A lovely sunny day in which the temperatures got up to the mid to high 20s at their peak. Chelsea and I, however, walked early this morning when it was still only 8 degrees. We DID have a nice walk though as there was not wind.

We got to stay home all day today. That was unique. It was not a bad day overall. I made a new pasta salad for our dinner tonight and it is very good. It is a Thai noodle salad. They use peanuts and soy sauce and I liked it a lot. We also had steak and potatoes for our dinner and chocolate zucchini bread with ice cream for dessert. I have not broiled a steak in quite some time. I really do know how to do that well.

This evening, I had a distressing thing happen to me. I took Chelsea out for her walk just before dinner and I slipped on some ice and fell. Before when I fell, I always just landed on my behind (which is padded) but this time I flipped and hit the back of my head. I am OK. I put ice on the lump and have been checking my eyes to make sure they are dilated evenly. I have no nausea. I am awfully tired and will be going to bed soon.

Anyway, I am glad this day is over - tomorrow will be much better, I know.

"Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup."

Love

Mary

Well, we have one more vein "procedure" under out belt. This one hurt Dick a bit during the procedure but was not too bad and he has not been bothered the rest of the day. We got to Sheboygan Memorial at 11AM and were home just before 2PM. These do not take any time at all to speak of.

The morning was VERY cold. It was 8 degrees when I got up and walked Chelsea. It did warm up to 18 during the day and there is a lot of melt off. We have a full moon in the sky tonight and did I tell you that I went out to see the eclipse last night. That was cool.

The first thing I did this morning was to clean the kitchen. It is totally useless when there is all this wet and salt and sand but can you imagine what would happen if it was not done every week.

Tonight I had to work at Rhine. We were really busy. I left at about 9:15PM. They were still busy but when I called home, Dick did not answer because he was out with Chelsea. I got worried so Greg and Doc sweetly told me to just go home and call if there was a problem at home. It is so good to have nice and concerned friends.

I did not shoot well tonight at all. I was shakey. I think it has just been too busy a week. Do you know that we had 7 medical appointments if you include Chelsea's visit to the vet?

Well. Tomorrow should be a quiet day. And Sunday.

Monday is Sara's birthday. I still remember the day she was born. I went to the hospital to see Leslie and her. I figured that I would have to look at Sara through a window. Then they asked if I was the Grandma and I realized that I WAS! So I got to go in the room with Leslie and the baby and to hold her. WOW!


Love
Mary

Today started out at -9degrees. It did warm up to 22 by the end of the day and the sun was shining so it seemed much warmer to me. Chelsea really liked it. The snow was soft enough that she could really roll in it an chew it up like ice cream.

This morning I picked up Kate at about 11AM and went over to Toni Nevicosi's to work on the bags for the Spring Fling in April. We reviewed our list, had tea and cakes and then did a few things before I had to leave to help Dick get ready for his shower. Tomorrow is another big day. The second of the vein procedures. We were told that the first one was the easiest so we don't know exactly what to expect. But they are short procedures so we will be home by 2PM.

I have to work at Rhine tomorrow night so I hope he is not too uncomfortable. I can check on him by phone while I am there and am not so very far away so it should be OK.

I got a call from Dr. Murthy this afternoon. My tests all came out just fine so it looks like my side ache is just a strained muscle that I keep aggravating somehow.

So that was our day. Busy but not too.

I was watching some thing on TV showing dolphins. It reminded me of a time that Uncle Jim took Mother, Bret, Bart and me to Sea World in Long Beach. At that time you could feed the dolphins. I don't know if you can still. You could buy fish from the handlers and hold them over the big dolphin tanks and they would fly up out of the water and get the fish.

Bart was just a little guy, maybe 3 years old. I have him a fish and hoisted him up so he could holt it over the water. To my surprise, as I had not done it myself, the dolphin rose up out of the water and I realized how big he was and how big his mouth and teeth were.

He rose up, engulfed Bart's entire arm, up to the shoulder, in his mouth and sank back down into the tank neatly plucking that fish out of the tip of Bart's little hand.

Bart was enthralled and said. "He kissed my hand."

Have a good Friday and pray for Dick.

Mary

Look at those icicles.

This is the deck. in the back of the house.

Mary

Boy am I ever glad that this day is over. It was -1 when Chelsea and I went out for the first time this morning. She was a very good girl quite quickly.

Dick and I went grocery shopping at 8AM. As I could not eat or drink we skipped breakfast this morning. Shopping went quite well. We parked in the handicapped space at the corner of the building which reduced the icy spot that Dick had to work his way over to about a fifth or less.

We got home and I put the groceries away. Then it was time to load Chelsea into the car for her trip to the veterinarian. That went quite well. She just WILL NOT cough for the vet which would help but Dr. Pat says she has a pretty good idea of what it sounds like. She like our Chelsea. We are increasing the ferosimide, hoping that this will help reduce the fluids and help her not cough so violently. Poor baby.

I got her home at about 11AM. Then I drove down to The Sewing Basket to buy some thread for Mom and some interfacing for the Clifford Crest that I am working on.

I got home just in time to relax for about a half an hour before Dick's ultrasound at the Plymouth Aurora Clinic. I got my blood test while we were waiting. The woman who did Dick's ultrasound was scheduled for mine also so she took me right after his. I was sure grateful. She started mine at about 1:30 instead of 2:00. A half an hour is a big deal when you have not eaten since 6PM the night before. The last water I had was at 8AM. What a nice lady she is . She had a bottle of cold water ready for me when we finished.

Then we came home and we are here for the duration. I had a cup of soup and crackers to tide me over until supper.

Tomorrow I get to play. I will be going over to Toni Nevicosi's house and we are going to work on the gift bags for the CWI Spring Fling. If you want to come, let me know. It is worth it for the gift bag and the fun things we will be doing.

I have been taking pictures of the snow. I think I will put at least one or two pictures on the blog tonight.

Have a perfect Thursday.


Mary

A clear sunny day and cold to the bone. It was 2 degrees when Dick and I left for the Clinic this morning. We left home at a little before 8AM because I had to put gas in the car and we got breakfast at Mc Donalds. Then Sue checked his blood thickness. It was .01 off (2.6) but she said that was OK with a slight adjustment that she made to his doses for the next week. Dr Hodous then took care of his calouses. They are fine. We are SO pleased with the healed one. The other had a wider wound but seems shallower so I am OK with that. It may be bigger because of the little infection.

Chelsea woke me up at 5 this morning. It made a very long day.

After our doctor appointments we stopped at the bank. We had tried to get cash from the ATM, but was too cold to work and kept spitting my card back at me, and voted. The polls at city hall were busy but moving steadily at 10AM. We figured that would be while the working people were not out in force.

This afternoon, I had my doctor appointment with Dr. Murthy. He has ordered a couple of tests so we will find out what it is in a few days.

I decided to lie down on the couch at 7:30 because I had missed my nap and was SO tired. I asked Dick to wake me up at 9PM so I could take Chelsea out and get ready for bed. He called me but I apparently did not respond so HE decided to leave me alone. Chelsea however, did not feel so generous and woke me at 9:15PM.

Now I am sipping my tea and writing to all of you. Then I will clean my face and brush my teeth and REALLY go to bed. Perhaps, Chelsea will let me sleep a bit late. I was told not to eat or drink anything after midnight, except for water, and after 8AM I am not to drink water either for the ultrasound. That may do me in right there. I don't know if any of YOU have been around me when I go too many hours without eating anything. I think Dick is "SCARED!"

I intend to try to keep very busy. Already, we are shopping at 8AM and Chelsea has her veterinarian appointment at 10AM so that will take up a good chunk of the time. Dick is scheduled for his ultrasound at 1PM and mine is at 2PM. Busy Busy Busy So I don't think.

Hope your Wednesday is great. Looks like Obama has Wisconsin. Pretty exciting. I am quite interested in the Plymouth mayoral race too. It is a hotly contested four way race.


Love

Mary

What a crummy weather day we had. It started out fairly clear but slushy and icy. It was OK driving to Sheboygan Falls for Bible Study. I took Highway 23 to Falls to avoid the country roads which are usually much worse.

There were six of us at the study. It was a lively discussion. The gospel was about Jesus asking for water from the Samaritan woman. At one point Jesus asked her to go and bring her husband to see him. She said that she did not have a husband. Jesus told her that she was right, that she had had five husbands but the sixth man that she was living with was not her husband. Joe said the woman reminded him of Elizabeth Taylor. We all laughed but upon discussion, he is kind of right. They are both women full of love and looking for love and they both did and do good for others and for the world. Jesus found someone to bring followers to him and Elizabeth does much good in the world with her wealth and her influence too.

Then I went over to visit with Mother. She is fine and sticking close to home until the ice and snow are somewhat cleared up. She will go to vote tomorrow. But Randy will take her there and he can help her is she has any trouble.

This afternoon was the Cream City Writers in downtown Plymouth. There were six of us there too. We had a nice sharing meeting. Everybody but Jenna had poems. Jenna gets hung up on the words that we challenge each other with and sometimes cannot go beyond that. At the end of the meeting each of us just gives a word and we try to use some or all of them in a poem. Last month they were really rather weird and disjointed. They were dark and dreary, hungry, romance, sugar and cold. I managed to get four of them into a poem. Here it is.

CELLOPHANE PEOPLE

In dark of night
They are hungry.
In the dreary cold just before dawn
They shiver in doorways and under bridges.
We look through them,
Pretend they are not really there.
"Riding the rails" is not so romantic
After all.
Now they are sent on buses somewhere else
So others can look through them.

When I got home, I vacuumed the snibbles of the denim quilt up off of the den floor downstairs.

Tomorrow is "doctor day." Two appointments for Dick and one for me.

I think the snow is supposed to stop for a bit but the temperatures are supposed to drop to below zero again.

Remember to vote, if you are a Wisconsin reader.

Love

Mary

Yesterday was beautiful but today made up for it. It was sleeting when I got up this morning. I thought perhaps I would be able to go to church, but when Chelsea and I walked down to the mailbox area and she started slipping and sliding and spinning around 0n her belly, I knew that was out of the question. Later it has snowed but not too much. The next couple of days do not look any better.

Somehow, spring seems very far away.

I have decided to try a different Macaroni and Cheese once a month for the next few month. Good Morning America's four anchors all presented one and then Emeril had a contest. I figure that the four presented by the anchors sound good and three of the Emeril winners. So for 7 months we will have fun. I tried Robin Roberts today and it is GOOD. If you want to try it come on over on Tuesday night. I have plenty left for another meal and usually skip a day. We eat at about 5:30PM.

Tomorrow will be mine, if the weather and roads cooperate at all. Bible Study in the morning and Cream City Writers in the afternoon.

Most of the rest of the week will be spent in and out of doctor's offices. Even Chelsea has an appointment with her doctor this week. We fear that her condition is worsening and her doctor thinks that she may be able to adjust her meds.

SO. I hope your week is happy, easy but challenging and profitable. Love to you all and remember that God loves you.

Mary