Bobbie and I were talking about headstones the other day. She did not recall seing this picture on the blog before. It is the headstone of my Grandpa Michael Deeley's first wife Margaret Kenna. She died when my Auntie Marge was just a baby of a fever she contracted at a picnic she attended with Sarah Spratt. Then later, Grandpa married my Grandma Helen Ziegler.

When we were planning the cemetery tour for the Celtic Women, I told Beth that I had to look for a Deeley headstone. As you can see from the size of it, it was not hard to find. And Grandpa must have used granite, not marble because it shows very little wear from the elements.

Anyway, Bobbie, here it is. It is in the Cemetery at St. Patrick's Church in Adell. That church is in danger of being torn down. There is a group trying to keep it maintained from year to year.

Mary

A strange Sunday with no Mass. I prayed though. But it just isn't the same.

I had another rotten morning. It was noon before the kinks got out of my body and I was able to move almost normally. I guess that must be normal. I feel pretty good tonight, stiff but bearable.

I rested a lot today. I also got the worship folder for Fr. Shea's mass put together. After Beth's approval, I can get it to her for copying. One down, one to go. The one for Blessed Trinity is easy, I just need to write a new cover sheet and make sure that Sandy has the songs and all. She does all the work and an excellent job at that.

So that was our day. Dick talked to Bobbie and Chelsea is doing just fine. She is eating better than she does here. I miss her and hope I will be more mobile soon so she can come home.

Now I am going to bed. Pray that tomorrow morning will not be a repeat of today.

Love
Mary

Today was the hardest day. I woke up so very sore. I made an adjustment. Today, I have been taking two of the Vicadin (I don't know if it is spelled right and I don't care.) every four to 6 hours.

They make me kind of sick feeling so I take them and then lie down for an hour or so. It is working and I do believe that the pain is lessening a bit.

It has been a quiet day by necessity. Kate picked up my SHARE today and brought it her and put it away. That was our only visitor.

Got a cute message from Bobbie about "Chelsea's fun day at camp". Chelsea is doing just fine. She is eating and talking Bobbie into lots of walks and outside time. I am so grateful that Bobbie was able to do this. I miss Chelsea being here but could not be taking her out yet. I expect that each day will now see improvement and soon we will be ready again to have our girl. I hope she will have us, after meals with fresh gravy and new territory to explore.

Actually, I can hardly wait until we can be doing our longer walks again. I missed them too.

Barb and Bart called tonight. They are fine. It was so good to hear their voices.

I took the wrapping off this afternoon. There is no swelling and there was no bleeding. So I guess all is well. There are just three little incisions, each with one little stitch.

Tomorrow, maybe I will be able to be more stimulating. Tonight I am just tired and still sore.

Love

Mary

I got up at 6AM. No Chelsea to wake me up but I was ready and so was Roxie. She was a hungry girl.

I hurt today. I have done some of my exercises and have been trying to put cold packs on more often but it hurts. So. I have decided to take two pain pills every four hours for a day or two to stay ahead of that pain until it gets under control. I am very early with this tonight because I am intending to go to bed and just stay there til morning. I hope that total inactivity will help me heal. I think I have done enough stretching and moving today anyway.

I worked on the worship folder for St.Michaels today. I hope to get that sent to Beth by Tuesday so she has lots of time to get it printed. The time is getting close. I have to be healed by then and the next week is Irish Fest. It will be pretty disappointing if I can't walk pain free by then. I imagine that once the healing begins it will go very fast.

I took two naps today. Roxie liked that.

Jeff and Kathy stopped by this afternoon with currants for wine and some early veggies. A nice sweet zucinni and some leave lettuce and spinach. We had a wonderful chef salad for supper. All those wonderful greens with other veggies with teriyaki chicken sliced into it. Nummy.

Today, working on the worship folder reminded me of something said at Bible Study on Monday. We were talking about the picture of walking up to the Pearly Gates and finding St. Peter with his book and a feather pen with ink well to hear our story. Then Peggy said that she thinks that St. Peter must have a computer by now.

Actually, since the stock market and the Mercantile work with colored jackets and sign language quite effectively, I think that St. Peter probably does allright with his pen and book too.

Til tomorrow. Perhaps things will be less sore then. I WAS warned.

Mary

I am glad that this day is over. As soon as I finish this, I am going to go to bed and stay there til morning. Thanks, Bobbie, for making that possible. She has Chelsea as a house guest, you know. From the sound of things, Chelsea may not want to come home. Bobbie forgot her canned food so Chelsea is getting hot home made gravy on her dry food. Quite a treat and she is loving it.

Got up at a bit after 4AM. Took Chelsea out, showered, fed critters and gave Dick his juice and tea and yogurt. Bobbie got her at about 5:30AM and we left shortly for the Plymouth Surgical Center. I checked in and the registrar remembered me. The when we got upstairs, Denise, one of the nurses who took care of Mom and even more was one of our regular nurses when Dick had that awful infection that took 6 to 8 weeks of intravenous meds twice a day to cure. She is special. In time she knew us well enough and one evening offered to pray for healing with us. We were touched and took her up on it.

So I was all prepared by 7:30 when the nurse came down to take me to OR. I only saw Dr. Fehrman twice. He came in to draw pictures on my knee and then in OR before they put me out. Bobbie was there after surgery when he came down and got the results from him for me. All went very well. There were two small tears which he removed or smoothed out and he also corrected some arthritis. He said he was pleased.

I started waking up at about 9:30AM but was in and out quite a bit. We came home at a little after one. I am able to walk around using a cane, which is easier and, we think, less dangerous than the crutches. I had to learn how to walk on them. Now I need to remember that I shouldn't do more than necessary. I have a series of exercises to do also.

My biggest problem is that I cannot drive for two weeks. So I spent a little time this afternoon changing a few things around. Bobbie will take Dick and/or me to any medical appointments which is the biggest thing. I am totally unused to being homebound and am going to have to be really careful not to walk too much.

Today is easy. I am tired and even if it is only 7:30PM, I am going to bed. Probably will not get to sleep right away but bed sounds awfully good right now.
Most of my exercises are lying down anyway.

I thought I heard thunder in the distance twice tonight. I hope that means a little more rain. It is supposed to be warm tomorrow. After a good rain, heat would really help the herbs and tomatoes grow. Did I tell you that all three of my tomato plants have little tomatoes on them now? I am SO proud. Tomatoes have never been a successful crop for me. This may be a first.

Love you all and thanks for all the prayers and good vibes that have come my way today. In two weeks, my knew will hurt no more.

Mary

It rained today. When Chelsea got me up at 3:30AM the streets were a little damp and still so at 6 when we went for her walk. BUT by the time I started to the grocery store it was pouring and it continued to come down in a welcome steady rain until after 11AM.

I am so grateful, otherwise, I would have been out there part of this afternoon trying to get everything soaked as I will not be able to do that for a couple of days anyway. Did I tell you that I now have little tomatoes on all three of my tomato plants? I am very excited about that.

Shopping went well. I did not go to shoot trap as shooting in the rain is not something I am thrilled about. SO, I may or may not be able to finish. I don't know if I will be able to shoot next week or not. I will try if Dr. Fehrman says I can.

Bobbie came over and had dinner with us today. We had teriyaki chicken, potato salad and blueberry cheesecake for dessert. Then Bobbie and I went down to the "winery". We had a LOT to do today. First we racked the bay leaf and the grapevine. Then we put the kit wine, I keep forgetting the name, into the secondary fermentor. It is a beautiful red wine so will be fun to bottle. Next one to rack will be the strawberry which is really throwing off the sediment.

Most of these wines are new to us so this is really fun.

Now it is time to just listen to the President and then wind down to bedtime. This time tomorrow, my knee will be all done being operated on and I will be down to the business of healing. Everybody tells me that this is an easy fix. I told Dr. Fehrman that since it can be fixed, I wanted it done. If one can make something stop hurting, it seems like a very good idea to me.

So - please pray for me tomorrow. Pray for Dr. Fehrman that his hands are true for me and the others he will be helping tomorrow. I am so grateful for Bobbie for agreeing to get here before 6AM to get me to the hospital on time. I should be home by noon.

Til tomorrow. I will be doing a lot of computer stuff the next few days in between the exercises that they give me to do.

Have a good Thursday.

Mary

Already it is July 21. How fast these days go. Summer is almost half over already. Chelsea woke me up at 1:30AM the silly goose. I got back to sleep, of course, and got up at 6AM. That throws the whole schedule off. I fed Roxie but then took Chelsea for her walk before feeding her since it was light. I figured that after almost 5 hours she was probably more in need of a bathroom than food and I was right.

I spent the morning cleaning. The kitchen really needed it. Then at 11:30, I met Mary Calvey at Dee O Malley's for lunch and so that we could plan the Mass for out at St. Michaels on August 9th with Fr. Shea saying the Mass. We did a good job I think. Now I just need to get the worship folder ready for Beth to get printed for the day.

Home again, I took a nap then made a dessert to get us through the next few days. The Plymouth Surgical Center called with my instructions for Thursday's knee surgery. The surgery is scheduled for 7:30 and I have to be there at 6AM. Poor Bobbie. She said she will be here. We only need about 5 minutes to get over there from here.

Tomorrow shopping and shooting. Then Bobbie will be over and we will rack her kit wine into the secondary. That is the 6 gallon one. Should be an adventure.

Roxie has been the cuddliest kitty in the world today. I am delighted. While I am recovering, I will spend a lot of time on the couch with her settled between my legs. She uses the blanket over me as a hammock and is very content.

Til tomorrow then.

Love
Mary

What a day. I had four separate meetings.

Chelsea and I got up at 6AM. Dick slept rather late. His night was not too good, but the early morning was fine, so he was able to stay up today and maybe tonight will be better. He got up shortly before I had to leave. I just had time to say give him his juice and yogurt.

I was able to do some cleaning however, getting the living room vacuumed. Tomorrow will be much easier now.

My first appointment was Bible Study. We had a group of 9 and are really getting into our study of Mark. We are still in the very beginning chapter and finished as Jesus just began choosing his disciples. We were still on Jesus' baptism when the "Spirit, like a dove descended upon him." I loved the commentary. It said that the dove is a term used for beloved also. It is a beautiful picture to think of the Holy Spirit as a beloved.

Next I went over to Mom's for a visit. She looks wonderful. Tomorrow she is going to the Senior meals in Falls and last week she went to the meals AND had canasta at her house. So I think she is actually starting to feel better. It is subtle but her eyes seem a bit brighter.

Next home to fix and eat dinner with Dick before heading over to the Pig to pick up Jena and Lynn and then Kate to go to our Cream City Writers. We had been invited out to Don Cooper's home to meet on his deck out on the Fond du Lac/Sheboygan County line. He and his wife Ruth have a lovely home with a backyard looking out on a lovely yard surrounded by woods. It was very pleasant. We did a lot of good reading of our work and enjoyed lemonade and cookies provided by Don and Ruth.

I got home in time to get my wits together before a 4PM conference call with the Celtic Women Board. It was SO good hearing their voices and we solved a lot of problems and got a real lot done in that hour.

I fixed egg salad for our supper tonight. Aren't you jealous? It was really good too. Then I went to Beth Hoegger's house to meet with her and Jane Lorenz to plan the Celtic Mass for Blessed Trinity's annual Celtic Mass and Faire. We did very well. I believe we have everything pretty much settled and just need to assemble the worship folder and get everybody together for the practices. It will be special, we have a couple of new things that look great. You must come if you can.

Now I am done for the night and am I ever glad. Tomorrow, I want to finish getting things done that I won't feel comfortable letting go when I have my knee surgery (just an orthoscopic trimming so not serious). I won't be able to do much for a few days and I can't stand messes.

But I must remember what Bret and I always tell each other. "Don't worry. It's going to be ALL right. It's going to be Okay. Don't Worry."

So now you know what I did all day. This only happens on the third Monday of every month. Thank heavens.

Love

Mary

Except for Mass, I got to stay home all day today.

We got a little rain yesterday, but I spent a good part of the afternoon, watering the deck plants and the front gardens.

Dick walked three times today for 5 minutes each time AND we got his shower accomplished. Those things also take a lot of time.

We had cheeseburgers on slices of Fireside cheese bread for dinner this noon. I tried a recipe I found for flavored potato chips made in the microwave. They were really good and very easy. You just scrub red potatoes, slice them really thin (l/16 inch), spread them out and coat with olive oil. Then you sprinkle with chili powder and cumin. Place three paper towels on a microwavable plate and layer as many as fit "comfortably". Microwave for three minutes, turn and microwave again for another 2/5 to three minutes.

We had breakfast for supper. Since I went to Mass this morning and we just had some early toast for breakfast, it seemed logical to have our eggs and sausage for supper. It was darned good too.

Bart called tonight and I talked to him and Barb. That was reassuring. Richard called tonight too. Dick had called them on Saturday because his computer was not connecting to the internet. Richard and Brenda were out near La Crosse to Brenda's family reunion. He was pleased to hear that Dick's computer seems to have learned how to fix itself. But we had a nice visit.

I didn't mention that on the way home from the Fireside last evening we saw two parachuters coming down. They did this funny flip when they got close to the ground. It looked like a stunt to me but we saw them both land safely. I wouldn't mind being up there where it is quiet and peaceful again. I did that once behind jeep using a para sail. What a rush.

I wrote a poem about the experience. Here it is.








RIDE THE SKY


Tethered to the jeep
A long umbilical cord
Is anchored – To prevent me
From achieving orbit.

The chute stretches out behind
Held aloft to catch the wind
By friends who somehow
Talked me into flying.

The jeep moves, slowly
Until the cord is taut.
And I run, praying that
The chute will fill and lift.

Billowing behind, it does
Fill and shoot skyward.
Carrying me still stepping
Up to the blue above me.

Climbing wild wind currents
Into the cloudless sky,
I look down on an endless
Carpet of desert below

Rising on wings of imagination
To quiet clear blue
Above the noise – Floating -
Alone – Free – I ride the sky.

High above the desert,
Above the world.
I glide like tuft of dandelion
Or eagle or butterfly.

Below, the others are planted.
They don’t know the joy
They don’t know the freedom
Of soundless flight.

Embracing the vast silence
I laugh out loud.
Close to the face of God
I know why the songbird sings.


Love

Mary

I had an wonderfully enjoyable day today at the Fireside with Bobbie and Bill. Two people asked Bobbie and me if we were sisters.

My night was a bit interrupted last night so I imagine that I will really sleep good tonight.

I drove over to K Mart at about 10 after 8 as the bus was to pick the Plymouth passengers up at 8:30AM. The bus was already there. It was not a sellout program and there were no passengers in Sheboygan Falls so they were running ahead of schedule.

It was a usual Fireside special event. Dinner was SO good. It started with Sea Scallop wrapped in a potato crust resting on a sun dried tomato sauce, followed by Chicken Roulade, Rice with sausage, fresh asparagus and the Fireside's fresh baked breads. Key Lime Cheesecake for dessert.

Then Bobbie and I went shopping. I got the CDS of The Rock and the Rabbi and The Witnesses. The two together had a $5. discount so I was pleased. I also found a cute pair of sox with black kitties on them. They will remind me of the wonderful performance of the Witnesses AND my Oscar every time I wear them.

I liked this as much as I liked the Rock and The Rabbi that we saw last year. There will be a third but not til 2011. In the meantime, Danny Hamilton, the composer is going to be writing a Christmas special for the Fireside called The Child which will be presented in 2010 as their Christmas program. I want to see that for sure.

These musicals are full of such energy and tell the story of the Gospel in such a refreshing light and you like the apostles. They are such real people. It makes one realize that Peter was just a fisherman that was called by Jesus, not an educated or powerful person. There is so much in them. If you get a chance to go, - do. You will not regret it.

Now it is time to wind down for the night. I have a Roxie kitty resting comfortably on my desk under the lamp, occasionally asking for a little loving. She is a dear little thing and I am sure glad that she is here. Chelsea and Dick are already in the bedroom asleep. I will have to wake Chelsea for a final walk. Hate to do that because she jumps so when I wake her from a sound sleep but it must be done.

We saw two accidents, both rollovers, on the trip. One on the way down and one on the way back. Both looked bad so pray for the victims.

Take care enjoy your Sunday.

Love

Mary

Two thirty in the morning again. That Chelsea. The advantage to that is that I really do get back into a sound sleep and got up at 6AM refreshed.

We had quite a nice walk this morning. My knee did not start hurting too soon and it was cool and comfortable. We visited with a couple of the neighbors too. That is always a nice break.

We got Dick all cleaned up by 9AM. Early for us. Usually he gets a nap in first but today was much too busy for nappin'. Our first appointment was with Dr. Sharon at the Plymouth Clinic. He is pleased with most things and we have a couple of things to work on. Diet management and exercise are the main ones. His vitals and blood counts are just fine. We will see him again in October for his yearly physical. Hopefully Dick will be more mobile and a bit more in shape.

We came home for lunch and to take care of the critters. We had turkey/cheese sausages and Spanish rice for lunch. Good stuff. We ate some more of my Lemon Meringue soup too. There is just enough for Dick for his dessert tomorrow while I am gone.

We went to see Tim at Wisconsin Prosthesis at 1:30PM. Guess What!!! more good news. Dick got his "permanent" prosthesis today. It looks like a real leg from the knee down. He says it feels good too. Now he can start some serious walking. I want him on his feet and mobile as soon as possible. Tomorrow I am going to the Fireside with Discovery to see the Witnesses. Bobbie and Bill are going too so I will have company. SO we have to get him on his feet early as I need to be at KMart to catch the bus at 8:30AM. He can go again after I get home at 6PM. I am bring home bread. They have the BEST bread. I decided that I will bring a loaf for our neighbor Dick too. He is such a sweetheart to walk Chelsea when I am gone.

At 5:30PM, I loaded up the car and headed to Rhine for my Celtic Women meeting. There were only four of us there but it was a great meeting, those who could not come missed a lot. I brought a boom box and put Celtic music in the background and we all brought treats. Peg brought guacamole, chips and wine, Toni brought cheese dip and crackers, Joan brought peanuts and I brought Barm Brack (Speckled Bread). I just found it on an Irish site that is just wonderful. It is simple and really good. Here is the site.

http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/2Kitch/rBreads.html

Just cut and paste and you will be at the Barm Brack recipe.

We all loved it. It is a bit vague and I will tell you how I handled the vagueness if you ask.

Anyway, even with only four of us we had a great time and set up the next three meetings. Next month, of course, Irish Fest and/or the Reunion of the Clans at Parnell. September, I will do a music program comparing the similarity of the music of the Seven Celtic Nations. October we are going to do a Samhain celebration a bit early of the dark half of the year, associated with All Hallow's Day, Halloween.

So Now I am home and need to really wind down quickly as tomorrow will come early and I am going to be on my little trip.

Hope your weekend is special and that you are enjoying this summer. Perhaps the cool areas can warm up and the really hot areas can cool down a bit.

Love
Mary

Quite a busy day, yet a lot was left undone.

Chelsea did not wake me up until 5AM. I took her out and then rested until 6AM when I finally got up to feed Roxie and begin the day. Chelsea ended up with two rather nice walks. My knee was really hurting today after a couple of days of less pain. I was almost starting to think that maybe it would be OK without the procedure but then today, I knew better.

At 9AM, I had my preop appointment with Dr. Murthy. He did a thorough job. I had the blood pressure, pulse things and an EKG. Then he sent me down for an Xray and blood tests. I found Betty Fenner, who we met at Plymouth Care Center, also waiting for an Xray. She and I had a good visit. Her Bob is gone now and that is hard but we could share. I am kind of glad that they were running a bit behind because it gave us a good chance to talk. Her Bob was a guest at my Mom and Dad's wedding reception at Grandma and Grandpa Bowser's house up on Washington Street in Sheboygan Falls. So we share a lot of memories of the same people and places.

I got home in time to put together our dinner casserole. I tried a Cavatini which is a wonderful Italian casserole. It called for three kinds of pasta, rotini, elbow macaroni and rigatoni. I could not find rigatoni so made do with the other two. I also used my homemade ricotta cheese in it. Boy was it good. I have one extra casserole in the freezer. Don't want to be worrying about meals when I am semi laid up for a day or two.

Bobbie was here for lunch and we thought we had to do some wine racking. As it turned out, the wine we thought we would have to work on was not quite ready yet. It is pretty cool down there, so it is taking a while to get to the specific gravity we need.

She will be back next Wednesday unless the wine is ready sooner. We decided that I will just check it daily so we keep track of the progress.

After that I rested a bit then cleaned a bit and tonight watched the special on J. K Rowling that was on ABC tonight. As a true Harry Potter Fan, I wanted to see that. I can hardly wait to see the new movie. It came out yesterday but I want to wait for the crowds to dwindle a bit before I go to see it. Maybe shortly after my surgery. That would be a nice treat. I wish Dick would go with me.

Tomorrow, Dick has two medical appointments tomorrow, and we are going to Gander Mountain so I can pick up some ammo for trap shooting.

Chelsea has not had a seizure since Saturday. Good Deal.

Love

Mary

Grocery shopping this morning early, but first we treated ourselves to a Mc Donald's breakfast. That used to be our special thing (not always Mc Donald's). Breakfast and then grocery shopping. I hope that soon, Dick can come along with me again.

I got home from shopping shortly after 9AM and put the groceries away, then went out to Rhine to shoot. John and Jerry both brought guns for me to try. All the guys said that my 12 Gauge Bacall is beating me up. I shot one round with John's automatic and one with Jerry's. John's was really better because it is a bit lighter. By the time I got done with the second round my wrists and hands were quite sore. The guys have told me that I should look for a 1100 Youth Trap or a 1187 Youth Trap. So now I know where to begin. I got a 12 on my first round and a 15 on my 2nd. I have to remember the rules again. Follow through and don't rush it. Now that I am used to loading the automatic, I can concentrate on that. John said that I can use his gun until I find one of my own. They are SO good to me and keep cheering me on.

I shot some pistol with the two Nancys - Nancy Roehre and Nancy Coenen. I was awful. I really need to get my gun sited in. Jerry said he will help me last week.
Actually, I should have probably shot pistol first as my arms and wrists were so sore after shooting two rounds of trap.

I got home in time to fix our dinner, then I napped until three. I finished staining the ramp this afternoon. It has plenty of time to dry before we have to run the wheel chair on it. Tomorrow afternoon, I can put the safety strips on it. First I had to wait for warm enough weather, then I had to wait until cool enough weather and now I wanted to get it done before I have my knee surgery. Even if it is minor, I know that it will slow me up a bit.

Tonight is nice and quiet. I need to water the plants on the deck, even if we did have a little rain last night. Tomorrow, before I get my pre op, I will water the front. Dick I tell you that I have a couple of tomatoes set on two of my tomatoe plants and buds on the other. My broccoli is growing quite fast.

I think Dad would be proud of me. I was always the worlds worst gardener. Mother still laughs at the lengths that I went to get out of helping. Fr. Mike said that he gave the girls house at Sarnelli the garden and the boys the livestock and the boys were complaining that there were a lot more eggs than produce. I told him that I understood. I did much better with the chickens and rabbits that the plants myself.

Take care and enjoy the summer.

I was really impressed by the gorgeous green against the vivid blue sky the other day.

love

Mary

A whole day at home. I finally got up at 6:30AM. Roxie was sure glad to see me. Chelsea and I went for a somewhat longer walk than usual as my knee was not hurting as badly as some days and it was good to venture a bit further. The weather was beautiful all day and I was so glad to be able to take advantage of it.

I spent a good chunk of the morning staining the railings on the ramp. I also swept the ramp itself and intend to stain that tomorrow after I shop and go shooting.

I used some of the roast pork in a really good wrap for our noon dinner along with Spanish Rice and a salad.

Then this afternoon, I took a bit of a nap before vacuuming the stairs and sweeping off the ramp for tomorrow's staining.

A lot done but tons more to be done.

Oh well, I am retired and there are no deadlines but in my own mind.

Dick and I had a discussion this morning about how proofreading is going out of "vogue". People depend on spell check and other checks that do not always see the obvious. Then today I received an email that listed several cases that would have been certainly helped by proofreaders.

Here are two.

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.

I just couldn't help but sending this along. Too funny.
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
No crap, really? Ya think?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Enjoy your hump day.

Mary

A very nice Monday. Chelsea got me up at about 4 and I got back to sleep again til 6:00AM.

Bible Study was fun. There were 8 of us there today. We started the actual Study of the Gospel of Mark, having finished the introduction last week. There is a LOT in there. It helps having the commentary provided by the Collegeville series. In just a few sentences, we found so much to discuss. For Instance. John said he baptized with water but that Jesus would be baptizing with water and the Spirit. We hear in this that the Jewish people did do "baptism" or washings. Wish we knew more about it.

Had a nice visit with Mother today. She is looking good and all is back to normal with her. She plans to go to the Senior meals tomorrow and she walked over to church yesterday so she must be doing OK.

This afternoon, I took a nap, then cleaned the kitchenette downstairs.

Tomorrow I get to stay home ALL day. Chelsea is going to get a bath. SHH!! Don't tell her. She is starting to get suspicious when I beckon her into the bathroom already.

Dick slept all afternoon. His body seems to have flipped night and day.


Love

Mary

I may be schizophrenic,
but at least I have each other.

It was a nice quiet Sunday. I woke up this morning at 4:30AM hearing Chelsea coughing and then she had a seizure. I got up to comfort her and took her for a quick walk as it was about time anyway. Then I went back to bed until 6:30AM. So I had a pretty good sleep. Poor little doggy. After all these months seizure free they seem to be reoccurring now.

We had a lovely walk. I even went into the park a bit as I was nosy. They were setting things up - a fake cow for example- and I wanted to know what was happening. There was a baseball tournament and the 4H was setting up exhibits as part of the event. The lifelike cow can be "milked." I saw it at the Mill Street Festival the other day.

Then I had some quiet time this morning before heading over to Rhine Plymouth to help with the Pig Roast/Lewis Shoot. It was much quieter than last year, they tell me, but the food was wonderful. I brought home dinner plus. Pig roast for sandwiches, German potato salad, and beans with wonderful homemade desserts.

I had a good time visiting with Rachel and Josh's Mom and Terry's wife, also a Rachel. We got everything all cleaned up and stashed by about 3:30 and I was home at 4 to take care of critters and Dick.

This evening is quiet and peaceful. I am working on some poems and hope to submit them to a couple of contests that I have faith in. Wish me luck.

This week is busy but not too much so. We only have three medical appointments this week and they are all on Thursday and Friday.

Hope your week is quiet too. It is funny how much I look forward to quiet these days.

Love

Mary

Today was kind of a Mary Day.

Chelsea let me sleep until 4:30AM. Then I went back to sleep until 6AM. We got Dick's shower done this morning. I will be glad when he gets the good prosthesis back. There is some redness on the stump now from the old one. Not serious and we think we know why, but it is distressing all the same.

At 10, I went over to Amy's Hallmark for some Christmas Shopping. It was VERY successful. I was able to get all the Christmas ornament gifts at once and they even gave me a gift ornament. I got the LAST one they had, so it must be my lucky day. While I was in Sheboygan, I stopped at Office Max for paper and some ink cartridges.

We had our leftovers from Sweet Basil for dinner. Still good. They do make a mean meatloaf.

I tried to nap, but it did not work very well. Then at a bit after two I went down to Mill Street for the Plymouth Mill Street Days. They get bigger every year. I ran into several friends and just looked around until it was time for 4PM Mass.

Mass was good. It was Mark's sorry early in the gospel where Jesus sent the disciples out two by two to preach and told them to bring nothing but the clothes on their backs. Fr. Van Beeck did wonder, as we all do, what they did when the tunic on their back needed to be washed, but we figure that God provided for that too.

We had a nice quiet evening here at home then. Leftovers again. I think I can get by with that tomorrow too. Such a life.

I received the following by email today and Dick said I should share, So I will.

Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater…

If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. So, if you give her any crap, expect a ton of shit.


Have a lovely Sunday.

Mary

Another full day. I finally got up at about 6:15AM. Since we had to be at Wisconsin Prosthesis at 9AM, we did not have much time for dilly dallying. So we just kept on a movin'. Again. Good news. Tim kept the new prosthesis to send it in to be made final as there is nothing more he can do to make it better. So for one week, we are on his old one. He just has to keep walking and standing to increase his ability to do so. We were quite pleased.

So we were home shortly after 10Am and I was able to get the kitchen cleaned before leaving for lunch with my bank friends. We had a nice time. Poor Betty had another story. I told her it was worth coming to the lunches just to hear of her adventures. This time, she was at Curves and the wind took a sign from a neighboring business and just raked her car. $1700 worth of damage. The most interesting part is that the owners of the sign tried to take the sign back without notifying her. Another Curve's patron saw it and saw them taking the sign and told Betty.

After lunch, home again and I took a nap. Bobbie and Bill got here at about 3PM. Bobbie and I racked her rhubarb/elderberry and mixed up her box (I forgot the name) so we were busy ladies. Then Bobbie and Bill went to Dee O Malley's for pizza for our supper. It was scrumptious. Scrumptious is such a wonderful word for food.

Now it is almost time to go to bed.

I was reading my instructions for before the minor surgery that I will be having on my knee on the 23rd. One of the instructions is "Bathe or shower at home the evening before or the morning of your surgery."

All I could think of was the story of my Dad when he had his surgery 37 years ago to replace his hip. He had to go into the hospital a couple of days ahead of time. They had to, at that time, shave and scrub his leg several times before doing this surgery to make sure that there was not danger of infection.

A funny note to this story. My Grandma, Matie Bowser told Dad that it reminded her of the man from Town Lyndon, who was admitted to the hospital and had to be washed every day for seven days before he was clean enough for them to treat.

Love

Mary

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.

Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

Another busy day but a very good one. I did get a lot of cleaning done. Good thing, I got a bit behind last week and I need to be really on top of things by the 23rd when I have my knee surgery. I felt good about today.

Dick had his appointment with Dr. Moreno and if he wasn't still going to be getting therapy he is healed and will nto have to go back for a year. As it is, once he starts therapy, Dr. Moreno would like to see him after about two weeks of the therapy. Good stuff anyway.

The other good thing is that Dick and I went to Sweet Basil for dinner. Our first date since sometime early last year. We really enjoyed it. I like going out with my man and hope that we can do it more often now that we succeeded the first time. He doesn't know, but I have made reservations for the Fireside for October with another couple, Lee and Janet Lemkuil. Lee is a double amputee and we will drive down and have handicapped seating. Don't tell him yet. We are still working on things but that should be far enough away that it can be managed. It is my anniversary present to him. We will be married for 23 years next month. That hardly seems possible. Time has gone SO fast. And yet we seem to have been together forever. A comfortable thought.

Take care. Tomorrow is also busy, I hope next week is quieter. I am really afraid to look.

Love

Mary

Another busy day.

Chelsea got me up early but I got back to sleep easily and did not wake up until 6:30AM - a real coup.

Grocery shopping was the first big job for the day. Then I went out to Rhine to meet Nancy and shot pistol. I am also trying to shoot the summer trap league. Today, I shot a 13, not bad for me. Especially since I had not shot trap since last year and then I just shot one round because my shoulder and arm were hurting to bad. So far so good. They guys tell me that I need to be shooting an automatic. My 12 guage, single shot, Bacaul is beating me up. They are going to bring some for me to try, then I will have to see if it is worth spending the money on another gun. I told them that Dick thinks that it is dangerous to to be arming the Irish. They laughed at that.

I think I told you that Fr. Mike Shea is in the country. I talked to him and we are arranging a family lunch for August. I think that we are now set for that on August 13. We will probably go to Koene's in Falls again. Mother is so happy about that . It will be good for her. She will see him at the reunion at St. Michaels but that will be much less private and crowds do confuse and wear her out now. I saw that very vividly at Myrtle's funeral.

The afternoon was nice and quiet. I took a nap, washed some clothes and watered a lot of plants. We could really use some rain.

When I talked to Aunt Kathleen, I told her about my torn meniscus. She asked if I knew how it happened. I couldn't tell her so she decided it was probably from all the genuflecting that I do. We had a nice visit. She remembered Mom and Dad's first home, a little upper flat in Sheboygan Falls. She said that it was really charming and that she remembered that coming into the kitchen was a box, maybe three by five feet, full of various cactus and it was just beautiful. Even then, Dad was enamoured by cactus.

Love

Mary

 

Oscar's Flowers

They are truly beautiful.

A full day. Chelsea woke me up the first time at 2:30AM, the little pest. I managed to get back to sleep, it wasn't easy as my tummy was really bothering me. But I finally did drop off and woke up a bit after 6AM. Roxie was glad to see me and very hungry. Chelsea wasn't hungry but seemed anxious to go out so I took her for her walk before I took my shower. She never did eat her breakfast. Now I have to worry about her. As if I haven't been.

My appointment with Dr. Fehrman went well. He showed me the x-rays and the MRI and pointed out the tear. He said that he can fix it. I will be having the surgery two weeks from today here in Plymouth at Valley View. I was asked if I knew how to use crutches and was told to bring mine with me. I need to call with a few more questions so I know how much help I will need and how long the recuperation is.

But --- he CAN fix it.

Then after stopping at Woodlake to pick up some chorizo, I went to Mother's and she and I together walked over to church for Myrtle Drossel's funeral. She was a dear friend and good neighbor. The Drossel kids were part of the crew that joined us playing games on many a summer evening on Pinehurst court. That was probably the ideal neighborhood to grow up in. A gravel dead end road lined with frame houses, most of them full of children with stay at home Mom's. We ran free until called home for a meal or bed or chores. It was idyllic.

Dick and I received lovely flowers today from Richard and Brenda. We call them Oscar's flowers. I will post a picture. They are beautiful. Roxie has already inspected them and approves. I miss that kitty but know that I could not watch him waste away any longer. His doctor called today to reassure me that I had done the right thing for him.

Enjoy summer and green and growth.

Love

Mary



Only the Government would tell us that you an cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it on the bottom of the same blanket, and try to make us believe we have a longer blanket.

I felt that Oscar deserved his own spot. So here is the rest of the day.

The morning, as usual, was full. I left for Bible Study at 9AM. We had a good group. We finished reviewing the Introduction of the Gospel of Mark. Learned a lot about how it was written tying all back to the Old Testament and the symbolism involved.

Then I went over to Mom's. She is doing fine. We are hoping that after a week or two of the iron pills, she will get a little energy back. Tomorrow, she and I will be going to the funeral of Myrna Drossel, a neighbor from the Pinehurst Court neighborhood where I grew up. Myrna was a good neighbor and a good friend and card playing buddy of Mom's until she had to go to a nursing home and her memory declined. I wanted to go to the Mass and will be able to escort Mom.

I took Oscar at 2PM.

Then tonight was the Rhine Plymouth monthly meeting. It went very fast and we have 13 new members. Wow, is that a wonder and will be such a help.

I am not too inventive tonight because I am tired and very sad. I hope Roxie doesn't get too lonely. I remember how sad Waylon got when we had to take Taco and Bell in.

Be happy and if you have animals give them extra hugs tonight.

Love

Mary

 

BIG OSCAR - THE SWEETEST CAT IN THE WORLD.

This has been a rough day. Oscar had not eaten since last Thursday. So this afternoon, I took him in and had him put down. Kate joined me so I would not have to be alone.

It was painless and the staff at Kettle Moraine were very kind. They took him in and gave him a shot then brought him back to me and I was able to hold him as he just slept away. I wanted him to feel that it was just a normal vet visit and that he would be going home soon. Poor thing had lost much more weight, I did not ask to find out what he weighed but he was light as a feather and all bone and black fur. I feel so bad but could not just watch him starve.

He will be waiting for me when I cross over along with other special animals, like Zero and Sam and Waylon and others from even further back. Meanwhile I will miss the sweetest cat that I have ever known.

Update on Oscar. He still is not eating. I have offered him every kind of food that I can think of, The only thing he has eaten with any enthusiasm in the past two days is some of Bobbie's catnip. I have offered him everything that I can think of. Everything from fresh tuna to canned cat food to freshly cooked chicken and broth. He sniffs at it and then turns away. From the size of the lump in his side, I am sure there is not room for food. I have decided to call Dr. Pat tomorrow morning and arrange for him to be put down. I am not up to watching him just starve to death. I hope he understands. There will never be a kitty as sweet at our Oscar.

I went to the 9:30 Mass this morning. I had intended to go last night but the day just got away from me yesterday.

I spent a good portion of the afternoon, watering the gardens and planting the herbs. Everything looks very healthy and strong and I finally saw some tomatoes set on the cherry tomato plant. There are buds on the Roma also. So. I should be OK. The broccoli plants are all growing like crazy. I figure I should be OK on tomatoes, broccoli and herbs. The rest I can buy or, as Jeff says, they will have excess. Bobbie and Bill usually go on vacation in late summer and we get to glean a bit too.

We called Jim and Michelle tonight. They sound good. They spent the 4th with Bart and Barb and Don and Marlise and enjoyed their day immensely. It is good to have family close.

Michelle has been in touch with her brother in Tulsa and they are in hopes of getting together with him soon.

I talked to Barb this evening when she was on her walk. (She is having trouble with her ankle and will see the doctor tomorrow. We plan on sharing our diagnosis on Wednesday.) I was remembering that Bart, as a little person, hated loud noises and the 4th of July was almost torture for him. I think the noise hurt his ears.

On 4th of July, his Dad had a truck driver friend who dropped off lots and lots of fireworks that were really great and really illegal. Among them were sparklers that were at least three feet long and 3/4 inch in diameter. Boy were they impressive. They lasted forever. All of our neighbors were at our house enjoying the fun. Nobody sent any complaints about the skyrockets and other stuff because everybody was there.

But, poor little Bart and I were in the living room, sitting on the couch. I had my arm around his little shoulders and was holding his little hand and reassuring him that the noise would stop soon and that there was no reason for him to be worried or scared at all. Barb said he is still not thrilled with fireworks. Funny that he was assigned to artillery for a while in the service.


So. Lets pray for our guys and gals in danger overseas, that they come home soon.

Take care.

Until tomorrow.

Mary

Another long day for Oscar. He spent most of it in the little cave he found under the quilt rack in the corner of our bedroom sheltered by the walls and the quilts. He has not eaten. He is still drinking water and using the litter box. Bobbie, tonight I gave him catnip and he did get all excited and ate that. Must need drugs.

The rest of the day was pretty busy. I had to go to get some potting soil for some of my new plants and some carrots for chicken soup. Then I stopped at Kate's and we exchanged the plants that we needed to from out trip out to Herb 'n' Such. Tomorrow, I will get them all in the ground, or into pots as I decide.

Dick got his weekly full shower today. That is always an adventure but is getting easier all the time as he gets more mobile and able to help.

I made that chicken soup, a herbal cream cheese and a fruit salad. We had grill tbone steaks with boiled red potatoes and Brussels sprouts for our 4th of July dinner. Good stuff. I remembered to put the flag out too. I will leave it up til Monday.

Tonight our neighbors called. Harold and Helen wanted a picture of them both taken in front of their house to show off the beautiful flowers. So. I did that for them and then had a nice visit with them. They are both in their late 80s. Helen has had health issues, starting with shingles for the past year. That has finally healed and they just found out that she has a condition called ear rocks which was making her weak and nauseated. They can cure it and she is feeling a million times better now.

Now we are watching The Capital Fourth on PBS.

Tomorrow the only place I need to go is to Mass. I even grilled enough food tonight that I will have easy cooking all day. So my only big project is to plant. I bought one of those insect repellent gadgets that you are supposed to clip to your belt and it should make a kind of shield around you. Tomorrow will be the big test.

So that is the news from us today.

I got an email last week of "Canadian Billboards" One of them said. "Don't drink and drive, you'll only spill it."

It reminded me of a jeep run many years ago. Our friends Ernie and Linda and family had joined us. Ernie got in our jeep with my ex-Dick on the corner of Patten's Valley out near Yuma. The guys were shooting bowls. The wind forms sand dunes into a kind of a bowl and one of the fun things is to start at one end or the bowl, climb at an angle as your go up and work your way down at the other end. The trick is to keep your angle and your momentum, otherwise it is easy to flip down the hill.

Anyway, Dick handed Ernie his beer (Ernie had one too, so that makes one in each hand) and started up the hill. He was going great, then he glanced down as it was time to make his descent and to his surprise there was another jeep where he was supposed to exit. They had gotten stuck I believe. So all he could do was keep gunning it until he found another path to descend on. Which he did.

However, poor Ernie, holding those beers, just froze in fear and as he did he very slowly turned his hands down and poured both of those beers right in his lap.

Hope your Fourth of July was great. Pray for our servicemen all over the world and for my friend Gail's daughter Karen who needs surgery.

Love

Mary

Well, It was a busy busy day. I picked Mother up for her test at Plymouth Surgical Center at 7:15AM. Dolores had stayed with her all night and it was a good thing as she did have one weak spell during the night and it would not have been a good thing if she was alone.

Jeff met me at the Surgical Center and we got her all registered. They took her up at about 9 and she was back in her room at about 10AM. She was sound asleep for a good half an hour then started to come out of it. Doctor Sokhi came down about the time she was waking up and told us the results. All is fine. She has a bit of acid reflux but otherwise she looks very healthy in there.

Jeff took her home. I went to Walgreens and picked up prescriptions for Dick AND Mother, then over to Kettle Moraine Veterinary for Chelsea's prescription and finally home. Dick and I had our lunch. Hamburger helper, beets and salad. Sound familiar Bobbie?
Then after Dick walked, I took Mom her prescription. Jeff and I visited with her and we planted the herbs that I had purchased for her at Herbs n Such. She was delighted with them as they were all varieties that she did not have.

Now the day is done. Oscar is off his food again. I am going to try Barbara's suggestion, and boil some chicken off the bone for him tomorrow. I swear that the enlarged kidney is enlarging even more, perhaps that is why he is not hungry. No room. I am watching him closely to be sure that I do not let him suffer.

The next two days will be quiet. I intend to finish planting the herbs that I got for myself and just doing things for me. Do you think it might work? I can only try.

Have a Happy Forth of July and pray hard for our young men and women in the Armed Forces far from home defending us. And thank you all for the prayers for Mom. They helped and we are so very grateful.

All my love

Mary

Guess what. Chelsea slept til 4:30AM. I could not believe it. I did go back to sleep until 6 anyway.

Oscar seems a bit off of his food today. A disappointment after the past two days. We REALLY will have to take one day at a time.

Dick walked twice today and got up to almost 5 minutes the second time. We want to be doing it three times a day and five minutes or more each time. He had to go to the anti coagulation clinic today at 10:30AM and his reading was 2 exactly. That is just fine so there are no changes and we don't have to go back for four weeks.

Then Kate and I went to Kiel to Herbs 'n' Such, owned by Linda Hersey Godine who put on the herb lunch and talk at the Plymouth Garden Walk last Saturday. We drove into Kiel first and had a really good lunch at El Camino a Mexican restaurant that we found. They have chili rellanos. WOW. I was delighted. And they were really good too. We will go back there some time.

We had the best time at Linda's home. She took us on a tour of her gardens. Kate and I both purchased some really nice healthy herbs. I got three kinds of basil, a scented lavender, a Greek oregano, a lemon verbena, and sage. I got three herbs for Mother's garden too. She will get sage, a lettuce leaf basil and a scented lavender.

I figure on being asleep as close to 9 as possible. I have to get up a bit early to take Mother for her test tomorrow. Dolores is with her tonight for her prep. Jeff will meet us at the surgical center.

No other news so I will sign off. Pray for Mom tomorrow. She will need all she can get.

Love

Mary

What a day. It was very good but very full and I am very tired.

I got up at 6AM. Dick walked for four minutes this morning. That is a record. We have to aim for 5 minutes or more constantly before we reschedule therapy. I understand that they have to "account" to the insurance companies of there will not be payment.

I went grocery shopping at about 9 AM. Bobbie came over to work on her wine and we three had dinner together. We had Hamburger Helper, beets and salad. Then after Bobbie and I finished the wine updates, we had cake for dessert.

Today, we racked the rhubarb wine. Then we racked the strawberry into a primary fermentor. Bobbie has four different kinds going now and is going to do at least one kit. We will have the winery almost up to full production pretty soon. She is still trying to figure out where to put everything in their home. We are enjoying having her come every week and it is nice to have the wine area full of wines in various stages of production.

Oscar ate pretty good today. He is not eating huge amounts but I am able to get him to eat something. I think perhaps those enlarged kidneys are pushing on his tummy. So. eating small amounts and oftener will keep him comfortable. I just want him to be comfortable.

Take care and enjoy Thursday. Tomorrow is also busy but I will tell you about it when it is ove.

Love

Mary

That goofy Chelsea woke me at about 1:30AM. I have no idea WHAT that was supposed to be. I got up at 6 though as I had to take Oscar to the Vet at 7:30AM. He ate almost nothing for the whole weekend. I just didn't know what to do. I still don't but now have some direction.

Dr. Pat gave me a pill that should help increase his appetite. I told her that I simply cannot watch him starve. In those two days he had dropped a half a pound. She also showed me how to dispense it and a couple of tricks to kind of make him eat.

We got home and he immediately started coming in for food. He is not eating much, but little bits and oftener. And he is picky. He used to be up for treats anytime, now he often walks away. I need to be watching for the appetite drop again, throwing up and change in his habits.

Dick had therapy at 11AM. We will not go back until he gets his walking time at home up to 5 minutes or more. So after eating lunch at Chester's and making a pit stop at home, we drove into Sheboygan to Wisconsin Prosthesis and got the prosthetic adjusted again. We hope we have it this time. It has been hurting him to walk which is why the time is not increasing. Tomorrow will be the test.

I took a nap at about 3 and then fixed Dick some supper before heading over to Rhine. We were hosting the Kettle shoot and last time, they were short handed. This time there was more than enough help so I was home by 6:30PM. Nice.

I talked to Bret tonight. He is doing well. He will be going out the the River to his new Mobile Home Palace for the weekend. He does not mind the heat out there and has so many friends. It was good hearing his voice.

Tomorrow is shopping and wine.

Love

Mary



A Point to Ponder.

If drinking and driving are illegal, why do bars have parking lots?

Got up at 6AM. There is always so much to do in the mornings. Dick walked after breakfast. I headed for bible study at 9AM. We had a nice group there.

One of our members was at the Herb class that was conducted at the Garden Walk on Saturday. When I mentioned the Lemon Balm Wine and she asked if I would bring a bottle to Bible Study. So I did. We all had a little bit and they loved it. We have started our study of the Gospel of Mark and are beginning by going over the introduction which gives a nice history and explanations of how, where, when and why the gospel was written.

Then I went over to Mom's. She and I, very carefully, reviewed the instructions for the prep that she has to do on Thursday before her colonoscopy on Friday. We have all set out so she doesn't have to think about it any more until then. Dolores will be out there in the evening to be with her during the prep part of the procedure which is really the hardest part. I will pick her up at about 7:15AM on Friday to take her to the Surgical Center for the procedure. Jeff will meet me there.

Jeff called Dr. Hancock and got a lot of our questions answered. I feel better anyway.

I was able to be home most of the afternoon and took a nice long nap this afternoon. My friend Kate called and asked if I would drive her to Kohler. Her husband, Ron, is being recognized for 45 years at Kohler and she joined him but did not want to have him driving home alone that late. She and I have been sharing the concern of husband health issues for well over a year. I remember being at a function where Sy Regan was also attending and he told us to just stay away from him.

Oscar is just about the same. The only things he has eaten are a few cat treats and some canned chicken white meat. He is still drinking. I am taking him back to the Vet tomorrow to discuss his condition and my concerns. I have decided that I will not try to force feed that poor critter. He deserves more than that. Why frighten him if it only serves to prolong his live and will not provide a cure.

Tomorrow is a busy day for Dick. - Therapy and a prosthesis check. I am planning on taking him to the airport for lunch. I haven't told him so. I hope he will go.

Love

Mary

It was a mixed day. Silly Chelsea was back to waking me at 2AM again. I had trouble getting back to sleep but finally did and got up about 6AM.

The morning was busy. I helped Dick with his bath and watered the outdoor plants.
The wind blew pretty steady and it was in the low 80s so I probably will have to do that again tomorrow. We are supposed to be getting cooler weather as the week progresses. No rain though.

At 10:30, Dick put Bill Moyers show on (we often watch that on Sundays) Bill had W. S. Merwin, the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry as his guest. So I watched that with great interest. I think I learned a lot.

As soon as that was over I went to St. John's for the Celebration Picnic. You see the picture of me and Archbishop Kaigama. He was our guest for the weekend, it is Mission Sunday. Amazing to have an Archbishop for our speaker and he is absolutely charming. He is only 59 and has been an archbishop for 9 years. One of our members told him that when he dons the white hat as pope, he wants good seats. He told us a lot about Nigeria in his sermon. His main problems as an Archbishop and father to his people are caused by the political unrest and the fact that his people are often displaced and come to him with needs for basic food and housing. In their poverty they want to build a church. I told him that I would write a poem for him. I also told him that it would take a while because I had to let it grow in my head.

Home again, I brought Dick a hamburger and popcorn from the picnic. Then he walked. He said that it is getting some better and tomorrow he wants to start walking longer.

At about 2, I left for Rachel Kroeplien's graduation party. Rachel, along with her brother Josh and her dad, Jim belong to Rhine Plymouth. Rachel will be off to college in the fall so we will be losing her at least for some time. They are a lovely family. Rachel just got back from a two week educational vacation to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. And yes, she saw blue footed boobies. I saw the pictures. She had one terrifying experience. In Ecuador, she and a companion were walking to school when a man with a knife shoved them against a wall to rob them. Fortunately, a cab drove by and beeped and the man ran away. They also ran, the rest of the way to school. The teachers acted like they didn't believe them but another man who witnessed the whole thing came up and had called the police so there was a report. She was SO scared. But she didn't tell her folks until she got home. She was afraid they might make her come home.

Guess who was there, Becky and Brian and little Elizabeth. The Kroeplien's are cousins. That was fun. Also Lena Lauer, an elderly lady who goes to the Senior Meals with Mother, was there and we had a lovely visit too.

Then home again.

I called Bart and Barb tonight and they are doing fine. I will call Bret tomorrow. He is easier to get on weeknights.

Oscar is worse. He has only eaten 6 little treats today. He turns up his nose at any food that I offer him and the one time he tried, he upchucked. Poor baby, is just sleeping. I will call Dr. Pat tomorrow and get some advice. He is still drinking water, albeit, not much.

Guess that is all. A lot, isn't it?

Take it easy and have a good week. You deserve the best.

Love

Mary

 

Here is a picture of Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, Nigeria. It was fascinating talking to him.

I got up at 6AM. Kind of puttered around til 9AM. Dick did walk this morning and I fixed a really good breakfast. We had bacon, eggs and toast.

At 9AM I went to pick up Kate and we drove over to the Armory to pick up out SHARE. I have been getting the smaller portion, but next month I am going for the full portion as the freezer is not as full as it should be and I need to stock up. I also really liked the selection. I think I have told you about SHARE. It is a food program for anybody that supplies food at "discount". For $25. You get a package of groceries that is worth at least $45 to 50 and includes meats, veggies and a couple of extras like, maybe a cake mix, or strawberries. It is a great way to cut the grocery bill.

After we put our groceries away, Kat and I walked from her house on Collins down to Reed Street to attend the 2009 Home and Garden "Porches on Reed Street." Five classic homes on Reed, opened their homes, and/or their gardens for tour by the public. We had a great time. They had reenactor's, high school students who told us about the homes in character of the original builders of the homes. They were all wonderful. They re all trying to get Kate to put her home in next year. I told her I would help hostess if she does.

We ended with the program of the day,Linda Godine of Herbs N' Such gave a presentation on growing and using herbs. We ate like pigs. Starting with herbal dips and working our way through cheese spreads and pastas and rice and moving on to fruit salad and breads that were fantastic. Kate and I are going out to her place in Kiel to stock up on a few herb plants and I want to take her a couple of my favorite recipes to add to her stock. She was really excited about my Lemon Balm Wine.

Got home about and fixed a sandwich for Dick. Then I took a nap as I was exhausted. My knee really hurt during that walk. It got pretty rested while we were listening to the herb presentation.

I went to the 4PM Mass. We had a very special guest at our parish this weekend. An Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, Niagra is visiting our community. He is fascinating. I will be able to meet him again tomorrow a t the Parish Family Celebration Picnic. As Fr. Van Beeck said. They have two bishops in Milwaukee this weekend, but we have an Archbishop in Plymouth. Quite a coup.

So the day is now waning.

Oscar is not eating well. He did not do badly at breakfast for did not eat at all this evening. His big green eyes are so wide. I just hope he is not in any pain. The site that Bobbie sent me about his problem indicates that there is usually not pain involved. I will cling to that.

So it was a pretty good day. Tomorrow should be nice AND busy also.

"Should you encounter a problem along your way, Change your direction, but not your destination."

I need to keep that in mind these days.

Love

Mary

I got to sleep until 6:30AM this morning. Chelsea got me up at four but I got back to sleep OK. I think I could have stayed in bed much longer if it was not for those critters needing food.

This in not a day that I would like to relive. You will see why.

Mom called quite early, about 9:30AM. She got a call from the nurse telling her when her colonoscopy is scheduled. It is next Friday, July 3, at 8AM at the Plymouth Surgical Center with a Doctor Rana Sokhi. I will pick her up at 7:45AM or so on Friday and take her too the surgical center to get her checked in. Jeff will join me that morning, as soon as he can get there. So I won't have to wait alone.

Dolores will be with her on Thursday night and Jeff will take her home from the procedure on Friday. (I will follow if he needs help.) Eileen is coming Friday after work and will relieve Jeff and stay the night if necessary. Randy and Donna will come over as needed and as they can. So I think we have it covered. It is so great to have such a loving support family as we have. But with a Mother and Dad like ours it is not too big a surprise.

The other thing that was difficult today was my Big Oscar. When Bobbie was here the other day, she noticed a lump in his abdomen. We thought it MIGHT be a hairball, but Bobbie looked things up in the computer and lumps are usually something to be concerned with. I had already decided that if he was off his feed one more meal, or did not throw up a hairball I was making an appointment with the Vet. I was able to get him in at 11AM this morning. The news is not good at all. Our Oscar has two enlarged kidneys. One is about the size of an orange. His BUN levels are up and his red blood count is low. With both kidneys affected, there is really nothing that we can do for him but keep an eye on him and when he develops symptoms of pain, or not eating then we will have to probably help him pass on. We have changed his diet and will just keep loving him. He is about the sweetest kitty that I have ever had. This is hard.

The rest of the day was spent cleaning, the kitchen and the bathroom, and ironing.

Then, Nancy Roehre and I went out to Rhine to practice our pistol shooting. Some major renovations have been done to trap one. New cement poured and the electrical wiring all redone. Josh and Dennis and Matt were all there working on it. I guess there was another blow up at the club regarding the camping situation. I told Dennis that maybe I will skip the next meeting. I won't but good grief can't we all get along. I may ask to use the clubhouse for a CWI meeting on July 17. I am going to try the library first because there we could have access to reference material and maybe even computers. As a member, I can use it if it is not in use for a club function.

Guess that is all for now. Enough I think. After all the junk I will end with a joke.

The weekend is here and I intend to enjoy it with a Garden Walk, a picnic at church and a graduation party.

Love

Mary

THE IRISH PROSTITUTE

An Irish daughter had not been home for over a year. Upon her return, her Father cussed her. 'Where have ye been all this time? Why did ye not write to us, not even a line? Why didn't ye call? Can ye not understand what ye put yer old Mother thru?'
The girl, crying, replied, 'Sniff, sniff....Dad...I became a prostitute...' 'Ye what!!? Out of here, ye shameless harlot! Sinner! You're a disgrace to this Catholic family.'
'OK, Dad-- as ye wish. I just came back to give mum this luxurious fur coat, title deed to a ten bedroom mansion plus a $5 million savings certificate. For me little brother, this gold Rolex. And for ye Daddy, the sparkling new Mercedes limited edition convertible that's parked outside plus a membership to the country club (takes a breath) and an invitation for ye all to spend New Years Eve on board my new yacht in the Riviera and... .'
'Now what was it ye said ye had become?' says Dad.
Girl, crying again, 'Sniff, sniff....a prostitute Daddy! Sniff, sniff.'
'Oh! Be Jesus ! Ye scared me half to death, girl! I thought ye said a Protestant. Come here and give yer old Dad a hug.

Got up a bit after six. I would have really enjoyed staying in bed longer this morning. It was a busy day at home.

Dick did get three walks in today. He gets breathless but said he is not experiencing quite as much discomfort in the effort.

I also vacuumed the upstairs carpets and did some other cleaning. The White Zinfandel wine that we are making is now all stirred and just has to sit to clear before bottling. I will also be stirring Bobbie's Strawberry Wine daily until she comes next week to put it into a secondary fermentor.

Bobbie has five batches of wine in various stages. Isn't that exciting and ambitious.

Chelsea had a little seizure this evening. Oscar is kind of off of his feed. (I think a hairball will be appearing soon.) So Roxie is the only totally healthy creature in the house.

Well, poor Farrah Fawcett died today. She certainly showed us bravery as she faced her death. Also Michael Jackson which was a surprise. We will be hearing about him for days. A lost soul. I will pray for both of them along with all the others on my list of needs.

Not anything else to report tonight. I am suddenly very weary and will be heading to bed now.

Take care

Mary

An early morning. We went on our walk after my shower and taking care of the cats at about 7AM. It was already getting warm. 76 degrees at 7AM. It got up to about 94 before the day was over and it is muggy.

Chelsea is always so alert and full of life in the early morning hours. The rest of the day her tail is drooping. We noticed when we first got her that her tail was most always flared up over her back like a fine wagging bustle. When she got very tired, her little tail would drag behind her as she tried to find a quiet place. Now, more and more, her little tail is dragging even when she is just observing things.

I went to Walmart early and got Dick an exercise ball that has been recommended by his therapist. Then I went grocery shopping. I got home at about 9:30AM. I put the groceries away and blew up the exercise ball. It came with a pump. Now the next chore is to get Dick to use it. The exercises are to improve the abdominal muscle strength so he walks more upright and does not lean so on his walker.

Bobbie came over in time for lunch. We had mainly leftovers, venison, bratwurst and carrots, with beans and salad. Then we went down to the wine room and Bobbie mixed up a batch of strawberry wine. She now has five batches going - all to onst.

She mentioned that she was going to have to start writing down when she has to do something on each or she will lose track. So I gave her one of my extra calendars to write everything on.

Two O'clock was the Amputee Support Group meeting. We had a nice turnout and played bingo. Everybody brought 5 white elephant gifts. It was a lot of fun and then we ended by just having a jam session sharing the things we have in common. I came home with a box of keeenix, a bag of hot chocolate mix and a puzzle book. Everybody all wish Dick would come. I certainly do. The wife of one of our amputees was a cookie lady at Plymouth Care and said that I must tell him that she is very disappointed that he has not come.

Bobbie was still here when I got home. She had to wait some time because the must had too cool before she could add the yeast. She will be back in a week now and I will stir the strawberry once a day until then.

Now it is getting on towards bedtime. The temperature has dropped but only to 85 degrees. Heat amd thunderstorms are predicted for the next couple of days though they say this is the hottest day. I hope we do get a bit of that predicted rain. I watered the plants that really need it but rain is so much better for the plants.

I also dried some lemon balm. I now have two jars of that for the year. More than enough as I can use fresh for most of the summer. My other herbs are doing OK but I wish the purple basil would be growing faster. My tomato plants look wonderful.

Tomorrow, I have no scheduled errands so except for cleaning it will be a quiet day. I intend to do some reading and some writing.

Have a nice quiet Thursday yourself.

Love

Mary

Chelsea let me sleep until 4AM this morning. I wish she would be consistant. I finally got up at a bit after 6AM. After feeding everybody, showering and walking Chelsea, we got Dick all ready for his busy day.

We left at about 10:45AM for Plymouth Care Center for therapy. Dick walked several times. Twice on the bars and twice with the walker. Wendy, the therapist, gave us some new exercises to do to strengthen his mid section. I have to go to WalMart to get a proper exercise ball tomorrow so we can start that.

We left there for Dairy Queen. We each had a cheeseburger and shared an order of fries and a Pepsi. Then, on our way to Wisconsin Prosthesis, we stopped at Mother's to pick up her fecal test that had to be dropped off at the Clinic and to leave her prescription for an Iron supplement which we hope will after a week or so leave her with more energy.

At Wisconsin Prosthesis, Tim did some adjustments to the prosthesis cup and his insole on the right foot which we hope will solve some discomfort and/or redness problems. We were home shortly after 2PM. This was our last errand.

The rest of the day I spent working on grocery lists, phone calls and on computer stuff.

Yesterday, at bible study, my friend Shirley Moioffer asked us to pray for them. They have a family of raccoons who have taken up residence in their attic. She was frying out on Father's Day and one came clicking out in broad daylight to observe what was going on. Raccoons cannot just be killed, they have to be trapped and relocated. Shirley has found someone who will come and trap them for her and Dan at $50 a crack. Pray that the mother raccoon did not have the maximum possible litter of 10.

I remember a trip that Dick and I took with our Zero to Wausau. We stopped at a rest stop just shy of Wittenberg so that Zero could relieve himself. We pulled into the stop and into a parking place. I was just about to open the door when we noticed movement in the headlights. To our "almost" horror there were at least 8 full grown raccoons cavorting in front of us. We immediately backed out and left. Zero just had to wait. Good thing we saw it quickly enough. Zero would have been torn to shreds by those raccoons.

Love
Mary

Roxie still hates it when I whistle. I started whistling a few minutes ago, forgetting that she is sleeping on the printer, and her eyes opened immediately. She looked at me, daring me to continue.

Chelsea woke me up at 4AM this morning, a great improvement over yesterday. I went back to bed and was able to sleep until 6AM. We had a busy morning as Dick and I were determined to get his clothes changed AND a walk in before I headed to Bible Study. This on top of all the usual just getting ready for the morning is a LOT. But we did it and did not feel too rushed.

Two people were not at bible study but we still had a good group there. Joe was back after his vacation and brought his wife, Felicia, along today. We had lively discussions about the woman who touched Jesus' robe and was healed of her hemorraging because of her faith AND about Jarius who believed that Jesus could heal his daughter. One a Jew and one a Gentile. So he will heal us all. Next week we are starting a study of the Gospel of Mark. Our books were there so we are set to go. We will read the introduction and decide how we are going to proceed.

Dick and I had pork cop and lima bean casserole for dinner and I went to the Cream City Writer's meeting. It was a good meeting. We only had to tone Don down from his preaching twice. There were two new ladies there who seem to be really interested in being a part of us. I sure hope so. We decided to give the Fourth of July or Independence Day as an "assignment" for next month's meeting.
Don has invited us out to his place for the next meeting. He is out in the country and really wants to share his "inspiration" deck with us.

Dick was sleeping when I got home, so I took care of wine and a few other things before he woke up. I remembered to stir the wine the three times it needs and Dick walked three times so we had a pretty successful day.

Did you know that if you look very closely at the Iwo Jima Memorial statue in Washington DC you will see that there are six figures putting up the flag but there are 13 hands. The sculptor simply said that the 13th hand was the Hand of God.
Also, if you start at the front of the statue and drive very slowly counter clockwise around it, as you come around, it appears that the flag actually is rising. It is phenomenal.

Have a great Tuesday. We are saturated with medical appointments, therapy , prosthesis and some errands for Mom.

Take care

Love

Mary

Two o'clock again. That dog is toying with me. At least I was able to get back to sleep and stay that way until 6AM. Last night was much better over all than the night before but I am still exhausted tonight.

There were several people out and about when Chelsea and I took our walk this morning. She is always such a perky and happy girl that noone believes that she is failing. Today was not great for her. I can tell because her little tail drags when she is not feeling too well.

However, Bobbie and Bill came over this afternoon. Bobbie had to do the next step on her Bay Leaf Wine. We went down to the wine room. Of course, Roxie was right behind us and complaining as usual. She doesn't understand what we are doing down there and tells us so. Oscar followed shortly. Then, to our surprise, we heard funny sounds on the stairs and, for the first time in months, Chelsea had managed to make her way down the stairs to see what was going on. She is really afraid of the stairs, I think because her cataracts are getting worse and she can't really judge the drop. Then, poor thing, she started up the stairs with Roxie and Roxie turned on her and belted her in the face. No claws, but I think it really confuses the her. She really is a sweet dog.

I fried out brats and venison chops this noon. We had brats, fresh cooked carrots and fruit salad with lunch along with pudding and whipped cream for dessert.

Tonight we had chef's salad. and an ice cream cone for dessert.

Dick had a pleasant Father's Day. We heard from everybody which makes him feel good. He walked today but only once. Tomorrow, I am going to push him a bit more. We need to get him moving.

Tuesday, therapy and a visit to the prosthesist again. He will be a busy guy. Wednesday will be the amputee support group meeting. I have been trying to get Dick to go. After all, though it is for caregivers too, he IS the amputee.

Today was the first day of summer. It got up to 82 degrees but has already dropped to 72. We might get a bit of rain tonight but it looks like a pretty good week ahead over all.

You enjoy your week now.

Mary

I did not sleep well last night but at least Chelsea did not get me up until 5AM. I woke up a bit before that and was actually afraid to get up and look for her. I sure was glad that she finally came to get me. We went out for our walk right away and I just stayed up.

I had a nice nap this morning, which was SO nice after the rotten night that I had.

Except for church, I was able to stay home all day. I finished my cleaning and did some baking. I made some Lemon Balm scones which turned out to be very tasty. I also put a fruit salad together. We do like out fruit salads. As long as the fruit is so good, we decided that I will make one each week. this one has watermelon, orange, blueberries, kiwi, grapes and strawberries.

Dick walked twice today and we got his bath accomplished. We both agreed that the bath is getting easier all the time. In time, he will be able to do most of it himself. The foot is looking pretty good after he walks, so we are encouraged.

Mass was nice. The folk choir sang and we were celebrating the 100th birthday of Dolores Gentine. She looks pretty darned good too. Next week an Archbishop from Jos in Nigeria, Ignatius Kaigama, will be spending time at St. John the Baptist for the Annual Mission Appeal. We are also having a Picnic to celebrate the conclusion of the Faith in our Future Campaign. So it will be a very full weekend.

Tomorrow I do not have to go anywhere. Bobbie will be coming over to work on wine. So company we will have. I am frying out. I am going to do some brats and some venison steaks. You can join us if you would like, there will be plenty.

Love

Mary

2:30AM again. I might as well just have a newborn in the house. No matter how late I take Chelsea out lately, she is still poking me early.

Oh Well, I guess there is nothing that can be done about it but I sure am starting to feel it. Broken sleep is a bummer and I need my sleep. Naps are helping when I can get them.

I vacuumed the living room this morning and Dick walked early. I left at about 9:30 take Mother to Fesslers for her colostomy supplies. It was nice dealing with Barb, the lady that handles those specialty items. She remembered helping Dick get his stockings fitted. She was sorry to hear that he lost his leg but pleased that things are improving.

Mother and I went directly from there to the Clinic for her blood test. That went really quickly. She should hear on Monday or Tuesday, I would imagine, if she is indeed anemic. If so, an iron supplement should correct that and perhaps she will get a bit of energy back. Years ago, I was anemic and was tired all the time.

I got home in time to fix a Chef's Salad for Dick's lunch. Then trotted over to the Dairy Queen for lunch . There were four of us there today. Betty said that someone actually dug up the flowers that she had planted at her husband's grave. Can you believe anyone being as low as that? To take tributes that people have planted for their departed loved ones? We were all just horrified. She did call the police but what good will that do.

When I got home, I did take a nap. Slept pretty good too. Roxie likes that. All I have to do is head for the couch and she is right there. She loves to nap with me.

I fixed pork chop and Lima bean casserole for our supper. Haven't had that in a long time and it is really good. Very simple too. You mix a can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup with a package of frozen green Lima beans and grate in some Velveeta (not easy to grate, but you don't have to be fancy). Put three or four pork chops in the bottom of a baking dish, spread the Lima bean mixture over the top. Top with a can of French fried onions and bake covered for about an hour, then take off the cover and bake about 15 minutes more.

Tonight I cleaned off my desk. I have a whole folder of things that need to be taken care of tomorrow, but did get rid of a lot of stuff. There is still too much on my desk but at least I have a bit of a handle on it.

Except for church, I get to stay home for the next two days. I am so glad.

Our newly paved road is a pleasure to drive on. We are no longer dodging holes in the road and the two visitor parking spots are now paved also so they are not mud holes any longer.

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.


Love

Mary

Since I took Chelsea out at 10PM or later last night and she was very very "good", one would have thought that I could sleep uninterrupted until at least 4 or 5. But NOOOOO! the little goof came to ask me to take her out at 2:30am. I had to get up at 6AM because I had to do a lot of things before going to take Mother to the Drug Store at 10AM. I vacuumed the bedrooms and made cookies today.

So. I got to Mother's and she was in curlers. She thought that we were going tomorrow. I had said tomorrow but she had Friday on her mind and that was what she planned on. SO. I called Fesslers (Aurora Superior) and we found out the Barb, the person that was going to help us get Mom's supplies, was sick today anyway. SO. I am going to call the drug store at 9:15AM to be sure that Barb is there and then I will call Mom and start out to pick her up. This afternoon she called me again. Dr. Hancock's nurse had called her and he wants her to have another blood test. Apparently, the first one shows that she is a bit anemic and they want to confirm this. We are going to stop at the Clinic on our way home from the drug store for the blood test. This could be some of the reason that Mother is feeling so much more tired these days. Perhaps a regimen of extra iron will help to rectify that.

Home again, I parked the car back in Lion's Park parking lot. I need to go get it soon. They seem to be done with the paving and it has been long enough that I should be able to bring it home. As I walked home I stopped to visit with neighbors, Tom and Rita Engel. Tom filmed a lot of the paving for his grandsons. They are 2 and 5 and nutso over trucks. He is able to film in movies and stills and will show his grandsons on TV this weekend. The workers even waved for them.

I liked this crew. When Chelsea and I set out at about 4 to get the mail, one of the workers stopped is roller and called to me to pick Chelsea up as the blacktop would be too hot for her little feet. Wasn't that sweet?

That is really the end of the busy things that I did today.

Now is the time to just settle down and do nothing for the rest of the evening.

By the way, Dr. Murthy's nurse called and told me that the MRI shows that there is a small tear in the meniscus of my right knee and that I need to make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor. So I called the Orthopedic department and Dr. Fehrman will call me early next week after he looks at the MRI. I feel better in that I know that there is something real wrong and maybe this time it will be something that can be fixed.

Take Care

Mary

What a day. It started early (6AM) and is finishing late (for me anyway, it is 10PM already.)

It was raining when Chelsea got me up at 3ish but had stopped by the time I finally got up. I did all the morning things with cats and dog and showering and all and then drove over to Mc Donalds. Dick and I had decided to have Mc Donalds breakfast because it was grocery shopping day and we always had breakfast out when we shopped together. We will do that again some day.

After breakfast, I did go grocery shopping. I got home to find that Dick and Chelsea were napping, so I put the groceries away and made the phone calls that I needed too. Mother called. The colostomy supplies she needs are at Fessler Drug store and she has to go in to pick up the first batch because they need her Medicare info and her signature. After that she can just call in her order. We are dealing with a gal named Barb who was very helpful for Dick when he got the elastic stockings that he needed. SO I will take her to Sheboygan tomorrow to take care of that. Tomorrow they are blacktopping Tallgrass Lane so I parked the car in the parking lot at Lions park. They are doing it in such a way that we CAN get in and out but I would really rather wait until everything has settled before I drive over it.

AT 11:15AM, I went to Plymouth Aurora to have an MRI done on my knee. I don't have a lot of hope that they will find anything, at least anything they can fix for me. I am being told that I am a very young and healthy 69. Yet, I have side aches, neck and arm soreness and my knees are really sore. The diagnosis so far have been to tell me what it is and say. Live with it. I am taking Tylenol twice a day for the aching. I wonder if it would be worse without that.

We had meatloaf sandwiches and soup for lunch. Then Bobbie came over and we mixed up two more batches of wine for her. She is trying bay leaf and grapevine. They both smell really good. The other two that she has working are settling nicely and are still fermenting. Sunday she will be back to do the next steps on these last two and will help me finish adding to the White Zinfandel.

Tonight was the Celtic Women meeting. We went to 52 Stafford for dinner and the music. It was very pleasant but we decided that next time we will dinner somewhere else where it is quieter and then go over to the Stafford for the music. We will do that any time that the 17th lands on a Wednesday when Stafford has the pick up band playing.

There were 13 of us there which is a good turnout and we all had a lot of fun. I ordered corned beef and cabbage and brought home enough corned beef for lunch for Dick and me tomorrow.

Well, that covers the day. I will hear about the MRI by Monday, I would guess. Hope they find something and that something can be done. I have not had a good long walk for such a long time. I walk until it starts hurting then turn back. The doctor said that walking won't damage anything but it isn't any fun walking when it hurts.

Take care and enjoy your Thursday. We are supposed to have dry weather until late in the afternoon, then thunderstorms are rolling in. I will be back home and hopefully will be able to get the car back into the garage.

Love

Mary