are posting only good news which is rare these days.

Lots of rain, better health, fresh veggies, rescued mouse!

I am up here in California and we could use any of the above. 121 degrees in Los Angeles last week, no rain in sight and no air to breath.

Once again Mexico wins.

Enjoy,
Rick

Babs said...

Oh Rick. I have thought of you and Lily and Lily's mother so many times.
The bad air is so so concerning on top of the fires. I wish you could all
leave and come here, truly.

I am trying to stay positive. There is so much I can't do but staying positive
most of the time is one that I can do.

The kidney stone episode opened my eyes to several things that I need to attend to about where I would go if something really serious happened and I had to return to the USA, plus other things I don't want to think about.

Today I'm swapping out my closets because it is getting nippy in the mornings...so it is time for the "switch out" ritual. DO take care and know that I think of ya'll OFTEN.

Dana Hill said...

Hi Barbara - Books: Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather . The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. The Grammarians by Cathleen Schine (am about to read it, expect to love it). Am currently reading A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende. Don't know yet about violence, although I don't think so. A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman (hard to find, but well worth the effort).

Babs said...

Dana, thanks for the book suggestions. I've read the first one and I love Ann Patchett so I'll get that. The others sound marvelous and will order. The last Isabel Allende book I read was a disappointment so I think I'll wait on that one.

Hope you are surviving the bad air and the fires.
My heart goes out to everyone in California, Oregon and Washington. Since I
have damaged lungs there is no way I could be staying there. I hope everyone
is being very, very careful.

Take care......

Dana Hill said...

We are doing OK in the Bay Area, Barbara. Today is the first day in a week that we've been able to open doors and windows. The air is getting considerably better. That said, we have very little to complain about - those folks whose homes and lives are burning are really the ones.Thanks for your good thoughts for all of us!