It was nice to have a day that did not have any big errands involved in it.   I am trying to spend these three days just resting, reading and getting myself geared up to take care of Dick next week following the surgery.

I did have to go out this afternoon to Mass at 4PM.   Since Dick needed some medications, I did a run by Walgreens on the way.   We decided to order food from Sweet Basil tonight for a little date.   So.  I called just before I left for church.  

Fr. Van Beck is still having shortness of breath because of his injured ribs, so Mass was a bit short.   No sermon will do that.  I had called ahead the order and they said it would be ready at 5:15PM so I dawdled a bit by visiting with some friends on the way and begging for prayers for Thursday.   Thank God for such wonderful people that are willing to lift up our problems along with theirs.  

So I picked up our dinners.   We both had steak though I got steak and shrimp.   Really good.   More than enough for tomorrow too and then I am going to fry out on Monday.

So until tomorrow.

God keep you safe and sound.

Mary

The day was cool.   At least most of it.   I did notice that this afternoon,when I was coming home from Mother's house, that the sun felt pretty good.   I guess that is a good sign of spring.

We had to get up by 6:30AM this morning in order to get Dick over to Aurora for his pre op blood test at 8:15AM.  We left just as Jody arrived to clean the house.   The testing went pretty well, though Dick had a slippery vein.   Then we picked up Mac Donalds for breakfast.    A nice reward for being poked with a needle.

I tried to take it pretty easy the rest of the morning as this afternoon was again quite full.    I fixed Dick some noodles and gravy (a perfect Kunert meal) for lunch and joined my banker friends at Dairy Queen.  

I went from there to the post office to get stamps and mail a package.   Then on to visit Mother and take care of this week's bills.    Since I won't be going on Monday as it is Memorial Day, it made sense to just spend part of this afternoon with her and get everything caught up.    We had a nice visit.   She seemed a bit weary when I got there but our visiting usually perks her up, and me too.

When I got home I prepared a meatloaf and baked potatoes for our supper.   Always another popular meal around hear.   I do make a good meatloaf if I do say so myself.   Yea.   Meatloaf sandwiched for lunch tomorrow.

So this will be a very quiet holiday weekend.   The only place I have to go before Tuesday morning is to church tomorrow night.   We have decided that we are going to order takeout from Sweet Basil.   Now that we know they HAVE takeout, we can make it kind of a date.    We like dates.

I am going to plant tomatoes and basil tomorrow.  

Have a great Memorial Day weekend yourselves and remember those who served in the actions that  have kept us free and for whom we celebrate this special day and weekend.   I remember my uncles coming home after WWII.  They are all gone now.    Such a noble time.

Love and God love you

Mary

Philip Neri prayed, "Let me get through today, and I shall not fear tomorrow." I read this quote in this saint's biography and was impressed.   There is a lot to be said about not being afraid of tomorrow.   After all we can do little about that today. Another busy day.    I had my dental appointment for cleaning this morning at 9AM.  That went well.   Dr. Joe says I am doing a beautiful job and sent me out with instructions to eat hard candy and drink coke. Home again we had plenty of time to get Dick ready for his trip to see Dr. Sharon for his preop examination.  That went well.   We talked to him about Dick's trouble sleeping and after all of this surgery stuff is over he will order more sleep studies to see if there is anything better than the CPAP machine he has now. Tomorrow morning he will have his lab work.   It is a fasting test so we are scheduled for 8:15AM. After that, we wait for June 2 and then it will all be over with. The rest of the day was fairly quiet.   I spent it cleaning off the desk, the table, the counters and folding clothes. It was quite chilly today.   Since it is supposed to hit 80 on Monday, and we are not experiencing tornadoes, I don't think it is necessary to complain. Bless you and yours. Mary

This has been quite a day.     I got up a bit early so that I could do our grocery shopping early.

Bobbie and I had to drive Dick to see Dr. Fehrman, the orthopedist, for a 9:30AM appointment.   So I went shopping at 7AM..  Everything went quite well and I was home again before 8:30AM.   I had plenty of time to put the groceries away before we loaded him up for the drive to Aurora. 

Boy is the new motorized chair ever wonderful.   He tootled out the door and down the ramp so easily and when we came back Bobbie and I didn't have to push him or steer him at all.   He is still a bit awkward on the steering but that will take time and he is basically right on.

Now for the news of his appointment.   Dr. Fehrman had the Xrays of Dick's foot and was able to show us that the infection has eaten away at the toe and the metacarpal bone of the little toe on his right foot.  There were three choices for treatment.   Antibiotics which have a rather poor prognosis because of the poor circulation in the leg.   Amputation which we are not at all ready for.   Or the removal of the infected to and part of the bone.   This will take a long healing also because of the poor circulation but would leave the leg for support.

I told Dick it was up to him and I would support him in whatever he decided.   We could have taken time but he said he just wants to get it over with and has opted for the toe removal.   The surgery is scheduled for 6/2/2011 at Sheboygan Memorial Hospital.

Pray for us.   

Had the spring servicing of our air conditioner today too.   Everything checked out and he make sure that the freon level was good.   I found out why the humidifier seemed to be behind the 8 ball this winter.   Nobody told us there was a summer and winter setting on the thing.    NOW we know and bet we will be just fine next year.

I talked to all the kids tonight.   Good to get reassurance and to tell them the news in person.

God love you all

Mary

I seemed to have spent the day being a receptionist or secretary.   Dr. Fehrman's office called so I scheduled an appointment for Dick to have that callous looked at.   Please pray.   This is a scary thing again.   I am glad that we can see him so soon.

Then Wisconsin Prosthesis called and we scheduled an appointment to have Dick's stump recast for a new socket.   So Tim got the approval.   Whew.

Then we had meatballs and gravy with noodles for our lunch.   Really good.

Mike from AssessAbility came at about 1PM with Dick's motorized chair.   We had a fun time getting him acclimated to it.   There will be a period of adjustment as there are distinct differences but he sure can zip from one place to another.   Mike forgot the battery charger but we will have that by Thursday more than enough time he tells us.  It is an Invacare Pronto M4.   

So it was a full day what with mending and taking out the trash and all.    Tomorrow I have to get up early to do the shopping and then Bobbie and I will take Dick to see Dr. Fehrman.   I am nervous but will turn it over tonight when I am praying and going to sleep.  I will be OKAY.

God love you

Mary

Today was a very mixed day for us.   The weather was wonderful.  A bit muggy maybe but really pleasant with a nice breeze and everything.  And tonight, Dick actually suggested that we leave the doors open until I go to bed, so the house is getting SO aired out.    You know Dick.   Usually he figures that the furnace is for winter and the air conditioner for the rest of the year.

Bible Study was interesting.   We had Psalm 131.   A very short psalm about trust and guardianship.   God is out Guardian, but we need to remember that sometimes he uses other to provide the guardianship and sometime WE become the guardians.

Then over to Mother's for a visit.  She seemed pretty good today.   Sometimes she seems so weary.   But not today.   We took care of a couple of bills and then settled down to just talking.   I updated her on the Wieser lunch and the cousins that I connected with and we discussed the horrible storms in so may parts of our country.

Then home again.  Bobbie was there as she came early enough to lunch with us so that we could rack two gallons of her wine before we took Dick to see Dr. Moreno.   We had twice baked potatoes, ham and fruit salad for lunch.

The racking went really well.   Next time Bobbie comes we will bottle those two gallons, both beet wines, and then we had better get to work mixing up some new ones as the winery will have none fermenting.

Dick's appointment was at 2:30PM.   We got mixed news.   The wound on the shin is healing well.   But the callous is not.   Dr. Moreno and Brian said that it is deep to the bone.   SO we had to get an X-Ray which will be reviewed and then we will see Dr. Fehrman to see what can be done.   Hopefully it is not deep in the bone and just scraping and/or chipping can remove any damaged area.  Naturally this is a big blow to us.    Please pray that all will come out OK this time.    I have notified two of the prayer chains and will get the rest tomorrow. 

Tomorrow I am home all day.   We are supposed to have the motorized chair delivered in the afternoon.   This will be such a boon to his way of life.    And I know it will lift his spirits.   I am hoping to get him out for fresh air around the neighborhood on nice days.   The fresh air will be so good for him.

That is all for now.

Take care

Mary

I got home rather late last night from the concert at the Plymouth Art Center, so decided that the picture of the flowers would do for that day.

The concert was excellent.   Dan Clausen picked a wonderful eclectic group of songs featuring George Shearing, Aaron Copland and John Rutter.   Among them - Get Me to the Church on Time and All That Jazz.   Mary Calvey's Irish band also performed during each segment.   A real pleasure.   Because I picked up Ron on my way and Kate bought my ticket for my birthday, I stayed after the concert for the cast party.   Boy do they have lots of good food and did we have fun.   I have to tell you what Kate did.   During the intermission, Lori Luther played piano background music and Kate came out and had her play Happy Birthday to me and the whole audience sang it.   WOW.

Bart and Barb and Jim and Michelle called and I got cards from Bobbie and Bill and Leslie and Bill.  I am still going through the Facebook greetings.   What a Birthday.

The day was busy besides that.  At 9AM I picked up SHARE.   Then at 10AM I had to go to the Condo Meeting.    Looks like we will have an increase in our assessment.  Not surprising since the last increase was three years ago and we all know how everything costs more now.

Sunday was supposed to be my quiet day.  I WAS home all day, But it was anything but quiet.   I went downstairs to turn on the water for the summer.   I thought that I had the faucet in the garage turned off.  But guess what.  It was NOT off.  SO.  I had to wash that half of the garage floor.  Not an easy job I tell you.

Alison had an open house at Dick's house today.   Things are moving fairly well in the complex.   Four units have sold this year.

THEN:   I had noticed that the water was running down in front of the door during the last storm.  Not a good thing. as the gutter should take it to the outside and down.  So I took a ladder out there and found that one of the filter covers had collapsed and the gutter was full of gooky stinky guck.    I got all stinky and think I got most of it loose, but it is not quite right yet.   Dick says that that should be a condo thingy.   I am not sure so I emailed Lenys and will see what the concensus is before I attempt any more.

We had stew and baked potatoes for our dinner.   Very good and I make some twice baked to freeze for future meals.    They are good too.

Got Dick's wound dressed and his bath.  SO I am exhausted.    It is almost nine so I will finish my tea and then hit the hay as my Dad would have said.   Tomorrow will be quite busy as it is Monday and Dick sees Dr. Moreno tomorrow afternoon.

Hope your weekend was restful and you are ready for the next.

God love you ,   I do.

Mary