Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Monday, June 24, 2019

Day Lilies in our Yard ---and an Update

Our largest Day Lily Bed 6/9/19
Dear Blog Friends,   First of all,  I have an apology for many of you...  The past couple of weeks,  I was spending a lot of time reading your posts and commenting..... I knew that my comments were just disappearing --but I thought you may have had Comment Moderation on....   SO--I kept on commenting and commenting....

Finally when I commented on a good friend's blog post,  I knew that she did not have  her comments modified....  Guess what?  My comment disappeared again....  She didn't get it.   Then I started doing some research  --and realized that my comments were all disappearing in La La Land.   SO SORRY---I had worked so hard for several days, and probably lost about 20 comments. 

I finally switched to Firefox (from Safari) --and everything seems fine now.   Somehow Google wasn't recognizing my name on Safari --and I could never get it fixed...  Firefox seems fine --so far...  Maybe it's the ongoing battle between an Apple product and any other product....  We love Safari due to its great security --but I could never get it to recognize me in Blog Land!

SECONDLY --- I am on my 10th day since my CARDIAC ABLATION....   And --I can honestly tell you that I am doing very well.... I had a scratchy throat for awhile (due to the Trach they used to put down in my Esophagus).....  And --other than being tired (which is normal after that procedure),  I really feel good.  I am breathing NORMALLY--and my heart rate is really good!!!!!  YEAH...  I do know that it's not over yet  --since I have from 3-6 months of healing.   I keep telling myself that my poor heart was cauterized (burned) --and it will take awhile for it to heal itself....  SO---I'm being GOOD  (believe it or not--ha) and not over-doing..... Thanks for all of your good thoughts and prayers for me... They meant so much!!!!

If you follow me on Facebook you know that our Day Lilies in the yard are blooming BIGTIME now.  We 'walk the yard' every morning  (or when it is not raining) ---and take pictures....  I keep records of my pictures --and realized today that we have about 65 different  Day Lily plants blooming so far.   AMAZING.   We have more Day Lilies now than we do Roses.   And I have begun to love them as much as I do the Roses.    SO-----today I'm featuring JUST a few of our Day Lilies.   I have chosen 15 ---all of which were taken from 5/29/19 through 6/10/19....   Sit back and enjoy!!!!!


 
Carefree Peach 5/29/19



Yellow Bouquet  (Double DayLily) 5/29/19  (Reminds me a little of a Daffodil)



Charles Johnston 5/31/19



Dancing Shiva 6/1/19



Bahama Butterscotch  6/2/19



Lullaby Baby 6/6/19



Pure and Simple 6/6/19



Blushing Summer Valentine 6/9/19



Tiger Time 6/6/19



Micro Burst 6/10/19  (another double Day Lily)



Plum Perfect  6/10/19



Judith  6/1/19



Warrior Prince 6/10/19



Double Eyeful  6/3/19  (a gorgeous Double Day Lily)
Well --that is enough for one post!!!!   Do you have a favorite????   Out of this group,  I think my favorite is the last one,  Double Eyeful...  It is such an interesting  Day Lily..

One final thought today:   Yesterday  (June 23, 2019) was our 18th Wedding Anniversary...  What a blessing for me to have met and married  George Adams....  Thank You, Honey,  for taking such good care of ALL of our Flowers --so that I can enjoy them and share them with friends/family.  As we begin our 19th year together,  let's pray that we can enjoy MANY more years to come! If you would like to see a Blog Post I wrote  in 2009 about our wedding (including pictures),   click HERE.

Hope you all have an awesome week ahead...  My Challenge: Go outside this week,  take a long walk ----and enjoy all of the beauty that God has given us.

Hugs,

Friday, June 14, 2019

UPDATE

My Cardiac Ablation went well yesterday and I feel good.  I'm ready to go home this morning --so that I can sleep in my own bed!!!   Hospitals are definitely not the place to be IF you want rest... ha ha

Monday, June 10, 2019

Everything is Coming Up ROSES, and a PRAYER Request

Veteran's Honor --5/17/19
Dear Friends,   How is life treating you????   I hope things are going well.... My life is crazy ---and I thought retirement was the time I would just be able to sit and relax... ha ha ....  I apologize that I don't have much time these days to comment on your blog posts --but I do take time to read them...

After dealing with Long-Standing Persistent A Fib all during 2018--with no good results from the medications I was receiving,  at my insistence,   I finally got referred by my local Cardiologist to go to a specialist,  an Electrophysiologist,  in Knoxville. My new doctor has finally given me hope when it comes to my health.

My new doctor changed my medication,  and scheduled a procedure for me to try.   SO--on April 23,  I had a Cardioversion.   This is a procedure where they 'shock' the heart --trying to get it back into Normal Sinus Rhythm....  They only had to ZAP me once  (I was asleep and didn't feel it) in order to get my heart beating normally..... I was so so so pleased and amazed that this procedure worked the FIRST TIME they tried it...   (Why in the world had I not done it SOONER?)   AND --as of today,  my heart is still beating normally.. I cannot explain how much better I feel.   No more shortness of breath,  no more weakness,  no more exhaustion,  no more dizziness;  These were all of these things I suffered with all during 2018.

BUT even though I am doing well right now, my doctor wasn't finished with me yet...  For most people with A Fib,  the Cardioversion is a temporary fix...  SO---I'm having another more permanent procedure done this week.  This procedure is much harder and more invasive  (a four-hour surgery with a night spent in the hospital).  This procedure (called a CATHETER ABLATION) is more permanent --and hopefully  (if it works for me), I will  STAY in normal sinus rhythm for a much longer time, maybe forever..

I'm a 'fighter'  ---and will NOT give up... I want my life back...  Some people may just give up and live with A Fib --but that is NOT me.   My only regret is not pushing much sooner for a referral to an Electrophysiologist..  I put WAY too much trust in my Cardiologist...   BUT--I don't dwell on that now.. I'm looking forward.   Please pray for me on JUNE 13...  Thank You!!!!

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For those of you who have blogged with me for years,  then you know that George and I grow ROSES  (along with Lilies, Day Lilies,  Irises, Tulips,  Daffodils,  etc.)....  This is the season for our Roses to start blooming.   SO--we  "walk the yard"  most every morning taking pictures.   Today I'll share with you some of my favorite MAY ROSES....  Hope you enjoy them.



DoubleDelight -- 5/18/19





Daring Spirit --5/20/19



Welcome Home--  5/20/19



RioSamba--  5/22/19



Queen Elizabeth-- 5/22/19



Flaminco-- 5/22/19



Sedona-- 5/22/19



Simply Magnificent -- 5/23/19



Crescendo -- 5/23/19



About Face -- 5/25/19



Peace --5/25/19



Alec's Red --5/25/19



Color Magic -- 5/30/19



Melody Parfume --5/30/19
Well ---that's enough beauty for today....  Hope you enjoyed seeing the Roses.  Do you have a favorite or favorites?????

Remember to send me some good thoughts and prayers on JUNE 13 (Thursday)...    I will be out-of-commission for awhile  I'm sure,  but I'll be back to blogging soon!!!!

Hugs,

Monday, June 3, 2019

Some Preciousness for You Today

VERONICA MAE --5/27/19
Hello to my Blog Friends,   If you have been on Facebook recently,  you may know that I have a 2nd GREAT Granddaughter now...  Veronica Mae was born on  May 27, 2019 at 12:18 p.m.  and weighed 7 lb 8 oz and is 20 inches long.   Veronica (Roni) is the daughter of my Granddaughter Booke and her husband, Tristan.   She has a big sister,  Vivian Lee (Vivi), who is 16 months old now.

As you can imagine,   this has been exciting for our family.  Tristan is in the Navy and is currently deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln.  Communication between the two of them is SPARCE...  He won't be home until November.

Today--I'll share a few (out of the many I have) pictures of this blessed event.... Hope you enjoy them!!!!!





Brooke,  Roni --and Tristan (there in spirit)






Brooke and Roni --telling everyone the good news!!! 



Sister Vivian (Vivi) meets Roni for the first time



Adorable Veronica (Roni) and her Daddy



Such a precious angel--a Gift from God



Brooke and her two baby girls 



Big Sister wants to 'love' on Little Sister.... Little Sister says:  "Leave me alone.  I'm sleepy."    ha ha



Brooke is an amazing Mama



HA HA ---what an expression!!!!!  This one made me laugh outloud.



Finally,   here's one more of our little Bundle of Joy!!!!!  Hope you enjoyed these pictures... God has blessed  Brooke and Tristan with another gorgeous baby girl... I am sure I'll be sharing more pictures of this amazing little family in future blogs!!!!

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Thanks to so many of you for your prayers, thoughts, emails, texts,  etc. etc. etc. during my recent Carpal Tunnel Surgery.   The surgery went extremely well ---and the healing has been much easier than I thought it would be.     I thought I was going to have to have surgery on the right hand sometime  also --but my doctor thinks I have arthritis in that hand and not Carpal Tunnel.   I now have a thumb brace to wear at nights on that hand.

Have a wonderful week,  and contact someone just to say HI this week.

Hugs,