This "quiet" Saturday turned out to be a real exhausting day. Started out quiet enough. Chelsea and I had a lovely morning walk.

Then, I decided that since I had replaced the glass in the front door with the screen, I had better clean that side of the garage. That was my mistake. I spent the lions share of the day moving things and sweeping and washing the garage floor. BUT it is done and I have lots of trash for Tuesday. I would have even more if I had had the energy to clean the shelves too. But that can keep for another day.

Jim and Michelle brought dinner over to us today. A wonderful refried been appetizer, chicken enchiladas and warm volcano cake with vanilla ice cream. Excellent. We were all very hungry after our busy days and then finished off the evening with a game of Rummy. Dick won and Jim was close on his heels.

So. I am tired and ready for a good night's sleep. TOMORROW will be quiet. (I hope.)

Have a nice Sunday.

Love

Mary

This was a rather pleasant quiet beginning to the Memorial Day Weekend. I had no appointments or errands. I did go to the Dairy Queen and had lunch with the Wells Fargo crew for the first time in weeks. That was a nice break in the day.

I cleaned the kitchen this morning and also cleaned off my desk. Again. This time, I actually accomplished finishing up a lot of loose ends that have been hanging on and on.

Jacquie called today. She had called on my birthday while I was out for lunch with my high school buddies. I had tried to call her a couple of times between then and now and we finally connected. She is a special lady and I miss her. It is good that we do talk once in a while. We have been, after all friends for 48 years and were related for a good chunk of them. I need to email Vikki. Jacquie told me that Vikki's son broke some bones in Rio de Janero. (He is a motorcycle racer on the Kawasaki team and was sent to Rio to race there.) He came home to heal and then will be going back. I am sure that Vikki has mixed feelings about that. She sent me pictures and a poster of her son Scott. He is a handsome young man and doing what he loves.

I have been reading a journal that my nephew, Nora and Leif's son, Stenn wrote while he and his wife Bing were in China for the Chinese New Year visiting Bing's family. It sounds like an a unbelievably wonderful trip and he would like to go back. It is a marvelous journal that he sent a copy of to Mother. She was so pleased. He had a quote in the journal that suited those newlyweds, I thought. "We will fly in heaven, two birds with one pair of wings, and together on earth, two trees with branches interlaced." It was the caption for a picture of them standing in front of two trees intertwined. Isn't that beautiful?

Have a super holiday weekend.

Love

Mary

We had a very nice day.

Chelsea and I walked a pleasant walk. It was a bit early but with the pleasant, not warm, but pleasant temperatures and birds singing and the trees finally all budding out nice and green it was a wonderful walk.

The only appointment we had was with Dr. Herman at the Sheboygan Clinic. He had very good news. Dick's tests were just perfect so unless we see any changes we don't have to to back to him for quite some time.

On the way home we stopped at Adams Aurora Drug Store and picked out a walker for Dick. They had quite a selection and with the authorization of the doctors it is covered for him. At least so far. Anyway, he is walking much more securely. The pain is still as bad but now with solid support, not just the cane, he can move quite easily and doesn't feel so vulnerable and unsteady.

This afternoon, I went over to Fleet Farm and purchased a table and two chairs for the deck. I would like Dick and me to spend a lot of time out there this year when it warms up. I have several ideas to keep the mosquitos away and we love sitting out and enjoying the warm evening air and it will be so pleasant to hear the children playing in Lions Park which is just through the woods and across the railroad tracks.

We had some of Bobbie's delicious lasagna for supper tonight. Now, I am exhausted and intend to rest for the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow should be much quieter. Good thing. I have a LOT of cleaning to catch up on.

Love

Mary

Another long day after a very long night. Dick's legs are REALLY getting worse. He had to wake me up two or three times to help him get back to bed from the bathroom area during the night. His poor sore legs are just not cooperating.

We called Dr. Sharon's office this morning and we will have a walker waiting for us at the Drug Store here in Plymouth. We can even choose. We know that this will not alleviate the pain but at least it will help him to move around with the least difficulty and help me a lot. We have been having himself move around on my office chair which is an adventure in itself. I'll let you know how the walker works tomorrow night.

I did the grocery shopping rather early this morning and then left at 11AM to join several members of my high school graduation class for lunch at Firehouse Pizza in Sheboygan Falls. We have not met for quite a long time and it was really fun. I even saw Karen Kelly Hoell who I had not seen in five years. There were 10 or 11 of us which is not a bad turnout. We will meet again in July at our 50th reunion. I have difficulty believing that it is really 50 years. But it is.

Have special Thursday. I hope it will be very quiet.

Love

Mary

P. S. It was a nice birthday too. I got lots of cards and acknowledgements.

PPS. Michelle had a colonostopy today and all was well. We are very grateful.

This day ended up more full than we expected. I had my physical this morning at 9:30AM.

On the way, I stopped at the review and asked for Jack Lutz. I could hear him saying something like WHo wants to see me. He came out from the back looking really puzzled. So I told him that I was Mary Deeley from 48 years ago and the Young Christian Workers in Sheboygan Falls. He did remember and we had a wonderful visit. I learned a lot about what he has been doing and shared with him. We will have to get together again to do more catching up. I told him that the paintings that I got from him are still with me. He said he still paints but not as much and seemed pleased that I had them. It was fun. I will be so glad to tell Mother.

Dr. Murthy reviewed everything. He ended up sending me to X Ray for my shoulder, scheduling a radiology test for the pain in my side in the gall bladder area and sent me to schedule physical therapy for my knees and hips. He is concerned that I am stressed and not sleeping well too so he prescribed Ambien for two weeks to get me back on track and some meds for my stomach too. So I am somewhat of a mess. But he said that my overall health is great. All my vitals are good and I DO treat myself well as far as exercise and eating. So. We just need to do something about all these dumb achy spots.

I got the x ray done today and the other things are scheduled in the next two weeks. I will start taking the medication tomorrow. We ate kind of late tonight and I need to take both on an empty stomach. The pharmacist suggested that I take them just before I go to bed.

Dick had his dentist appointment scheduled for 2PM for his cavity. We expected that it would take about a half an hour. His next appointment for the MRI on his knee was at 3:15PM which seemed like plenty of time. BUT Dr. Joe needed to spend more time on Dick and it got to be close to three and I was in a panic. I was afraid that they would cancel his MRI and he had already taken the sedative to calm him during what he thought would be a really awful experience (he had one before). The dentist office called the clinic and told them that we would be late and the clinic said there was no problem. The doctor was waiting when we came in and wheeled him right down there. Dick's right leg is WAY swollen again and it HURTS. He is having a terrible time walking. Dr. Joseph helped us get downstairs (thank heavens for the elevator) and into the car. At the clinics they have wheel chairs so that is a big help. After we are all through with the tests and Dr. Sharon reviews everything we will, if need be, discuss a walker or wheelchair.

The MRI turned out to be EASY. They put him in feet first and his head was never inside the dreaded tube. The whole procedure only took about a half an hour. So, this was a good thing and I got calmed down too.

We got home to the amazing smell of lasagna in our house. Bobbie and Bill had arrived and Bobbie had the lasagna already cooking. I did not have to do a thing. (I did cook up the last of the Morels for Bobbie and me to eat with dinner. It seemed only fair that she get some since she WAS supposed to be out searching too before she broke her foot.) We had that delicious lasagna, peas and tossed salad with melt in your mouth caramel merengue cookies for dessert. It was all absolutely delicious. And she left everything for us to freeze for future meals. I am taking a nice serving for Mom tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be much easier. At least there are no medical appointments. That is really hard to believe.

I will be having lunch in Sheboygan Falls at the Firehouse with the gals from the Class of 58. Have not seen them for quite some time. This is our reunion year too.

I read a super proverb today. "You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother."


Til tomorrow

Mary

I knew that today was going to be busy but it turned out to be even more than I had planned on and tomorrow got added on to which was NOT my plan.

Started out with a nice walk with Chelsea. We saw other walkers but from a distance. So it was a nice quiet walk.

I left at about 8:45AM to stop and visit Mom. I brought her some mac and cheese and her quilt that I had done some work on for her. At 9:30AM Bible Study started. It was on the Body and Blood of Christ and we had a lot to say about that. As we are the only church that believes that Christ IS the bread and wine, body and blood of Christ. We have a special gift.

Anyway we had a lot to say.

Then I went to the Plymouth Review office for an interview with Sue there about our Celtic Women Group in Sheboygan County. I think that went quite well. As I was talking to her, we got into a discussion of the general condition of the Catholic Church as to why DON'T they allow married priests or women priests and she told me that a priest who had left the priesthood worked at the Review a day or two a week and his name was Jack Lutz. I am SO excited. I have been trying to find Jack for many many years. I knew him in 1959 or 1960 when I belonged to the Young Christian Workers a group of unmarried working people out of school who wanted to do things together. Jack was in the seminary at St. Francis and would join us during his vacations. He was charming and we became close friends at that time. He painted then. I have two of his paintings framed and hung in my den in the basement. They are beautiful. Tomorrow is as busy as today was


BUT I am going to stop at the Review on my way to see Dr. Murthy in the morning because Jack is going to be working tomorrow. They are not telling him that I am coming. Won't that be fun!!!.

After my Doctor appointment, we will have a bit of time before Dick's Dentist appointment at two followed closely by his MRI at 3:15.

Bobbie and Bill are coming over tomorrow at about 4:30. Bobbie is fixing us a birthday dinner of lasagna with the trimmings. We are so looking forward to it and with all that is now happening, I am sure glad that we picked this day. We can just come home to good company and a good meal.

Have a good day.

All my love

Mary

I went to the 8AM mass this morning. It was a nice service but neither the organist or the cantor showed up so we were as Fr. Van Beeck said "on our own". He started us in most of the hymns and we just recited the Gloria, the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei. During Communion, Father could not start the hymn because he was busy but some brave soul started one. Unfortunately it was one that we had trouble remembering the title so we joined her mainly in the chorus. But it was OK. I think everybody sang louder because they felt their voices were needed.

The rest of the day was spent at home. I did a lot of stuff but I don't really think that I could tell you exactly what. The most important thing was a nice hour and a half nap around noon. I felt so very tired after I got us fed breakfast that I had trouble keeping my eyes open so just laid down and was GONE.

Jim and Michelle came over for dinner so we could hear all about their cruise. They have some really great pictures and looked like they were having fun - so they have PROOF. We had cream cheese with jalipeno jelly on crackers for an appetizer, riblets, corn, German potato salad and salad for dinner. All turned out good. Jim and Michelle worked at a Diabetes Walk in Grafton today and brought Dick a BUNCH of neat Diabetes stuff. Two new meters with test strips, hand soap and lotions and some nice reference books. I have decided to start a shelf of diabetes related books so I can reference easily. Dick's foot was swollen this afternoon. I think the ace bandages they use after the sclero cause swelling, just by their nature and the sensitivity of his feet. His leg was really bothering him today. I am SO glad that we see Dr. Sharon tomorrow. We believe that he is going to do x rays.

Anyway, tomorrow will go on forever so if you think of us, pray for us.

In the Reader's Digest May 2008 issue submitted by Donald Clements. "A garden center customer picks up a container of insecticide and asks the salesperson. 'Is this good for red ants?'
'No', says the salesperson, 'It'll kill 'em!' "

Love
Mary