Dad is feeling better - just a little side affect

As you know, Tim went into the hospital on September 8th with pneumonia. After three days on IV antibiotics he came home for two weeks of rest before starting back to work last Monday. He also came home a non-smoker.

He's doing much better, but suffered a quirky little side affect from all of the medications. We couldn't quite describe it, so here's a picture.

During the two weeks Dad was home

we had a shed installed in the back yard.

We also had an infestation of bees while Dad was home those two weeks. They were coming in the from a little hole between the foundation and the wood siding, directly below the kitchen window. They nested in the joists - between our upstairs kitchen floor and the basement kitchen ceiling. Though most bees came in and out via the hole in the siding, they also invaded the house via light sockets and plumbing spaces. It was ridiculous.

Poor Molly tried to catch a bee in our living room, and suffered a bad allergic reaction. Her head blew up like a soccer ball, and her eyes swelled shut. Poor puppy. We learned from the Vet that you give dogs Benedryl for allergies, just like you do people. Anyway, Molly got better right away, but she slept for almost two days.

Every day I found dead bees in the kitchen, Jeremy and Charlene found little piles of dead bees on the floor below the ceiling pot lights. Dad called Mike Costanza who came out and took care of the bees. It took them a few days to completely die out. It seemed like the smaller ones died first, and then we saw larger and larger dead bees as we came to the end of the nest. Finally, I came home from work one night and Dad told me Jeremy and Charlene had discovered a gigantic bee in the basement. He described it as being so huge that I speculated it must be the Queen. Dad called down to Jeremy and asked him to bring the bee upstairs and show it to me. I grabbed the camera, a sheet of white paper, and a ruler - just so I could take a picture for all of you.

Here's a picture of the Queen Bee they brought up from the basement.

Yes, they got me - and had a good laugh.

That is Miss Olive Oyle in her Halloween costume.
And yes, she really is a Queen.

And here is the little Princess, Gizmo.

I'm still hunting for a job. Its a little stressful working at a place from which I have already quit. There's a great deal to train my replacement, and so Master Consulting seems glad I'm there for the time being.

Dad and I are doing well without cigarettes. Has been three weeks now. Yippee!!!!

Tim Jr. will be in town this weekend, and Rachel & Joshua are coming up from Wheeling. We will enjoy having more of our kids in town this weekend. Jeremy and Charlene have been a precious blessing to Dad and I, but I think they also miss having our big family around. It will be special to have a barbecue on the back porch this coming Sunday.

By the way, if anyone wants seeds, that plant next to the garage door is a Castor Bean. Do you see the size of those leaves? Adam and Eve together could have made two complete garments from just one leaf. I started the plant from one little bean in May, and have cut at least four feet off of it. Next year I think I should ll plant it in a location where it will have more room to grow.

That's all our news. Go Browns!!