She passed & rain

[linda/IL]

Mom took her drivers test & she passed.  I'm glad I won't have to take her for everything yet.  It's been a real trial for both of us lately as she has had an issue with colitis for over 3 wks.   Dr. visits, samples, & colonoscopy and now prednisone to settle it down.  Wal mart didn't have the 5 day pack so they gave her a bottle of little pills (6 throughout the day 1, decrease 1 pill every day, etc.) along with her other meds is confusing her along with trying to find a diet that works.  I wish she was in extended care somewhere as I'm making at least 2-4  times/day into her house to try & help her w/meds & etc.  and don't feel she believes what I tell her anyway.  If this keeps up I'll have to look into home health care or something.

I know I'm short & grouchy and DH has let me know.  But mom calls whenever she has a bad episode (several times a day) and I swear my eye starts twitching when her number comes up just because I never know if I'm heading to hospital or what. 

We've had enough rain here for awhile.  Hay is past it's prime and no way will it go until it dries the field out.

Our sweet corn isn't planted yet either.  Afraid planting now will give those silk beetles a real feast  but gotta try.

Our fields don't look too bad but there are some that have standing water.  Suey, saw Carl Sandberg college made national news with their window blowouts.  Are you doing OK?  How about you Ruby, and everyone else?

There's more in the weather forecast; they could keep that for a dry summer day, right?

[Ruby Lou]

My MIL thought she could drive too.....couldn't figure out her meds one day and drove to Walmart 15 miles away and sat on the bench. THey called us and my DH said haul her to the hospital....She had had a heart attack!  I do her meds now every Sunday. We are 1 1/2 miles away.  I worry when she doesn't call for a day or so!  Guess she woke up one morning at 6 a.m. and called her daughter in South Dakota and complained about her bed.  (guess I didn't take her to her favorite store and buy her a namebrand bed).  I took her to the place my family has always bought furniture!  I get short too.  It is so hard because she can't help her dementia, I can't do anything about it either...but is is so frustrating!! We can only take so much at a time!

As far as the weather, looks like another front is coming in.  Coralville dam is now predicted to overflow the spillway...Iowa city will be flooded for sure.  Not as bad as 2008 though thank goodness.  I just hope the weather holds off until I am home from my wedding errands after work. Oh, hay is probably ready here too, will be stemmy I am sure. Beans aren't done yet either.

[turkey feather]

Weather about the same here. SIN cut his hay last week and it has rained several times but I suppose he got it baled somehow in between the rains. He had other fields to cut too.  No bad storms or floods.

DH garden is not growing well and I don't understand the problem. It is his baby this year so far. It just will not grow. He planted way too early and we had to pull up the radishes that were going to seed and not radishes. Potatoes look terrible too.  He had a beautiful stand of peas but something ate 85% of them.

[Kay/NC]

My family is finally haying...six weeks late, so it's overmature, but no way to save it before now, except a field or two here and there.  It is finally warmer, but probably going to be the first May I can ever remember with no 90 degree days. 

The garden at Jenna's is pretty and growing well.  It is turning off dry, so I will be going up and watering it tomorrow, which is the anniversary of her passing. 

The work her brother and his helper are doing in her house has the only bathroom sort of in a state of no privacy for a few days yet, so we haven't been staying overnights for a week or so.  This coincided with the haying and my belt test, so it all works out.  Still, I feel a need to visit there tomorrow, regardless of anything else that transpires. 

I am glad for you that your mother can still do some driving, but wonder how well that bodes for everyone else on the road, if she's having these bad spells you mention so frequently.  I would start to ask about some home health help.  If you don't need it immediately, you will at least be heading in the right direction, for when you truly have no choice but to intervene. 

There comes a point where you have no alternative, for her sake, but also for your own and your family's welfare.  That twitch is telling you something. 

[Suey73]

Well,  at least we don't have deal with my MIL being on the road.   Linda,  Call Home Health Care.   Talk to the Doctor and see if he thinks she needs it.   If he thinks yes,  then Medicare will cover at least part of it for awhile.    Besides,  health issues I think she is lonely.   Is there anyone who could agree to stop by and visit her at least once a week? 

Rain,  we've had 5.3" Sat, Sun, and Monday.   Got 2 inches just last night.    Water in the basement,   water standing in the yard/s.  Huge ruts cut in a couple of fields.   We're both Dead Tired.   Hauling out corn and hogs today and tomorrow.  MIL has denist appointment,  powerwasher company is coming at 10AM.  Pigs leave at 6 AM.   Soaked down half of the building today.    Most creeks around us are overflowing.   At least 3 Highways are closed due to flooding on the Henderson Creek.    We have no bottom ground and live in one of highest points in the county.  

During the first T-storm that went throught last evening I didn't get the South Curtains up on the finishing bldg.   Wet feed in the feeders for the second time this week.   Luckily they are bigger pigs and can empty it out in just a little over 36 hours.  

On the good side.   We've been hauling out corn for about a week now.   You ladies understand what that means. 

The hogs we raise go to Farmland, in Monmouth,  which is owned by Smithfield.  Not sure how I feel about China owning hog slaughtering plants.   Think they can understand:  USDA, EPA, OSHA, FDA, and that they have to follow the rules.  We like to think that Bribery doesn't work in this country.... but... this is ILLINOIS.   

[Kay/NC]

Oh, Suey...the alphabet soup is why they still need Smithfield.

Really, I was atbthe hird park this afternoon, making 1000 seed ticks for the interactive exhibit, when the son of the park's founders walked in and said his wife had just let hm know of the acquisition news. He wanted my reaction. While I talked politely with him about it, it is hard to expain that my major oncern wasn't for us as growers, but for national security, with a major food produepcer going under foreign ontril.

By the time I got home, we had emails from the production entity, saying " business as usual",; another from my attorney/ pal, who sits on the BOD of two Chinese companies. Mike saw it featured on the national news this evening. Big news....

The truth is that they lack our water supply, arable land base for feedstuff production, and the mature infrastructure for production, processing, and the Smthfield brand base. Perhaps I should say " lacked." If this deal receives government approval, they will be in the.catbird seat.