NEWS REPORT _

The Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot their landing in Minneapolis last week say they were distracted, not asleep. Turns out Brett Favre was a passenger on the plane and he couldn't make up his mind whether he wanted to go to Minneapolis or Green Bay .


Isn't that funny? I got it in an email today and decided to share that as the rest of the day's events are pretty dull.

Dick feels fine after his colonoscopy. We are still having trouble with sores on his lower legs. The skin is so thin and is peeling. Dr. Moreno prescribed a cortisone salve which we have to apply twice a day. So far no sign of improvement but one application is not going to do much. We are hoping for some change by morning.

I spent some time down in the den cutting fabric for a quilt top and straightening the place up.

Then after lunch, I took a long nap. I have been so very tired lately and am glad of this quiet weekend. I intend to nap tomorrow too. I went to the 4PM Mass today. The children's choir sang for the Mass. I don't think that choir is as big as last year. None of the choirs seem as big. But they sound good.

We have a new archbishop in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He is Jerome Listecki who has been in Eau Clair for a while. He is young, 60. I find that encouraging. Fr. Van Beeck said that this is the fourth archbishop that he will serve under that is younger than he is. He said that when a pope is younger than he, he is through.

We had some of the chicken soup that I made Thursday for our supper. It is pretty good. I will take some to Mother on Monday.

Now, I am watching the Wizard of Oz. I am too tired to start another project. I have a doggy at my feet and a kitty on the desk. Dick is in bed and it is very quiet.

I must tell you something else. This morning when Chelsea and I went on our walk. We ran into a neighbor who is on the board and has a Maine Cook Cat. He was walking the cat on a leash. Chelsea was amazed and barked her little head off. The cat was not happy but was not panicked either. I visited with Rick a bit and then we all went our separate ways.

God love you


Mary

We are home safe and sound and Dick is tucked in his bed to sleep off the rest of his anesthesia.

Dick had to be at the Plymouth Surgical Center at 12PM. It is always like old home week when he goes there. It is the same place that he had to go to when twice a day when he had that infection in his legs.

Anyway, they take good care of him there. Dr. Sharon was running a bit behind but he was taken up shortly after 1PM and was back in the room shortly after 2PM. He dozed and recovered for a while. Then, Dr. Sharon came in to tell us that all went well. Four polyps, which he took care of, and some irritation in the stomach but nothing to worry about.

Then we headed home with a stop at the drug store and a second stop at the Dairy Queen -Dick was starving and hungry for a good old fashioned Bacon Cheeseburger and fries. Then home.

Critters were very glad to see us. Roxie, the little opportunist, tried to sneak out into the garage when I was getting Dick and everything else into the house but I headed her little self off at the pass.

Those burgers sure tasted good. Now we are all home until I go to church tomorrow night. I am supposed to be a wine minister, but with the swine flu fears, probably won't have to do so. Fr. Van Beeck has suspended the sacrament under both forms until he is sure that all of the wine will be consumed. Otherwise he has to finish what is left. Lots of people, wisely I think, are avoiding the common cup.

I have to turn in the raffle tickets for the big raffle too. The tickets cost $20, but the top prize is $10,000. There are other prizes going down to $100.

My raffle basket from the Chicago IBAM arrived today. I felt like Christmas. There were so many nice things in it. Christmas candles, Halloween candles, oven mitts, a beautiful bookmark, a small crystal vase and other things. Also, tying the wrapper on it were three miniature fabric roses in green and white that I can use to dress a stump doll. See how easy I am to amuse?

God love you


Mary

We have been busy all day. And we never left the neighborhood. I started with the usual morning stuff. Dick has his colonoscopy tomorrow so had his last solid food for breakfast.

Joan, the cleaning lady, came at 8AM so the house is all vacuumed and scrubbed again. While she was here I started boiling chicken for soup. I figured that tomorrow, when we get out after the procedure, Dick will be either starved or want something like chicken soup. I worked on it throughout the day. It is all ready except for the noodles.

Bobbie got her at about 11:30 or so. The critters are always glad to see her. She and I had Irish Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches and pie for our lunch. Then we went down to the winery and got to work. We racked the Marigold, the Lemon Balm, the Grapevine and the Peach wines. Then we bottled the rhubarb. We are running low on bottles. Fortunately, we have at least a month before we have to worry about being totally out and perhaps can accumulate some more. Roxie was down there with us almost the whole time fussing at us.

Yesterday as I was coming up the stairs, I noticed something on one of the stairs. Here is the background to the story.

When my Aunt Nonny died, I ended up getting a doll pair from her estate. It is a very small, maybe 5 inches, little black doll holding a baby that is maybe two inches long. So, I was coming up the stairs and saw this thing on the stair. I was "the BABY". Roxie stole that poor doll's baby and just discarded it on the stairs. I was shocked.

My bulk herbs came in the mail today. Now I will start drinking my infusions regularly. I ordered Nettle, rose hip, oat grass and mullein. I started today with the nettle because my more in depth reading of its properties told me it is good for healing stomachs. They are all good for building up the system and warding off viruses. I figure I will rotate them. Dick said he will try them too. In small amounts he can get used to the taste and I think they will be good for both of us.

I had also ordered an herbal tea called Happy Tummy. So Bobbie and I shared a cup of that before she left. It has Spearmint, Catnip, Lemongrass, Calendula flowers, Skullcap, Rosemary, Sage and Fennel. It tastes very refreshing. Funny thing. I had it sitting on my desk and Roxie got very interested in it. I actually had to shoo her away as it looked like she was going to lap it up. Had to be the catnip.

I am now winding down for the night. I am helping Dick get ready for tomorrow and sipping my nettle infusion and writing this blog. Aren't I the multi-tasker.

Did I tell you that our Sara is engaged? I found it on Facebook. I am getting a bit better on Facebook. At least I am getting SOME of the important stuff. She had a picture of her and Vince and they look so good together.

Have a happy Friday. Bart should be back home from Germany. I am sure he is or I would have heard. I expect that I will hear from him either before the weekend is over. Otherwise, I will call him.

God love you all

Mary

Had quite a day today. I went grocery shopping at about 8:30AM after everybody here got their breakfast. Rebandaged Dick's legs then drove into Sheboygan Falls for lunch with the Class of 58. However, I had one stop on the way. As I am driving down old 23, I notice that the low tire or Tyre, as the gauge tells me, was on again. SO I stopped at the Mobil station in Falls and the clerk let me use her tire gauge and use their air. I couldn't find the sticker that tells how much air goes in each tire, so I just measured one. It said 50 so I filled them all to fifty. (Now those of you who know about tire pressure, don't panic. The story is not over.)

When I got down to Broadway and parked across from The Other Place, where we were gathering for lunch, I looked again and lo and behold, I found the sticker. 35 is the correct psi. Well, I couldn't do anything then so I went and had lunch with my friends. We had a nice group. 17 including a few spouses.
Carol Van Dixhorn Katt, brought back a glass candle holder that we had used at the high school reunion that she and I had helped plan. It ended up at her house and for the past five years, every time she sees me she mentions it. I told her not to worry as I would not have worried if I did not get it back at all. But she remembered it today. I had forgotten how pretty it really is. It is a Fenton and very iridescent.

I had a Reuben Sandwich with onion rings. Brought half of it home and dick and I shared it for supper, along with the last of the soup that Kate gave us.

I left the lunch in time to stop at home and walk Chelsea. Now all of you people who know about tire pressure can breath again. I took one of our gauges and rechecked the tires and reduced the air to around that 35 psi that is recommended. This is the second time that I have gotten that low air notice. I am going to call the dealer and ask about that.

Then I drove out on Cty F this side of Dundee to the old homestead to meet Jeff and Shane and set up our stands. Jeff and Shane called me as I was on my way to tell me that they would be a bit late. But, when I got there Jason Karls and his wife and little boy, James were there so I visited with them until Jeff and Shane came.

We went into the woods then. It was a perfect day for it. Just enough sun, blue skies. The paths are covered in leaves which made walking rather slippery but we carefully made our way in. Shane went ahead to Tim's spot with his bow to do a little afternoon hunting. Jeff took me to the new (for me) spot nearer the road and just a hoot and a holler from him. He fixed me a nice easy chair with back rest and footrest so I can move around a bit. There are lots of deer rubs below my site and his so there is hope. We cleared the lanes of shrubs and branches. Now the deer have about a week and a half to get used to the changes.

Then I came home, stopping at Walgreens for a prescription for Dick.

Now it is almost 7:30 and I wish it was 9 and I could go to bed.

Tomorrow, home all day. Bobbie is coming. There is lots of wine to tend to.

God Love you All

Mary

Dick got a haircut and his beard trimmed this afternoon over at Shear Delight which is the beauty parlor over at the Plymouth Care Center where he did rehab. Julie does such a good job and he looks very handsome and debonair. We ran into Bridgette, one of the CNAs and Scott, one of the maintenance men. Also, Leah, who worked with him in therapy. All of them were so glad to see Dick and were so good to him while he was there.

The last time we went for a haircut and/or therapy, the Care Center had lots of empty rooms. I guess that has changed dramatically. Apparently there is a cyclical flow and just before winter sets in lots of people are convinced to come to nursing homes. Children probably afraid to have their fragile parents home alone.

I spent the rest of the day cleaning the kitchen counters, updating the Uelmen family tree in my PAF file, checking out my herb remedies and getting the dates that some of them need straining on to the calendar and baking a pie. I had a purchased pie crust, not as good as homemade, but OK. I had also purchased a can of apple pie filling and added part of a can of crushed pineapple then covered it with a crumb topping. It is good and will hold us through the weekend.

Bart and Barb called from Germany. Bart leaves for home in the morning and will call when he gets home. He is not looking forward to the trip, or leaving Barbara but will be glad to get home and is looking forward to Jim and Michelle and her brother, Jim, being at his place for Thanksgiving. Barbara will be in Germany for just one more month. Thank heavens. She said that they were visiting a relative of hers and she and her cousin started talking German (German is coming back to her. She knew it when she was young.) She said Bart was amazed. They have had good times and I am so glad that he got to go.

Friday, Dick is having a colonoscopy done so we will be laying low and hunkering down from Thursday morning til the weekend is over.

Tomorrow, I am having lunch with my high school alumni. After lunch, I will meet Jeff and Shane out at the deer hunting site. Jeff is putting me in a new place (for me) nearer the road and he said he has seen signs there. He will walk in with me too. I am concerned that if it is too cold, I will not be able to stay too long, but I fully intend to give it a whirl.

If, just once, I could actually bring some game home from the hunt.

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. I must remember to put up the flag in the morning. I do like to commemorate them. After all, Dick, Bart and lots of others I love served and need to be remembered. Also, the current servicemen in danger all over our globe. We must pray for them and treasure them.

God love you

Mary

This was quite a day. Lots of fun stuff and then I finished the evening by cleaning off my desk (mostly) and the upper left hand drawer which holds all my greeting cards and labels.

Bible study was at 9:30AM. There were 8 of us there today and we had a lively discussion about the role of women in the Old Testament as the reading was the one in which Jesus heals the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. Now it is important to understand that when a woman was in her cycle in those days, she was unclean. And this must have been dibilitating. But this woman, a WOMAN, had the faith and the nerve to decide to just touch his cloak as He walked by and she was healed. He felt her healing too. Then Jesus went to the temple officials home and raised his daughter, another woman though only 12, from the dead. We always have a lot to say.

Then I stopped at Mother's and got there just as Jeff was loading Mom's walker in his new van to take her to the ear doctor to get her new hearing aids. So, we transferred the cactus to his car and I left Mom's pots that Bobbie had returned on her porch. Then I picked up the paper and headed for home.

I had several calls to make and dinner to prepare and eat before Kate Herman picked me up at 12:20PM to go to The Sheboygan County Historical Research Center for an Irish Genealogy Workshop. There were about 15 of us in the workshop including Debbie O'Grady, a fellow CWIer and Tom Keyes who I found out is a source person for Irish who come from County Cork, Ireland. I am not sure exactly what that means but since I see him every Monday at bible study, I told him that we would be discussing this next Monday.

I learned a lot. I am going to call my cousin, Doug, tomorrow. We are pretty certain that Great Grandpa David Deeley, was not a Deeley in Ireland though there are Deeleys in Ireland. Doug told me he knows the name they had in Ireland and I want to find that out. Then I can put into practice some of the hints I received today and will call Mary Pat Kelly who wrote Galway Bay for more.

Mary Pat Kelly said she would speak to our group and I asked Beth Dippel if the Research Center would like to cosponsor the talk with us and perhaps bring in more Irish to hear her. Beth is willing so I will proceed.

On the way home, we stopped at Mom's to drop off her iron pills. Kate came in to visit for that few minutes as she loves Mom too. Mom's new hearing aids look wonderful and she seems pleased. Did I tell you that she can test them for 6 months and return them during that period if they do not work for her? So far so good. They are self adjusting so that will save her having to work with the volume controls.

Kate and I had our first visit in months. With my and Dick's health problems and her and Ron's we have just not been able too. So we did get a bit caught up.

Have you ever tried to type with a kitty cradled in your arms? I had to do 2/3 of this blog with Roxie doing just that. She is so cuddly, more so than even before now that our Sweet Oscar is gone.

Tomorrow will be an at home day except that Dick has to get his hair cut in the afternoon. I just MIGHT go shopping too as Wednesday Jeff and Shane are going out to check the deer stands and I will try to go along. Jeff is going to put me in a spot close to the road over the dump, so he says, so I won't have to walk so far in. I will just go for the one day and may come home shortly after lunch depending on the weather and how my knee weathers the cold and the walk in. But I really DO want to go out.

Til tomorrow.

Mary

A totally quiet Sunday. We did not see a single soul besides each other and the critters. As far as that goes, Roxie spent most of the day in her room so it was REALLY quiet.

Those darn Packers. Boy did they irritate us. Such a dumb game, though I suppose that Tampa Bay would disagree with me.

I made the pork chop/Lima bean casserole for our dinner. Haven't had that for a long time and I do get those really good boneless chops from Share. This recipe is so easy. You lightly oil or spray a casserole dish, layer the chops and salt and pepper them. Then mix a bag of frozen Lima beans with a can of cream soup (any flavor your prefer) and grated cheese. (I use either Velveeta or cheddar.) Spread over pork chops, top with a small can of French fried onions. Bake for an hour and you have a yummy yummy dinner.

I did a bit of sewing and trimming downstairs, then came up for supper and a quiet evening. My stomach is still tender but feels better than it has in a week. I am hoping that the worst is over. Tonight will tell that tale, I believe.

Talked to Barb in Germany for a few minutes. I called and found her sleeping so she will call back tomorrow evening. Bart comes home on Wednesday. Her father is in the hospital, pheumonia and needs lots of prayer. So lets do that.

Til tomorrow then.

Love

Mary