I have all the ornaments off of the tree. I finished tonight.

It was a busy morning too. I had to shovel a bit of the driveway and the front walk. AND I had to do the kitchen floor. One might say that was not necessary, but I couldn't stand it so it WAS necessary.

Anyway, by the time I got over to see Dick, I was so tired, he sent me home for a nap. I made some Schlitzhagen and mashed potatoes and took that, with a salad over to the Care Center and we had lunch/dinner together. We "hung out" until 3:30PM when I headed for church. I sat with my friend Ceil. It was one of my assigned times to be a Eucharistic Minister. I love to do that. It is just amazing to me that I can be one who shares our Savior with my fellow Christians. Wow.

When I left there, I came home and took care of the critters and ate my supper. I fixed a soup that my friend Peggy Feider told me about. It is SO simple and so good. One just mixes a can of pea soup, a can of tomato soup and a can of crab pieces. She apologized for its easiness. It is really good. Too bad Dick wouldn't like it. I mixed it all up and just heated what I was going to eat. I figured it won't do very well with reheating but should keep long enough for me to finish it. I can take a bowl to Mom on Monday too.

Dick and I were together from about 5:30 to 7PM too. I like to be there to take care of a few things that he needs, like filling his CPAP machine. We know that the nurses would do it but I like to do a few things for him.

Well, it is about time to go to bed now. Did I tell you that the Wild Game Dinner is going to be on February 7th this year? Jim and Michelle are excited and want to help me serve again. I have heard that Stenn and Bing are planning on coming. It is always a fun event. If Dick is home, I will have to do some preplanning so he is not alone too long. At least it is close, at Randy and Donna's house.

I need to plan how to cook the roast this year. Perhap a Texas Brisket type. That is really good. I do love to cook.

Take care

Love

Mary

The snow that they warned us about turned out to be quite mild in our area. Actually this morning, the news was already saying that Sheboygan and Fond du Lac counties would be spared the brunt of the storm. We got probably less than a inch.

It was a bit slippery but not too bad. I stopped off to see Dick before going to Sheboygan to give blood. That worked out well. I had a 10:15AM appointment. The guy who set me up managed to get me hooked up on the first poke. Usually they are jabbing around and it is not too comfortable.

Anyway, on the way back, I stopped at Fleet Farm and picked up the stain for the ramp. Of course, I can't do anything about that until the temperature gets over 50 degrees, but I want to be ready. I also got some grip tape to put on it for when Dick comes home. It will make it easier to move the chair up and down and help when he does get his prosthesis. I also checked the grab bars. They have all lengths. I will also check with the Department on Aging. They helped get the bars in the bathrooms. If I buy them, I have to determine how to figure out where the studs are. The one on the cabinet will have to use either toggle bolts OR support boards in back of the screws to reinforce it.

For the first time in several weeks, I was able to join my bank friends for lunch at the Dairy Queen. That was a nice break and I ate a hamburger and onion rings. Tasted real good but I still was very tired and kind of weak when I went back to the Care Center, so Dick sent me home to take a nap. Then I joined him for supper at 5PM. We visited until 6:30PM then I came home, to the delight of the critter.

I have been taking ornaments off of the tree and Roxie is finding that quite interesting. I hope to be done before the weekend is over, BUT it IS quite a job. Oscar is cuddled up on my lap right now. He is such a cozy little guy.

Tomorrow I am going to make Schlitzhagen. I have been hungry for that. Have I told you about Schlitzhagen.

Years ago, Dad was a good friend of a family named Fitzpatrick. Mr. Fitzpatrick operated a bar called Fitz's on Broadway in Sheboygan Falls. It is now the Other Place. The Fitzpatricks served dinners also in their bar among the dinners broasted chicken. One day, Fitz asked Dad if he had any use for chicken broth. They had buckets of it from parboiling the chicken for their dinners.

Dad brought a bucket home and Mom invented Schlitzhagen. Actually we kids made up the name. Schlitz because the broth came from a bar and hagen because it sounded kind of German. Why that was important, who knows, we were kids.

Anyway, Mom took a meat loaf mixture, rolled it into meatballs, floured the meatballs, browned them and dropped them into the hot chicken broth. Then she thickened the broth a bit and served it over mashed potatoes. It is SO nummy.

Have a wonderful weekend. It is supposed to be clear and about 25 degrees. We are going to enjoy that heat wave as we are supposed to be getting a real freeze coming through on Tuesday. It will be well below zero at nights and never break single digets during the day. Poor Chelsea has not had a real walk in over a month. It is either slippery, snowing or too cold.

All my love

Mary

A very strange day. There was snow all over the driveway and walk. I scraped the sidewalk and the first couple feet of the driveway near the door. More snow is expected tomorrow and then in a couple of days - another really cold couple of days. They are talking minus zero.

I went over to see Dick at about 9AM. We had a nice morning. I went down to therapy with him this morning and he is working on sliding onto the john. He did pretty good for the first time. He got on to it without using the right leg. In other words, just using his arms and behind. Getting off we had to use the board and were not as successful, but it will improve. We have three weeks to get him REALLY good. Then he will be home - Yea!!!!!

I came home at noon for dinner and to rest. For some reason I was very tired. I did get a nice nap right after lunch. Then I vacuumed the two upstairs bedrooms and sewed some of the squares for Dick's lap robe together.

I had supper with Dick tonight. I made a salmon salad and had that with crackers and brie. Dick gave me his sherbet - so I even had dessert.

Now I am home safe and sound with a little Chelsea at my feet and a little Roxie on my lap.

Today I remembered something that I did to poor Waylon when Bart and I were living in our little house on Broadway in Sheboygan Falls. The dining room had a built in china cabinet on one wall with nice deep wide drawers on the bottom. I kept towels and such in those nice deep drawers. One morning as I was heading out the door to work, one of the drawers was open so I pushed it shut as I ran out the door. I was alone at the time because Bart was in California visiting his brother and father.

When I cam home that night, I let Zero out and fed him and then realized that Waylon had not shown up for attention, very unlike him. So I started calling. Then I started hearing the faintest little mews coming from somewhere. I finally figured out that it was from that drawer that I had shut that morning. I opened it and a very grateful pumpkin colored kitty BURST from the drawer. He jumped on me and hugged me around the neck then FLEW downstairs to his littler box. Poor thing. He never figured out that I did it to him. He just loved me even the more because I saved him.

Love

Mary

Hello again. Light snow, most of the day. Chelsea woke me up MUCH later than yesterday. It was all of 3:30AM.

I did hear from her Doctor today. Her B. U. N. level is actually down some which means that her kidneys are working some better. We are going to decrease the furosimide for a week to see if this will reduce the amount of water she is drinking and to see if it will affect her coughing at all. She is coughing somewhat more, but no seizures. After a week, if there is no improvement or if the coughing increases we will do another full blood study on her.

I went grocery shopping this morning, but that was the only time I left the complex. Dick and I decided that I needed a day at home and since it is slippery and cold out there, today seemed like as good a day as any. It was nice. I laid down twice to rest. Could not sleep but at least I shut everything else down and gave my body a chance to unwind. Roxie was my little companion this afternoon. She snuggled right up to my side when I rested this afternoon. That was really comforting.

I also worked on some of our bookkeeping. I sure will be glad when Dick is back and takes back the books again. I don't like it and I make too many mistakes. I can correct them, BUT should not be making them.

I hooked up the new USP back up too. Now I just have to figure out what to do with the old one. It sure is a heavy son of a gun.

I also followed up on disputing a charge on my credit card. I had ordered something and it never came. I have emailed this place several times and have called several times. Today, I tried to call ONE MORE TIME and when I said my name , the lady hung up on me. I called back immediately and got the answering machine. So I told her I would dispute the item, that I am president of CWI and would spread the word, that I was disappointed because I really liked the ring involved and then hung up and called the credit card company.

If the dispute is actually filed, I will tell you the name of the company. I don't want anyone else to go through this. I have spent too much on phone calls and emails to get any pleasure out of the item anyway now. I just hate things like this. This was supposed to be a special present from Dick for Christmas as my Claddagh Ring dissappeared.

Tomorrow is another quiet day. Fr. Van Beeck is saying mass at the Care Center at 10. I have to be there earlier than that because if he gets there early, he starts early and there is no way of knowing. If Dick is not in therapy, he said he would go down with me.


Taken from and Email I received today.

Love

Mary

THE POWER OF PRAYER. I believe that God only gives three answers to

prayer:

1. 'Yes!'

2. 'Not yet.'

3. 'I have something better in mind.'

Doesn't he look GOOD!!!!!


Mary

Good news today. We had a 10AM appointment with Dr. Moreno at the Sheboygan Clinic AND he took the dressings off of the grafts AND he was almost ecstatic. Both the wounds are healing very well. The smaller of the two is almost completely covered and the other is filled in and reduced in size unbelieveably well. He said that we are 80% of the way there. There is still no weight bearing but we see him next week for another look see.

When we got back, I had dinner with Dick. A meatloaf dinner that was pretty good. Then Lori and Carrie, his therapists followed me home to look at the bathroom here at home. Now they know what we need to do to get him here. They think that the bathroom will be fine. We will have to get two grab bars put in near the toilet itself. They are having him work on his transfering - even without the slide board over to the bed. And they will figure out what to do about the toilet. Because he still cannot do any weight bearing, we are going to wait until after the next appointment with Dr. Moreno to bring over the cars that we want him to try.

Both therapists and Dr. Moreno have finally agreed with Dick that it is not necessary for him to have the prosthesis fited and working before he comes home. If he can get to the toilet, into the bathtub, into bed and into and out of the car, we are good to go.

So three weeks is becoming a reality. It's about time. We have been apart long enough. I am lonely.

But we are elated. If he is 80% healed, 20% doesn't seem so far away. Especially since the first 80% only took two weeks.

Thanks for all the prayers. We really do appreciate all the support from everybody. I am so grateful for good friends and such a wonderful supportive family.

Love

Mary

The ice is still hanging on to some of the side streets and parts of Tallgrass Lane, though our driveway is now dry and the main roads are pretty much clear too.

My Chelsea still makes a pretty good gauge as to where the ice is. She slip slides around pretty good.

There were just three persons, Peggy, Joe and me at the bible study this morning but numbers do not make it any less interesting and enjoyable. We heard in the tree readings that thought the Israelites are the promised people, God always intended that they be the voice to the rest of the nations. A lot of Trinity symbolism too. I am glad that I went.

Mother and I had a nice visit after that. I brought her some scalloped potatoes and ham, some bread and a piece of cake. She likes that, I think. Donna and I like to have her to bring things too. With only two people in each of our households, we are able to cook things like casseroles this way. I asked how she liked the stollen - it is her recipe - she said it tasted good but suggested that I roll the dough much thinner when I make it again. I will do that. That is probably why it was so hard to roll up.

I had dinner at noon with Dick at the Care Center. They served pork chops, potatoes, green beans and Lamont's birthday cake for dessert. Then at about 2, I came home to do a bit of research before going shopping and to look at a couple of more cars.

When I got home, I fed the critters, then back over to the Center with a sandwich so I could have supper with Dick too. I helped him with the things that I do for him. Mainly massaging the stump so he will be ready for the prosthesis when it comes and then, finally, the last thing, I went out to Rhine Plymouth for the meeting. It was well attended and the new officers and board are installed. I am not one of them. It was good to see everybody again. The new league will start on January 16 so I have to let Nancy know and will mention it in my CWI newsletter thingy.

Kitties are very cuddly lately. I love that. Chelsea is not a cuddly dog you know. It is so nice to have a warm little body in ones lap purring away.

Tomorrow we see Dr. Moreno and he will remove the dressing on the graft. This will be the test. If it is healing, we have it made (as long as we are careful.) Then the trick will be to ensure that wounds don't start up again.

I was thinking today of a time that Eileen and I went to Irishfest together. We used to go for the whole event. I couldn't do that now. Not enough endurance left in my poor body. But we were walking in back of the Miller Stage, heading for the bathrooms when I saw this man walking towards us. I called out. "Well, Hello, Dwayne Gaye." Then I realized that he had no idea who I was. He was a reporter on the Channel 12 morning news that I saw every morning, so he was part of my "friendship" group. I started to laugh and told him that he had no idea who I was but that I woke up to him every morning. He was delighted, I think. Not too long after that, Dwayne came down with cancer and after a battle of several years succumed to that cancer. I hope that recognition was something that really did please him. All people like to be acknowledged and he became acknowledged for both his reporting and his courage in the face of his illness.

Love

Mary

There was a sheet of ice all over the world as far as I could see this morning. Of course I could not see it until I got up the second time at 6AM. Poor little Chelsea zipped out of the door onto the driveway as fast as she could go and ended up sprawled on her belly as he legs slid out all directions. She did not learn anything as the day went on either.

Things got good enough that I was able to go to visit Dick this afternoon at 2ish. We had a nice visit watching the Baltimore/Miami game.

I spent the rest of the day hat home just puttering. Critters were happy with that. And I was too. It will be good to get to bed tonight but I have not had quite the pressures that I usually have.

I baked a banana chocolate cake today. I had to as I had overripe bananas that had to be used up or be thrown away. And I am too frugal to let things go to waste.

Be good and enjoy your week.

Love

Mary