Such a lovely day. Perhaps not the weather, though I found it quite comfortable. We got up at our usual 6:30ish and spent the morning getting ourselves together. Dick and I both are kind of pleased that we have been feeling just a bit better the past three days. I baked bread and prepared an overnight Strata for breakfast tomorrow. I had figured that Bobbie and Bill and Suzie and her friend JP would be joining Richard and Brenda and Dick and me for breakfast. The four of them can't come so we will have lots of food. Richard and Brenda arrived at a bit after 2PM with Bobbie and Bill close behind. Suzi, Dick's niece in case you didn't know, and JP arrived shortly after. I went to Mass at 3:30PM and left the Kunerts to just catch up. I got back at five to the middle of a lot of memories. We ordered dinner from Sweet Basil. Richard and Brenda picked it up. We sipped on glasses of Bobbie's Domaine Du May (Bolero) and later champagne to accompany our meals. It was a super birthday party for Dick. He loves all these people and was so happy they were all here. Such a great birthday party. I love to see him so happy. So. Tomorrow, Richard and Brenda will join us for breakfast before heading back to Madison. That is always a treat. Roxie, as usual, was her charming self with all the company. Dia Dhuit Rest yourself easy tonight. I love you all. Mary

A day mainly at home. I woke up feeling better than I have in quite some time. I actually felt like there was some energy in my body. Dick reminded me to take it very easy as we don't want me to ruin it by overdoing things. Jody came do the cleaning at 8AM. After she left, I baked some scones so that the family can all have a fun breakfast on Sunday. Suzi and JP are coming tomorrow afternoon. They will be staying with us. Richard and Brenda and Bobbie and Bill will be here in the afternoon also. This will be a celebration of Dick's 82nd Birthday which is actually on Monday. I am looking forward to the weekend and the company. I have finished three of the projects that should have been done by today. Mostly today too. See what feeling better can do for production. So that was the day. Nancy came to give him his bath at 1:30PM and I ran and did some errands while she was here. Kay is here tonight to get him to bed. This is always difficult as he keeps calling me, if I am here, and I get little relief. But perhaps he will accept it in time. When I was gone, he did fine. So until tomorrow Dia Dhuit Mary BRITISH HUMOUR IS DIFFERENT These are classified ads, which were actually placed in U.K. Newspapers: FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER. 8 years old, Hateful little bastard. Bites! ___________________________________________ FREE PUPPIES 1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog. ________________________________________________ FREE PUPPIES. Mother is a Kennel Club registered German Shepherd. Father is a Super Dog, able to leap tall fences in a single bound. _______________________________________________________

What a good day. We had a disturbed night. Dick had to get up twice, but with Greta from Embrace here at 7AM, I was able to go back to bed for a while. I did not have to go anywhere today. I am still exhausted and a day at home was a blessing. Dick seems very much in the now the past day or two. This is again a blessing. When I got up, I went downstairs and worked on clearing things up from my current quilting projects. The area is now quite acceptable for guests. As Suzi will be there this weekend this makes me feel good. She wouldn't care, I know, but I do. Ad next week I can start deciding which projects I want to start on next. I have pretty much dropped out of Quilt Club and Writer's Club but intend to keep on writing and quilting. We ate very good. We had Teriaki Steak, rice and salad for dinner and a hot dog with beans for supper. We certainly are spoiled. This weekend will be the celebration of Dick's 82nd birthday. We will have guests. Dick and Brenda will be here and Suzi, his niece, will also be here. I am planning to feed everybody on Sunday morning. I will fix an overnight casserole before they come on Saturday and I have fruit and nice breads for breakfast on Sunday morning for whoever can be here. I love having family here and it is so good for Dick. We just came back from a stroll around the tract. Dick met one of our newer neighbors, Peggy, and Don, next door helped us get out of a slight stuck spot. Now that summer is here, I hope to get him out often. Dia Dhuit M ary

Today was rather strange. I have felt rather weak all day. I took two naps. This helped some but I hope that this is not how I will be feeling every day. The nurse that came to take the blood test for Dick's INR kept telling me I look pale. This never helps as we all know. We know that if someone comes up to us and says "You look awful" you start to feel that way. I got the grocery shopping done while Kay from Embrace was here and I also got my hair cut. I feel 100 lbs lighter. Yvonne, an RN, came to do the IRN on Dick today. His count was 2.1 - perfect. So we are staying on the same dosage of warfarin for a week and then will retest. I pray for the day that we can test once a month. So perhaps someday things will become normal. The new normal. Dick was content today and felt pretty good. Marty from I spent as much of the time that I could stay awake sorting the papers that have accumulated on my desk. Tomorrow should be a final catch up day. We ate good today. Leftovers for lunch and venison steaks for dinner. I am going to bed at 8PM despite my two naps. I hope that this is just the settling in of the procedure I had done. Currently I itch, am numb and hurt. I must believe that healing is taking place. Dia Dhuit Mary The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. Thomas Jefferson

"The harder I go, the behinder I get!"

Since I came home, I cannot seem to get caught up.  This morning I got up at 6:30AM for good.    Dick got up twice last night.  Once at 9:30PM just an hour after we went to bed saying he had to go the bathroom.   Then he again at 3:30AM.


At 6:30, we decided to catheterize as he really felt pressure.   Then he rested some more as Ashley, the RN, came to check him and see how the catheterizing is going.    It is not too hard but is just another thing that has to be done and takes time.   We have to do it three times a day.  He says that I don't hurt him and this makes me feel better.

It was trash day, so between 6:30AM and 8AM, I took care of getting that together.   Then, they left one bag and I have no idea why.

Dick had a dentist appointing with Dr. White today at noon for a filling.   So. Tim picked us up at 11:30AM to drop us off there.   This was a good visit.   The cavity was very small and had not destroyed the filling already in the tooth so it was a very easy fix.   We were home by 12:40PM.   This was great because I could fix a quick lunch before Nancy came to give him a bath.

I did lie down for a short nap at 3PM after Nancy was gone.   Good thing.   I am still sore and tired.

Colleen from Embrace came to put him to bed at 6:30AM so I took a drive over to see Mother and take her vitamins to her.   When I went on Monday, I forgot to take them along.   So I filled up her pill box and then we had a nice visit before her caregiver came to help her get to bed.

I got home at about 8AM.   In plenty of time to be sure that all was well with dick and do my business.

Tomorrow, I will be doing all my outside stuff in the morning and then will not have to leave for a day or two, so I figure I will be able to get sorted out and caught up.    While help is here, I can go downstairs and sort and check the shelves down there.   After the Gathering.   I have a real chore to get that accomplished.   But a couple of hours with someone else taking care of Dick will allow me to do a LOT.

So Are you sick of me yet.    It really was quite a good day after all.    Tomorrow I think I will fry out some brats as I have some hard rolls and some nice red potatoes for a salad.   Want to join us?

I did want to tell you a bit more about the weekend.   On Saturday   we had a Low Tea, presented by a chef from the American Club.   We found out that a Low Tea is really the more formal of the teas.   A high tea perhaps referring to the fact that it is usually later in the afternoon and was usually rather informal for the working man as he came home from work.   Anyway, we had tea, tea sandwiches (cucumber and salmon) and several tea breads and cookies and short breads.   We got the recipes for four of them and we have requested the rest, including the crayfish/Andoule sausage gumbo that we had for dinner the night before.  It was such a delightful presentation.  

More tomorrow.

Dia Dhuit

Mary.

This has been a much busier and rather stressful day than I had anticipated.

The morning went very well.   Bobbie came to stay with Dick while I went to Bible Study and to see Mother.

The three of us had cheeseburgers for lunch.   A good healthy meal.  

This afternoon, I did get a nap before the plumber came to check the cloggy toilets.     Then the Ashley the nurse came to remove the Foley and show me how to do catheterizing.    I think that is why I am so tired.   So I will wait until tomorrow and hope I am not too tired to be newsy.

Pray for us as we pray for you.

Dia Dhuit.

Mary

Home again after my Celtic Women weekend. 

It was, of course, wonderful.    I arrived at The American Club at about 12:45PM in plenty of time for the board meeting.   Bobbie had brought Spanish Rice for our lunch so I was in fine shape until the Seafood Buffet the in the evening.

I left the gift bags and other things that I had with me for the room such as the flags of the Celtic Nations and my Brigid pieces and

After a successful board meeting, I drove to the Inn on Woodlake to check in and change for the evening festivities.   We were back at the American Club at 4ish for a cheese and sausage reception followed by a lovely meditation conducted by Janice Bieshke.   This put us in a relaxed but upbeat mood for the rest of the weekend.   Then we headed up to the Immigrant Room   ( ooo la la - the 5 start restaurant in the American Club.)   I had invited Bob Fleming to join us for dinner.   As he seems to be "balking" at telling me how much I should give him for the Brigid Icon that he painted for me, I think I will "pay him off" in this kind of thing.   He loves nice things and the Immigrant Room is special.   I was so gratified to see him so happy.    We had a wonderful Seafood buffet and great company and more people got to meet the artist that created the St. Bridget.

I  will continue this tomorrow, as Dick and I are about to head to bed.   I need a good night's sleep in my own bed next to my dear husband.   Earlier this afternoon  he asked me where I was sleeping tonight.    I told him that I would be sleeping in the bed next to him.   He grinned from ear to hear and said  "Hot damn!"   Boy did I feel special.

Til tomorrow

Dia Dhuit

Mary