Saturday

It was a perfectly lovely day.   I finished dusting the living room in the early hours.   Then I drove to Kohler to the American Club to meet Bobbie and Bill at the Annual Christmas Holiday Market.

It seemed bigger than last year.   I know there were over 100 vendors which certainly is a LOT.  Also there seemed to be a lot more people at the event.    That is a good sign.   Maybe the economy is better?   Or at least people are glad to get out and it will be back again next year.

We went to the Blind Horse for our lunch as there was an hour wait at the Horse and Plow.   Bobbie and Bill had not been to the Blind Horse before and were glad to try it.    We were all very happy with our food, as I have been before.   I had a scallop/shrimp special, Bill had a burger and Bobbie had an Ahi Tuna salad.  

I went to the 4PM mass and fortunately remembered my neighbor's Tom and Rita needed communion.  Usually I call to confirm but since I didn't call, I took a chance and am so glad as Rita was expecting me to come.

She is so sweet.   Please keep her in your prayers, along with Jody, my cleaning lady and my friend, Kathy, who just lost her husband.

Tomorrow I get to stay home.   Lucky me and lucky Roxie.    She is starting to feel better about the new furniture arrangements.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Good Day

I went to the Sheboygan County  Caregiver Conference arranged by the Alzheimer's Association at Acuity.  It was a very informative and enjoyable event.   Their theme was Forget-Me-Not.    Very appropriate.   There were vendors from many local resources.   Home Care, Rehab, Transportation. Meals on Wheels, Nursing homes etc.   I got a lot of pens and note pads let me tell you.   I saw Heidi from Embrace Care who we dealt with when Dick was getting care here.    She would come occasionally when the regulars couldn't and just check on us.    I loved that she asked about Roxie too.

I especially liked Nancy Simenz who is chaplain at Sharon Richardson Community Hospice, talked about Difficult Caregiving Decisions.   I brought her handouts to share with the family because they are very practical.    I will be taking them and other stuff to Mom's for any of the family to peruse.

The second speaker that I REALLY got something from was   Greg Giles, who is employed by the Y in Fond du Lac.   He is an amazing speaker and left us with some simple "lists" to practice.

The first is 1. Risk More
                   2.  Reflect More
                   3.  Leave a Legacy

He said that when someone did a survey of older people and asked how they would change their lives if they could, the above were the ones that appeared over and over again.

The second list is  1.  Care
                              2.  Share
                              3.  Laugh
                              4.  Dare.

I ran into several fellow caregivers.   Always good to share and these events always have the best lunches.   They are worth it for the lunch actually.

So that was my day.   Time to settle.   I am watching John McGivern in Door County.    Soon I will go to bed and get ready for tomorrow.   A much quieter day.

Richard and Brenda emailed and we have decided on dinner on Thanksgiving at 5PM.   Gathering anytime in the afternoon. 

I heard from Jim and Michele and they are going to Bart and Barb's for Thanksgiving.

Good.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

It was cold today.   I slept in a bit.   I am not sure Roxie approves of me sleeping late, she generally comes to get me at about 8AM if I go back to bed.    Tomorrow I think I'll get up with her because I am going to a Caregiver's Conference at Acuity.   They always have a lot of information.  I am going with two friends.

This afternoon, I went to the bank, the post office, Walgreens and grocery shopping.   I am steadily working to have everything where I want it now that the furniture is rearranged.

So that's all folks for today.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

I am home from a Mass at St. John's for those friends and family who passed away this past year.    It was a lovely Mass and I was able to be a Eucharistic Minister.    I love that and I made me feel very close to my love.  

They lit a candle for every person who passed and we got to take them home.   Someone did a lot of work- it is lovely.   We will have it on our Thanksgiving table.

I got the carpets cleaned this afternoon and they helped me rearrange the furniture.   The room look empty now and BIG.

Til tomorrow

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Why are Mondays so wild?     It was nice though.   But COLD!!   The wind just roared all night and was still not settled down for most of the day.   That made it feel even colder.

I went to Bible Study at 9:30AM.  We seemed very disjointed today but talking about Peter helping the lame man to walk set off a lot of discussion.   We did find out by reading an Old Testament reference from a previous chapter that we looked up "by accident" turned out to be the Shema, a traditional prayer of Jewish life Deut 6:4-9 which is just what Jesus preached.   Of course, he was a Jew.   It starts off as "Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only true God."  It goes on to tell us how to be right in this world by following God's laws.

Went to Mom's next.    Mom seemed really tired today.    I am concerned for her.  She looked just beautiful though.   Her hair, freshly permed last Saturday, was coiffed perfectly and shining silver.   When I told her how good she looked, she perked up a bit.

Then I went to the Exchange Bank to have lunch with my friend Peggy before we walked over to BookHeads for our Cream City Writers meeting.   We have a couple of new members, Pattie Mc Kensie and Craig, I forgot his last name but he is a friend of Jena's.   He is a pleasure and sharing assignments from a class he is taking and his own experiments.  

Got home at about 2PM.   I rested for a while.   The got a couple of phone calls, One from my friend Paul Hanson and one from Nancy Roehre.

I have been working on the CWI newsletter.   Want to get it out tomorrow after I review what I wrote.

So.   Dancing with the stars is half over.   I am going to watch the rest of it in bed.

Roxie is getting used to the new arrangement.    I think I have made things pretty kitty friendly for her.   Tomorrow she will have to put up with carpet cleaners and the moving of furniture in the living room.   I suppose she wonders if this agony will ever end.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

A beginning of another week.

It has been a lovely beginning.    

Wenig Funeral home, who took care of Dick's funeral for me conduct a memorial service about this time of the year.    I received an invitation of course and was delighted to go as I have been feeling a bit down as the weather glooms up and the holidays approach. 

It was at the Gibbsville Reformed Church - which is lovely, I had never been there before.   The service was so comforting and ended with names birth and death dates and pictures of all those who Wenig helped inter since last year.   The Blessed Trinity Bereavement committee helps John with this event so it is ecumenical which makes it even more special.  

I cried.   But that is OK.   They gave ideas on how to face the upcoming holidays which I will ponder.  Some are very good and we will all benefit from them as we miss our guy so much.

I even got an angel ornament to display this year and for years to come.  

So it has been a hard day but one of those days where one feels lot of support and camaraderie.  I am truly blessed.    I was even reminded of my Tony and am so glad that I went to his resting place this year.   It was long needed and Bret told me how much it meant to him.   He has even gone back.    I wonder what Tony would have become.   He will always be my sweet little baby.

Enough.   Tomorrow will be a good day as I will see Mother and will go to the Cream City Writers.   I am also having lunch with my friend Peggy, whose husband was across the hall from Dick at Plymouth Care and passed away three years ago.   She is a fellow poet and very expressive.

Roxie is slowly accepting the new office.    I figure after the livingroom is cleaned and the furniture finally where it should be she will be just fine.    I am thinking of putting a chair in the bedroom for her to have a place to retreat to.  Though, of course, if I am in the office, she can be alone in the living room.   AHA.

Dia dhuit

Mary

"In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three of more is a congress."   John Adams