Saturday.

Chelsea and I went for a nice long walk this morning. She was really perky and the temperatures between 6 and 7 AM are perfect for walking in.

Then I showered and got ready to go pick up SHARE. Dick and I have started getting that after about a 10 year break. It is a program that is available for anyone. Once a month at designated sites, if you have signed up by a designated date, you pick up about $50 worth of groceries, meat, some canned and fresh produce, for the grand total of $18 plus $2 for handling. It is great. This month we got chicken drumsticks, Italian sausage, pork breakfast sausage, rice and apple sauce and this is not the complete list. Jim and Michelle had signed up so this month I showed them how to get to the Plymouth Armory which is one of the secrets of Plymouth. It is out back of the city park and almost impossible to find if you do not know where it is. Kate also went with us and signed up for next month. She is excited because she may have a speaker for her Rotary Club.


Then this evening I went to my Class Reunion. It was at the Bull at Pinehurst Farms out in Sheboygan Falls. I had SUCH a good time. And Joanne is going to send me a picture of all of us. There were well over forty of us there. Out of a class of 68 with 11 of us gone on to God, that is not a bad turnout. It is so good to see everybody. We had a wonderful meal and such good companionship.

I left at 9:30 on the dot so Dick would not be alone too long. I worry about him and whether Chelsea will start nagging him. He was fine and Chelsea was apparently waiting for me as she is now asking me to take her out for the second time since I have been home and it is only about a half an hour. Either that or she wants me to go to bed.

Can't decide so I better take her out

Sleep tight.

Love

Mary

Today was special. Chelsea let me sleep until almost 6:15 and we had a really nice walk. Then the day was spent making calls, kind of sorting things and (as we are still figuring out how to conveniently have everything available) putting things away. Soon we will have to attack the books and videos which will be a major event.

I had lunch at Dairy Queen with my bank friends. Then after dressing Dick's wounds and doing his sequential compression thing, I left just before 4PM to meet Bobbie at Richardson Brothers in Sheboygan Falls. We were investigating the ad that Bobbie saw on a billboard about their new Chef/Kitchen Area in their store. We figured it was also a chance to try out their tea room. The tea room is charming and we had two BIG cups of a special tea. I have already forgotten the name but it starts with an O and mine was pomegranate flavored. They have the neatest pot for one with matching cups. AND another item for steeping loose tea that is really cool. I told Dick about it. Hope he noticed as my pot for one is hard to work with though it is very pretty.

Went from there to River Park in Falls for the first part of my High School reunion. I guess a bunch of them played golf this afternoon but this was a picnic. Simply getting together to share sub sandwiches and chips and pretzels. It was BYOB. A goodly number of us were there and I had a marvelous time. I left at about 8:05PM because I had promised Dick I would be home at about 8. Not too bad as he knows how I talk. We can pick up tomorrow at the Bull when we have the official dinner.

Now I am tired. Chelsea is becoming such a pest. I have taken her out 3 or 4 times in the past 45 minutes. I think that the last time she bugged me she was really asking to go to bed. So I am going to oblige her.

Did I tell you that she has taken to sometimes going to sleep with her head, and only her head, under the bed? She used to do that during thunder storms when she could hear them. I think it must be comforting for her somehow.

Til tomorrow


Mary

Where has the week gone already. Chelsea and I had a nice walk this morning. She decided to lead me through the park, to the right and through the woods today. For the past several weeks we have been going through the park but then turning left and turning on Highland back to Tallgrass Lane. I really have not encouraged going through the woods because of the mosquitoes but if we move fast I don't really get bit much.

Then I spent most of the morning clearing my desk and working on poems for the contest at Irish Fest and the Robert Frost Competition. There is a contest with a water theme that I have been working on also.

Dick took a long nap this morning and has taken two naps since then so we got a late start on his sequential compressions but as of now (8:30PM) we just have one left and might make it since I THINK he is awake again.

Anyway, I went to Walgreens to pick up four prescriptions and take advantage of a couple of sales there. I also, went to the Pig because they had blueberries on sale and I want to make a fresh blueberry pie. I shop on Wednesdays when their flier goes into effect, however, they usually have some things that are ONLY on sale on Thursday and Friday. Kind of irritates me. I also had to stop and pick up a new rubber strap to do my exercises with. I threw it over the door this morning to start a routine, pulled it taut and it snapped. Becky said that if it is too easy I should switch to the red one which is heavier. I want to give it a couple of more days before I do that.

Tonight we had tuna steaks, fried potatoes and cheesy broccoli for dinner. I have enough tuna to make a fresh tuna salad for tomorrow or Saturday lunch.

I read something on Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac that impressed me in this election year. Richard Morris and author who wrote extensively about the founding fathers said."In the founding of the nation we needed charismatic figures, but today we could to with honest ones." I am inclined to agree. How can we know positions when they all seem to cloud the truth, lie or evade answers.

Have a nice Friday. I have two evenings of High School Reunion, my 50th, to look forward to. AND Bobbie and I are going to Richardsons to see the new Chef's Corner and sample the Tea Room.

Hope your weekend will be as much fun.

Love

Mary

Thought I had better get an early start tonight, since I was so delinquent last night.

This morning we had to have Dick at the Anti Coagulation Clinic at 8:45AM so we got an early start. His blood count or whatever the status is was 2.9, so that is three weeks that he has been OK. We are encouraged. We will check again in two weeks unless he is put back on antibiotics which we hope is not likely.

The rest of the day was ours. I went grocery shopping this morning while Dick took his nap. I got home in time to put the groceries away and fix lunch, then I took a little nap.

This afternoon, I watered the deck plants and vaccuumed the den and sewed the ragged ends of the sleeves that I put on Dick's legs when we do the sequential compression. We are now on the third of three for the day. Whew. Some days it is hard to get three compressions in. Time gets away from us.

I fixed oven fried chicken drumsticks, raw fried potatoes and fresh green beans from my own garden for supper and then we had strawberry shortcake. I remember that my brother in law, George Hiner, after a good meal, would say "I wonder what the rich people are eating tonight?"

I remember one meal that I had at Jacquie and George's house. He was growing Ortega Chilies in his garden and we made Chili Rellanos, a marvelous dish of Ortegas, stuffed with cheese and then dipped in a special egg batter and fried and served hot with salsa. They are SOOOOOO good and with the fresh chilies were to DIE for. Until, my ex husband got a really hot one and got the hiccups like you could not believe. (But they still were heaven to eat. I must make them sometime for us again. It has been years since I made them.)

Love

Mary

Guess What. I forgot to blog before I went to bed last night. It is about 3:30AM and I woke up kind of stiff and uncomfortable and remembered. SO. I thought I would just put a few lines in.

It was a quiet day. We did not have to go ANYWHERE. That has not happened in SUCH a long time.

Rachel, the VNA, came today for her weekly visit. We may be able to terminate her visits. She said it is up to us. He would qualify because of the wounds, but we are doing well on our own now. Dick and I will discuss it and talk to Dr. Moreno on Monday. We have til mid next week to decide.

I spent the day cleaning my desk and putting a bookcase together.

Love

Mary

This day started at 6AM. It was really pleasant out there when Chelsea and I walked and I only got one mosquito bite.

Bible study was nice. There were six of us there and we had a lot to say about Solomon and his being smart enough to ask God for an understanding heart as he took over the ruling of his people. God was glad to give him that AND threw in wisdom and riches and other stuff. We think that maybe all the rulers of the world should read 1 Kings 3:5-12 and ALSO ask for the gift of understanding.

Mom is fine, we had a nice visit this morning. I brought her some Mac and Cheese and a piece of pie. She was baking some cinnamon rolls and is really proud because now has her new oven down pat. She had a bit of trouble turning it off for a while. She had to get used to pushing the buttons firmly. She has a very busy week ahead of her. The Senior meals tomorrow, canasta on Wednesday and Jeff is coming in on Thursday.

I got home in time to hook Dick up for his second sequential compression session of the day before I went to Writer's Club. That was very good. Everybody was full of ideas and plans. I like that kind of meeting, it gets a person stimulated. We also got hints about some good contests out there. I am going to have to hustle to get the poems written in time. I especially want to do two before the end of the month to send to Irish Fest. I won that one in 2002 you know. I am sure you all have read the poem or heard it but this is it anyway.

THE KNOCKEEN DOLMEN

Light and shadow.
Rock and color.
Life and death.

We walk across the pasture
Picking our way around green cow splatters
Scattered amid the green grass.

Up and over a wood fence
Behind a cover of trees and bushes is
The portal tomb.
A broom bush provides a splash of yellow and green
In front of a stark white capstone perched on three uprights.

How did the ancients do this?
And for God’s sake - Why?

Around the dolmen we walk
And find heaven in a shaded graveyard
Nestled amid old shady trees
At the edge of the ruins of an old church
Vivid bluebells light the ground
Providing lush carpet amid the gravestones.

Two ruins side by side, one ancient - one mediaeval.
Is one truer than the other?

Dick had an appointment with Dr. Moreno today. The right foot is looking pretty good. The left is no worse and I have more instructions as to his care. We have to go back in a week, unless the Profor Wraps start to unwind or slip. I have to change the dressings every day as usual.

The appointment was at 3:30PM and we finally left at 5PM. They were not late either. By the time they take the vitals, remove the old dressings and wraps, the doctor does his thing and everything is re wrapped it is an hour and a half. I am not surprised as it takes me 20 to 30 minutes to just clean and dress the wounds each day.

We just had hamburgers and fries for dinner tonight.

Now it is time for bed. Chelsea is strongly hinting that she really wants to go there.

Later

Mary

I managed to sleep until 6:30AM this morning. Chelsea had other ideas but I put her out in the living room with some lettuce and I was able to get back to sleep.

First thing, we hooked Dick up to the sequential. I fixed breakfast and took a shower. I went to the 10:30 AM mass (which turns out to be at 10:45AM but who's checking. Actually, I did. I checked the web site which still has it listed at 10:30AM. Oh, well, it does my soul good to pray an extra 15 minutes.)

I was rather busy all day. I had purchased two bookcases. One to put next to Dick so he has a place to set the things that he needs around him and one for the old office, which is now a sitting room. Today, Dick's got put together and is in place.

We had Mac and Cheese for dinner. I used one of the winners of Emeril Lagasse's Mac and Cheese contest. It is called Smack yo Mama and is really quite good. However ---- We still like Robin's and Diane's the best and you cannot do much better than Patti La Belle's Over the Rainbow. It sure is fun to try all these recipes though.

Tonight I went to Beth Hoegger's home to meet with the Wilsings and Joe (a bagpiper) to plan the mass for Celtic Faire at Blessed Trinity. We had a good time and got the bones all assembled. I even got to play and sing the song I wrote for Beth and Jim. Beth said that when she understands her software she will print it up properly for me. It is a lullaby.

Now we are waiting for the sequential to be done again. Dick's legs are swelling I am afraid and this is the ONLY resource we have to use right now. I am concerned. We will see Dr. Moreno tomorrow. I hope he has some solutions.

Love

Mary