MRI, etc.

I got a call yesterday asking if I could come in last night for my MRI so I did. It wasn't too terrible because I took 2 Valium and they gave me headphones so I could listen to relaxing music and they gave me glasses that had mirrors which allowed me to see out the end of the tube. It helped a lot. Now I just have to wait for the results and hope I don't need surgery. If I do I think it's just an outpatient surgery but the recovery time is very long and my arms will have to be in slings for 6 weeks - that's pretty limiting. We're having the missionaries and an investigator and his son for dinner tonight so I've been making cheesy potatoes and a gingerbread pumpkin trifle. If it turns out as good as I hope I'll post the recipe - it's easy.

I talked to Lily's mom and we arranged to have lunch with her and Lily's father a week from Sat. at the Oregon Electric Station (a really cool restaurant with railroad cars you eat in). I've met her and talked to her before but it'll be nice to meet her father and to discuss some things about the wedding. She wants to involve me quite a bit.

I finally registered and got on the new Family Search and did a little combining of records and requesting temple work to be done. I was a little surprised that there was still some work that needed to be done for some ancestors that have already been found.

We had a little scare with Milo. He must have gotten out of the house sometime on Tues. but we didn't know and thought he'd gone back into the garage. Wed. morning we realized he was no where to be found. We looked and looked and called him but couldn't find him anywhere. Finally Don just left the garage door open hoping he'd come back in and eventually he did. He was happy to be home - he must have had a cold night outside.

Don's almost done with his Mayflower model ship. He's waiting for me to sew the sails for him. I'll probably do them tomorrow. It's a very impressive model - I put a picture up when he finishes.

Joshua & Lily

Joshua & Lily

My poor shoulders

Well, I went to the orthopedist today and had some X-rays done. I have calcium deposits and bone spurs on both my shoulders and because I've had them so long and the pain has been going on continually for a year, she's afraid I may have tendon damage so she's ordered an MRI (Yikes, claustrophobic nightmare). If there's tendon damage I'll probably need surgery because physical therapy and cordisone shots could damage the tendons more.

Yesterday Don and I walked out the front door to come face-to-face with a doe eating my potted flowers. This morning there were 3 deer eating my backyard plants. They're hard to shoo away - they just stand there and look at you. I took some pictures, but the light wasn't good so they're not great but I'll try to post them. I also took some pictures today of the beautiful fall foliage in Eugene and also of our new hospital (again, bad lighting-bad picture).

Yesterday was Stake Conference but it was a regional broadcast with Pres. Uchtdorf, Elder Perry and a couple of other general authorities speaking to all the stakes in Oregon. It was very good - 1st time we've had a Stake Conference like that.

I already finished reading "The Last Lecture." It was very good, inspirational and full of wisdom. Very short book but well worth reading, highlighting and re-reading.

Gas has sure gone down - it was $2.51 in Springfield this morning. Hope it stays down but it probably won't. Why hasn't food gone down too?

I'm Cold

It's 65 degrees outside but I'm freezing all the time. This being skinny makes you COLD! I'm not used to this.

I went to my RS Book Club last night and discussed "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer. It was a great book - very thought-provoking. Our book club thinks there are a lot of hidden gospel messages in her books, particularly in the Twilight series. Next month we're reading "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.

Joshua and Lily have set their wedding date - it's Sat. June 20th 2009. Hope lots of family can come, I'm so happy and excited for them. They are good for each other and get along so great.

I just voted. In Oregon everyone votes by mail. Don voted after me and ended up voting different on several of our ballot initiatives, they're so confusing and our ballot information booklet doesn't explain them well at all. I had heard enough about them on the radio that I think I had information about them that he didn't. We should have discussed them together, I guess.

I had some great cookies last night and I can't wait to make them. They're pumpkin-chocolate chip but the recipe is soooo easy. It's just a spice cake mix, a can of pumpkin and a bag of chocolate chips. Yumm!

Enough for now.

Monday Morning

We had a great time at the Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys concert Friday night at The Shedd. We sat with the directors of The Shedd Institute at dinner and learned a lot about how they book the artists and about music in general. I felt a little ignorant because they know everyone in the music industry, most of whom I'd never heard of, but it was interesting and made me want to attend lots more concerts.

Jeremy's car broke down yesterday and we think it's dead. I don't know what he'll do about transportation because he can't afford another car and the rainy season is starting. I worry a lot about him.

Don and I are attending the "Strengthening Marriage" class in Sunday School now and it's been helpful - we're already communicating better and working on issues we've been ignoring for awhile.

We've got a lot of sisters in our ward that are going through some very difficult times and need help and support. I worry about them and it's difficult knowing that I can't always solve all their problems. I've come to love people who are very different from me and whose circumstances, backgrounds and choices are very different from mine. Being Relief Society President has really helped me grow and become more compassionate and understanding.

I bought some Size 0 jeans on Saturday - Wow, that's amazing, and they feel comfortable and look good. My weight has been stable now for about 3 months - I hope I can maintain this weight forever now. So far, it's been easy.

I've started a blog

My first blog posting - how high-tech of me. I thought I was getting pretty internet savvy getting on Facebook, but now my own blog - WOW!

Yesterday was our 3 year anniversary of moving to Eugene. A lot has happened and changed in those 3 years and I see more and more the Lord's hand in guiding us here. When we went back to Napa to visit in August it really didn't seem like home there anymore. Home is here and we love it!

I'll write a little family update first to catch everyone up with what we've been doing.

Well, the Abbott family is a complicated bunch. Joshua is working at Comfort Suites as a front desk clerk (soon to start working graveyard), living in Springfield, going to Lane Community College majoring in Graphic Design and engaged to Lily Kintzley. We love Lily and are so happy Joshua has found such a wonderful young woman to marry. We're excited to have her become part of our family. Jeremy is still working at Arby's, taking a writing course and is doing pretty well. Don is busy trying to finish his latest model ship, The Mayflower; working at the Family History Center; inspecting missionary cars; going out with the missionaries; going fishing with his buddy, Skip; helping another friend, Horace, build model airplanes; and doing Sodoku (he's addicted). I'm still Relief Society President so that keeps me on my toes, lots of opportunities for service. I'm loving my new iPod Touch which I'm kind of obsessed with right now, and I'm also an avid reader - sometimes too avid - I'm trying to balance reading with other activities more. I love birding and gardening and spent lots of time this summer in the garden and watching my birds (mostly our backyard birds are goldfinches, house finches, rufus hummingbirds, pine siskins, flickers, and Stellars and Scrub jays). I love all our Relief Society activities; Dining Out, Book Club and Discovery Group (this summer we went canoeing, hiking and rafting down the Willamette River).

Last month Don and I went camping at Silver Falls State Park near Salem, OR. This was our first camping trip alone and we had a wonderful time. We rented a little rustic cabin in the park which was so cute and we hiked and relaxed. There are 10 waterfalls in the park but we only saw the two biggest - spectacular!

Last Tuesday night Don and I went to a Natalie McMaster concert with some friends who get free tickets and invite us to go with them occasionally. The concerts include a catered dinner before the concert so it's a great evening. The music was Celtic with fiddling, bagpipes, flutes, cello, bass guitar, piano and drums. Natalie also does step-dancing. It was so much fun and we had front row seats. Tonight we were given tickets (again front row seats) to another concert - this time Ralph Stanley who plays bluegrass. We're really looking forward to it.

I was diagnosed with pseudogout recently. I was having severe hip pain that prevented me from walking on my left leg. X-rays showed calcium crystals in my joints (pseudogout). The only treatment for me (because I can't take anti-inflammatories) is a cordisone shot - it did eventually help and the pain is gone now. I've been having a lot of shoulder pain in both shoulders for quite some time so my Dr. referred me to an orthopedist - he thinks I may need surgery, but we'll see. My surgeon is watching the breast lump I found a couple of months ago. He thinks it's nothing but is going to keep an eye on it. Guess I'm getting old, all these health problems, but I'm thankful I've got the weight off so it's not worse - at least most of my back pain is gone now. My weight has stabilized now with my total weight loss at 140 lbs., 117% of my excess weight - I'm thrilled!

Don's daughter, Jennifer, had gastric bypass surgery in August and is doing great. We are so happy with her progress.

Our hearts are very sad about the loss of our little great-nephew Ian Jacob Wood. Our niece, Mandi and her family have been in our thoughts and prayers.

Now I'm going to try to figure out how to post photos. Good luck to me.