Another long day for Oscar. He spent most of it in the little cave he found under the quilt rack in the corner of our bedroom sheltered by the walls and the quilts. He has not eaten. He is still drinking water and using the litter box. Bobbie, tonight I gave him catnip and he did get all excited and ate that. Must need drugs.

The rest of the day was pretty busy. I had to go to get some potting soil for some of my new plants and some carrots for chicken soup. Then I stopped at Kate's and we exchanged the plants that we needed to from out trip out to Herb 'n' Such. Tomorrow, I will get them all in the ground, or into pots as I decide.

Dick got his weekly full shower today. That is always an adventure but is getting easier all the time as he gets more mobile and able to help.

I made that chicken soup, a herbal cream cheese and a fruit salad. We had grill tbone steaks with boiled red potatoes and Brussels sprouts for our 4th of July dinner. Good stuff. I remembered to put the flag out too. I will leave it up til Monday.

Tonight our neighbors called. Harold and Helen wanted a picture of them both taken in front of their house to show off the beautiful flowers. So. I did that for them and then had a nice visit with them. They are both in their late 80s. Helen has had health issues, starting with shingles for the past year. That has finally healed and they just found out that she has a condition called ear rocks which was making her weak and nauseated. They can cure it and she is feeling a million times better now.

Now we are watching The Capital Fourth on PBS.

Tomorrow the only place I need to go is to Mass. I even grilled enough food tonight that I will have easy cooking all day. So my only big project is to plant. I bought one of those insect repellent gadgets that you are supposed to clip to your belt and it should make a kind of shield around you. Tomorrow will be the big test.

So that is the news from us today.

I got an email last week of "Canadian Billboards" One of them said. "Don't drink and drive, you'll only spill it."

It reminded me of a jeep run many years ago. Our friends Ernie and Linda and family had joined us. Ernie got in our jeep with my ex-Dick on the corner of Patten's Valley out near Yuma. The guys were shooting bowls. The wind forms sand dunes into a kind of a bowl and one of the fun things is to start at one end or the bowl, climb at an angle as your go up and work your way down at the other end. The trick is to keep your angle and your momentum, otherwise it is easy to flip down the hill.

Anyway, Dick handed Ernie his beer (Ernie had one too, so that makes one in each hand) and started up the hill. He was going great, then he glanced down as it was time to make his descent and to his surprise there was another jeep where he was supposed to exit. They had gotten stuck I believe. So all he could do was keep gunning it until he found another path to descend on. Which he did.

However, poor Ernie, holding those beers, just froze in fear and as he did he very slowly turned his hands down and poured both of those beers right in his lap.

Hope your Fourth of July was great. Pray for our servicemen all over the world and for my friend Gail's daughter Karen who needs surgery.

Love

Mary

Well, It was a busy busy day. I picked Mother up for her test at Plymouth Surgical Center at 7:15AM. Dolores had stayed with her all night and it was a good thing as she did have one weak spell during the night and it would not have been a good thing if she was alone.

Jeff met me at the Surgical Center and we got her all registered. They took her up at about 9 and she was back in her room at about 10AM. She was sound asleep for a good half an hour then started to come out of it. Doctor Sokhi came down about the time she was waking up and told us the results. All is fine. She has a bit of acid reflux but otherwise she looks very healthy in there.

Jeff took her home. I went to Walgreens and picked up prescriptions for Dick AND Mother, then over to Kettle Moraine Veterinary for Chelsea's prescription and finally home. Dick and I had our lunch. Hamburger helper, beets and salad. Sound familiar Bobbie?
Then after Dick walked, I took Mom her prescription. Jeff and I visited with her and we planted the herbs that I had purchased for her at Herbs n Such. She was delighted with them as they were all varieties that she did not have.

Now the day is done. Oscar is off his food again. I am going to try Barbara's suggestion, and boil some chicken off the bone for him tomorrow. I swear that the enlarged kidney is enlarging even more, perhaps that is why he is not hungry. No room. I am watching him closely to be sure that I do not let him suffer.

The next two days will be quiet. I intend to finish planting the herbs that I got for myself and just doing things for me. Do you think it might work? I can only try.

Have a Happy Forth of July and pray hard for our young men and women in the Armed Forces far from home defending us. And thank you all for the prayers for Mom. They helped and we are so very grateful.

All my love

Mary

Guess what. Chelsea slept til 4:30AM. I could not believe it. I did go back to sleep until 6 anyway.

Oscar seems a bit off of his food today. A disappointment after the past two days. We REALLY will have to take one day at a time.

Dick walked twice today and got up to almost 5 minutes the second time. We want to be doing it three times a day and five minutes or more each time. He had to go to the anti coagulation clinic today at 10:30AM and his reading was 2 exactly. That is just fine so there are no changes and we don't have to go back for four weeks.

Then Kate and I went to Kiel to Herbs 'n' Such, owned by Linda Hersey Godine who put on the herb lunch and talk at the Plymouth Garden Walk last Saturday. We drove into Kiel first and had a really good lunch at El Camino a Mexican restaurant that we found. They have chili rellanos. WOW. I was delighted. And they were really good too. We will go back there some time.

We had the best time at Linda's home. She took us on a tour of her gardens. Kate and I both purchased some really nice healthy herbs. I got three kinds of basil, a scented lavender, a Greek oregano, a lemon verbena, and sage. I got three herbs for Mother's garden too. She will get sage, a lettuce leaf basil and a scented lavender.

I figure on being asleep as close to 9 as possible. I have to get up a bit early to take Mother for her test tomorrow. Dolores is with her tonight for her prep. Jeff will meet us at the surgical center.

No other news so I will sign off. Pray for Mom tomorrow. She will need all she can get.

Love

Mary

What a day. It was very good but very full and I am very tired.

I got up at 6AM. Dick walked for four minutes this morning. That is a record. We have to aim for 5 minutes or more constantly before we reschedule therapy. I understand that they have to "account" to the insurance companies of there will not be payment.

I went grocery shopping at about 9 AM. Bobbie came over to work on her wine and we three had dinner together. We had Hamburger Helper, beets and salad. Then after Bobbie and I finished the wine updates, we had cake for dessert.

Today, we racked the rhubarb wine. Then we racked the strawberry into a primary fermentor. Bobbie has four different kinds going now and is going to do at least one kit. We will have the winery almost up to full production pretty soon. She is still trying to figure out where to put everything in their home. We are enjoying having her come every week and it is nice to have the wine area full of wines in various stages of production.

Oscar ate pretty good today. He is not eating huge amounts but I am able to get him to eat something. I think perhaps those enlarged kidneys are pushing on his tummy. So. eating small amounts and oftener will keep him comfortable. I just want him to be comfortable.

Take care and enjoy Thursday. Tomorrow is also busy but I will tell you about it when it is ove.

Love

Mary

That goofy Chelsea woke me at about 1:30AM. I have no idea WHAT that was supposed to be. I got up at 6 though as I had to take Oscar to the Vet at 7:30AM. He ate almost nothing for the whole weekend. I just didn't know what to do. I still don't but now have some direction.

Dr. Pat gave me a pill that should help increase his appetite. I told her that I simply cannot watch him starve. In those two days he had dropped a half a pound. She also showed me how to dispense it and a couple of tricks to kind of make him eat.

We got home and he immediately started coming in for food. He is not eating much, but little bits and oftener. And he is picky. He used to be up for treats anytime, now he often walks away. I need to be watching for the appetite drop again, throwing up and change in his habits.

Dick had therapy at 11AM. We will not go back until he gets his walking time at home up to 5 minutes or more. So after eating lunch at Chester's and making a pit stop at home, we drove into Sheboygan to Wisconsin Prosthesis and got the prosthetic adjusted again. We hope we have it this time. It has been hurting him to walk which is why the time is not increasing. Tomorrow will be the test.

I took a nap at about 3 and then fixed Dick some supper before heading over to Rhine. We were hosting the Kettle shoot and last time, they were short handed. This time there was more than enough help so I was home by 6:30PM. Nice.

I talked to Bret tonight. He is doing well. He will be going out the the River to his new Mobile Home Palace for the weekend. He does not mind the heat out there and has so many friends. It was good hearing his voice.

Tomorrow is shopping and wine.

Love

Mary



A Point to Ponder.

If drinking and driving are illegal, why do bars have parking lots?

Got up at 6AM. There is always so much to do in the mornings. Dick walked after breakfast. I headed for bible study at 9AM. We had a nice group there.

One of our members was at the Herb class that was conducted at the Garden Walk on Saturday. When I mentioned the Lemon Balm Wine and she asked if I would bring a bottle to Bible Study. So I did. We all had a little bit and they loved it. We have started our study of the Gospel of Mark and are beginning by going over the introduction which gives a nice history and explanations of how, where, when and why the gospel was written.

Then I went over to Mom's. She and I, very carefully, reviewed the instructions for the prep that she has to do on Thursday before her colonoscopy on Friday. We have all set out so she doesn't have to think about it any more until then. Dolores will be out there in the evening to be with her during the prep part of the procedure which is really the hardest part. I will pick her up at about 7:15AM on Friday to take her to the Surgical Center for the procedure. Jeff will meet me there.

Jeff called Dr. Hancock and got a lot of our questions answered. I feel better anyway.

I was able to be home most of the afternoon and took a nice long nap this afternoon. My friend Kate called and asked if I would drive her to Kohler. Her husband, Ron, is being recognized for 45 years at Kohler and she joined him but did not want to have him driving home alone that late. She and I have been sharing the concern of husband health issues for well over a year. I remember being at a function where Sy Regan was also attending and he told us to just stay away from him.

Oscar is just about the same. The only things he has eaten are a few cat treats and some canned chicken white meat. He is still drinking. I am taking him back to the Vet tomorrow to discuss his condition and my concerns. I have decided that I will not try to force feed that poor critter. He deserves more than that. Why frighten him if it only serves to prolong his live and will not provide a cure.

Tomorrow is a busy day for Dick. - Therapy and a prosthesis check. I am planning on taking him to the airport for lunch. I haven't told him so. I hope he will go.

Love

Mary

It was a mixed day. Silly Chelsea was back to waking me at 2AM again. I had trouble getting back to sleep but finally did and got up about 6AM.

The morning was busy. I helped Dick with his bath and watered the outdoor plants.
The wind blew pretty steady and it was in the low 80s so I probably will have to do that again tomorrow. We are supposed to be getting cooler weather as the week progresses. No rain though.

At 10:30, Dick put Bill Moyers show on (we often watch that on Sundays) Bill had W. S. Merwin, the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry as his guest. So I watched that with great interest. I think I learned a lot.

As soon as that was over I went to St. John's for the Celebration Picnic. You see the picture of me and Archbishop Kaigama. He was our guest for the weekend, it is Mission Sunday. Amazing to have an Archbishop for our speaker and he is absolutely charming. He is only 59 and has been an archbishop for 9 years. One of our members told him that when he dons the white hat as pope, he wants good seats. He told us a lot about Nigeria in his sermon. His main problems as an Archbishop and father to his people are caused by the political unrest and the fact that his people are often displaced and come to him with needs for basic food and housing. In their poverty they want to build a church. I told him that I would write a poem for him. I also told him that it would take a while because I had to let it grow in my head.

Home again, I brought Dick a hamburger and popcorn from the picnic. Then he walked. He said that it is getting some better and tomorrow he wants to start walking longer.

At about 2, I left for Rachel Kroeplien's graduation party. Rachel, along with her brother Josh and her dad, Jim belong to Rhine Plymouth. Rachel will be off to college in the fall so we will be losing her at least for some time. They are a lovely family. Rachel just got back from a two week educational vacation to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. And yes, she saw blue footed boobies. I saw the pictures. She had one terrifying experience. In Ecuador, she and a companion were walking to school when a man with a knife shoved them against a wall to rob them. Fortunately, a cab drove by and beeped and the man ran away. They also ran, the rest of the way to school. The teachers acted like they didn't believe them but another man who witnessed the whole thing came up and had called the police so there was a report. She was SO scared. But she didn't tell her folks until she got home. She was afraid they might make her come home.

Guess who was there, Becky and Brian and little Elizabeth. The Kroeplien's are cousins. That was fun. Also Lena Lauer, an elderly lady who goes to the Senior Meals with Mother, was there and we had a lovely visit too.

Then home again.

I called Bart and Barb tonight and they are doing fine. I will call Bret tomorrow. He is easier to get on weeknights.

Oscar is worse. He has only eaten 6 little treats today. He turns up his nose at any food that I offer him and the one time he tried, he upchucked. Poor baby, is just sleeping. I will call Dr. Pat tomorrow and get some advice. He is still drinking water, albeit, not much.

Guess that is all. A lot, isn't it?

Take it easy and have a good week. You deserve the best.

Love

Mary

 

Here is a picture of Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, Nigeria. It was fascinating talking to him.