tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2730667306814855682024-03-05T23:00:10.111-08:00Betty's RamblingsBetty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.comBlogger406125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-33411137961992103822024-02-17T22:44:00.000-08:002024-02-17T22:44:55.122-08:00February 23, 2023<p>It's been a whole year since we had Gerry's service. Sometimes its hard to realize that he's gone and that I've been by myself for a whole year.</p><p>His service was beautiful. It was held at the Northern Nevada Veterans Cemetery in Fernley, NV. The Northern Nevada Veterans Coalition conducted his service with military honors. They did the firing of rifles, 3 volleys total. They did the folding of the flag that was draped over Gerry's casket and then presented it to me. There were 4 men that did the folding and each one then came to me and offered their condolences. </p><p>Three sons and 3 grandsons escorted the casket to where it was displayed. All 7 of Gerry's children were there along with my daughter and a few other grandchildren. Numerous friends were in attendance.</p><p>I had requested the Northern Nevada Patriot Guard Riders to stand a flag line. I also requested anyone that could from the Capitol Region (Sacramento) PGR join in. There were a few that made the ride up along with a couple of guys from VFW. The NNPGR presented me with a plaque that was inscribed with Gerry's name and a thank you for his military service. I have it hung on the wall to the side of the bathroom door. When I walk out of my bedroom I see it and it is comforting. Gerry served 3 and a half years as an active duty Marine. He would always remind me "once a Marine, always a Marine".</p><p>The day was beautiful, the sun was shining and the temperature was in the 40's with no wind or snow.</p><p>Erik had rented an Airbnb in Fernley where the family gathered. Denise and I went there first and then the family went together to the cemetery. After the service we went back over for some lunch and took some pictures. We didn't stay long, it had been a very emotional time and I was exhausted. Denise and I took our time driving back to Dayton. </p><p>The day I left Nevada to move back to California, Elizabeth drove over to the cemetery so we could visit Gerry's gravesite. The marker I had ordered had been placed at the site and I wanted to see it before I left Nevada. I was pleased with what I had chosen to be inscribed on the marker.</p><p>A hui ho, Honey! I love you! See you later!</p>Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-45882612285452957992024-01-29T18:49:00.000-08:002024-01-29T18:49:02.446-08:00Gerald Howard Townsend (Gerry)<p> January 29, 2023</p><p>It was a usual Sunday morning. Gerry got up to get ready for church. I was in my sewing room. He came in to my sewing room to tell me he was going to church. It was probably around 9:30 am. He had not been talking to me, we had had some words a few days before so he had been texting me when he was going to leave the house. This morning was different. I turned around from my computer and said ok. He looked at me for a few minutes then left. I sat at my computer for a couple of hours and then decided I should probably get my shower because he would be home before too long. As I got up from the computer, the house phone rang. When I answered it there was no one there. Then my cell phone rang and again no one was there when I answered. This happened a couple of times and I started to get irritated. I got up to walk back to the bedroom and my cell phone rang again. I saw that it was a friend from church. When I answered, she sounded like she was in a panic. She told me that an ambulance was taking Gerry to the hospital, he had collapsed and the EMT's thought he had either had a stroke or heart attack. She kept telling me "but he was talking". I became hysterical. She told me she would come get me and take me to the hospital.</p><p>In total panic mode I called our neighbor, Virgil, and said "please come, Gerry was being taken to the hospital". He came right over and sobbing I told him what Tracy had told me. He told me to go get dressed and he would wait for Tracy. Tracy was there in a few minutes, helped me get dressed and then got me in her car. We gave Virgil instructions to call Erik (son) and Denise (daughter). Erik was to call everyone and let them know.</p><p>It was snowing and so we couldn't drive very fast. Gerry had been taken to Carson Tahoe Hospital in Carson City. We lived in Dayton, about 15 miles or so from the hospital. I had stopped crying, yet I do believe I was in shock. Barbie, another friend from church, had been with Gerry. She called Tracy and said she'd meet us at the hospital. We went to Emergency when we got to the hospital. I waited in the car while Tracy went to see what was going on. She came back to tell me that they wouldn't give her any information. After talking about what to do, she decided that she was going to take me back home and wait there. She stopped and got me lunch first. Leaving the place she had gone, my phone rang. It was the doctor who was attending to Gerry. He wanted to know where I was. When I told him, he said I needed to get back to the hospital right away. He asked him about life support for Gerry and I said no. Gerry had a DNR. I told him I wanted to see my husband so he wanted to know if I wanted them to make him as comfortable as possible. I said yes.</p><p>When Tracy and I got back to the hospital, the doctor had a staff person waiting for me at the front entrance. She escorted me through security and then to where the doctor would meet me. He was there within a few minutes and explained to me what was going on. He told me he would tell me exactly what had happened which I appreciated. Gerry had had a massive heart attack. His heart was critically damaged and had been like that for a long time. Gerry had been combative when he got to the ER so they intubated him in order to work on him. They had opened him up to try and stimulate the heart, however it was not working. Massive doses of different medications were given to him, they weren't working. The doctor told me that there were just a few more minutes left before he was gone. So I was taken upstairs to see him. When I got up there, the doctor came out to speak to me again and said we maybe had 20 minutes or so. He asked again if I wanted to see Gerry. I, of course, said yes and started sobbing again. I managed to gather myself together and I was taken in to see Gerry. My heart broke when I saw him. It was like all of it was not happening. He was unconscious and had the ventilator tube in his mouth. He was also hooked up to a heart monitor so the nurses at the nursing station could watch him. I started talking to him. The nurses told me he probably could hear me, however he didn't have his hearing aids in so he couldn't have heard what I was saying to him. I told him how much I loved him, that I was sorry, not to worry about me, I'd be okay. I held his hand and kissed him on the forehead. I think Tracy took a couple of pictures of him with my phone so I would have a last picture. I haven't shared them, I want them just for me.</p><p>A doctor came in to listen to his heart and at 3:07 pm, he was pronounced. I had asked if he was gone and was told yes. I had been holding his hand and I felt him "change". It was a strange feeling. I kissed him one last time and my kiss left an impression on his forehead. The nurses came in to remove the tube and the other equipment. I didn't want to see that so I said "see you soon" and "I love you" one last time and walked out of the room. I had about 20 minutes with him.</p><p>Tracy then brought me home and stayed for a little bit. Virgil came over to tell me about the phone calls he had made and stayed with me for a while. Thinking back, I think I was in shock. It did seem like I was in a fog and was like that for several months.</p><p>I regret that we had had a disagreement...that there were no last "I love you's", "no see you later", "I'll be back", "no what do want for lunch" and so much more. If I've learned anything from all the years we were together, it was that Gerry did things his way. Considering what the doctor told me about the condition of his heart, I have no doubt he was in a lot of pain. Maybe he knew that that particular Sunday was when he would lose the battle. People that were at church that Sunday told me that he went around talking to different ones as if he was saying goodbye. Several told me he was refusing to go to the hospital because he needed to get home to take care of his wife. As I've thought about that Sunday morning, I am so relieved he wasn't on his motorcycle somewhere or driving on the highway. It is 10 miles from our house to the church on Highway 50.</p><p>Gerry wasn't perfect, no one is...he was perfect for me. In the early days I focused so much on all the troublesome things about him, about our relationship, about how often he had broken my heart, about the times I wanted to end our marriage. The time came when I realized I had also played a big part in the problems we had yet we hung in there. I have no doubt he had some of the same thoughts. I never felt like God was telling me it was okay to walk away. And so even though there was a lot of "ugly" in our marriage, we loved each other unconditionally. He had so many great qualities...he loved to tease, he had a servant's heart, his laugh could be heard readily in a room full of people, he loved correcting me especially when I posted something on FB that he didn't feel was accurate, he loved his kids/grandkids, great grandkids, his extended family. The one thing that stood out about him was that he loved the Lord.</p><p>And so it is January 29, 2024...a full year that he hasn't been with me. For the most part, I do okay. The nights are difficult. I stay up until I just can't and then I lay in bed wide awake. By the time I do fall asleep, it is time to get up. One of my sister-in-laws told me to have a celebration of him by myself...to get a cake for myself and spend some time thinking about our life together. I may think about doing that. I think about him every day and think about the things we did together, places we went to and it helps.</p><p>All of this has made me draw closer to the Lord. I am in the Word on a daily basis. I started listening to the teachings of Gary Hamrick from Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, VA. It is a Calvary Chapel fellowship. I enjoy listening to him and his teachings have been so helpful. I finished his teachings on James today. </p><p>I sense God's presence with me. I know that I couldn't do this on my own strength.</p><p>There are so many family members and friends who have walked beside me also, praying for me and encouraging me. I am so humbled by all the love shown to me.</p>Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-73170986211468880002021-05-07T17:09:00.000-07:002021-05-07T17:09:58.307-07:00Mother's Day, 2021 - The Women in My Family<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">On Sunday, May 9, 2021, Mother's Day will be celebrated.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I got to thinking about the women in my family, the mothers...and I wanted to acknowledge them this year.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Starting in the <b>Chung-Hoon</b> Family:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Mary Kuamo'o</b>, my great grandmother. She was born in 1800 and died in 1896. She married Chung-Hoon, my great grandfather, who arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in 1850 from China. She was the mother of my grandfather, William Chung-Hoon, Sr.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Alo K. Akina</b>, my grandmother. She was born in 1874 and died in 1935. She married my grandfather, William Chung-Hoon, Sr. She was mother to 3 daughters and 2 sons, one of them being my father.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Harriet Maiakaala</b>, my great grandmother and mother of Alo K. Akina, my grandmother. She was born in 1856 and died in 1893. She married Goo Tuck Ching Akina who also arrived in the Hawaiian Islands from China. She was mother to 6 children.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Hulihe'e</b> Family:</span></p><p><b style="font-size: large;">Bernice Kealoha Hulihe'e Chung-Hoon, </b><span style="font-size: large;">my mother. She was born in 1914 and died in 2002. She married my father, Ernest Ha'akua Chung-Hoon. She was mother to 6 children, I am her 3rd child.</span></p><p><b style="font-size: large;">Kaliko Chun Tai Ah Tai, </b><span style="font-size: large;">my great grandmother. She was born in 1866 and died in 1923. She was married to Poyga Kuapalulu Hulihe'e, my great grandfather. She was mother to 4 children including my grandfather, David Hinai Hulihe'e.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Kalei Kauho'okahi Lolo</b>, my 2nd great grandmother. She was born in 1823 and died in 1900. She was married to Kupapaulu Hulihe'e. They were the parents of Poyga Kuapalulu Hulihe'e. She was mother to 8 children.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Napia</b>, my 3rd great grandmother. She was the mother of Kalei Kauho'okahi Lolo.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Rubina Ake</b>, my 4th great grandmother. She died in 1899. She was the mother of Napia.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Camara </b>Family:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Evangeline Camara Hulihe'e</b> aka Angeline Jacinth, my grandmother. She was born in 1896 and died in 1990. She was married to David Hinai Hulihe'e, my grandfather. She was mother to 6 children, my mother being the oldest.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Maria Moniz</b>, my great grandmother. She was born in Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal and died in Kealia, Kaua'i, KOH. She was married to August Jacinth Camara. She was mother to 8 children.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Gertrude deJesus Sousa</b>, my 2nd great grandmother. She was born in 1852 and died in 1938. She was married to Manuel Moniz of Sao Miguel, Azores, Portugal. They traveled to the Hawaiian Islands in the 1880's with two children. Ten more children were born on the island of Kaua'i.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">To complete the picture, I, <b>Violet-Elizabeth Chung-Hoon Townsend</b>, born 1942, am mother to <b>Denise Noelani Bledsoe Lane, </b>born 1969. Denise's daughter is <b>Rebekah-Elizabeth Noelani Lane Cross,</b> born 1993. Rebekah's daughter is <b>Esther Hope Cross</b>, born 2018.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A heartfelt Thank You to those mothers of my family who came before me. Happy Mother's Day to my daughter and granddaughter...and someday my great granddaughter will follow.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-20266114017469100692021-01-14T22:33:00.002-08:002021-01-14T22:34:33.330-08:00Leaving Home --- The First Year<p><br /></p><p>On January 13, 1962, at 11:55 pm, I boarded a World Airways airplane at Honolulu International Airport. The flight would take me to Oakland, CA where I would meet my new husband. It was the beginning of married life for me to a young Marine.</p><p>It would be a very long 13 hour flight landing in Oakland at 1:30 pm the afternoon of January 14, 1962. Because it was January, everything looked so dreary. I immediately wanted to go back home. The only good thing was that John was at the bottom of the steps waiting for me.</p><p>My mother had made me a new outfit to travel in...a beautiful powder blue wool dress with a powder blue coat made out of velour fabric. My grandmother had given me money with instructions to go to Liberty House and purchase a pair of black patent leather pumps, a black hat, black purse and gloves. It was a beautiful outfit, yet I had been so uncomfortable while on the plane and having to sit for hours. Smoking was allowed on the plane during those days and I was absolutely miserable from the smoke.</p><p>Grandma had also sent a bouquet of red anthuriums to deliver to her sister, Ida, that lived in Oakland. John had a couple of uncles that lived in Castro Valley and he had borrowed the car of the uncle I would be staying with. So after finding a pay phone to call Aunty Ida and getting directions, we drove over to her house. Most of her family gathered at her house for Sunday dinner and so I got to meet family members I didn't know. I had met Aunty Ida once when I was a young girl. We visited for a little bit then drove over to John's Uncle Charles's place. Charles and his wife Alice lived in an apartment over a dry cleaners. It was just a 1 bedroom apartment and not very big. Charles and Alice were just a little bit older than John and I. John was 20 and I was 19.</p><p>My first dinner in California was tacos. I had never had them and wasn't too sure what they were. It took one bite to decide I didn't like them. Alice had put some hot spice in the meat and I could not eat them. I had never had ice tea either. I drank lots of it that night to cover the burning of my mouth. I decided then I did not like Mexican food and I still don't like it although I probably eat more of it these days. I even will fix tacos once in awhile.</p><p>Mom had lots of relatives in the Bay Area. There was one cousin who lived in Hayward, Julius and Mary Alfaro. Julius's mother was my grandmother's younger sister. I had met them when they traveled to the islands on a vacation. Mom wanted me to visit them, which we did do the 2nd Sunday I was in California. We had a lovely visit. Mary asked me what I would be doing with myself while John had to be in Oakland. I told her I didn't know. So she told me she would come over and pick me after she dropped her children off at school and I could spend the day with her. I was so relieved when she told me that. The first week I had been at John's uncles was absolutely miserable. He was laid off from his job so he was home during the day. They lived on the main street through Castro Valley where a lot of businesses were located. I went for a lot of walks that first week so I wouldn't be in the apartment all day. Alice was going to beauty school so she was gone all day. She would be so irritated when she came in at night and I was very uncomfortable being there. </p><p>It was great being with Mary during the day. She taught me how to cook a few dishes and taught me things like how to set a table, table manners and lots of other fun things. Her Italian neighbor Anna would come over sometimes and loved visiting with her. One morning when Mary came to get me she walked up to the apartment and knocked on the door. Usually she would pull into the back parking lot and honk and I would walk down to her car. When I answered the door, she told me "get your things, you are going home with me". She told me that she was not happy with me being there with Charles alone, so she was taking me home. John found out where I was when he got his weekend leave and hitch hiked to Castro Valley. Charles told him where I was. He actually was relieved Mary had come for me.</p><p>I was so homesick. I missed my Dad most of all. And I missed the type of food we ate at home. I was not too much into "haole" food. 😀 It was such a huge adjustment, being so young and immature did not help much. But it was my new life, I agreed to marry someone who would take me away from all that was familiar to me and I had to learn to adjust to my new life with all the unknowns.</p><p>I would be at Mary's until John was released from the Naval hospital. He had a medical condition while he was stationed in Hawai'i and was sent to the Naval Hospital in Oakland for treatment. He reported in to Treasure Island for a few days while he awaited his orders to his new duty station. His orders were to Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA (north San Diego County). He had to report in at 1600 (4:00 pm) on a Wednesday (don't remember the date, it was early March) and so we packed up our few belongings, loaded them into a Chrysler car that we bought for $150 and left about 8:00 pm on a Tuesday night to drive to Oceanside. We drove down Highway 101, through San Francisco and down the coast. Soon after leaving the Bay Area we hit very thick fog and just had to creep along not really being able to see the roadway very well. By the time we got close to Los Angeles it was early morning so the driving became easier. </p><p>We arrived in Oceanside about noon on the Wednesday and immediately bought a newspaper so we could find an apartment. The first apartment we looked at was across from the beach and the Pacific Ocean. It was a studio apartment for $50/month, with a deposit of $50. We had about $100 and so we were able to convince the land lady to waive the deposit. The apartment was upstairs in the main building. This property had been a motel that was turned into apartments. It was a large complex and most of the tenants were military. We were able to move right in. We had two rooms, one being the living room/bedroom...it had a sofa bed...and the other room was the kitchen. There was a bathroom between our studio and the one next door and we had to share the bathroom. I wasn't sure I was going to like that, however it turned out to work rather well. Our neighbors were a great couple.</p><p>There was a window in the kitchen that looked out to the street and the ocean. One day I was standing there looking out and asked John if I looked hard enough, did he think I could see Hawai'i. He laughed and said to look all I wanted.</p><p>Our neighbor on the other side of us had a lot of people coming and going. We would discover that she was a "lady of the night" and it was young Marines coming to visit. </p><p>John had 13 months to do until he was discharged from active duty. That year we spent in Oceanside was fantastic. We lived in the studio for a few months then moved into a 1 bedroom across the hall. John's buddy from Hawai'i had been transferred to Camp Pendleton and he spent a lot of time with us. He wanted to get out of the barracks so we rented the bigger apartment so he could share it with us. John had put in for housing on base so we were in the 1 bedroom just for a couple of months. We were able to get a trailer on base for $42 a month. It was the size of a small travel trailer but it worked for us. Brent would sleep over once in a while, sleeping on the couch in the living room.</p><p>After we had been there for a few months, John got orders to go to Mau'i TDY with another guy. We packed me up and I went to stay with one of my sisters in Simi Valley, north of Los Angeles. I was going to be there for a month, had to sell our car and then go home while John was on Maui. I was able to go home, however soon as I got there, he told me he had orders to return to Camp Pendleton. I had to stay at home for a month before I could return to California. I spent Thanksgiving with my family that year and our 1st anniversary apart.</p><p>Unfortunately that marriage would end in October 1971. There were too many strikes against us to make it work. Our only child was born in November 1969. He left when she was 10 months old and it took a year for the divorce to be final because we got back together for a few months.</p><p>In our Bible Study at church we are studying 12 women of the Bible. Yesterday we talked about Mary, the mother of Jesus. The theme of her story was her courage. She was a young girl, a virgin, when she was visited by the angel Gabriel, with the message that she would bear a child. She showed such courage...being willing to accept what the message meant for her. Since yesterday was the anniversary of my coming to a new place, I thought of the courage it took for me to walk onto that airplane and go to a new place, begin a new life that I was so unprepared for. I've also thought of the courage it took to live out the days of being alone with a very young child to raise. It was a huge struggle and there were times when I thought I couldn't do it, yet I kept on going. That took courage.</p><p>A constant in my entire life has been that I know I have someone who has always been with me, guiding me a long the way, holding my hand, surrounding me with gentle arms and huge amounts of love...that someone being my Lord and Savior, Jesus.</p>Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-48535215316923116142020-07-04T13:36:00.001-07:002020-07-04T13:36:37.405-07:00What is Lymphedema?According to the Mayo Clinic Lymphedema is blockage in the Lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system. Lymph fluid is prevented from draining causing a buildup which then leads to swelling in extremities. Arms and or legs are affected, it can be one arm, one leg or both.<br />
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So why am I mentioning this??? Well, here's what is going on with me...<br />
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Last July 2019 I noticed my left leg, foot and ankle was swollen. Usually during the summer I will experience swelling and it will go away as the weather cools. That was not the case last summer. I mentioned it to the doctor I had at the time. He did not seem too concerned about it. A couple of months later that doctor left Renown and I had to find another primary care provider. I was referred to a nurse practitioner who referred me to have an ultrasound done on the left leg and to an orthopedic surgeon. The ultrasound showed that I had a benign cyst back of my left leg, nothing to be concerned about. The orthopedic surgeon had no clue as to what was wrong. He wanted to get approval for an expensive cortisone shot to alleviate the swelling. He also suggested compression socks. I declined the cortisone shot, however did purchase compression socks. <br />
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Then for Thanksgiving we traveled to Colorado to join son Erik and his family. I wore a compression sock on my left leg and it seemed to help. A few weeks after getting back from our Colorado trip, I noticed swelling in my right foot, ankle and leg, and with it intense pain. There was a tightness in my left pain, however not much pain. The pain in my right leg was unbearable the majority of the time. The only time there wasn't pain was while I was sleeping and elevating my legs. I didn't contact my PC provider and should have.<br />
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At the end of 2019, my health insurance provider terminated all clients who lived in rural counties. We live in Lyon County which is a rural county so I lost my coverage. That meant I had to find other insurance coverage. I could have used just Medicare but I didn't really want to do that. In February 2020 I enrolled with Prominence Health System which is a Medicare Advantage Plan. Senior Care Plus that I had was also a Medicare Advantage Plan as was the Kaiser Plan I had when we lived in Sacramento. Enrolling with Prominence meant that I had to start from my beginning with my health care. The PC provider I was referred to then referred me to a Cardiologist and a Nephrology (Kidney) Specialist. These doctors addressed the issue of the leg edema. After another Ultrasound prescribed by the Cardiologist, it was determined that the edema was not heart related, there were no blood clots. He referred me to a Vascular Surgeon who also ordered an Ultrasound. He determined that it was not vascular, no problems with my veins and circulation. The Kidney doctor also determined that the edema was not kidney related although I do have kidney damage, due in part to having diabetes. That's a whole different story.<br />
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One of the things that the Vascular Surgeon mentioned was unclassified Lymphedema. The PC doctor and Kidney doctor agreed with that determination. It is a relief to know that was is going on has a name and it is a health concern.<br />
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Unfortunately there is no cure for Lymphedema. There are, however, exercises, massages, treatments that can be done to alleviate some of the pain and encourage the draining of the built up fluid. I saw my PC doctor on Thursday...she contacted Home Health through Prominence, they are to contact me this next week and provide me with compression wraps to use on my legs. Also she will research a place that will perform massages especially related to lymphedema. I found a therapist on You Tube that had suggestions for exercises to do, they are very simple and I think I can do them. Actually I've found all kinds of information on You Tube which has been helpful.<br />
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My pain level can be really intense and it can be to where I hardly feel it. My emotional levels are all over the place also. Sometimes I have a hard time taking care of my basic needs. I will go back to bed to rest sometimes after I've had my breakfast. My energy level can be very low. If I have an appointment or need to go somewhere, it has to be in the morning hours. If I wait until the afternoon to do anything, I might as well forget it. The swelling gets worse as the day progresses. Driving into Carson City and then back home wears me out. I am completely exhausted by the time I get home. Elevating my legs helps somewhat. No road trips for me. I've been wanting to go to Sacramento, that's not going to happen. I have driven to Reno although not since the lockdown. I was able to do it although was wiped out when I got back to Dayton.<br />
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I've read some about essential oils, in particular Ginger Oil is suppose to help with swelling. I did get some from Amazon, I'm not sure it helps much. Denise gave me the link for the company she uses, I haven't looked at their website very extensively yet.<br />
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I try to put on a "happy" face when I'm away from home, although I don't always feel happy. Sometimes it is hard to be upbeat when you are hurting so bad. I'm asked "how are you doing" and my answer lately is "I'm hanging in there". I'm glad that we can now go to church, it is something to look forward to each week.Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-28544496191323991242020-06-05T22:00:00.001-07:002020-06-05T22:00:46.504-07:00Family HistoryI've been working on my Family History for the last couple of weeks and have made some interesting discoveries. Actually I've done some research off and on over the years. Just decided to get serious and see how far I can go.<br />
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There are 4 family names in my family and have some research on all of them. Chung-Hoon is, of course, my father's father. Akina is his mother. Hulihe'e is my mother's father and Camara is my mother's mother.<br />
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I have done research on all of these families and have a bit of information on all of them. Special finds have been information on my great grandfather Chung-Hoon and the name of the Hawaiian woman he married, my great grandmother. Finding the names of my Chung-Hoon grandmother's parents and her siblings. Also the names of my Portuguese great, great grandparents, Manuel Moniz and Gertrude de Jesus Sousa, whose daughter Maria married August Jacinth Camara, Grandma Hulihe'e's parents.<br />
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I've written about Gordon Chung-Hoon on my Facebook page. He was quite the football star when he was at the Naval Academy. His brother, Edwin, was a medical doctor who did some extensive research finding a cure for Hansen's disease. William Chung-Hoon, Jr (Dad's brother) was the City and County Treasurer of Honolulu. He held that position until his death. Cousin Gordon also ran for public office. Grandma Chung-Hoon had two brothers that held public office, one of them was a senator.<br />
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I've been using several different web sites to look for information...Family Search which is the Mormon Church's site; My Heritage that I used to do my DNA for my 75th birthday; Archives, Find a Grave and Ancestry. I did a free trial subscription with Newspapers.com which I cancelled. I will continue to use Family Search and Ancestry; I've found the most information on those sites.<br />
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I love searching, digging, seeing what I can find on different family members. I'm hoping to put together a record for Denise.<br />
<br />Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-70012709967211353172020-05-09T12:35:00.000-07:002020-05-09T12:35:35.920-07:00My Mother's StoryMother's Day 2020<br />
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I've been thinking about my Mom a lot the last few days. So I thought I would share her story, as much as I know.<br />
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Bernice Kealoha Hulihe'e Chung-Hoon was born on August 8, 1914 and died on April 20, 2002. She was the first born of David Hinae Hulihe'e and Evangeline Camara Hulihe'e. Her siblings: Edwin Hulihe'e, Elizabeth Mokihana Hulihe'e Buinac, Agnes Hulihe'e Wilson, Bernard Hulihe'e and Ralph Hulihe'e, all of whom are deceased.<br />
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She was born in Eleele, Kaua'i and raised in Hanapepe, Kaua'i. Her father worked for one of the sugar mill plantations and her mother was a domestic and seamstress. She moved to Oahu to finish her high school education and graduated from either McKinley High School or Farrington High School in Honolulu. She was an accomplished seamstress. She would tell stories of being 10 years old, taking a part the clothing of her siblings and then putting them back together, teaching herself to sew.<br />
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She met Ernest Chung-Hoon sometime in the late 30's. She was mother to 6 children, Edwin Ernest (1938), Puanani Rowena (1939), Violet-Elizabeth (1942), Ernestine Kealoha (1943), Agnes Naomi Piilani (1948) and Samuel (1950). There are grandchildren and great grandchildren.<br />
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In January 1949 she started attending the Kaimuki Church of the Nazarene in Honolulu, HI along with her husband and children. Pastor Reuben Welch led her to the Lord soon after. She loved the Lord and it was evident in her life. She became very involved in the ministries of the local church and served as Missionary President and Sunday School teacher of the Adult Sunday School class for many years. She was very well known and loved on the Hawai'i Nazarene District.<br />
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When I think about my Mom and the legacy she left, it is about the beautiful creations she made using her faithful Viking sewing machine and her love for the Lord. She read her Bible faithfully and could readily quote scripture. She loved her family unconditionally and spent much time in prayer for all of them. Her heart ached for some and for the lifestyles they chose, yet she continued to love them.<br />
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We spoke often on the phone and had some wonderful conversations. I still especially miss the birthday phone calls. She always called me on the day before my birthday. I would say "Mom, my birthday isn't until tomorrow". She would say "oh, what do I know...it was too dark". I was born 7 months after Pearl Harbor and it was black out time. I was born at a midwife's home in Kalihi and she would tell me that there was a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling with a black cover around it and the windows were covered in black. I was born right after midnight.<br />
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When I called our first pastor, Reuben Welch, to tell him Mom had passed away, he told me she was like a sponge soaking everything in about the Lord and he was certain she was sitting at the feet of Jesus getting answers to all her many questions. I'd like to think that is true.<br />
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Mother's Day is difficult for me yet I am so thankful for the Mother I had. Life was not easy for her yet she did the best she could to make sure her children were fed and their basic needs were taken care of. At times, our relationship was difficult and we actually went for several years of not speaking. Yet in her last years, I knew for certain that she loved me, prayed for me and wanted me to be happy...most of all she wanted me to continue to serve the Lord, which I do.<br />
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And so tomorrow, Mother's Day 2020, I will once honor the woman who gave me life and in my heart thank her for everything she gave me, taught me and most of all, loved me. Happy Mother's Day, Mom...I love you so very much and looking forward to seeing you again.Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-36489679914430387942019-01-01T11:01:00.001-08:002019-01-01T11:01:19.265-08:00Happy New Year!!<br />
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It has been over 4 years since I last posted in my Blog. Wow!! I've been thinking a lot about my blog in recent days and decided I need to get back to it. I enjoyed blogging and don't know exactly why I stopped. I think "life" got too busy. I've had good intentions, just couldn't find the time to sit at the computer and do it.<br />
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A lot has happened in our family in the last 4 years and so there is a lot of catching up to do.<br />
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Trust you all are well and looking forward to what the new year has in store for you.<br />
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Many blessings to all of you...I will be back.<br />
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Much Love,<br />
BettyBetty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-50266070488433690432014-11-17T19:43:00.000-08:002014-11-17T19:45:06.181-08:00A Trip to Reno and News of Another Death in Extended FamilyGerry and I took a little trip to Reno last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Our 34th anniversary was November 1st...going to Reno was a belated anniversary trip. We actually did do something on our anniversary. <br />
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A few weeks ago he sent me a link regarding a craft fair that was being held in Reno. Since he knows how much I enjoy going to craft fairs, we decided we would go up for it. The fair was not as large as I thought it would be, it was still enjoyable.<br />
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After we left the fair, we decided to drive up to Virginia City. Gerry thought we hadn't been there, however we had been, it had been several years ago. The drive up the mountain was gorgeous. I took pictures with my iphone, however I'm not sure how to save them to my computer so I can share. The weather was beautiful. We had lunch at a little BBQ place...pulled pork sandwiches with cole slaw on top of the pork. It was YUM...the buns are made by the restaurant and were awesome too...and huge!<br />
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It started to get cold so we stopped at the car to get our jackets and walked a little further. There were more shops to see...I was getting tired so Gerry went and got the car. We drove around the town a little before leaving...taking the highway that goes to Carson City. Virginia City sits on the side of the mountain so it was another gorgeous drive down to Carson City. From there we got back on Hwy 395 and headed back to Reno. The mountains look so different in Nevada than they do in California. The trees are sparse and are mostly covered with sagebrush. <br />
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When we got back into Reno Gerry asked if I wanted to go to Scheels which is a huge outdoors store. He walked around looking at stuff that interested him and I looked at ladies clothing. Saw several things I really liked, however, too expensive for my pocketbook. Gerry did buy me a fleece vest, something I've been wanting. It was getting close to dinner time so we decided to get a sandwich from the café there and go back to the hotel to eat. It had gotten quite cold by then.<br />
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We stayed at Harrah's, our room was on the 14th floor. After we ate, we walked over to Starbucks which is in the West Tower, our room was in the East Tower. Harrah's charges $11 per day, per device for internet. I wanted to check my emails.<br />
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Harrah's is an old hotel...the rooms are comfortable, however kind of outdated. We didn't eat at any of the restaurants in the hotel since we prefer the kind of places where the locals might go. We went to a BBQ place Thursday night and breakfast Friday and Saturday were at a couple of neat places...food was excellent at both places.<br />
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After going to two quilt shops and stopping again at Cabela's, we headed home Saturday morning. We had stopped at Cabela's on the way up. It is another outdoors store.<br />
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I didn't check my phone before we left Reno. When we got home, I discovered that I had a Facebook message from Jim Alfaro telling me his father, Julius had passed away that morning. Julius and my mother were 1st cousins...their mothers being sisters (Aunty Jane, Julius's mother and my grandmother). I was so sad to read his message.<br />
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When I first came to California, January 1962, I stayed with Julius and Mary (his wife). I, was of course, married to John Bledsoe then. I first stayed with his uncle. I had met Julius and Mary when they stopped in Honolulu, years earlier, on their way to Kaua'i. I contacted them after I arrived and Mary would come and get me during the day and take me to their house. John was at Oakland Naval Hospital during the day and would get leave to come to Castro Valley. Julius and Mary lived in Hayward with their kids. Mary decided she didn't like me being there by myself with John's uncle so we gathered up our belongings and I went to stay with them. Their daughter, Yvonne was just a few years younger than I and the boys were quite a bit younger...Jerry and Bill. Jim is their younger son. John would come when he could get leave. Mary taught me quite a few things to cook which was so helpful. She even gave me some things for when we were able to get settled. John was released from Oakknoll and stationed at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside. We left in March of 1962 to go south. <br />
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Julius was also very helpful to John. We would drive north whenever we could to visit. We've lost touch over the years...pretty sad since Gerry and I don't live that far from them. <br />
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Julius had cancer and died peacefully in his sleep. There will be a small service so we will drive over to be with the family. Jim and I connected on Facebook...for which I am so thankful. I probably would not have found out about Julius.<br />
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This is the 3rd family passing since July...my sister Marie in June, her son Michael Alan last month (both on the Chung-Hoon family side) and now Julius (on the Camara family side, my grandmother's family). Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-47713347965565062192014-11-11T21:39:00.000-08:002014-11-11T21:39:04.632-08:00Denise NoelaniToday is Denise's 45th birthday. She was born on November 11, 1969 at Tri-City Hospital in Oceanside, CA.<br />
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I have been thinking a lot of that weekend leading up to her birth. There was a lot going on leading up to hearing the words "you are pregnant"...surgery, fertility tests and finally fertility drugs. I was the first patient in North San Diego County to take the fertility drug "Clomid". It was thought to cause multiple births. I took 5 days worth of the pills and went to see my doctor for a urine test. It came back negative. I was going to do another 5 days only taking 2 pills at a time. Before I started that, my doctor wanted another urine test done. That one came back positive. I had gone through so much, I didn't believe the news, at first. It slowly became a reality and I was so excited.<br />
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As an extra precaution, my doctor wanted to administer hormone shots to insure I would not have a miscarriage. So once a month I went in for my shot...my doctor visits were every 2 weeks. Towards the end of the pregnancy, I had the shots more often...sometimes having 2 at the same time because my backside had been pricked so many times, the serum would run out.<br />
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At about 6 months I was put on complete bed rest. I was at a friend's house and passed out. She called my doctor who told her what to do to bring me back. She drove me home and the next day I went in to see my doctor. Due to my short stature, as the baby grew, she would get her feet up underneath my breastbone cutting off my oxygen. <br />
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My due date was November 6th. Denise's dad wanted a Marine Corp birthday baby, November 10th. I, on the hand, was determined to have my baby on Tuesday which was November 11th. I was born on a Tuesday. He was convinced I was having a boy...I had been praying for a girl with light skin, red hair and blue eyes...and I got a girl with light skin, red hair and blue eyes. Actually her hair was a dark brown with blond streaks through it. Her daddy is a blond with blue eyes. When the nurses brought her to me for the first time, I asked the nurses what happened to her hair. They told me that is how her hair was when she was born. It looked like someone had taken a tiny paint brush and painted the streaks in her hair...it was beautiful and she had a lot of hair.<br />
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I started having low back pains on Sunday, the 9th. About 10pm or so, we went down to emergency to be checked. My contractions were about 5 minutes apart. They were going to send me home, however decided to admit. I heard the nurses talking among themselves after being taken to a room, saying "she looks like she is frightened so let's just keep her...there's no one up here anyway". One of the nurses sat with me off and on through the night. TriCity, at the time, was a very small hospital. Monday morning, the contractions completely stopped. After my doctor came in to see me, it was decided that they would induce labor that afternoon if my contractions didn't start up again. So after lunch, the fun began...it would be a long rest of the day. My doctor came in that night and decided to do a C-section. He had told me if the baby was more than 7 lbs, a C-section would probably have to be done.<br />
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Finally at 2:47am, Tuesday morning, November 11th, my sweet girl made her entrance. When my doctor said "Betty, it's a girl" I started crying...I was awake during the whole procedure...everyone got nervous...they were happy tears and God had answered my prayers. When I had been praying I told God I would give her back to Him if my prayers were answered. And that is what I did...she belonged to God...I've gotten to have her for a little while. Denise weighed 7 lbs, 6 ozs and was 19 inches long.<br />
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And so her 45th birthday has occurred on a Tuesday...Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-53790995028170679432014-11-08T20:27:00.001-08:002014-11-08T20:27:45.875-08:00More Family SadnessMy last post on June 6, 2014, I shared that my oldest sister, Marie, passed away. Last week I received news that her youngest son passed away.<br />
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Nephew, Michael Alan had celebrated his 60th birthday early October. He lived alone, had never married. His co-workers discovered his body. During his growing up years he was affectionately known as "Tubby". <br />
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I spoke with Ernie, my younger sister, today. His service was yesterday in Honolulu. All of his siblings were there except for a brother and sister. Ernie shared some things about him that I found interesting...the last time I saw him was in the mid '60's when they lived in El Paso, TX. I remembered him as a very happy, lots of fun little boy. He always had a smile on his face.<br />
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He was very active in the Rotary there in Honolulu and worked with computers. He had for many years taught cooking classes to the homeless. He taught them at the Episcopal church where his service was held.<br />
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After the burial service, family was invited to the home of some of their dad's relatives for dinner. Ernie, her husband and son were the only ones there from our side of the family. She related how nice it was to meet some of our brother-in-law's family.<br />
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You don't expect to hear of the passing of a niece, nephew, or other family member younger than yourself...so hearing the news of Tubby's passing was disturbing...especially so soon after his mother's passing. Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-8747655470550126902014-06-06T17:59:00.000-07:002014-06-06T18:03:21.523-07:00Family SadnessThis is a sad day in our family...<br />
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My older sister, Marie, passed away in her sleep...sometime during the night or this morning. I don't know the particulars...two of her daughters lived with her so I imagine the discovery was made this morning.<br />
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Marie was 91 years of age. She lived on Hawai'i island or the Big Island as it is commonly known. She is survived by her 8 living children: George of Texas, Marvid (Mahealani) of Washington, Dayna of Hawai'i, Mary Beth (Mapuana) of Hawai'i, Steven of Texas, Michael Alan of O'ahu, Amy of California and Loralee of Louisiana. Her daughter, Lois, was killed in an auto accident in 1976...also numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren survive her.<br />
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Marie was the oldest of the girls in my family. Brother Ernest and sisters Harriet, Ethelwynne and Viola preceded her in death. Also surviving are brothers: Edmund-Paul (Paul) of Hawai'i, Edwin (Eddie) of O'ahu and Samuel (Sam) of Florida; sisters: Puanani (Nani) of O'ahu, Violet-Elizabeth (Betty) of California, Ernestine (Ernie) of O'ahu and Agnes Naomi of Utah...also numerous nephews and nieces...<br />
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Marie survived bouts with cancer, however her health had been declining in recent years and had two hospital stays in the last couple of weeks. She was sent home a few days ago and was under hospice care. Most of her children had been with her for the last few days including a granddaughter from New York. Maile was the daughter of Lois who died in the auto accident. So I would think they will be returning for Marie's services.<br />
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I will not be able to go, however my sister Ernie told me she and her husband would probably go to the service...so she will be there for me.<br />
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Marie and I were not close, in fact it has been many years since I saw her last, yet it still hurts when a family member passes, especially a sibling. I have some fond memories of times spent with her and her family during my growing up years. I also remember a trip that my former husband, John, and I made back to Arkansas to visit his family. Marie and her family lived in El Paso, TX at the time. Her former husband, David was in the Army stationed at Ft Bliss. I believe he was deployed at the time, he could have been in Viet Nam yet I am not certain about that...I just remember he was gone. My dad was living with Marie at the time. Marie worked as the librarian at the Post library. We stopped to visit and stayed for a couple of nights. I wanted to go to Juarez, Mexico so the kids and my dad went with us. It was a fun time being there with all of them. One of the things I remember about her too is that she always dressed very well.<br />
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She is no longer hurting and that is a comfort. My heart goes out to her children and immediate family.<br />
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Along with the passing of my sister, our family has another situation going on...<br />
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A grand nephew is missing on the Big Island. He is the son of my niece Puanani Mahoe...Pua's mother was my sister Harriet who passed away in 2005 (?). He went opihi picking one day last week and has not returned. The Coast Guard did a search in the area he had gone, however did not find anything. His family has been searching on their own. They found his ATV that he used to get out to the area and there was someone that came forward and said that they had seen him start to climb down the cliff. To go opihi picking, one must go to an area of the coastline where there are steep cliffs. The opihi are washed in by the high waves and cling to the side of the rocks. It is very dangerous work to go to pick opihi...they are tiny black limpets or sea snails. They are delicacy in the Hawaiian culture and served at traditional luaus. <br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T985HiQsw04">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T985HiQsw04</a><br />
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Here is a you tube that I found...one must be constantly watching the waves...it is easy to be swept away by a wave.<br />
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The family will continuously search, I am sure, until they find something. My heart goes out to them. He is a young man with a wife and family.<br />
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My heart is heavy for my extended family...yet the assurance that God cares is a blessing.Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-58872622986789833302014-05-08T10:26:00.001-07:002014-05-08T10:29:14.781-07:00Hello, Remember MeThought I would drop in and do some updating about what has been going on in my life...<br />
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Patriot Guard Riders activities keep us busy. Since the first of the year there have been 38 missions, most of which we attended. The majority of them have been out at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery (SVNC), a distance of about 40 miles from home.<br />
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I've also been sewing like crazy...finished two lap size quilts for our two youngest granddaughters...finished a rag quilt for our youngest grandson...made a flag bag out of suede for a PGR friend....have another one to finish. Made an oversized patchwork quilted tote bag for each of my sisters, Nani and Ernie...and getting ready to do another craft fair in June with stepdaughter Jenni...making more bags, some zipper pouches and whatever else I can think of to make.<br />
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I've taken over the dining room table to do my sewing, etc. I desperately need to clean up my stamping stuff, like get rid of a lot of it, so I can have room in my craft room/office for my sewing stuff. I was scratching up the table with my cutting mat and sewing machine so bought one of those cutting boards made out of cardboard like material to cover the table. My mom had one of these and it is what she used to cut her fabric on when she sewed. I use a cutting mat and rotary cutter. I am reminded of my mom on a daily basis as I work on my projects. <br />
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We have a new member to the family, a great grandson. On April 10th, Thatcher Ray Lane was born. He is the son of Nathanael (grandson) and Melissa Lane. He was about a week early so weighed 7 and a half pounds at birth. They live in South Carolina, although Nathanael has been transferred back to Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville, NC. He was stationed at Ft. Jackson in South Carolina. Melissa and baby will stay with her folks for the time being.<br />
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Of course, last November 10th Jude Wesley was born to Denise (daughter) and Stephen...he was 9 and a half pounds. So in 5 months time we added a new grandson and a new great grandson...Denise became a new mom and new grandmother...second grandchild for she and Stephen...<br />
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I had my one year checkup with the doctor who did my cataract surgeries, a couple of weeks ago. My eyes are very healthy and in fact they are doing so well, I don't have to use the eye drops for lowering the pressure in my eyes. That means that the glaucoma is not an issue now...will have a pressure check in 3 months. I am so thankful to not have to worry about glaucoma affecting my eye sight.<br />
<br />Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-24289924261332024832014-02-18T13:34:00.001-08:002014-02-18T13:34:34.461-08:00Denise & StephenTwenty-Five years ago today, my Denise married her high school sweetheart, Stephen. The day was cold and rainy...it was an evening service. I remember there being an exception made for the service. First off, the teens had an all nighter at the church and would be finished about noon. We were there before hand. As soon as they left, we started decorating the sanctuary and the room where the reception would be held. We had about 5 hours to do that. Usually weddings weren't held on a Saturday evening because of the next day being Sunday and having to have janitorial staff there late getting ready for Sunday. Stephen was home for a few days and the kids wanted to be married before he was shipped out, so an exception was made. <br />
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We had the help of two of our kids...Jason and Jenni came along to help decorate...and our friend Rita Kissee was there too. We started with getting the sanctuary decorated and then worked on the reception area. That room were Sunday School rooms so it didn't take too long to get it ready. The decorating in the sanctuary was simple too. The colors were Wedgewood Blue and Silver...perfect for an evening wedding. <br />
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It was a beautiful ceremony with family and close friends in attendance. Pictures were taken before going to the reception...the guests had been directed to the reception area. It was rainy off and on through the evening. We served cake and punch, coffee and I think nuts and mints. We wanted to keep it simple because of the hour.<br />
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Denise looked so beautiful in her dress that had been made so lovingly by Janie DeBoard, a friend from church. Her only attendant was her maid of honor, Toni Williams. <br />Denise and Toni worked together at Marshalls. They found out early in their friendship that they both had Hawaiian blood. Another friend from work, Katherine, sang a couple of songs and helped Denise with making the bouquets for she and Toni...all out of silk flowers. Stephen's best man and ushers were friends he had made at BIOLA, that he attended before going into the Army. Some of the children of our neighbors were also part of the wedding party.<br />
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They had a limousine to take them to their hotel...it was raining pretty hard by then. Funny story about where they spent the night...Stephen's father and step-mother had also rented a room at the same hotel...<br />
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They went out to the coast for a couple of days and then Toni and her husband offered their apartment to Denise and Stephen for a few days. They were going to Idaho to visit family.<br />
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Stephen was home for a few days then left for his first duty station in Germany. Denise was at home for a few months and then on Father's Day June 1987, she flew out to join Stephen in Germany.<br />
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They have enjoyed being in a few locations during their 25 years together, 3 children have blessed their home and God has richly blessed their lives. Stephen made a promise to me the night before he flew out. He has kept every word of that promise to me. I could not be happier to have him in my life. He has done exceptionally well caring for my daughter and their family.<br />
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The years have gone by quickly...I am a blessed Mom, knowing my only child has been well taken care of...she has a hard working husband, who loves her deeply...and they have given me some awesome grandchildren...Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-27931541904548505732014-01-29T14:58:00.001-08:002014-01-29T14:58:32.057-08:00Our Government at WorkJust have to do this second post...a little bit of a rant...<br />
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Yesterday I received a letter from Kaiser Permanente telling me that my monthly premium for my Senior Advantage coverage was increased.<br />
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Here's the letter:<br />
<em>Dear Violet E Townsend,</em><br />
<em>We are writing to tell you that starting January 01, 2014, your new premium will be $___ per month.</em><br />
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<em>This new amount is a change to your current late enrollment penalty amount based on the annual change to the National Base Beneficiary Premium. Each year the National Base Beneficiary Premium changes, so will the amount of your late enrollment penalty.</em><br />
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<em>If you have questions about the information in this letter, or if you would like more information about how the national base beneficiary premium affects the late enrollment penalty, call Member Service Contact Center at....</em><br />
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So I called the number for the Member Service Contact Center. The person I spoke to tried to tell me because I was late in enrolling in Medicare I was being assessed a penalty. I told this person that I signed up for Medicare in May of 2007, two months before I had my 65th birthday. So then she tells me to call Medicare and gives me the phone number. Actually the number was included in this letter I received yesterday.<br />
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So I call Medicare and here is what I find out...this is priceless...<br />
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September 2009 I was dropped by Kaiser's Senior Advantage Plan because I had been late numerous times with my monthly premium. I re-enrolled in October 2012. Because I did not use my Part D of Medicare for 3 years, I was assessed a penalty which was included in my monthly payment. What I didn't realize is that that penalty is ongoing...so for as long as I remain alive I will be assessed this penalty. I had no coverage for 3 years, bought no prescription drugs during that time...yet am being penalized for not using the coverage...<br />
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How insane is that!! The Part D coverage was ongoing even though I did not use it so am now having to pay for something that was never used by me for that time period...<br />
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Okay...that's my rant for today...Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-87354754107029784752014-01-29T09:37:00.002-08:002014-01-29T14:38:54.371-08:00Small WorldGerry went to an American Legion meeting last night. A lady that was there asked if he was from Hawaii. He was wearing a shirt that had "Aloha ke Akua" on the front of it. He told her no, that his wife was from Hawai'i.<br />
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She wanted to know what island...she is from O'ahu...he said his wife was too. Then she said she graduated from Kailua High School...he said his wife did too. She graduated in 1965...I graduated in 1960.<br />
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She gave him her contact information. I don't recognize her maiden name, supposedly she has an older brother. I emailed her last night, have yet to get a response from her.<br />
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I'm excited to talk to her...love finding people from home and who graduated from the same high school.<br />
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So we are fellow Surfriders...what could be better than that...small world...yeah...<br />
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<span style="color: red;">Update:</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"></span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Spoke with Faynette today. We have so much in common. We lived around the corner from each other when we lived in Kailua. She was neighbors to a couple of families that I babysat for. There are 2 sisters that live in our mobile home park that are both Kailua High graduates...she is sure she knows the younger of the two.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"></span><br />
<span style="color: red;">I went to the Ulta store in Citrus Heights this morning and took some of the residential streets to get home. I was in the neighborhood where she and her husband live. She wants me to go to the next American Legion meeting with Gerry (if he goes) so we can hang out and "talk story".</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;">Enjoyed our telephone conversation so much! Looking forward to meeting her in person.</span>Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-13797012498254515012014-01-25T20:02:00.000-08:002014-01-25T20:02:46.225-08:00PGR Mission Today in TruckeeGerry and I continue to participate in PGR missions. There was one today in Truckee for a sailor. He was killed in a helicopter accident in Virginia a week or so ago and his service was today.<br />
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We got up early, leaving Sacramento about 7:20am to drive to Truckee. It was a beautiful drive, although very cold. The outside temperature was in the 30's as we got to Donner Summit at 7,000 plus feet and in the high 20's when we got to Truckee. We were meeting some other PGR members to set up American flags at the high school where his service was being held.<br />
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First, we had some breakfast. The 3 guys we met had hearty breakfasts. Gerry and I had eaten breakfast so we had something light. Arriving back at the high school, we met up with our contact person and then started setting up the flags. A fire department ladder truck was already there and they were in the process of setting up a huge flag. We set up 5 or 6 large flags facing the street and were going to line the driveway with flags. Unfortunately, the ground was so hard and rock was being hit about 2 or 3 inches into the dirt. We went ahead and got all the flags together, about 60 of them. People were starting to line up along the street. One of the guys suggested asking the people if anyone was interested in holding a flag. Everyone that was standing out there walked over to get a flag. They were lined up on both sides of the street. It looked so impressive. I took my tablet with me intending to take some pictures and then didn't do it. I did take some for Bob with his iPad. He is the one that does the flagging.<br />
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The military honors part of the program was done in the stadium and then the actual service was moved to the gym. The stadium was packed. The guys formed a flag line down on the field. There is something about seeing numerous American flags blowing in the breeze that causes one to get teary eyed. I always do...at every mission we do.<br />
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There is a group called "Westboro Baptist Church" that pickets military funerals, protesting the United States participation in war. Word was out that a group would be in Truckee to protest this service. Some did arrive, however they were not able to get to the high school. Supposedly CHP blocked them at the freeway exit. Actually the PGR was formed to create a buffer between the protestors and the family of the fallen warrior. As many PGR that were in attendance today, the protestors would have had a difficult time getting anywhere near the service.<br />
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We had quite a bit of help in getting the flags taken down. I think everyone was tired. The PGR guys that rode up on their bikes went to the funeral home and was part of the escort to the high school. There had to be a 100 plus bikes. That is also an impressive sight.<br />
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We were going to go into Old Town Truckee to eat after we were done. We did drive down, then decided to just get back on the road and head home. We stopped in Colfax and had some lunch then got home about 4pm.<br />
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It was so cold when we first got to Truckee then it warmed up and we were taking jackets off. The temperature rose rapidly as we came down the mountain and it was pushing 70 degrees by the time we got to Colfax which is about 3000 ft (I think). <br />
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There has been a huge high pressure system sitting over California, giving us cold nights, warm days (in the 70's) and no rain.<br />
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It is such a rewarding experience being a part of these missions. Gerry and I look forward to being a part of them.Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-15331865808478807392014-01-20T22:03:00.001-08:002014-01-20T22:03:47.322-08:00I Am Still Around...Hi there,<br />
I haven't posted to my blog since July of last year. I have had some issues with my desktop computer. Today my stepson installed a new computer for me. I am hoping that I will be able to post again without issues.<br />
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A lot has happened since I posted last so will try to catch up in the coming days.<br />
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It is late so need to call it a day. There is a lot to learn with the new computer, it has Windows 8 on it so will be spending time figuring out how everything works.<br />
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Aloha,<br />
BettyBetty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-74833970980761966612013-07-17T22:07:00.001-07:002013-07-17T22:07:26.042-07:00Saying Final GoodbyesSaying final goodbyes...so hard to do...especially when it is a loved one There have been 3 deaths in the last few weeks...2 family members and a high school classmate.<br />
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The first part of June, our daughter-in-law died unexpectantly. Our son woke up on a Sunday morning, walked out to the kitchen and found her sitting at the kitchen table. He tried to wake her and couldn't so went to get his daughter. She was gone...the coronor was called, the fire department and police arrived. Gerry got a call from son and he rushed out of the house to go to Roseville. Our oldest daughter came over and gave me a ride to Roseville. The family had a graveside service for her then friends and family were invited here to the clubhouse at the mobile home park where we live for a potluck. What a difficult time that was, preparing for her service, saying our final goodbyes. I don't know if our son has received the final autopsy report...those take a while to prepare.<br />
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This morning I received a phone call from a niece telling me that one of my older sisters passed away yesterday. A while ago, she had been diagnosed with having pancreatic cancer. This is a fast moving cancer and she wasn't given much time to live...hospice had been contacted. Although it was expected, hearing that it had happened was shocking to say the least. I had not seen this sister in a lot of years and had lost touch with her. My younger sister stayed in touch with her and in fact the two of them were very close. That sister took the news very hard. My heart ached for her.<br />
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Then one day last week I received an email from a former classmate...another of our classmates had passed away. What was so sad about this passing, it was someone that I had hung around with in junior high and high school. She had been a close friend...of course contact had been lost after graduation.<br />
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Hearing the news of my sister passing away was a little strange to me...I was taking my morning shower when my niece called. She left a message and I called her back. I had been thinking about my siblings while in the shower...thinking of each one in order of age and where they all were...I later wondered if God was preparing me to receive the news. I thought to myself I should call my younger sister and tell her what I had been thinking about...<br />
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Thankfully there are memories of each of these...those memories should hopefully help to make the sorrow I feel bearable...<br />
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We have no idea how much time we have on this earth...it is important to make each moment count with those that are dearest to us.<br />
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Sybil, Vi and Pat...you are free of pain now...your memory will live on with those of us who will always cherish the time we were able to spend with you...and will be missed so very much!!Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-22970222715414008302013-05-30T17:10:00.000-07:002013-05-30T17:10:02.598-07:00Busy Sewing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilK5q6oUHUoh1XJO2ek0r4VC562jKcuvsCSxCjogdihc68dzbRS5-cpeZYFX-ymEgLg5_cf_CGQ2IBPteNCMs_fpAaGtbDdgBIx2CZLO-bNVIVziZVO7se6wP3-YpCIZti7hMCIw1yK50d/s1600/Sewing+Projects+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilK5q6oUHUoh1XJO2ek0r4VC562jKcuvsCSxCjogdihc68dzbRS5-cpeZYFX-ymEgLg5_cf_CGQ2IBPteNCMs_fpAaGtbDdgBIx2CZLO-bNVIVziZVO7se6wP3-YpCIZti7hMCIw1yK50d/s320/Sewing+Projects+042.jpg" width="320" yya="true" /></a></div>
These are pillowcases that I made for our bed. This fabric was in a box in my closet, have no idea when I purchased it or what I purchased it for. They are really easy to make. Made another set, forgot to take a picture of it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ora83UzqJXRg5cf05-HkMBvqzKOJO9ZHbhaYXc_iKZ11afP82qYbWM-Scm-ReAtqndbm0f54FIH7pBD7JJQskoeGn10oq_rlBGD6QU25ROhszrnyQ1DvsiYcGnLGbVJ26yV6_w6nFB0q/s1600/Sewing+Projects+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ora83UzqJXRg5cf05-HkMBvqzKOJO9ZHbhaYXc_iKZ11afP82qYbWM-Scm-ReAtqndbm0f54FIH7pBD7JJQskoeGn10oq_rlBGD6QU25ROhszrnyQ1DvsiYcGnLGbVJ26yV6_w6nFB0q/s320/Sewing+Projects+046.jpg" width="320" yya="true" /></a></div>
I purchased a yard of this upholstry fabric (barkcloth) from my friend, Barb Sasaki, Sasaki Bags of Kailua-Kona, HI. I have always loved this pattern. I made a tote bag for my neighbor, Sally, and then made one for myself this afternoon. The background is black with red hibiscus and bird of paradise. The colors are gorgeous!! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkhsJlhuFogURxF-NG_o2lkfs1BN9RB0dSaxTg11XJSF_laWzEPNg_g2LSrHoU_S19h3JJSL_CTjywd0t2oluq2FDnWVxC_yjXmdNNNUNLTPa766HPEjfZ4aOP5sJrcA9jd17wok6Rcve/s1600/Sewing+Projects+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghkhsJlhuFogURxF-NG_o2lkfs1BN9RB0dSaxTg11XJSF_laWzEPNg_g2LSrHoU_S19h3JJSL_CTjywd0t2oluq2FDnWVxC_yjXmdNNNUNLTPa766HPEjfZ4aOP5sJrcA9jd17wok6Rcve/s320/Sewing+Projects+047.jpg" width="320" yya="true" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis02psL6B9SIpre7Nk_6-4jvFdOnnYHw2ZDywmhoxtme_cwMR_FFDkif2IPkpVR_d2usz4SnUzVIiNQ-pDrh5tMKGSpBK5xVUCTa0Y_7kkiIvFWNiQMnErWXKpmYEG9qi7LpHtGOBz3YYR/s1600/Sewing+Projects+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis02psL6B9SIpre7Nk_6-4jvFdOnnYHw2ZDywmhoxtme_cwMR_FFDkif2IPkpVR_d2usz4SnUzVIiNQ-pDrh5tMKGSpBK5xVUCTa0Y_7kkiIvFWNiQMnErWXKpmYEG9qi7LpHtGOBz3YYR/s320/Sewing+Projects+048.jpg" width="320" yya="true" /></a></div>
This is the other side of the bag. I have some fabric left over, enough to probably make a couple of zippered pouches...Want one? Let me know.<br />
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Last summer I started a quilt top, my first one...ever...had to put it aside because of my cataracts and not being able to see. A few weeks ago, I finally got the rows sewn together...last week I purchased everything else I needed to finish the quilt. I got the borders sewn on earlier this week and now need to put the sandwich together to finish it...I'm avoiding that part...once I got the borders on, it changed the whole look of the top. I have it hanging in the doorway of the closet in my craft room. Didn't want it to get wrinkled and have to press again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2WtEDrp8TE4PdtxICv49FenXZOYPevpyjnWwRxDT0K8iNIXCDjYLTxWks8x2Wz5WP7zU0hlfS0vGvkQBdJcWYjZ-cCQ3LEbfPTNBQmbX2AEoLyb2uIN0w3nWzgxs4pd-7v8iDsEYn9W9/s1600/Sewing+Projects+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2WtEDrp8TE4PdtxICv49FenXZOYPevpyjnWwRxDT0K8iNIXCDjYLTxWks8x2Wz5WP7zU0hlfS0vGvkQBdJcWYjZ-cCQ3LEbfPTNBQmbX2AEoLyb2uIN0w3nWzgxs4pd-7v8iDsEYn9W9/s320/Sewing+Projects+050.jpg" width="320" yya="true" /></a></div>
Here's a close-up.<br />
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I sold 4 tote bags, the 3 that were listed in the previous post plus one like mine that I just made. Sally, my neighbor, bought 2 of them and Didi, my Hawaii friend Jalna's sister, bought two. I have squares put together to make 2 more...will get around to those in the next couple of weeks.<br />
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I've also made some flag bags for 3 of the PGR guys...those were simple to make. I am enjoying so much being able to sew again. Card making has kind of gone by the wayside...lol!<br />
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Saw the optometrist yesterday at Kaiser and got my new glasses ordered. I need glasses to read and do close up stuff...should have those in a couple of weeks or so. Otherwise my vision is excellent...was able to read the 20/20 line without any problem...my eyes have healed very well from the surgeries...still have to use the drops for the glaucoma...the pressure reading yesterday was very good...will get that checked again in October.Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-61894613531413877002013-05-09T16:43:00.001-07:002013-05-31T17:31:25.768-07:00What I Have Been Doing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjie66IxPzDY37c9WARDXw8YZMcgT924YvQlA4IjZd1K_DyUKcarYh2BxeFS6FaAQAlVyTXdqngvxvUy5xRMMEPMADQgeT6oWoyCLzcg2Kwm9hq_XgQc4NG10k91IPiQqoGjvle_b55WZGf/s1600/PICT0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</a> With my new eyes I have been busy sewing. The above quilted tote bag is available for purchase. It was made from a charm pack called Peony Blush. The colors are pinks and greens. <span style="color: red;">SOLD </span>
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<img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4ADoinnluHs9JG5TyJSBESQ4qGtrlUFz8BedtO874rCau5IJeaDL67p58IIGydIa35M6zrxYaEVmwSeIYBHpRf9Wlft2rhm8bf48yGQlpKjc4vvoxgtGSREoPEcm2d3T8baALNMfGSZx/s320/PICT0008.JPG" width="320" /></div>
A close up view. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRq6WV8R1jY1cJS075IaBLrQeFpzzouMYOjGNi4cZlOhpuReS57H2KuGfVyUSpB-BY7VVtrNG-HOrnMCFfVrkE99k-YY4ry7v8CGhN_t4G2SUe_kd3McQXpVQJUNRqOCpCpZw83CZ5PaZ/s1600/PICT0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRq6WV8R1jY1cJS075IaBLrQeFpzzouMYOjGNi4cZlOhpuReS57H2KuGfVyUSpB-BY7VVtrNG-HOrnMCFfVrkE99k-YY4ry7v8CGhN_t4G2SUe_kd3McQXpVQJUNRqOCpCpZw83CZ5PaZ/s320/PICT0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Pale Pink lining with a pocket. The green fabric was also used for the handles and a panel that joins the front and back of bag.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJzct5LyWUXTn0yBspIqakb-EAB0HPr9sAeiKZbEX00LDXv1jasxDKfqawSThplC4cLW2j4ln_QG4JAzeKulTV3d0OtJxQDjt4E6Ko3OjKk_hijQJRiWY8h2-9DhLpE1jWRiG3aKu0mqM/s1600/PICT0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJzct5LyWUXTn0yBspIqakb-EAB0HPr9sAeiKZbEX00LDXv1jasxDKfqawSThplC4cLW2j4ln_QG4JAzeKulTV3d0OtJxQDjt4E6Ko3OjKk_hijQJRiWY8h2-9DhLpE1jWRiG3aKu0mqM/s320/PICT0001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This is the second bag I made from the same charm pack. My neighbor saw the squares before I got it put together and wanted it. So it is sold. I was pretty happy since this is the first bag I've sold! :) <span style="color: red;">SOLD</span><br />
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The colors are gorgeous.<br />
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This is a smaller tote bag I made last summer from left over squares that I am making my quilt top from. It is not quilted, has a lightweight interfacing to give it some body. The bag alone is $10.00...with the zippered pouch $12.50. <span style="color: red;">SOLD</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuItJwDiYn-sYsT-ViTy8oVSjBSt6BQKLR66Sdyz9c7lnU1BTTsUqe1VbTEXr6sfCcN00w4EAH9LM9xBatGLyvqHK486QuokShsJQoj93YaYLb2FbVjcW4kzzkYvQjsPr49e8We31_JUh/s1600/PICT0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuItJwDiYn-sYsT-ViTy8oVSjBSt6BQKLR66Sdyz9c7lnU1BTTsUqe1VbTEXr6sfCcN00w4EAH9LM9xBatGLyvqHK486QuokShsJQoj93YaYLb2FbVjcW4kzzkYvQjsPr49e8We31_JUh/s320/PICT0005.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
The other side.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmq6UfRT4rFjhsnSdDFYbwlBXNZ26xihe-I1zE8wMWB98J0JsXuYroMiYwvXaIo5S1bAFLmZRjXs1KADKR4KdQ8x5xFsEMiPoPJQwIK03BuQJl5UhW3X6tfIkBWed7q5GOkpTnKNOV01Bt/s1600/PICT0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmq6UfRT4rFjhsnSdDFYbwlBXNZ26xihe-I1zE8wMWB98J0JsXuYroMiYwvXaIo5S1bAFLmZRjXs1KADKR4KdQ8x5xFsEMiPoPJQwIK03BuQJl5UhW3X6tfIkBWed7q5GOkpTnKNOV01Bt/s320/PICT0008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The lining, also made the straps from the same fabric. They are about 9 inches long.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2epYTaCpZ6yTRMKybir5xOUJ7CwqHD0Fwwfm_YrTconZgb1OOYHl9kIcwZxBLQzN7Lex9q1YwygYb_WGiGFE0yEVYIqdGh4rxPMeG5C-TnggF-qWegS3gec3MOaGtyEynDtsIU4ZXDzka/s1600/PICT0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2epYTaCpZ6yTRMKybir5xOUJ7CwqHD0Fwwfm_YrTconZgb1OOYHl9kIcwZxBLQzN7Lex9q1YwygYb_WGiGFE0yEVYIqdGh4rxPMeG5C-TnggF-qWegS3gec3MOaGtyEynDtsIU4ZXDzka/s320/PICT0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Then I made a zipper pouch with different squares on both sides. <span style="color: red;">SOLD</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsE3OmeDWIdChBSYddYz3XOa1SAkn0ogbdXHmXz82tcHoJ2vsrSIyLXmWmqzwEKmW9tnkyCtUKJXWMorO1EYxpwrCyPQwKlDp90jTSzKwcQvTU37Mkwb9CIyl5F5FJCHbcl84GKPxLhZN/s1600/PICT0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsE3OmeDWIdChBSYddYz3XOa1SAkn0ogbdXHmXz82tcHoJ2vsrSIyLXmWmqzwEKmW9tnkyCtUKJXWMorO1EYxpwrCyPQwKlDp90jTSzKwcQvTU37Mkwb9CIyl5F5FJCHbcl84GKPxLhZN/s320/PICT0010.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9RuDh942mM_PsGIZ-fTeyY7FWiszZklacfZCALAxvj0XIgSXi7Mz5Eaw2D6ZW3LjbynZXUx2zpy4ovlPwQ7y2vITdvP5wFyrekle-d68injtMeHAqVYoIpeM4bF-eoyus7dHb8TTNQm1/s1600/PICT0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9RuDh942mM_PsGIZ-fTeyY7FWiszZklacfZCALAxvj0XIgSXi7Mz5Eaw2D6ZW3LjbynZXUx2zpy4ovlPwQ7y2vITdvP5wFyrekle-d68injtMeHAqVYoIpeM4bF-eoyus7dHb8TTNQm1/s320/PICT0011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This is the inside of the pouch. <span style="color: red;">THE ABOVE 3 TOTE BAGS & ZIPPERED POUCH ARE SOLD. SCROLL DOWN TO SEE TOTE BAG THAT IS STILL AVAILABLE. THANKS!</span><br />
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I had my second cataract surgery on April 8th...left eye. It was a complete different experience. I did not doze off after given the IV sedative so I was aware of everything that was going on. There was a tiny bit of pain and could feel tugging and pulling. I also felt the injection that the doctor gave me to numb the eye. He and the OR nurse were chatting back and forth. I could have said that I needed more of the sedative, however the pain was tolerable and I wanted the procedure to be over as soon as possible.<br />
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I didn't have a long wait as I did the first time. I think I was there a total of about 2 and a half hours. I have done real well and have 3 more days of putting eye drops in that eye. It is absolutely amazing how well I can see. Everything is so clear and vivid. I am enjoying being able to get back to my regular activities and especially enjoying being able to sew again.<br />
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Haven't done any card making, need to tackle that one of these days. Actually thinking about downsizing my card making stuff so I have more room for fabric, etc. I could really use my 6 foot table.<br />
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I need to make an appointment with the optometrist now to see about getting glasses. Thankfully I still have my old glasses so I have been using them to read and see things up close. My distance vision is fantastic. I still have to use the glaucoma drops for another 5 months and will have a check up in October to see how that is doing. Then next year in April I will have a complete eye test.<br />
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I couldn't be happier with the care that I got from my doctor and the entire staff at the Eye Surgery Center. I got cards from them after both surgeries and a Starbucks gift card. Well, the Starbucks was because of the 5 and a half hour wait I had the first time. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNY_SZbGb_PQPxHiSgXpZpJC8lzVH61qzcbYt65RKmLOLXWok_pQD9D0WcroBc70z-P4NftqCEdFNg3Ra4-U3zOVg_BK6cVxdO8q_uYX1UmpSVQA-IeZLlzo6pE2udpJUeoXvam9XERIjM/s1600/PICT0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNY_SZbGb_PQPxHiSgXpZpJC8lzVH61qzcbYt65RKmLOLXWok_pQD9D0WcroBc70z-P4NftqCEdFNg3Ra4-U3zOVg_BK6cVxdO8q_uYX1UmpSVQA-IeZLlzo6pE2udpJUeoXvam9XERIjM/s320/PICT0001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Almost forgot to add this bag. I just completed it this afternoon. It is another quilted tote bag made from a charm pack called Tapestry. The colors are corals and greens. It is also available for purchase. $25.00 <span style="color: red;">THIS TOTE BAG IS STILL AVAILABLE.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcKgegAtEFf0_CBAwPkkzg-6RWTCg4JJWOaFmBuTXIptLJaW79NkCKTZ1ljv_G97b9K3_lxqtV8BBvv5ErXREcOq1J7eXRM8PyhOmrZxaaKUgJh3CW17aCKHJ3G129UVoIDhdAgQOZq6p/s1600/PICT0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjcKgegAtEFf0_CBAwPkkzg-6RWTCg4JJWOaFmBuTXIptLJaW79NkCKTZ1ljv_G97b9K3_lxqtV8BBvv5ErXREcOq1J7eXRM8PyhOmrZxaaKUgJh3CW17aCKHJ3G129UVoIDhdAgQOZq6p/s320/PICT0004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2UN-jAjYd8YU2UwWfjpRpLZ40nfRyohRqJSxZZnC9tiRSt2hStPZgvfSSdDqYB_nccNmzYIp1hyphenhyphen5AKxQPVTdP1qZRIbgf-37wWx4PO1Uvsc-TFdIa9MknqE6DqwZc3hldgrVly-B14ynG/s1600/PICT0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mwa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2UN-jAjYd8YU2UwWfjpRpLZ40nfRyohRqJSxZZnC9tiRSt2hStPZgvfSSdDqYB_nccNmzYIp1hyphenhyphen5AKxQPVTdP1qZRIbgf-37wWx4PO1Uvsc-TFdIa9MknqE6DqwZc3hldgrVly-B14ynG/s320/PICT0003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The lining is green. I forgot to sew in a pocket. The handles are about 9 inches long.</div>
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Leave a comment or email me if interested in any of these. <a href="mailto:bettytownsend@hotmail.com">bettytownsend@hotmail.com</a></div>
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Thanks!</div>
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Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-645926676103293382013-04-06T13:42:00.000-07:002013-04-06T13:51:45.857-07:00My Afternoon Project - Dish Towels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've needed some new dishtowels. I've seen several different projects on some of the sewing, quilting web pages that I subscribe to.</div>
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So the other day, I went up to Joann's to see if they had any toweling fabric. The only thing they had was terry cloth...I wasn't too interested in using terry cloth. So I looked over in the section where they have different kits. I found a package of these dish towels, 3 to a package for $8.99. I bought some trim and a fat quarter that I was going to use on them.</div>
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On this first one I used some fabric that I had in my stash. It is pink with lady bugs on it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNO6169pDkoFVnhpTitjv1dLBp96TfGSGmE6KFAxBWIrWBWt8BFQNg-KxhLFoe8dzldmFFaVQPLLBNIKj7Ur3sYCLSO-ZzZu4EcSVKPhB0erQKounXceKlSMOE53159Pc8yVerbxh2Jy1P/s1600/PICT0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNO6169pDkoFVnhpTitjv1dLBp96TfGSGmE6KFAxBWIrWBWt8BFQNg-KxhLFoe8dzldmFFaVQPLLBNIKj7Ur3sYCLSO-ZzZu4EcSVKPhB0erQKounXceKlSMOE53159Pc8yVerbxh2Jy1P/s1600/PICT0001.JPG" /></a></div>
This second one, I used red rick rack trim that I bought and a red stripe ribbon from my card making ribbon box.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKd-IsrkIhype0Ph87-Ld6GJCRYWY72ALtsohpMXhrM8fKMhpo5eEbwPE8L0DtB98l235_PkgIv3Ztn9cUC3z0FDdoT6ofBunbhQLffAZf2cuFZxLtYbnLYJlSSQhXzDqqdwYo8pK93JX6/s1600/PICT0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKd-IsrkIhype0Ph87-Ld6GJCRYWY72ALtsohpMXhrM8fKMhpo5eEbwPE8L0DtB98l235_PkgIv3Ztn9cUC3z0FDdoT6ofBunbhQLffAZf2cuFZxLtYbnLYJlSSQhXzDqqdwYo8pK93JX6/s320/PICT0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
A close-up...the rick rack looks orange...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8KONAHhxS1PX8LILY22rMuG_uwnmCXEquiHuFCUvWtKYo_YG8-ewS-ytEsSctSl7cvLMUBwCMWnSTmZ34ysLiY0AQRKtePXxfCLXBOeCSRY1TPgCjxrgMZZzxasY7i41REhcLaeSUiAy/s1600/PICT0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8KONAHhxS1PX8LILY22rMuG_uwnmCXEquiHuFCUvWtKYo_YG8-ewS-ytEsSctSl7cvLMUBwCMWnSTmZ34ysLiY0AQRKtePXxfCLXBOeCSRY1TPgCjxrgMZZzxasY7i41REhcLaeSUiAy/s320/PICT0005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The third one I used some strip ribbon that I bought. I remembered that I had a spool of these daisies so used some of them over the ribbon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcqT7Z0xorzbNtvAHuF-I8arcBkM8hdIZetYgzWHRQaDXTE9mKZaPtuV9WCpyufC-5dnyPbAPcduXH9bONvBtTrVsKvhzlZfp5A9VDOOEJg2NCplBhLAwQQP-h_vJ9InMntyh4M8V3Q57/s1600/PICT0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcqT7Z0xorzbNtvAHuF-I8arcBkM8hdIZetYgzWHRQaDXTE9mKZaPtuV9WCpyufC-5dnyPbAPcduXH9bONvBtTrVsKvhzlZfp5A9VDOOEJg2NCplBhLAwQQP-h_vJ9InMntyh4M8V3Q57/s320/PICT0003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTckhQCIbaBasg4hCE4GIbGbjjQhmrnkukEuSdLQ00sFWpON5VwN82dmTEZFHIrOFQM7xpWGIaKIb2r7dhAoeNTSFkhEniEarrE6G1VkUNNcq7M0z1f9gubmkuZ06e5sulqfmNBZjlYW_a/s1600/PICT0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mta="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTckhQCIbaBasg4hCE4GIbGbjjQhmrnkukEuSdLQ00sFWpON5VwN82dmTEZFHIrOFQM7xpWGIaKIb2r7dhAoeNTSFkhEniEarrE6G1VkUNNcq7M0z1f9gubmkuZ06e5sulqfmNBZjlYW_a/s320/PICT0004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I thought they came out pretty good...however after using them, they are not very absorbent. I thought maybe they wouldn't be...will see what they are like after another wash or two. I'll have to search online and see if I can find fabric to use in making dishtowels.</div>
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Other Projects:</div>
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This week I tried on all the skirts I have to see if any fit. A few I have are way too big...I have lost quite a bit of weight with my diabetes. I fixed one that has an elastic waist...it was too long too. So I ripped out the waistband and made a new casing for elastic. That took care of shortening it too. One of the tiered one, I took out one of the tiers and put a new hem in it. I took out a tier in another skirt, however the material is rayon so am going to take it to the cleaners and see what they'll charge me for hemming it. A couple of others need new elastic to make them fit. </div>
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I am so wanting to sew again. I've seen several projects I want to try.</div>
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Left Eye Surgery:</div>
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My surgery on my left eye is scheduled for this coming Monday, the 8th. I got a call from the surgery center yesterday. I report in at 11:45 am and surgery will be, maybe, around 1 pm. Hopefully there are no glitches this time and Dr. Baker is able to get into the OR to do his surgeries on time. It will be so nice to be able to fully see again. I will probably find out on Tuesday, when my bandage come off, whether I will still need glasses.</div>
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My distance vision is great with the new lens in my right eye. I am having to use my old glasses to read and look at things up close. So maybe I will just need reading glasses. </div>
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I apologize, I don't know how that first picture got so large...and I don't know how to fix it. Blogger drives me crazy sometimes... :) </div>
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<span style="color: red;">I think I fixed all the typos...lol.</span></div>
Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-85090892477088604302013-03-20T19:07:00.000-07:002013-03-20T19:07:27.907-07:00Cataracts & DiabetesI can see again...well, with my right eye that is. I had my surgery on Monday, the 11th. I had my follow-up appointment with Dr. Baker this past Monday and the right eye has healed and my vision is excellent in that eye. I was able to see and read the 20/20 line on the eye chart. I did miss one letter... :)<br />
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I had to wait about 4 hours before I actually got into the operating room. The surgeon that had morning surgeries got way behind from the onset. That pushed all Dr. Baker's patients back. <br />
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We got to the surgery center at 11 am, was suppose to check in at 11:10am, got taken back to be prepped for surgery at 1 pm and it was 3 pm when I was actually taken to surgery. The awesome thing was that we were sitting in the car at 3:45pm ready to go get something to eat, finally...and I was talking to my sister, Ernie.<br />
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The patient that was Dr. Baker's first, kind of caused a ruckus while we waited. It was a gentleman in his 80's (?), he kept asking how long it was going to be while he was still in the waiting room. He had to get up to go to the restroom 3 times which meant having to unhook him from the monitors. He had the staff running back and forth into the OR to see how much longer. The third time he had to get up, he was quite loud by then and kept saying he was going to cancel. The staff tried to placate him which was not working. He wanted to talk to Dr. Baker. Dr. Baker tried to reason with him to no avail. He finally got dressed after Dr. Baker told him he could reschedule. He no sooner left and I was being wheeled into the OR. If he had just hung on a few minutes he would have been done. <br />
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I was doing very well, my BP was good, however right at the point of his getting louder, my BP spiked a little. Different ones of the staff kept coming over to my space making sure I was ok. At one point my nurse closed my curtain, I was right across from this man. They all apologized for the delay and the unhappy patient. Just before I went into surgery, my nurse went out to get Gerry so I could see him for a minute. I started to get weepy when I saw him so was glad it was just for a minute. He thought I was already done.<br />
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The last thing I remember in the OR was one of the nurses telling me a pipe like thing she was placing in the side of the bed and over me was for my oxygen...and then the next thing was Dr. Baker telling me we were done. I was given a mild sedative which put me to sleep at the beginning, however supposedly I was awake through the actual surgery. I could hear a whizzing sound...that was the machine that powered the instrument to suction the cataract out. <br />
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I think I was only in recovery for about 10 minutes. I walked out to the waiting room, on my own, with help from one of the staff. Everyone was so nice...must say I had excellent care. Yesterday I got a card from the OR staff and a letter from the prep staff, apologizing for the delay and thanking me for allowing them to take care of me. The prep staff sent a Starbucks gift card. :) I've had on my mind to send Thank you cards and I need to do that.<br />
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The next day I had the bandage taken off...since then I have been like a kid in a candy shop...marveling at the vivid colors and being able to see so much...Red is really red, greens are really green, yellows are really yellow...it is so exciting!! Gerry laughs at me when I tell him about something I've noticed. I had to wear a shield over my eye all of last week...that was so I didn't rub it or hurt it in any way. I need to make sure I have sunglasses on when I go outside and it was even advised that I wear my old glasses in the house. I am wearing them which is helping quite a bit to see things, like read the newspaper and my desktop computer. I reduced the zoom on the desktop from 200% to 125%. I can see the words at 100%.<br />
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The surgery for the left eye is scheduled for April 8th, about 2 and a half weeks away. I am so excited to get it over with and get back to doing things that I haven't been able to do for so many months. I'm looking forward to driving again.<br />
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I am doing a lot better with managing my diabetes. It was so frustrating in the beginning which had a lot to do with not being able to see things. This past week I've made 3 recipes from one of the cookbooks Gerry bought me. One was not too exciting, the other two were pretty good, especially the dessert I made...I'm having some now. My glucose readings have been consistent...not jumping all over the place when I first started testing. I couldn't eat anything the day of my surgery nor take my medications. Gerry was concerned about that, especially since it was about 16 hours without food. They tested me at the surgery center and it was really good...right in the range where it should be. I was really thankful for that.<br />
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I am so thankful my surgery went well, I couldn't get over how peaceful I felt. I knew it was because so many were praying...I certainly felt those prayers. I said in a status on Facebook that morning that I was resting in the Father's arms and that is exactly where I was through it all.<br />
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I hope to be blogging more, I have missed doing this.Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-54458288312397990212013-03-05T19:26:00.001-08:002013-03-05T19:26:59.134-08:00Checking InIt has been a while since I have been on my blog. It has been a huge adjustment trying to deal with being a diabetic. It can be so frustrating at times.<br />
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The first of my cataract surgeries is this coming Monday, the 11th. The right eye will be done first since it is the worse of the two. The surgery for the left eye will be 4 weeks later. It will be a welcome relief to get my eyesight back. It is getting to be worse than a broken record, saying constantly "I can't see" or "I can't see anything". It has been very difficult to be on the computer, to read, etc. Thankfully I have my tablet to use although even then it is challenging.<br />
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So not much has been happening around here. I must say I miss blogging.<br />
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Ok, that's about all I can manage to type. Catch up later.Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273066730681485568.post-37805809988360577152012-12-26T20:00:00.001-08:002012-12-26T20:00:59.954-08:00Christmas 2012 and MoreLooking at my blog, it has been several months since I have written anything. It has been a very busy few months...so I will try to catch up.<br />
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We spent a quiet Christmas. Jason, our youngest son, invited us over for dinner yesterday. We had gone over to his house for Thanksgiving too. It was nice...Sybil fixed a nice turkey dinner with all the trimmings. One of her sisters was there with her adult daughters and their boyfriends. Courtney, Sybil's daughter, and Chris were also there.<br />
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It was a very rainy day so it was nice to be inside, enjoying the food and fellowship.<br />
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On Christmas Eve, we spent about 11 hours at the airport. The local chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders did a 12 hour vigil at the airport welcoming military personnel coming home for Christmas. They had no idea how many would be arriving...as it turned out they welcomed 54 people. One guy proposed to his girlfriend when he got off the escalator...that was pretty awesome. Six of us met for breakfast at an IHOP restaurant that is near the airport. We were at the airport by 9 am. The vigil was from 9 am to 9pm. It was a "come when you can, and stay as long as you can" kind of mission. I think there were as many as 22 there at one point. The evening ended with 7 of us. Gerry and I were pretty tired by the time we got home.<br />
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It has been really busy with PGR missions. One of the highlights that I participated in was the "Snowball Express" the early part of December. The family members (spouse and children) of fallen heroes are invited each year to go to a major city for a weekend of fun. American Airlines donates the planes and crews to fly these families and it is all expenses paid. The last 2 years Sacramento has been one of the cities where a plane is assigned. Also, for the past 2 years they have gone to Fort Worth/Dallas, TX. The morning they left, the PGR guys had to be at the airport by 4 am. They help the families with their luggage and assist them in getting on the plane. American Airlines decorates the plane being used and has some activites for the kids to take part in, including hot chocolate and donuts. <br />
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I got an idea to make Christmas cards to give to each family when they returned from the trip. As it turned out, I made cards for each child, 27 of them. Some of the guys contributed a $1 that we tucked into each card. The night they came back, I had some help in giving a card to each child. One little girl came up to thank me and then asked if she could give me a hug. I, of course, wrapped her up in my arms and gave her a big hug. That was such a sweet feeling.<br />
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The lady who usually makes a card for the military personnel we are welcoming home was out of town for a few weeks so I was asked to make a few cards.<br />
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We are working on making some lifestyle changes. The middle of November I was diagnosed with having Type 2 Diabetes. In the same week I got that news, I also found out that my cataracts are quite bad and I need to have surgery. I also have glaucoma, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Wow, just overwhelming news all at the same time.<br />
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I am taking medication for all of it. In January I will have to have more blood work done to see what my glucose readings are...and maybe add insulin injections if they are not good. I am hoping I don't have to do that. It has been a real challenge trying to figure out what I can eat...my gout has also flared up...I am finding out foods that are good for diabetes are not good for gout. Gerry has been a super, big help in all of this...it affects him too.<br />
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My cataract surgery should happen sometime after the first of the year.<br />
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We traded our Nissan Quest van in and bought a 2010 Nissan Sentra...it has very low miles and looks brand new. It is loaded with leather seats, a sunroof, keyless entry and ignition. navigation system, power doors/windows...a few other things. Gerry has been wanting to cut down on the expenses of a larger vehicle. I wasn't too thrilled about it, at first...loved the van. The Sentra is a nice car and it will be better for us. I haven't been driving for the last 3 or so months...hoping that will change once I have my surgery.<br />
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My great granddaughter, Chayse Katherine is growing, still a beauty. She celebrated her 1st birthday in September. Hard to believe the year has gone by so quickly. Denise and her family spent last weekend in Fayetteville so they could have Christmas with Chayse. They took lots of pictures and posted them on Facebook. :)<br />
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I think I've written a book...lol! <br />
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Happy New Year!!Betty Townsendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10987489924666927333noreply@blogger.com1