Today was this week's marathon day. At least for me.

I got up at my usual 6AM (with the little trip to the outside with Chelsea at 2AM), took care of critters, took a shower and got over to see Dick at about 8:30AM.

I then went to Bible Study, stopping at Mother's on the way over to the rectory because she wanted me to bring her church envelope. As she has been not getting over to church, she was feeling that she was behind in her obligation. Isn't that sweet. The gals at the church laughed and said in mock surprise, "she has not been going to church." We all agree that she is a very wise lady and as I told them we, her children, would be quite upset if she DID try to go with all the ice that is on the ground.

Bible Study was quite interesting. We are still not too thrilled with some of the "ideas" that St. Paul had about marriage and women. I said that I wanted to have a talk with him when I get up there and everybody agreed that they all want to be there to watch and hear what we have to say.

Mom and I had a nice visit after the Bible Study. We got onto a discussion of pets, especially cats, that have been part of our lives.

I got home in time to fix a sandwich, walk Chelsea and get over to the Care Center to have a cup of tea with Dick as he ate his dinner. Then, Peggy, who's husband is also a resident at the Center and has joined the Cream City Writers, and I drove on over to Kate's house. Kate had wanted to host the meeting for Christmas, but it didn't work out, so she did it today and had even left her tree up for everybody to see. She served tea and cookies. We have a new lady, Jennifer, who joined us. She read a short story she had written and she is really VERY good.

We had rather odd words last meeting but I did come up with two short poems using all but one of them. I will put one here. It is not great but whimsical.

A Dilemma

Frozen ice cycles
That's silly
If ice cycles thaw, they are not ice cycles at all.

They are water
Dripping onto snow
During January thaw.

I had to leave there at 1:45PM because Tim of Custom Care Transport picked Dick up at 2:00PM to to to see Dr. Moreno.

Bobbie and Bill were with Dick when I got there. They had come to check what height to put the grab bars next to the toilet. Having determined that, they left along with us and came over to our house. He got one up and will come back to do the other.

Dr. Moreno is VERY pleased. One wound is pronounced healed and the other is ALMOST there. The representative of the company that produced the grafts was there and asked to sit in on the exam. He said that after four weeks they are usually happy with a 50% improvement and Dick is almost 100%. 1 in 4 also need a second graft and Dick obviously does not need that. So. Yippee!!

Now Dr. Moreno wants him walking twice a day with the prosthesis until he gets home. Then we will be going to therapy three times a week.

We got back about 4PM. I came home and fed critters and prepared a cup of soup to take back to the Center so I could eat supper with Dick and stay with him until it was time to pick up Nancy and Kate to go to the Sheboygan County CWI meeting.

Rosalie Hartman hosted us. She entertained us with piano music of old Celtic Aires and Jigs. It was truly pleasant. We shared breads and pantoni from Italy and cookies and tea. We also shared some of our favorite books. There were 11 of us there. We all fit together so nicely. So much to share and enjoy about each other. Rosalie's home is beautiful. I wish I could describe it to you. They built it themselves and it is her. She even has a spiral staircase that leads up to her loft and upstairs bedroom. The colors of her rooms are an art piece in themselves and then she had art that she and Bill, who has gone on, collected. I knew Bill and can imagine the fun they had gathering these things.

Now I am home and Chelsea is wishing that I would just hang it up and go to bed. So I believe that I will.

Tomorrow, Dick will come home to test things out. Lori, his therapist, will come along with us. It will be a test run.

Love

Mary