Happy Birthday Samantha!

I can't believe my grandaughter Samantha is 12 years old!   And she loves telling me,  “next year I'll be a teenager”.  Grandchildren should not be allowed to grow up so fast.   I always send her a birthday card that is pink and says something about “grandma's little princess”.   This year she told me she really doesn't like pink and all that girly stuff….  So I sent her a Pirates of the Caribbean birthday card. 

Oh, I'll be so glad when winter is over.   We are just beginning to see tiny buds on the trees; the daffodils are in bloom and the Wisteria will be blooming soon.  And the Dogwoods and Redbuds will be covering the hills around Tahlequah.  It is a great time to visit northeastern Oklahoma.  Springtime in Oklahoma  also brings thunderstorms and tornadoes but that is just part of living in Oklahoma.

 I don't have much to “blog”  about this month.   My schedule is about as busy as I can handle although I would love to have more visits from my friends.  I’ve enjoyed going to the movies and reading books on my Nook.   My sisters haven't presented me with any big challenges since my trip to Palm Springs.  They are saving that for next month which I will tell you all about later.  But I still meet plenty of challenges every day.   I am getting more strength in my arms and my trunk.   I still have very limited use of my hands and nothing from my waist down.   Allen has me working out with Dura-Band.   Dura-Band is an elastic strap, different colors give a different strength of resistance.  I broke the yellow one so I guess that was a good indication that I'm ready for the next higher resistance which is a red strap.  He also has me throwing balls which   helps me with coordination in my arms and hands. I still ride my MotoMed stationary bicycle but I'm not getting very far on it.  Maybe if I read my Nook while bicycling I will go a further distance.

We are hoping to re-do the driveway to make it easier for me to get into my van and easier for my friends to park the van without backing in.  Leonard found someone to remove the big tree that has been in the way but it’s very hard to find a contractor to do the paving.  If anyone knows about such a company, please let me know.  This is something we have been trying to get done for over a year.

I want to give a special thanks to my care givers Lori, Sara and Kim, and to my “therapist” Allen.  You make my life so much easier and more enjoyable every day!