Most of the day was pretty good. It was very hot. The last time I checked it was 85 degrees. I guess we are better off than most of the nation and thank heavens for air conditioning. Thank heavens too, that we are not being threatened by rolling blackouts and have not been hit with the power outages that have been occuring in parts of the country.

I cleaned the kitchen this morning. Must remember to water the plants on the deck and on the pole out front in the morning before it gets too hot. I have one tomato that is red.

Had my weekly lunch with the ladies at the Dairy Queen. I told them today that we are moving to Plymouth. They all said that I was welcome. That is nice. Two of them go to the church, St. John's, so I won't be all alone. I remember moving to a new parish in California one time and being so alone that I cried. I cry alone, I don't like other people to see me crying.

After lunch, I picked up the proof of my book from Sun Graphics. It looks nice. Mary Kay did an edit for me. Dick and I will both check it. Then, with the corrections, we can get it printed. I am so excited.

Then I stopped at Cappelle's and picked up the first sweet corn or the season and a nice big fresh tomato for supper. Stopped at ReMax and dropped off the condition report. Swung by the Pig and picked up milk, eggs and (special treat) Krispy Cream donuts for dessert. Then I went to Wells to meet George, a personal banker, who wanted to review my accounts. Because of his review they are giving us a $150 credit on the closing costs on the mortgage. He had to tell me that we are really using everything that we need and would not recommend changes. I did tell him that after we buy the new house AND our current house sells, we will need to do SOME adjusting of accounts.

Then home.

Nora's Birthday is on Sunday. I can't believe that she will be 18 already.

Sometimes I wish I could wiggle my nose like Samantha the witch and make everything all right.

Love

Mary

The house is listed. Bill Cain stopped over this morning and we did the deed. He will have it on the MLS and the internet very quickly and Nick Cain will be over on Monday afternoon to take some videos to put on his website.

As soon as we can get some of the excess "stuff" out of the way, we can have open houses if it seems right. It is good to do a real big crush when one first lists a property because that is when the activity is the heaviest and it is more likely to get the closest to the asking price.

We also have official loan approval (with a letter) and have received permission from Judy, the owner, to store boxes in the property that Jim and Michelle are buying, which will help us clean out the excess and make the house look neater and less cluttered.

We also asked Bill's advice as to what we have that we are not using that we can sell at auction.

I packed a couple of more boxes and now have Waylon's room ready to videotape and have done quite a bit in the livingroom or "greatroom" as it is more properly called.

Tomorrow is a very busy day. I will be having lunch with the girls, checking my book at Sun Graphics, picking up corn for supper, picking the garage door opener and dropping off the condition report at ReMax, and meeting the personal banker at the bank. Whew.

We are almost to the end of July already. Then it will be one more month until this is all over, and there is a lot besides just moving going on in this month.

You might be a Redneck if:

1. It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, "One nation, under God."

2. You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.

3. You still say "Christmas" instead of "Winter Festival".

4. You remove your hat and bow your head when anyone prays .

5. You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play our National Anthem.

6. You treat Viet Nam vets with great respect, and always have.

7. You've never burned an American flag , but would kick someone's BUTT if they did.

8. You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.

9 You respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same.

10. You'd give your last dollar to a friend.


Not a bad credo.

Mary

Dentist this morning. It was a good thing that they called yesterday to remind me because I had not written it down and would not have been there. All was looking good except for a minor problem with the gum on my back upper right. I have some local antibiotics deep in there and it will heal everything up in a little over a week. Teeth always feel so good after they are cleaned and polished.

Then Dick and I went grocery shopping, to the bank and got gas. We shopped at the northside Pig. Pick and Save doesn't have the napkins that we like so it seemed like a good idea to go somewhere that does.

We also went to Superior Liquor to get more boxes this afternoon. I have pulled out all my Irish videos and books to sort. Some I want to keep and some will be donated to the Research Center.

Talked to Bret this evening. It has been hot hot hot out there. He said that it was 118 degrees today. He is moving this weekend. He is going to rent a room from a friend, Mary. Mary's husband Mickey is the one who got Bret into the welding business and taught him all the ropes. Mickey died of cancer a few years ago and Mary does depend on Bret to help with major home and auto repairs and all so it will be a good thing for both of them. Cheaper for Bret and Mary will have help there.

Michelle and Jim are here tonight. Jim is working tomorrow so Michelle can stay here with us while he is gone. Tomorrow night they will go back to West Allis because she sees her doctor early on Friday morning. She experience a great deal of pain yesterday, but finally got to sleep and today the pain is managable.

I had to throw out a plant that I was trying to save today. One of the cats decided that it would make a handy litter box. I got rid of it and sprayed the big corn plant with LOTS of cat repellent. Sure hope they don't decide to try that too. Waylon did the same thing. Once. Well, that is one plant that I won't worry about any more.

Tomorrow, we list the house.

Love

Mary

I went on the trip alone today. Dick feels much better tonight but was just not up to the trip today. Now that it is over, I am just as glad it turned out this way. The crowd, even on a Tuesday, was so heavy and moved so slowly that he would have been terribly uncomfortable. The exhibit is definately worth it but I think it would have been a while before he appreciated it.

I bought him some candy in a Tutenkamen tin and a 2006 Calendar that goes with the exhibit with wonderful pictures.

We went right from the exhibit to Marshall Fields for a delightful lunch of spinach salad, chicken pot pie and a mint chocolate ice cream pie. Then we had about an hour and a half to shop. I found two new pairs of jeans in the petite section and two pair of cute sox. Then on to the Chicago River for an architectural tour. The captain of the boat was SO knowledgeable. He knew the history of every building on the river, I swear. Who, when and why and the architectural details too. We saw the Trump tower, now under construction.

Then the long drive home. It started to rain just about Ozaukee county. So the day was perfect.

Michelle's operation went well according to her e-mail. This evening, the drugs are wearing off and she is not feeling too well. With any luck at all, she will sleep well tonight and feel a bit better tomorrow. Sometimes, the next day is worse though. (Don't tell Michelle. She will be fine if she doesn't know that.) We want her healed and happy.

Take care. Til tomorrow.

Mary

I went on the trip alone today. Dick feels much better tonight but was just not up to the trip today. Now that it is over, I am just as glad it turned out this way. The crowd, even on a Tuesday, was so heavy and moved so slowly that he would have been terribly uncomfortable. The exhibit is definately worth it but I think it would have been a while before he appreciated it.

I bought him some candy in a Tutenkamen tin and a 2006 Calendar that goes with the exhibit with wonderful pictures.

We went right from the exhibit to Marshall Fields for a delightful lunch of spinach salad, chicken pot pie and a mint chocolate ice cream pie. Then we had about an hour and a half to shop. I found two new pairs of jeans in the petite section and two pair of cute sox. Then on to the Chicago River for an architectural tour. The captain of the boat was SO knowledgeable. He knew the history of every building on the river, I swear. Who, when and why and the architectural details too. We saw the Trump tower, now under construction.

Then the long drive home. It started to rain just about Ozaukee county. So the day was perfect.

Michelle's operation went well according to her e-mail. This evening, the drugs are wearing off and she is not feeling too well. With any luck at all, she will sleep well tonight and feel a bit better tomorrow. Sometimes, the next day is worse though. (Don't tell Michelle. She will be fine if she doesn't know that.) We want her healed and happy.

Take care. Til tomorrow.

Mary

A very busy day. Started off with bible study. Peggy Feider brought the nicest reading for our opening prayer. It was from Mother Teresa. She said, in a nutshell, she never figured that she would help 42,000 people. She just picked up one person and then another and then another. Like adding a drop of water to the ocean. One drop isn't really noticed but without it there would be one less drop.

Then I took Mother to the Clinic to get her blood test. That went very quickly. Next I went to Sun Graphics in Plymouth to drop off my book. They are going to have the proof ready on Friday. I can stop after my lunch with the Plymouth Bank Ladies. That way they can have it ready for August 10th when I go to the ball game with the Deeleys. Uncle Leif and Aunt Nora will be here and Uncle Leif likes to arrange a ball game with a tailgate party. Should be fun.

Finally, I stopped at ReMax and dropped the way we want title to be held off to Erlinda and talked to Tom for a bit. We have not given up on the animals. Judy, the owner,is going to bat for us. She really felt, I believe, that my letter spoke for itself. I explained to Tom again, that Chelsea is really quite old AND she has a heart murmer and does experience little epileptic type episodes. I also told him that we got the cats from the Humane Society three years ago. They are now eight and we love them and hate to put them through any more trauma than just moving. However, bless her heart, Bobbie said that she and Bill would take them for the duration if it became necessary. We can't separate them and I would NEVER take them back to the Humane Society. That was a big relief. At least we have the security of knowing they will be loved and accepted together by someone who knows and loves them too.

Tonight I joined Dottie Diedrich and Marlene Freville to work on the Celtic Faire quilt. It is such a nice experience to hand quilt in a "quilting bee" situation. We all learn little bits about quilting and share in such a comfortable way, our life situations and just fun things. I like that. We got everything but ONE block, the stitching in the border and the binding done. Dottie is going to finish the last block and there will be a last session next Monday for the border stitching. Joyce will sew on the binding and Marlene will finish it off. It is beautiful. I will put a picture on agan and you can all order tickets from me.

Have a great Tuesday. I am going to Chicago. Dick and I were both supposed to go but he is just not up to the walking involved. So I will join the tour alone. I don't want to miss the Tut exhibit. and Dick doesn't want both of us to miss it. So I will go. We have to be really careful now because too much walking is just too much for him.

Have a great day


Love

Mary

This is insane. This is the third time that I am trying to post tonight. It keeps crashing on me.

I am trying to vent my frustration with the condo situation. I will try ONCE more.

We received a letter on Friday. After we had verbal assurance from Tom Cain that all was OK. And after we had gone in to see Kaye Beck on Thursday and filled out an application for the mortgage AND ordered th appraisal that the Condo association was turning down our request to bring all three of our animals with us to the condo.

Needlless to say, I am a wreck. I don't crash very often, but when you try to take my kids or my critters away, you are missing with my heart.

We have four choices, as I see it.

1. We cancel the deal and stay here. We could pay the loan WAY down, get it reamortized, get Jim off the deed and him his equity and hopefully have enough spendable income to pay for shoveling and more outside help and general maintenance.

2. Go ahead with the deal and find someway or someone to take part of the animals. We could concievable alot a dog or a cat to Jim and Michelle but what about the third one?

3. Sneak them in.

4. Persist in our request but Dick is afraid of antagonizing the board or our neighbors. However, we KNOW that there are households with more than one animal and we KNOW that exceptions have been made for elderly LARGE animals, so see no reason for the action as we are willing to even sign an affidavit or agreement or whatever that we will not replace until ALL are gone.

Anyway, I am going to see if Judy, the sellor, has any pull or influence and go from there. I am literally sick to my stomach some of the time. I seems like such a mild request and DOES worry me a bit about the condo assocation's ability to cooperate with tenents.

Well. We will see. I am praying a lot and hope you will join me. It is not as imortant as World Peace, but I cannot imagine that God wants three little animals to be frightened any more than just by the move. New owners would be really hard on them.

Michelle has surgery on her foot on Tuesday. Pray for successful surgery for her. Also my nephew, Jesse Johnston, will be starting a bone marrow procedure any day now. Pray for him and opt for life and health.

Love

Mary