An absolutely delightful day.

I had an adventure this morning to start the day. Chelsea and I went out for our first walk at 5:45AM (not my idea). It was still dark and I saw something moving at the foot of the street. It was a rabbit running frantically in tight circles. Chelsea got all excited and chased it and knocked it down and it just kept running. (Chelsea is not a bitter or vicious so she didn't hurt it.) I dragged her away from it and we finished our business and went back in. After it was light I went back out but it was gone. I hope it was just disoriented and finally found its way off the road and back into the woods.

Bobbie and I went with Discovery Tours to the Fireside to see their musical revue, The Best of the Bands. It was a perfect day for traveling and there were several people on the bus that I knew. Notably, Stan and Sue, who have traveled with us several times. Kentucky, South Dakota to mention two. They were right in back of us so we had a nice visit.

The meal at the Fireside was again excellent. We had mushroom soup, chicken piccata, a wonderful rice and sausage and fresh snap peas and carrots. Dessert was a delicious apple tart. We were stuffed and content.

Then we enjoyed the Best of the Bands. And it was the best. It was virtually the same band that played for the Fabulous Fifties last year. They are SO talented. The singers and dancers were excellent also. Just before the intermission, they featured the Latin Bands and ended the first half with a Conga Line around the stage and out the door. Guess who were two and three in the conga line. BOBBIE AND ME.

Before the show they gave everybody a form for Stumping the Band. Those who wanted to could put their name and the name of a song that they figured would stump the band. Guess who got called. I wrote Whiskey on a Sunday. The band did not know it. They made some feeble attempt at pretending. (I loved their humor) but they did not know it. So I sang the chorus for everybody and got a $10 gift certificate for my efforts.

The show featured the music of the Big Bands, Country Bands, Jazz Bands, Latin Bands, Rock bands. It was just super.

An uneventful easy trip home followed. It is good to be home. The promised storm is still a promise and has been downgraded from tons of snow to some snow and rain, which is REALLY scary. Nothing more dangerous than rain and then icy cold.

Well, tomorrow CAN be an at home day though I really want to go to church and would like to go out the Rhine to shoot in the afternoon.

I told Bobbie that I would put a copy of the poem St. Kevin and the Blackbird which is what I TRY to think of when Chelsea become the most pesty, as she is old and in need of me. It is by Seamus Heaney.

And then there was St. Kevin and the blackbird.
The saint is kneeling, arms stretched out, inside
His cell, tut the cell is narrow, so

One turned-up palm is out the window, stiff
As a crossbeam when a blackbird lands
And lays in it and settles down to nest.

Kevin feels the warm eggs, the small breast, the tucked
Neat head and claws and, finding himself liked
Into the network of eternal live,

Is moved to pity: now he must hold his had
Like a branch out in the sun and rain for weeks
Until the young are hatched and fledged and flwon.

And since the whole thing's imagined anyhow,
Imagine being Kevin. Which is he:
Self-forgetful or in agony all the time

From the neck on out down through his hurting forearms?
Are his fingers sleeping? Does he still feel his knees?
Or has the shut-eyed blank of underearth

Crept up through him? Is there distance in his head?
Alone and mirrored clear in love's deep river,
'To labour and not to seek reward.' he prays,

A prayer his body makes entirely
For he has forgotten self, forgotten bird
And on the riverbank forgotten the river's name.

Have a nice Sunday and stay warm and safe.

Mary

A long day after a long night before. It was an uncomfortable night's sleep for me on Thursday night. I ached. But usually that is a one night event and as busy as I was today I should really drift into dreamland when I get to bed and stay in dreamland until morning.

When Chelsea and I went out the first time this morning the plows were just making their way into the driveway area of the complex. The main roads were plowed and the man that comes and shovels the walks had already done his magic. This was just a bit after 6AM. By 7:30 they were all done. This IS the nice thing about living in the condo and the nicer thing of being retired and NEVER having to leave before 8AM or so. It was cold this morning, 7 degrees but warmed up to the teens before the day was over and there was a bit of sunshine which is so very welcome at this dark time of the year. I cleaned the kitchen early this morning too. With all the grime that is hauled in on boots with all this snow, I just can't let it go for a week. By the way, we believe that yesterday added about 10 inches to the accumulation. I am taking pictures of some of the "mountain range" in the empty lot in front of our condo and of some of the other extreme winter scenes. I will share next week. We have another storm supposedly to arrive on Sunday.

Dick was scheduled for 11:45AM for his first vein work. We allowed for extra drive time so were there 45 minutes early. They took him in a bit early too.

By 12:45pM we were all done and ready to come home. He said it was a cakewalk. It was in the lower right leg. There was no pain. Dr. Siddique told him that this one is the easiest one. He said there will be some discomfort with the future procedures but we won't dwell on that. The procedure was done with Dick lying on his stomach which made him VERY happy too. He is so uncomfortable on his back. We have a list of things to do but they are easy. He cannot shower for 24 hours, he needs to be sure to exercise (get up and walk around) often, he needs to keep the stocking on. Then next Wednesday he will have an ultrasound and on Friday, Dr. Siddique will go in again. He was quite excited that that sore on his left foot healed. Did I tell you that there is an infection (not a serious one) in his right foot sore but he is on antibiotics.

Anyway. We are home in our nice warm cave to heal. I am going to the Fireside tomorrow as planned. Dick was not comfortable going with us not having gone through this type of procedure, so I called Bobbie. I think I told you that yesterday. She is going with me. That is good. I don't get to visit with her anymore like we did because she no longer belongs to Rhine Plymouth. I miss our visits.

I went to St. John the Baptist tonight to pick up fish fries for our supper. BOY are they good. Makes you forget that Lent is supposed to be a time of discipline. Not to hard to give up meat when the perch tastes SO good.

Have a nice weekend.

Later

Mary

I did get to stay home until this evening. Actually, it was not a bad day. Chelsea and I go to go for a LONG walk this morning. I would not let her lead me to the park. There are several feet of snow and God knows what else out there. But we went all around Tallgrass and I think that made her happy. Then the snow got worse and it snowed steadily ALL day long.

We did go out this evening the the Wilderness which has reopened. We had heard that there were service problems but we did not have them. I got salmon and Dick got spaghetti. Both good. Again way to much food and we have plenty that we brought home but it was a nice evening. Chelsea was out of her furosimide so we stopped at the Kettle Moraine to pick up her refill. She has to see her vet on Wednesday for blood tests. We may have to up her dose as she is having occasional seizures again.

I finished the denim quilt today and got it washed and dried and everything. It looks great. Those are really warm and very heavy. I wonder if it would be big enough for our bed. I don't think so but I really like it.

The rest of the day was spent sorting out my desk. I am trying to arrange it so I have a "bucket" for each of my projects. Then I can find things easier.

Most days I am still writing my Haiku. I read back on them sometimes and some of them are OK. I wrote this one from memories of going jeeping in the Imperial Sand Dunes near Yuma. We called it Duning. It was especially beautiful at night.



Soft and rippling sand
A gentle looming ocean
We sailed on it.

Love

Mary

Today started out not too busy but turned out to be a marathon.

It looked like all we had to do was go shopping and I had made an appointment with Mark Miller to do our taxes.

SO - it mushroomed. The morning was not too bad. We went shopping and then I cleaned a couple of cupboards and vacuumed the bedroom.

My appointment with Mark ended up with a trip to the post office, the bank, Aurora Pharmacy in Sheboygan for a new pair of sox for Dick, Walgreens in Plymouth for an antibiotic AND the bank.

So much for a quiet day. It looks like tomorrow I may be able to stay home all day. I certainly hope so as the next day is the first of Dick's vein procedures. That will be a stressful day, no matter what we do.

We were supposed to go to the Fireside in Fort Atkinson on Saturday to see the Best of the Bands show. Dick doesn't think he wants to try it but wants me to go. So I called Bobbie and she will go with me. Maybe Bill to IF they can get another ticket with Discovery. Anyway, Bobbie and I will go. I am a bit nervous about leaving Dick that soon, but he said it would be OK.

I am really exhausted this evening and IF I can will go to be early.

It was not unpleasant outside today but there is ice everywhere. It is just cold enough that layers just stay there to trip you up anytime you get at all complacent or careless. Tomorrow we are possibly going to get some more snow. We have no where to put it but it is coming. At least it is projected to be only 1 to 3 inches. That is nothing at this point. I just don't want any problems on Friday.

Take care.

I love You all

Mary

Things went very well today. We had an appointment at the Sheboygan Clinic with Sue at the Anti Coagulation Clinic. Yippee. Dick's blood is now just perfect for the procedure that he will be having on Friday. We will have to be monitoring every week for the weeks that he has these done. It has to be below 2.5 but over 2. Since it was all the way up to 3.9 last week we were very pleased at the count today.

We then went to the Plymouth Clinic because Dick's "clicker", the piece that you put the needle in to prick the finger, is malfunctioning. We still don't have it resolved but are getting there.

After we got home, I watered plants and vacuumed the living room. We had good old cheeseburgers and fries for supper tonight.

Tonight was Fr. Van Beeck's last Adult Education for this year. He went through a lot of how to interpret the bible. Should you take it literally. His prime example. Jesus said that if your eye sins you should pluck it out and if your hand sins you should cut it off and throw it away. He pointed out that we sure would be a weird bunch of blind cripples if we took THAT part of the bible literally. AND it contradicts another statement that He made stating that we need to take care of our bodies because they are the temple of the Spirit. We all found the thought of hobbling blind Christians quite amusing.

My cousin Harold Ziegler, who used to own an office supply store in Plymouth. He is my second cousin as my Grandma Deeley was his Aunt Helen. Dad used to stop and see Harold when Dad worked at Gilson, now Toro, in Plymouth. Dad was the only one who kept in touch with the Zieglers. Harold brought me some pictures that his mother had of my grandmother, my uncle Jack and Aunt Helen as children and a couple that are unidentified except with Deeley on the back of the pictures. They are treasures. I am SO excited and can hardly wait to share with the rest of the family.

Now, home again, I am blogging and enjoying a glass of wine after having dipped my poor sad hands in a lavender pariffin dip. That is such a good feeling, warm, soothing and healing.

Tomorrow is shopping day AND I will be taking the taxes to Mark to get him started on them. We have LOTS of deductions this year because of the two house situation. He will be able to advise us on what to do ongoing.

A poem for you from Austin Clarke who is one of my favorites. It is short but will make you think.

Til tomorrow night.

Mary

Penal Law

Burn Ovid with the rest. Lovers will find
A hedge-school for themselves and learn by heart
All that the clergy banish from the mind,
When hands are joined and head bows in the dark.

Well, the deep freeze is still with us. I DID go to Bible Study this morning. There were five of us there this morning which, since the temps were well below zero were brutal, was pretty special. There was Ione, Peggy, Joe, Liz and myself. I had a call from Fran Woodke wondering if we were meeting. She was not plowed out yet and lives out in the country quite a ways. I told her to stay put. I try to go in whenever I can because I also have my visit with Mother to look forward too. It is good that I stop at least that once a week to be sure she is OK and to give her a chance to remember any errands that I can do for her.

She is just fine. We reviewed the Wild Game Dinner. That sure was a fun day. I fixed a hash from some of the leftover Guiness Beef. Boy was that good. We will have the rest with eggs tomorrow for breakfast.

I got home at about noon. Dick was concerned because his open callous had developed a green color last Friday. The green was gone yesterday but was kind of brown and he was worried despite our call to Dr. Hodous, so we went to see Dr. Sharon this afternoon He said it looks fine, but did take a swab so the results of that test should allay any of Dick's fears.

On Friday De Siddique will do the next procedure to fix the circulation in his legs. There are up to eight of them over a ten week period. These will be far less invasive than the artery procedures as he will only be in the hospital for about an hour versus the 8 hours for the artery work. He is relieved about that. Eight hours on his back was just about unbearable.

I clipped away on the denim quilt. I figure I should be able to finish that part of it tomorrow, then it just needs to be washed and dried a couple of time to fluff it up and it will be done. The Clifford Crest is coming along too. I must stop and pick up some interfacing for a fill layer, I decided what I will use for a backing but should have SOMETHING for a bit of body between the layers. The crest looks great on the fabric I chose and the gold binding will really set it off.

Take care and enjoy your Tuesday. We are promised more snow. Doesn't seem quite fair. I hope it isn't bac in the morning when we have to go into Sheboygan.

love

I am watching the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. I just love it.

Mary

We are in a deep freeze. The highest temperature I saw on our thermometers was -2. Isn't that unbelievable? Chelsea has been very quick out there. She has caught on as to how cold it really is. She like rolling in it but knows that her little paws start to hurt if she is out too long. I am trying to be really patient with her.

However, when she woke me up at 4:30AM. I gave her some lettuce and shut her out of the bedroom until 6AM.

I did go to Mass this morning. It was -11 when I left but the roads were good and I don't have to go far. I was Eucharistic Minister this morning and did not want to miss unless I REALLY had to. there were far less people in attendance than usually are. Understandably so.

Because it was SO cold I was sure glad that church was my only obligation. I spent the day sewing, cleaning a closet and working on the computer.

I also read a journal that my friend Kate did of her trip to Ireland. She listed a few "Just for You to Know Facts." Here is one that impressed me.

"If you get into a conversation in a bar, a certain etiquette id followed: men always buy everyon in the group a drink, taking turns to buy a round."

I remember going into Fitz's Tavern in downtown Sheboygan Falls on a trip home after I had moved to California. I was sipping my beer and a friend of Dad's bought a round. I said I was not ready but Dad whispered to me that then I should get a candy bar or something because it was not proper to turn down the round.

Love

Have a good week

Mary