Just for fun. We got this picture of a peacock in
full spread on a trip up north a few year ago.

Mary

It was HOT today. When Chelsea and I walked it was still pleasant but warmed up quickly thereafter.

At about 9 I went over to the Hunters Glen property and spent three hours on the bushes. They needed to be trimmed so badly so that the house looks its best. I shaped the privot type hedge at the corner of the house, the "tree" that was planted as a bush and grows under the locust tree and cut the dead lilacs off of the Korean Lilac that grows under the garage window. I told Dick that if I had known that cutting it back like he did last year would produce that much flowering we would have done it every year.

I had three bags of cuttings plus the bag I had here to take to the city lot. I was exhausted but feel good that it is done for a bit. I will have to go out again in the next week to tidy up the junipers.

When I got home, we had lunch, I showered and then I lay down for a nap. I got to sleep but then heard noises so I got up and found that Dick's desk chair had broken. He had been sleeping in it an apparently twisted wrong or it was just weakened and snapped. So we have a captain's chair in until we figure out what we can do to replace it.

Father's Day has started early for Dick. While I was out with Chelsea, a floral delivery arrived. It is an absolutely beautiful yellow arrangement of lilies and roses in a really pretty pitcher that will be placed up on the cupboard above the pantry along with two other pretty pitchers that need a friend.

Then - Jim and Michelle took us to Antoinette's for a Father's Day dinner. Altogether pleasant. A good meal AND good company. It was a good "catch up" as we see each other so seldom with them working in the Milwaukee area and us running all over the county for appointments.

Now a quiet evening.

I think I told you that Barbara, the kid's mother, is doing better and is much more alert and responsive.

However, please pray for our son in law, Bill Smith. His mother died today in California. I am sure Bill and Leslie will appreciate your prayers and comforting thoughts.

Tomorrow will be Mass at 8AM and I work at Rhine from 12 to 4. I will be working with Bobbie so that will make it fun.

Love.

Mary

Here is the first part of an email I received. I may have started it before but I know that I didn't finish it.

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor

gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student

and had breezed through the questions until I read

the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the

cleaning woman several times. She was tall,

dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question

blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if

the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers,

you will meet many people. All are significant. They

deserve your attention and care, even if all you do

is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her

name was Dorothy.

It was HOT today. When Chelsea and I went for out walk, however, it was quite beautiful. Then I took my shower and Dick and I went out for breakfast.

I left two things out of yesterday's saga.

When I was cleaning up the kitchen after supper, I was moving a pan from the left to the right side of the sink - with the water running - the pan hit the faucet handle and it broke off with the water running like crazy. I tried to reattach it but found that it had actually cracked. So the only way to turn off the water was the valves under the sink.

SO this morning, we went to Sonntag Plumbing for help with the faucet and with the toilet in the guest bathroom upstairs. We have been struggling with that for months now. It may have been able to be fixed but Dick had decided that it would be better to replace it with a higher one with the longer seat which is better for him now. We got there at about 9:00AM and they came and did both jobs before 1:30PM. I am impressed and amazed.

We stopped at Hunters Glen while we were out and ran the water again. As I went out the garage side door to check the gardens, the guts of the lock box - with our key attached - fell onto the ground. Whoever had showed the house last did not put it back together properly. So I had to call ReMax for instructions as to how to put it back together. We were not happy.

I had lunch at Dairy Queen as usual, then went over to my friend Kate Herman's house to dig up some lavender that she said I could have. It is beautiful. I put a bunch in the front next to the sidewalk, two small bunches on the deck in pots and a large hunk down at the bottom of the garden. We had a good visit. I took her and her husband Ron two pasties for their supper and some lavender cookies. With all her lavender, she needs some way to use it aside from the scent use which is actually reason enough.

We brought home the sprinkler heads from Hunters Glen so I am now able to soak the gardens using them rather than standing out there spraying and getting eaten by mosquitoes.

Tomorrow I am going back to Hunters Glen to trim the bushes. Kate said to call her before I left. If nothing changes, she will come and help me. It is good to have good friends.

There was a second thing that I forgot to tell you about yesterday. When Dr. Schelcht lasered Dick's eyes, he told him that there might be floaters which will absorb. It is the debris that he "washed" off the lenses. As we were heading to lunch after the treatment, he suddenly looked at me and said that it looked like hundreds of ants were crawling all over me. We had a lot of fun with that. Fortunately it did not last too long. Today he is doing very well. The slight soreness that he was experiencing yesterday is mostly gone. He will be on eye drops for about a month.

And that is what is happening in Plymouth with the Kunerts today. A much nicer day than yesterday. Instead of things breaking, they were getting fixed and planted. I am feeling very fuzzy content this evening.

We also heard that Barbara, the kids' mother, is doing much better. Not well by any means but much better. So prayers and good medical care are working. We must keep up our end by continuing to pray.

Happy weekend.

Mary

This morning Chelsea and I had company on our walk. Suzi loves to walk and got up so she could go with us on our morning trek around the condo complex and the park. It was beautiful. We only got a few mosquito bites. We had to run through the wooded area to stay ahead of them. We only to a couple of bites each.

I make the omelets that you boil in a bag for breakfast. That is an easy meal for a crowd. We all loved it. We had toast, muffins and scones with them and a lovely visit with Suzi and Hazel. They left at about 9AM for Medford and Theresa and Gary.

Dick and I left at about 11:00 for the Sheboygan Clinic. This is where the day got really goofy. We saw DR. Schlecht, who said that Dick's implants were indeed clouded as Dr. Zeigler had thought. He was able to do the laser treatment necessary to clean them and correct another small problem while we waited. Then things got goofy. Because we had an appointment with Dr. Sharon for a leg inspection at Aurora in Plymouth, he set up an appointment in Plymouth for an hour after the laser procedure to determine if the pressure was OK.

We got there and the technician checked the pressure, but noted that Dick's eye seemed red and irritated and asked Dr. Zweben, who was working in Plymouth that day to check it, after they found him. He seemed resentful stating that he did not have an appointment and didn't know what was going on and frankly did not seem willing to listen to the circumstances. He finally looked at Dick's eye and calmed down some. He agreed that it was irritated and gave us some antibiotics and confirmed the drops that Dr. Schlecht had prescribed.

Then we went up and saw Dr. Sharon. He is very pleased with the improvement in Dick's legs. We are going to proceed with the thigh high stockings, the massage, and the bicycle shorts. We are scheduled for a yearly physical for Dick in mid July. At that time a couple of other small things will be addressed.

After we left the clinic, we picked up Chelsea's heartworm medicine. I had noticed on TV that it is time for the meds to be administered. Apparently Kettle Moraine does not notify its patients like Dr. Zechlinski did. It is a good thing that I happened to see the ad. They prescribe a yearly, once a month, program. It cost $49. That means Chelsea Has to live for another year to use it up. I think that is wonderful. I hope we have her forever, but it also means that I cannot have my kitties. I miss them so. Perhaps someday, someone will say. Here is a present for you and I will have them back in my house. The longer it gets the less likely I will ever have them again.

For our last stop we went to Walgreens to get the prescribed eye drops. There I found that they do not stock the drops prescribed. Walgreens called all the Plymouth Pharmacies and found that NONE of them do. So we called Dr. Zweben and he switched the meds and asked Walgreens to bring the med in as they are going to be using it.

It was after 4 when we got home. We were both very tired. Chelsea was glad we were here and ready to pay some attention to her. Dick took a nap and I caught up on some computer work.

Now it is 8:30PM and I am exhausted. I did get my outdoor plants watered today. A man came and cleaned out all the thistles next to the garage today. We are sure glad that is done as it was an awful mess. I can only do so much. The back and that bed right in front along with the pots on the patio AND I HAVE to get to Hunters Glen are really more than I want to handle. There is so much time being spent on personal health issues that I need about 8 more hours in the day. If I had them, I could sleep then and work the 8 that I sleep now.

Be good to yourself on Friday and throughout the weekend.

Love

Mary

It was a very eventful and successful day.

Chelsea and I started with a nice walk. Didn't see another walker at all but there were a couple of the Tallgrass residents out watering so we didn't feel too alone.

Then we had an 8:30AM appointment with Sandy at the Clinic for the last of this series of massage therapy. His legs have settled down. They have not changed appreciably in circumference since last Thursday SO. We sent to the Aurora Drug Store on Superior in Sheboygan to see Barb, who fits people for support stockings. We are now the proud owners of a pair of thigh high support stockings. They really look good. They will be difficult to get on BUT can't be any worse than the double wrappings that we have been doing. Tomorrow we will see Dr. Sharon and he will be able to answer the questions that we have come up with.

We stopped on the way home for Dick's blood test and then went to Culvers for lunch. Their special was a taco. I tried it and thought it was really good.

When we got home, I baked some Lavender Cookies, just because I wanted to bake something. Then my friend, Kate, came over and we discussed the formation of the CWI Sheboygan branch. Kate reviewed and made suggestions for the invitation and we are discussing WHEN we should do it. Kate thinks September, which might be a good idea especially if we do some talking up about it.

Suzi and Hazel got here at about 5:30. They are such fun. We had a glass or two of wine and then ate dinner. Then Suzi and I went for a walk. Chelsea loved that. Jim and Michelle came home just about the time we got back and were standing outside while Suzi had a cigarette. So I asked them over for some dessert with us. That was nice.

Now it is time for bed. They will be leaving in the morning to go to Theresa and Gary's house.

We all watched a bit of Larry King's interview with Regis Philbin. Regis was complaining about his scar and it reminded me of my Uncle Roman.

Uncle Roman, one of my Mom's brothers, and his wife Aunt Mary Ann drove up to Wisconsin for a visit one year. They lived in Texas. Uncle Roman is gone now. Mary Ann is still in Austin. Anyway, Uncle Roman was complaining of discomfort in his abdomen for several days, so Aunt Mary Ann insisted that he go to see a doctor. They discovered an aneurysm about 5 inches long in his abdomen. Fortunately they were in time (obviously) and able to fix it before it burst. Mother went to see him in the hospital and all he had to say was "Do you want to see my scar?'
He was quite proud of it. Such a lovely love story he and Mary Ann had. You could just see the relief and love in her face when she looked at him.

Two doctor appointments for Dick tomorrow. I had better get to bed.

Love

Mary

What a day. It was beautiful.

Dick had his massage therapy this morning and then we went grocery shopping. That pretty well took up the morning.

After lunch, I made the soup for tomorrow night and did some other kitchen things. Tomorrow will be even busier so I didn't want to be having to worry about a meal for Suzi and Hazel. The soup is done and just has to be warmed up. I have some corn muffins, dill bread and cheese and crackers to go with it.

Tomorrow, I believe that Dick is going to be fitted for his thigh high stockings. We are going to see if they will help as much as the knee high have for the lower leg.

Received a May newsletter from Fr. Mike Shea updating us on Sarnelli House. They are having a tougher year this year because of two things. 1. a change in government has stopped a lot of funding and 2. the rains are slow in coming which is not helping the rice crops that help feed the 162 residents and staff at the Sarnelli House compound. The numbers are growing constantly. Fr. Mike will be home again in August and is going to say Mass at the Reunion of the Clans at St. Michael's Church in Parnell. This should be a good fundraiser for him. These are all people who know who he is and what he is. He was born and raised at Our Lady of the Angels Church in Armstrong, just over the Fond du Lac line. Mike's Grandmother Mae was my Grandfather John Bowser's sister. These are generous people so I hope it will go well. I need to call Rosemary Mugan tomorrow to see if she can advise me how to get all we need for him to do this and we can plan the mass and music. I am excited.

Here is a description of one of the children at the House of Hope at Sarnelli. "At the House of hope, Josie, who has cerebral palsy, holds her own. She is settign records for herself by not having to go to the hospital. Even some doctors ask anxiously about her, not seeing her come in for treatment. She is a lovely little thing of 5 years old. Some say she is a mindless little vegetable. But I don't believe that, since she hates the timbre of my voice, I am not talking to her for 5 minutes, when she gets irritated and cries."

Fr. Mike is big and can sound loud I am sure.

This reminded me of a friend of mine who made babies cry when she laughed. Beverly made Bart when she laughed for probably the first year of his life. He finally did get used to her. One day when he was about two he walked over to her house as she was getting ready to go somewhere. He asked where she was going and she jokingly said that she was going to hell, did he want to come along. Then she had to chase after him frantically and explain as he ran home screaming at the top of his lungs. "Mom, Can I to go to hell with Beverly."

Have a good Wednesday.

We are looking forward to our company.

Mary

Today was pretty much for me.

I could hear Chelsea sighing outside the bedroom door at about 5:45 AM so I finally got up because she sounded so pitiful out there. (Dick couldn't hear her. I think it has something to do with having been a mother. We hear things.) We had a lovely walk. It was very comfortable, about 58 degrees and there were no bugs buzzing around my head. We like these kind of mornings. It was pretty quiet, we only saw one other walker during our time in the fresh air.

I had bible study at 9:30AM. Only two of our semi regulars were missing so we had 10 people there. This makes for lively discussions. The readings next Sunday were about faith and the law. Which is the most important. and told two stories. The Old Testament told of David sending Uriah to be killed in battle so that he could marry Bathsheba. Pretty rotten, but David repented so the Lord forgave him, BUT he had to take responsibility and make amends. Then the Gospel spoke of the sinful woman washing the feet of Jesus and the Pharisee kind of offended because Jesus was accepting being touched by a sinful women. This reading does point out quite explicitly that there were women that traveled with Jesus and the disciples and that they contributed in every way to the ministry. We always have opinions that are sometimes in agreement and sometimes a bit a part. We did wonder again, why God gave Israel to the Jewish people when they had to go in there and drive out and kill a whole bunch of peoples to claim it.

After that meeting, I went over to Mom's. She and I visited and had lunch together. Then I went to Sheboygan for Writer's Club and she got ready to be picked up to play canasta with her friends. This is the one that takes forever, because one of the players plays very slowly. Today Helen Murphy, who usually spurs her to make a decision, was not playing so Mother was hoping that either she or the other lady had the gumption to do the spuring.

Writer's Club was fun. We had a lot of reading and discussion. John Textor had us end by each person giving an update of what he or she is working on and what he or she plans for the forseeable future. Hopefully this, like a workshop, will motivate us to do more. I was amused that Sylvia was surprised that everybody doesn't spend at least four hours a day writing. I write each day, but would find it difficult to carve that big a chunk to devote to my writing. She is so good and so dedicated that I can understand her feeling that way.

However, I was a bit surprised today at how rather rude some of our members are. Groups were talking over people who had the floor. It made it difficult to read and for Sue to conduct a meeting. At least twice, we had to just stop and wait for people to stop their conversation. I don't understand our society. During a meeting, people should be listening, not carrying on their own conversations. They sould step outside of the room if it is that important. And when someone is reading a piece, everybody should be listening not carrying on what we used to call sidebars when I was working. How can there be any genuine comments if people are not really listening?

Anyway, it was good to see friends.

Then I went over to my cousin, Brian Ayers, with my jewelry. Peggy was home too so we had a bit of a visit before I had to head home with a stop at St. John the Baptist to pick up Market Day.

I am still writing my haiku every day. Some are not to good but that is all right as it is an exercise and the idea is to keep writing. This one I kind of liked.


Ride up to the clouds
Free from all that burdens you.
Quiet and still up there.
Mary

Except for church this morning, this was the second day that I got to stay home the entire day. I even managed to take a nice nap. Good thing - the upcoming week is turning out to be very busy what with several doctor visits for Dick.

Tomorrow is for me though. I will be going to bible study and have decided to attend the Sheboygan Writers Club meeting. I have not been for some time and really just want to. I am going to drip several chains and rosaries off to my cousin Brian Ayers, the jeweler, to have them repaired while I am in town and am leaving my ring to be checked and cleaned. It is time.

Chelsea is getting really Old. She is very vocal, whining and chortling, EVERYTIME she wants anything. She does have to go out more, because she is old, but lots of time, I think she is just hoping for more lettuce. The little bum. When she sleeps, and she does sleep a LOT, she is so deep that we often can walk right by her without waking her. Something that would not have happened, even a few months ago. But on her walks she is still like a young puppy so I know that basically she feels OK. During the winter months, sometimes she gets tired and just turns back when we are on our walks.

Dick and I racked the White Zinfandel to the secondary fermenter today. We have figured out how to do it so Dick won't have to lift the 5 gallon jugs when they are full so we will be able to continue our winery, though on a bit of a smaller scale.

Wednesday, Suzi and Hazel are going to be here overnight on their way up north to Theresa's place where Hazel will spend a few weeks. We are looking forward to the visit. Hazel, I think most of you know, is 90 years old and a neat, fun person. Suzi and I were marvelling at how lucky we are to still have our mothers and to have them so full of life and joy. And physically doing so well too.

Guess that is all for now. I am watching the Tony Awards. Dick and I just love this every year. If we were rich, I think I would go to New York at least once a year to see a play. It really is nice that the touring companies come around and that the bus companies do have good tours and great seats. I also like the tours because we don't have to worry about driving, parking or eating.

Til Tomorrow.

Mary