A very productive day, I would say.

I did sleep late.   Vikki called this morning so we could coordinate our flight to New York in May.   She booked and let me know what time she would be coming in and leaving.  Then I could book my flight so I get there about the time she does and our hotel.   I also found transportation from the airport to the hotel.   We are staying at the Sheraton on Times Square which Kathy Deeley recommended.   Looks central and close to lots of things.

I have started to research the Colm Cille chapter of my book.   He was a very interesting Irishman.

I left a bit early for mass as I needed to stop at Walgreen's to pick up a couple of prescriptions and a birthday card.   I also found St Patrick day rings for the little girls in my life.

Mass was very nice.   I was a communion minister, which always makes me feel so good.   Fr. Van Beek, our old pastor was our celebrant.  Fr. Dan, our pastor is home from the hospital after his back surgery.   Hopefully that is a good sign.   Home should mean healing.  God willing.

Now, I am watching a Cadfael episode.    We have decided as a family, that anything that we gave to Mom and Dad, we can have back if we wish.    Dick chose the Cadfael tapes for Mom as they both enjoyed them so.

Please pray for Jacquie too.   She had a  heart attack.   She is recovering as I saw from a picture of her Todd sent on Facebook.    Pray for him too.   He has so much on his plate.   

Tomorrow, more cleaning at Mom's.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

What a day.   I have a new gal cleaning the house.  She seems very nice and very efficient so I am pleased.    Jody, who was cleaning both Mother's and my house, is still sick and I believe Bonnie said going to have heart surgery so probably won't be back.

Then I loaded stuff up and went to Mom's.   I got there at about 10:30AM.  Randy and Donna, Eileen and Dolores were there going through things as we are trying to get rid of all the junk and clean things up.    We got SO much done and Eileen, Dolores, Donna and I are going back on Sunday morning to do some more.

I brought some things that I had given to Mom and Dad home with me.    A Mrs Santa china doll, a nativity and Cadfael tapes.  I need nothing but some things just mean a lot to me.   The Mrs. Santa will be neat with all the other Santas that Dick gave me over the years.

Then I went to see Mom with a box of things that she had asked for.   She looked so beautiful.   Her hair was freshly curled and she just looked great.    We put the things that I had brought for her away, I filled out an address change request for her and we just visited for a while.   Then I went home with a stop at Mark Miller's to drop off a couple of things he needed for my taxes.

Home again, I couldn't find my wallet.   I called Meadow View to see if I had left it there.   No luck.  So I headed down to Mom's again.  Halfway there I realized that my key to the house is IN my wallet so I went to Randy and Donna's and sure enough my wallet was at Mom's.  They had texted me but I did not hear the phone do its texting noise.   Got to get used to that.   Anyway, I borrowed Randy's key, got my wallet, returned the key. and headed to Rhine Plymouth to shoot for pistol league.

The good thing about it all is that I got to see Randy's mounted bear head.    It is magnificent and looks so good over their gorgeous bar in their den. 

I am shooting left handed now and I found out that it is not surprising as I seem to be left eye dominant anyway.  I do need to get some left hand grips for the Browning.

So I am home, fed and tired.  Tomorrow will be a very quiet day.   I am home ALL day except for going to Mass at 4PM.  Roxie will be delighted.


Dia Dhuit

A small Haiku

Sunshine greeted us
Toying with our emotions
As the cold persists

I was home almost all day.   I got up in time to get to Generations in time for the walking class that I have been going to.   That went well.  My neck and shoulders got kind of sore, probably because I am not good at relaxing.   That all eased up when I came home an put cold paks on  them.

I cleaned some of the kitchen today.  I am trying to get the cabinets cleaned and the top of the cupboards and the items that I have displayed there.

I took a long nap this afternoon.   Must need it.

I called my sister Nora tonight.   Just to update and to hear a voice.  Sometimes the evenings get really long and a voice is so welcome.   Nora is a good person to call.   We are all so proud of Mother for being so accepting of this big change in her life.   We are such a blessed family.

Dia Dhuit

Mary


I saw a survey about the safety of elderly drivers.   It referred to drivers over 70.   Since when is that old and in addition to my protest the rates of accidents for my age group is down 60%.   So there.

It was warm today.  Actually almost hit 40 degrees.   I was out in it a bit.   I really salted the front walk a lot today to get rid of the built up ice.   There is an ice dam above and constant dripping  which freezes.  We are supposed to have warm for a couple of days, then back to the deep freeze again.   Not fair.
  

I went to Pleasant View Realty this morning. to meet with Kari, who did a market evaluation for us on Mom's home.   She did a nice job and I passed the information on to Jeff and Randy.   We chose her because she has been looking for something for Jeff for a while.

There is a bunny, that Kari has named Penelope, who hangs around their office.    Kari feeds it carrots.   When I was leaving it was sitting under the bushes so she showed it to me.   Penelope just sat there being admired.   She is quite a chubby little thing and very tame.   Glad she is safe and cared for.

Next on to the bank and post office before I did my grocery shopping and came home.

I feel like I was on the phone all afternoon.   So many loose ends on so many things.  But tomorrow should have less deadlines. I am going out to the exercise class at 8:30AM but will be home the rest of the day.  

I have to get back to my book - that will be my goal for tomorrow.  

My neighbor, Pat, brought over some Irish Soda Bread that I can have for breakfast tomorrow.
 Good thing, I was all out of breakfast breads and I do love my breakfast breads.

So I am ready for a good night's sleep so I can hit tomorrow running.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

This WAS supposed to be a quiet day, but it got away from me.

I got up early.  I went to Generations to exercise at the 8:30AM walking class.   It is power walking and we always do two miles.    So it does get the blood pumping.   This I need.   I can't do any of the arm motions but I just keep on a walkin'.   I finished that and went home with enough time to book my trip to Scotland in September.   Yippee.   I am really excited about that.  

Next I went over to Mom's to do some cleaning out with Jeff and Kathy.    We are all coming when we can to get rid of the trash and stuff like that.   We also gathered St. Patrick Day decorations for her room and some other things to brighten it up.

I brought cookies and Jeff and Kathy picked up Sub Sandwiches.   After lunch, I went to see Mom for a while.   I updated her on the bills that I had paid for her and then we just visited until she got tired.   Jeff and Kathy were coming too so I said goodby and let her rest for the "decorating" that she was going to have to direct.

Home again, I made a few phone calls most notably to Jacquie.   She is not feeling too well.  Not a surprise, I guess.   She has Dick and Keith both there.   And she did say that a nurse is coming by now.    All I can do is to pray that she heals well and gets used to things.

Tomorrow morning will be busy again.  but Thursday and Friday are clear of appointments.   I need a day off.

At least there was no snow today and it was above freezing, Just.   It is supposed to be warm the next couple of days.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

The snow they promised came.   I had hoped to go to see Mother this afternoon but decided to be wise instead and stay off the slippery snow covered highways.

I actually did to Sheboygan Falls for Bible Study.  I thought it would be OK in the morning as the snow was not due til later in the morning.   I took highway 23, dropping off a little teddy bear for Haley, my pen pal at Horizon School.  The wind was really bad and there was a stretch of highway that the snow was blowing so hard I felt like I was driving in fog.  

Got to bible study OK.   There were four of us today.   We will be down in numbers for a bit as Tom and Kathy are in Texas and Joseph had both of his knees replaced last Tuesday.  'We had a good discussion anyway.   Started off talking about the Evangelism movement in the diocese which fit in nicely with the section of the Acts that we are reading.

The I went over to Mom's to be sure that everything was OK and to pay her bills.

 By that time it had started snowing - I decided to head home for sure at that point.

So I have spent the afternoon trying to get the Scotland trip booked and straightening our my desk. 

Our little Marcus is getting his ear "procedure" this week.  Pray for him he is just a little person.  But if it helps him be healthy, this is what he needs.    Health providers love the word "procedure".   It sounds less scary.

Dia Dhuit

Mary

Sunday, a tread water day EXCEPT

I had a perfect day.    Bobbie and Bill picked me up at about 11AM to go to the dinner theater called Memories in Port Washington.   We had a lovely meal.   We sat down to a crisp delightful green salad.  The meal was chicken, barbecue ribs, potatoes, rice and veggie medley.   The play was definitely adult because of the content but not gross at all.   It was called Swing Dance.  We laughed so hard.  We had a delicious lemon poppyseed torte for dessert at intermission.

I loved it.   We have four other dates for plays throughout the year at the same place.   What a treat.   This was especially nice with all the cold and snow that we have been having lately.

Bobbie brought me some of her famous raspberry heart valentine cookies.   I LOVE THEM.

We are supposed to be getting quite a storm tomorrow again.   I intend to go to Bible Study, Mother's so gather mail and pay bills and writer's club in Plymouth.   I am also having lunch with my friend Peggy.  If is is not as bad as they say, I will go to see Mother, otherwise, I will go on Tuesday instead.

I don't have a lot of out of the house errands coming up this week.   I am glad, the past two weeks have been just TOO busy.

Have a nice week yourself and pray for my cousin Greg and my friend Joseph, who have health issues.

Dia Dhuit

Mary.