This has been a rough day.

This morning Chelsea seemed to be doing OK after her fall of yesterday.   She had not slept much during the night, she just paced, but she was walking fairly well and ate a nice breakfast.   But as the morning wore on, she kept on pacing and started panting constantly, she also show weakness in her hind legs and kept her back arched, so I called Lakeshore Veterinary Clinic, who are on call for Kettle Moraine.   We agreed that they should examine her.  De. Tremelling was able to give her a shot of combination pain killer and muscle relaxant that went to work pretty fast.   Within 10 minutes, her breathing slowed.  Then her little bottom settled on the floor, followed by her front legs and then her head settled on her left front paw and she had been out ever since.  This is first sleep she has had since yesterday evening when she did doze for about an hour.  I am just wishing that she waked up before 9PM so that I can take her out to go potty and give her the next dose of pills.


This morning I heard the Purple People Eater mentioned on TV.   It reminded me of one of Bart's soccer years.  His team was given purple uniforms.   That was the year that the Denver Broncos were so hot and were being called the Orange Crush.   We moms thought that it would be cool to call the team the Purple Crush.  In the conversations, however, Purple People Eaters had come up.   And the kids liked that.  

So one of the moms gathered them around and gave them a big speech about how great the Broncos were and how great it would be to have a name that would mean crushing the other teams and on and on.   Then she asked.   "So.  Do you want to be the PURPLE CRUSH or purple people eaters."   And as one the boys shouted.  "PURPLE PEOPLE EATERS."  So that is what they were.


I hope I have more fun stuff to write tomorrow.

Have a wonderful Sunday and God loves you

Mary

This has been a good day and a bad day.   Chelsea has had a very uncomfortable day.   It started off OK for HER anyway.  She got me up at 11PM, then again at 3AM and then again at 5:45am.   At that point, I stayed up because it was too much trouble to get them fed and everything else done and then go back to bed.  She loved her morning walk, and as it was cool and dry, I did too.  

I spent the morning finishing up lots of things on the computer, washing towels and doctoring Dick's eye.   Then after fixing lunch for Dick, I went to lunch at Dairy Queen with my friends.  That was pleasant, we will not meet next week because it is the Labor Day weekend.

Dick's eye was itching today, so he called Dr. Cheryl about that.   She gave us a prescription to fill if it continues to itch but says it may be just the fact that the abrasion is healing.   We will hope for that.   It seemed less uncomfortable for him this afternoon.

I picked up corn for supper on my way home from lundh, then took our Chelsea out for a walk.  I started talking to neighbors next door, Don and Jan.   Chelsea was kind of roaming around on that berm under the hazelnut tree and nibbling on various plants when suddenly she just tumbled down the berm. She rolled down and landed on the driveway.

She seemed stiff but has become more sore as time goes on.   I gave her the pain pills early but it took three hours for her to stop pacing and lie down.   I think she is sleeping now and hope she will be able to sleep it off.   I am sure she is bruised or perhaps tore something.  It seems to be in back of her right front leg though earlier she was sensitive by her left front leg.  If she can sleep for several hours, I am hoping that this will help her,  I am not waking her when I go to bed.   She will come to get me when she needs to and then I will give her another pain pill.  Poor little baby just keeps looking at me to help her and I can't.   I DID call the vet but they said with the meds that I had given her there was nothing more that they would do at this point.

So.   We will see what tomorrow brings.  At least the weekend is quiet.  

Pray for us.   Things are piling up again.

Til tomorrow.

God love you

Mary

Today was supposed to be a day at home except for one quick trip to Walgreens for a prescription for Dick    BUT as it turned out, his right eye was bothering him still and we decided to call Dr. Cheryl as we had still not heard about the lens.   She got him in this morning though she had a full day.   Upon examination, since last Thursday, he has developed an edema and has an abrasion on that eye.  She cannot figure out why he is not in more pain than he is and we cannot determine how it happened.   We have stopped the steroid meds and are now on a medication with antibiotics that will help dry the edema also.  They will be in contact with us tomorrow and he will be reexamined on Monday.   Pray for a quick healing.

I spent the rest of the day cleaning up messes.   Things were scattered all over the house after me being gone Friday night and Sunday.   Doesn't take much to mess up but takes a lot to get back in order.

As Dick had taken me out to Sweet Basil for supper last night, we had leftovers for our meals today.   Always good and easy to fix.   Dick had Spaghetti Bolognese and I had meat loaf.   So we split the spaghetti for lunch and a meatloaf sandwich for supper.

Now we are watching the Packer pregame with Indianapolis and then will hit the hay, as Dad would say.    Mother used to say "Up the wooden hill to four corners."   Cute when I grew up enough to realize that the wooden hill was our stairs and four corners was the bed.

Have a good Friday and be healthy and happy.

God love you

Mary

The wayward balloon

Me and St. Patrick at Irishfest



I did a really silly thing last night. I DID the blog then but accidently posted it to the Sheboygan CWI Site. I discovered it this morning and deleted it from there.

The main thing I wanted to send was the results of Mother's eye appointment. Anything else can wait til tonight. The blurring of her vision is as a result of dry macular degeneration which comes with age. It is not like the wet that destroys quickly and spreads very fast. The dry moves slowly but there is not cure. We are looking into brighter lights and better magnification.

Mom says she noticed that more and more the doctors are saying it is because she is old. We know this is mainly true but have to remember that some things CAN be cured, so symptoms still have to be checked.

Later

Mary

I was home almost all day.   I make a cake for the bust up party at Rhine.  I made a chocolate banana cake.  I need to frost it tomorrow. 

I also made Cole slaw and cut up a cantaloupe into chunks for snaking on.   We had pork and sauerkraut in the slow cooker for our dinner.   Boy was that ever good.

 This afternoon, I had a lot of errands to do.  I had to pick up several prescriptions and replacements of vitamins etc at Walgreens and  Chelsea's prescription at the Kettle Moraine Veterinary Clinic.  Then I went to the bank and finally dropped off the Amputee Support Group documentation at Janice's house.   I arranged the program for last month but have decided not to go any more as it really should be for Dick and he will not be going.  I have finally accepted that and have decided that I don't need any extra meetings, even if they are for Dick, unless he COMES ALONG..  I have tried for months.  Guess I am a slow learner.

So that was the day.    I am still quite behind but should be caught up by Thursday night.

You have a great day tomorrow.  Dick is taking me out for dinner so I feel special.

God Love You

Mary

The day has gotten away from me again.   I got up at 7AM.   (Of course, that was after two times outside with Chelsea during the night.)

Had Bible Study this morning.   There were 6 of us today.   A nice group.   We are still on the 15th Chapter of Mark.   Mary, our summer member, says that at the rate we are going she thinks we will be still working on Mark when she comes back next spring.   (There are only 16 chapters.)  We take our time though and really get in to it.   We are learning so much about the time of Jesus and today's discussion really got into the political atmosphere of that time.   Then we did a bit of bringing it to our time.  It is interesting that the Chief Priest of that time was appointed from the members of the Sanhedrin by the Romans - So though he was a Jew, he definitely profited from balancing his allegance.

Had a nice visit with Mother before heading home.   Then I called the eye doctor's office and found out that Mother is just being evaluated by Dr. Mandel on Wednesday, we were under the impression that they were going to do a procedure and we were making arrangements for somebody being with her the rest of the day, at least.

Now, a little more about Irish Fest before I go to bed.   I was listening to a bit of Jeff Ward's Band singing when I looked over and saw Kathy, one of our Sheboygan County members also watching.   We hooked up for a while.   I went over to see Mary Pat to be able to say Hi one more time and wish her well, then we ambled over to the Cultural Village as I wanted to pay for a print that I bought for a gift from Steve O'Loughlin, one of the Celtic Artists that came along with Cindy Matyi.   While Kathy and I were visiting with Cindy, Maureen Smith called.  She was next door in the Hedge school.   We watched a couple of the classes in the Hedge School, one on the influence of the Scots Irish in the U. S.   and the other on the Titanic, specifically a Belfast project, building a Titanic Museum.  The Titanic was built in Belfast and the museum sounds absolutely super.

We then moved over to listen to Tommy Sands.   I had really wanted to see his show and it was SO worth it.   I really want some of his music.   At this point, I have ONE song of his, as a guest singer on the Women's Heart Trilogy.

I till finish up tomorrow and I promise to get pictures on also. 

Take care of yourselves and each other.

God love you

Mary

What a day.   Irish Fest again.

I got up a bit after 5AM to get showered, take care of the critters,  see that Dick was OK for his meals and just generally get ready for the day.

Had one difficult event.  When I got ready to feed Chelsea, who was sleeping when I woke up, she started to just fall apart.  She woke up and tried to stand up.  She immediately slipped flat on to her belly just splayed out.  She looked very upset and then began coughing really badly.  Her little hear was going like a tom tom.   It  took a couple of events before she settled down.   Poor baby.   Dick said that she slept the rest of the day, except when our neighbor Dick, came to take her outside. 

I then left for my friends Joan and Richard Kramer's home.  They had kindly said that I could ride down to Irishfest with them and another friend, Dorothy Rose.  The three of them were volunteers to be ushers for various groups at the Mass.  The preceding bishop was John  McAreavey , the bishop of Dromore in Northern Ireland.  He was an excellent preacher, speaking from his own heart.  He spoke of the emigration and that he had reconnected with the descendants of people that her had only heard about as having gone.  One of his cousins, just this year, was able to come to Ireland to the very place that his great grandfather had been born.   How special is that.   Our roots are so important.

I will have to tell you more tomorrow and beyond.   I am so proud of myself.   I stayed calm the whole two days.   I kind of decided to go to certain things and not worry about that I might possible be missing.   The most important thing for me this weekend was the time I got to spend with my friends.   Almost quality time, considering all of the confusion going on around us.  And my friends, most of them artists, were trying to present their work and be available for marketing their creations.   I saw Cindy Matyi, Pat Gallagher, Mary Pat Kelly, Robbie O Connell and Jimmy Keane.   I also got to meet Steve O Laughlin and Jan Delyth, two other member of the Celtic Art Exhibit.

Anyway, time for bed.  Tomorrow I will put some pictures on the blog along with my post.

Love you all

And God loves you too.

Mary

A nice quiet day between my two trips to Irish Fest.   I did not have to go anywhere today.  Isn't that a wonder.

It was rather muggy and warm but not unbearable.  The strangest thing.   Chelsea go me up at about 2AM or something like that.  Then she did not wake up until 8:30AM and I stayed in bed too.  Boy was that ever nice.

I cleaned Roxie's litter box thoroughly today.  That was the only really big chore that I did.   It is hard for me not to get too involved in things, but I really wanted to get as much rest as I could today because, no matter what, tomorrow will be a busy day and Monday will not be much better.

Dick asked me to mention that with his eyes being so blurry is anyone is sending him emails, he is not able to read them.  To be patient.   We should have his new lens this week and he can catch up.

In the mean time, have a lovely Sunday.   If you are at Irishfest and want to contact me my cell phone number is 910-912-5345.

God love you

Mary

What a day.   Jody came to clean the house this morning.   I had been busy getting Chelsea walked and fixing breakfast.  Dick had requested pancakes.    So I made some.   I am using up some yogurt.   I adapted a recipe that called for plain yogurt using yogurt with fruit in it and they were delicious.   

I picked up some sweet corn for our lunch as I was not to be home for our usual corn and tomato supper.

Then I took a little nap before getting ready to go to IRISH FEST!!!!!

I left for Janet and Rich Bieschke's at about 2:30PM.  They were leaving at 3PM and were kind enough to let me ride along with them.  We got to the festival grounds shortly after four and were able to take advantage of the free entry between 4 and 5:30PM.    We all stuck together for about a half an hour, then Richard got bored with our shopping and went on to watch the dancers and get a good beer.   Janet and I made our way to the Cultural Village.   I found Cindy Matyi, Pat Gallagher and met Steven O Loughlin, who's work I have enjoyed from afar since I met Patrick and Cindy.   I am going to get a couple of his prints and will share them with you.  At least one will be a gift.


This is where Jane and I lost each other because I spent quite a bit of time visiting with Cindy and Patrick.  Then I couldn't find her so I grabbed a Reuben Roll which was really good and headed over to the Aer Lingus stage to enjoy the Green Fields of America reunion.   I knew that Robbie O Connell was going to be there but did not expect Jimmy Keane as he had not been listed online.  So it was a double pleasure.  I picked up a glass of mead to enjoy while I watched their show.   After it was over, I went around the building to the entrance to back stage, fully expecting a crowd of other people (despite the fact that it had been raining off and on for the past hour along with lightening and thunder.   Then, just as I got to the foot of the stage door stairs, they skies opened and the winds came like a hurricane.   I stood there against the wall in a corner deciding where to make my break to when the door opened and one of the volunteers saw me and asked me in.   So I got to see Robbie and Jimmy in a nice warm dry quiet place.   I told Robbie, I was back there because I was the only fool to decide to try to go to the stage entrance to meet them and that I was  the groupie that got past the guards.  

I also met Danny Golden sitting on a stool waiting.  He still dances and talked to Dennis from Blarney.

It was fun.   When the rain stopped, I decided to get on my way as I still had to find Mary Pat Kelly..

After another phone call, I did find her.   We had a great visit as she was selling her book.  I met several of her friends too.   Suddenly I realized that it was almost 8PM and Janet, Rich and I had decided that if we got separated we would meet at the entrance between 8 and 8:30PM.   I checked around the entrance and did not see them so I ambled over to the Tipperary Tea Room to get an Irish Coffee and some cookies.   I got to hear the Last of the Schooner Fare concert.  They were singing We the People.   I also found Dave and Ellen.  Dave leads the group that sings at Blessed Trinity's Celtic Mass and Faire.  Ellen is very interested in being a Celtic Woman.


So it was a special day.   I am pleased that I can go back again on Sunday.  I know what I want to do and what I want to buy then.   Mary Pat and I are going to do an early morning coffee right after Mass.  And I will try to get Cindy out for a break too.   She is rather frail and has just recovered from a bout of food poisoning.  This on top of chemo.  At least her daughter and a friend of her daughter's are here to help her.

It is now after 11PM.  Later that I am EVER up.   Tomorrow I am home ALL day.  I don't even have to go to church as I am going to the Mass at the Marcus Ampitheatre.   So.  I hope your day was as good as mine and wish you sweet dreams.

Love and God loves you too

Mary

One would think that Thursday should be a quiet day.   It was not too bad.   Chelsea was pretty good.  She woke me up the first time at about 3AM and then again at about 6AM.  She kind of worried me because she did not eat a very good breakfast and I had trouble getting her pills into her. 

I spent the morning watering plants, emailing people and calling people.   Then, at 11:30AM, I left to pick up Kate.  She had an Obama election pin with is picture and all the previous presidents that she had picked up in Washington DC when she went to her DAR convention.   She knows that Mom collects political buttons.   We picked up lunch at the Point and had a lovely lunch with Mother.   We got steak sandwiches and french fries.   I had forgotten how GOOD the steak sandwiches are at the Point.  Thank you, Ron, for sending us there.   Kate had originally thought of picking up lunch at Chesters.


We left at about 1PM.  As we were leaving, Loraine Schaap and Tom Keyes, were coming down the street to visit Mother as a visit from Blessed Trinity.   Loraine even had communion for her.    Kat and the Keyes are good friends so this was a good visit.  I was glad that Loraine got to meet Kate as we have been praying for her and Ron for years.

When I got home, I took a nap.   I needed it by then as after Kate and I left Mom's we went shopping at Richardsons Furniture and then picked up Chelsea's meds at the vet.   I got some tea at their Tea Atrium.  I still need to take Mother there for some tea and cakes.  She would enjoy that and it would be an easy trip.

So, we are at the end of the day.  Tomorrow is Irishfest and I am SO looking forward to it.  I am getting corn in the morning and we will have it for lunch instead of our evening meal.  

Be good and tomorrow night I will tell you about the fest.  I hope to hook up with several of my friends tomorrow and arrange to have meals or gatherings with them either Friday or Sunday.

God love you

Mary



 

The night was a bit broken up.  Chelsea got me up before 1AM again.  Then she let me sleep until almost 5AM.  Needless to say, I went back to bed and shut the door.  Then Dick came back to bed shortly after 6AM so I eventually got up and just started moving.   The critters and I got the feeding and the bathing and the walking done before 7:30  and then I headed to the grocery store.

I was there quite early and the store was quiet.   Dick had checked the lottery tickets and said that there were no winners.  I always double check them in the automatic checker.  Guess what!  We had a $32  winner so this week was "free." A nice surprise for both of us.

I filled the gas tank on the way home so I am probably good for another two weeks.   I seem to be always driving, but they are usually in town and don't use much gas.

I go home and put the groceries away.  Chelsea and Dick were both sleeping, so when it got close to 10AM, I headed out with my guns to Rhine to shoot a round a trap and meet Nancy and her grandson so Nancy and I could practice our pistol shooting.

It was quiet today as most of the shooters were done.   I was actually done but wanted to do a practice round.   I got a 9.   Not great but I was settling down and Jerry gave me some hints on the line which will maybe penetrate my pea brain. I am using the shells that my friend Norb loaded.   I was going along just fine until my second last shot.   He must have slipped a heavy load in there on me and it set me back two feet.  Everybody jumped and then started laughing at me. (But they jumped a bit too.)  Wait til I see Norb at the bust up.

 I did not do too badly at the pistol shooting  but not to great either.  But it was fun and Nancy's grandson, Jack, is a really nice boy.

I got home at about 11 and fixed lunch and then tried to take a nap as I was tired.  I could not sleep but did rest for an hour.   Dick WAS awake when I got home but just getting up.

We drove on over to the Eye Clinic at 2:30PM.   Dr. Cheryl did a refraction on his eyes and did feel that there was enough of a change to warrant a change in his left lens.   There may be changes happening yet but the vision has deteriorated enough that he is not enjoying much in the way of reading or the computer.   The change would allow one free change in the next 12 months and it is worth it to have him seeing.   I know this has been distressing as it has happened so fast.  So, in a week or so the new lens will be in and he will be able to see and read again.

We got home about 4 and have been pretty much lazing around.  Of course, Chelsea does not approve of me just sitting and has had me take her out a few times, but she seems to be settling down again.   I



Tomorrow, except for going to lunch at Mother's with Kate (we are going to pick up lunch at the Point) I will be home all day.   The next day, I will be going to Irish Fest with my friends Rich and Janet.  So things are quieting down and pickup up all to onst.

I sure hope I get a good night's sleep as I am really tired now.

Till tomorrow.

God keep you in the palm of His hand.

Mary

Another very busy day.  This one started off normally.   Taking care of critters and me and Dick.  Then we had to go to the Plymouth Clinic at 11AM to the anti coagulation clinic for Dick's monthly blood test.  He was at 2.8.   Perfect.  So he can keep the same med schedule and we don't have to go back for a month.

Then we stopped at the Hong Kong Island Buffet for lunch.  I picked up a dinner of Fried Rice, Chicken Chop Suey and Egg rolls.   Boy was it good.  

After lunch, Dick had his appointment with Dr. Cheryl Ziegler, the eye doctor.  The right eye, with the selasian looks pretty good but he has been complaining about his left eye too.   His vision is blurred.in that eye.   She found no retinal problems, thank God.   We will go back tomorrow for a refraction to see if he needs a change in his prescription.

It's always something, isn't it? 

I got my hair cut this afternoon too.  My friend, Janet, called this afternoon.   She and Richard are going to Irish Fest on Friday evening and I can ride along with them.   Yea.  I can go the two days that I wanted too.  They will not stay too late either which will make Dick very happy.  Now I need to contact Maureen, Cindy and Mary Pat to see how we can join up for some visits on either Friday or Sunday.

Have a nice Wednesday.   Again.  I will be busy but after the weekend,things will settle down for a bit again.

God love you all

Mary

What another beautiful day.  I even wore jeans.  Chelsea got me up at 11:30PM and again at 2:30AM.  Then I slept until 6:30AM. 

I went to bible study at 9:30AM.  We had a pretty full contingent.   Helen Maurer was not with us because her she had surgery for a detached retina.  Pray for her.  Her eyes have been giving her trouble for quite some time.

We had great discussions today.  We are getting into Mark's account of the Passion and got it all connected to the Sunday Celebration of the Assumption.   Mary must have been quite a woman to take on that mission to raise the Son of God and then to walk with him through his passion.  Joseph was pretty brave too.   I am so looking forward to seeing "The Child" at the Fireside in November.  That is a new musical of the story of Christmas from the view of Joseph.  I have been listening to The Rock and The Rabbi.  Boy is that good.  I makes Peter seem like the real person he must have been.

I had a nice visit with Mother after bible study also.  I am helping her pay her bills and update her checkbook now.   I did that for Helen too.   She tells me what bills need to be paid, I write the checks, she signs them and I update the checkbook.    With her sight being so iffy, she feels more comfortable with this arrangement.


I went to my Cream City Writer meeting this afternoon.  I had managed to complete a poem on growing up to read at the meeting.   We had a lot of good readings today.   The invoked memories of our own childhoods, so the writings are doing what we had hoped, painting pictures in other people's hearts.

I make chocolate zucchini bread this afternoon.

WE had leftovers for our supper.   And Scalloped potatoes for our lunch.  So it was an easy day for me.   Tomorrow, Dick has two doctor appointments and we are planning on eating out.   If it is difficult for Dick, we will pick up something and come home to eat it.

It was our 24th anniversary today.   Hardly seems possible.   I sent Dick and e card.  He felt bad because his eyes made it hard for him to do the same.   Tomorrow our meal out will be our celebration.   We got cards from some of the kids and we know that we love each other.

Bart called tonight.  He is still suffering but is doing as well as can be expected at this point.  Please pray for him .

All my love and God love you

Mary

I did get to stay home all day today.   That was a welcome change.

Chelsea woke me up at 2:30AM and then again at 5AM.  At. the 5AM walk, I decided to shut the door and slept until 7AM.  I would have loved to sleep longer but felt that I was pushing my luck with the Roxie cat.   She was probably very hungry by then, even if she got some kitty treats at 5AM.

I did a lot today, but it was at a very leisurely pace.    We had scalloped potatoes and ham for lunch.  I had to prepare that.   I also baked some low sugar brownies.

I have been drying herbs a little at a time and did a couple of them today.  I also FINALLY covered the workbench that Bobbie and I use for wine making with peel and strip linoleum squares so it will be easier to clean up.  It looks nice too.

I took a nice nap this afternoon.

Chelsea was a ball of fire this morning when I took her out for her walk, then this afternoon she started coughing and then had trouble standing up.   I suppose that is what we will have to expect these days, after all she is over 16 years old.

This is going to be a busy week and then next Sunday I will be going to Irish Fest.  I really would like to go on Friday also but so far have noone to go along with me.

God love you

Mary

This was a quiet Saturday.   Chelsea woke me up at about 1:30AM to go outside.   That is no too bad anymore as I can usually get right back to sleep, but that poor little doggie coughed almost steadily the rest of the night.  I was surprised when she finally came to wake me up that she still had quite a bit of zip.   We went for our morning walk before I fed her. She has not had much trouble during the day so that is encouraging.

I was so tired with my broken sleep that I took my nap this morning.

We had ham, potatoes and veggies for lunch.   I fixed some yellow squash for myself and Dick had green beans.  Then I spent the afternoon watering plants, and freezing some squash and drying herbs until it was time to go to church.  Mass was interesting.  Fr. Van Beek's sister - Sr. Joan Marie Van Beek - who is a missionary School Sister of Notre Dame working  in Africa.   She was our speaker for Mission Sunday.

She told us a story of one of their Sisters, who runs a clinic.   A mother came from a nearby village with her young child.   She had previously lost a child who died during a seizure and this new child was also subject to seizures.  When she handed the boy to Sr. Carol, he started seizing and fell limp in her arms.   The mother started to scream and wail and took off like a shot back to her village believing that her child had died.   Sr. Carol in the meantime was treating the boy.  She cooled him with a bath and gave him medicine as it was apparently malaria involved and laid him down to nap, then couldn't find the mother.   Shortly thereafter, they heard a group of people coming down the road crying and in funeral robes with a small little casket.   The mother had run all the way back to her village and her friends and family were with her to pick up her child's body.  So. Sr. Carol  told her to calm down and wait.    Then she went to wake the little boy up.   She handed the very alive child to his mother who proclaimed a miracle.    And that Sr. Carol was a miracle worker.

Why not.

Bret called tonight.  They have been enjoying the best weather in the nation but it is supposed to get hot there next week.   He has moved to Norco and is renting a room from the mother of some friends.  The woman is in a rehab center and is glad to have someone taking care of the house for her.  He has been working lots of overtime lately.

Now I am watching the first Packer pregame.   We are well into the third quarter and the score is tied.   I don't know if I will be able to stay up for the whole thing but we will see.

Talke to you all tomorrow.

God love You

Mary 

Another hot and muggy day, though it was much cooler than yesterday.  

Jody came to do the cleaning at about 8:30AM.  I was busy today arranging to go to the Fireside in November with Bobbie and Bill to see The Child, calling the insurance company for a question and finding out how my claim for my missing jewelry is going.  I also started drying some of my herbs for the winter.

At noon, I set out on several errands.   I had to pick up some cleaning products at Walmart and I found a couple of nice cotton blouses that are what I have been looking for.   Then I drove to the Dairy Queen for lunch with my friends.  There were four of us and we had a great time.  We were just silly today.  Ceil and Betty were especially goofy.    I had a chicken wrap and brought some french fries home for Chelsea.

On the way home, I picked up corn for our dinner and stopped at the bank for a couple of things.

When I got home, I took a nap.  I have been so tired, despite the fact that I have had some pretty good nights.   Chelsea usually lets me sleep until at least 4 and then I get a couple more hours before she comes around again.   I guess it is the broken sleep.

We had that wonderful corn for our dinner.   Boy is it ever good this year.  

Til tomorrow then.

God love you

Mary

I am printing the elegy that was read at Audrey Hephern's funeral.  It was beautiful.

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others. 

 

Hello.   This has been an interesting day.    Chelsea woke me up at 4AM this morning.   I then went back to bed.  Shut the bedroom door and slept until 6:30AM.

After fixing breakfast, I drove over to Mother's to help her get ready for her appointment with Dr. Lavey, the eye doctor.   She has been complaining about her vision in the good eye, the right eye, deteriorating.   He did a thorough check and discovered with a special test that there is fluid underneath the lining of the eye, which if unchecked could lead to macular in the right eye too.  It was wet macular deterioration that led to the loss of sight in her left eye.  We have scheduled an appointment with Dr. Paul Mandel on August 25 to have an injection that should dry up the fluid and prevent the loss of sight. Pray to God.

I got home at about 1PM and fixed our lunch before resting for a while.

I spent the afternoon on various chores around the house.   I got a lot done and am now ready for a good night's sleep.

Mom and I had a good visit on the trip to and from the doctor.   We were remembering my brother Matt.   He was the poet brother that died when he was only 17.   I remember that he was a sweet eager little boy.   I think I told you a while ago that he told me when he was about 5 of 6 that he could see guardian angels.  He had discovered that if you push gently on the side of your eye, you see double and he had decided that he was seeing guardian angels.  I hope he never lost that belief and that his guardian angel took him straight to heaven's gates when he left us.

God love you

Mary

Here is one of his poems.  He never used capital letters and seldom used punctuation.


IN ANSWER TO YOUR POEM

by Matt Deeley

how wonderful! you fear for my life
but you should know
     life is death   
        and death is life
and the mysteries
of the unknown empires of quietus
offer more
than life can hold in its hand

Today was even busier than Monday.

I did the grocery shopping, as usual, early.   Then at 10AM I went out to Rhine to shoot my last round of trap for league.    I shot one more just for practice.    The first one was not TOO bad but I could have forgotten the practice round as it was awful.

Nancy Roehre joined me today so we could shoot pistol too.   That was much more successful than the trap.   I got a 35 on the first one but using what I did on the first, I shot a 69 on the second.   Yippee.

When I got home, we had lunch.   Dick had raw beef sandwiches and I had a mushroom sandwich.   Then I finished the marmalade.   (I think it is still a bit soupy, darn.) I also made cauliflower soup with the cauliflower that was about to turn if I didn't use it.    I will have soup and pie and macaroni salad to take to Mother tomorrow when I take her to the eye doctor.

At a little after 5PM, I walked to Lions park for the condo picnic with my dishes, wine and macaroni salad.  They provided coffee and chicken and rolls.   It was surprisingly pleasant up there.  They must have sprayed for mosquitoes and there was a gently breeze most of the time we were there.    I enjoyed it a lot.

But it was a really exhausting day and I am glad it is over.   Tomorrow, I just have to take Mother to the eye doctor and go to Walgreens.   I can do that all on one trip so will be able to rest the afternoon and evening.



Hope you have a pleasant Thursday.  Stay well and God love you.

Mary

It was hot and muggy today.   The temperature hit about 86 here but the air was SO heavy.    Chelsea woke me up at 1:30AM and then left me a.one until 5:30AM.  The trouble was that I had a great deal of difficulty getting back to sleep after the first time, so woke up rather sleepy.

First, I want you all to know that Bart had the device that helps control his pain upgraded today.  They checked the leads to his spinal cord, changed the batteries and apparently he has a bit more control over the dose, he gives himself.   They took him in about 10AM and he was back in his room between 12:30 and 1:30.    Barb called when he went in, when he was back in the room and finally, when they got home which was a little after 6PM.   He is beat and so is Barbara.   He has to keep hands off til Thursday evening but is it in operation so he will be using it.

I spend most of the day cooking.   I have several oranges that had to be used so am making a batch of Orange Marmalade.   I did the initial boiling today and will boil it down and can it tomorrow.  I also make a blueberry pie.

 I made a stuffed hamburger, which we split, accompanied by fried mashed potatoes, broccoli and cucumbers for lunch.   

I also prepared a pasta salad to take to the Condo picnic at the park tomorrow evening.

Sunday, I had put together a square for the block of the month that the Kettle Country Quilters are doing this year and had to take it apart and start over because I had to fix the size.   It looks good now, My points are not as pointy as I would like but they are ALL alike, so it will be my "special touch".

Tomorrow I will be grocery shopping, shooting and going to the picnic.  I also want to make the marmalade and some cauliflower soup.   I have to as the cauliflower needs to be cooked.
 
 We had Pizza Soup and Blueberry pie for supper.   Num Num.

Then this evening we had a Celtic Women Conference Call about the Bridget trip we are working on for next February.   We made a lot of headway.

So that was the day.   Now I am sipping a Bailey's and coffee and then will walk Chelsea and go to bed.

Have a great tomorrow.

God love you all

Mary

This turned out to be a bit busier a day than I had planned.   Chelsea only woke me up at 4AM.  Pretty good.  She came in again shortly after 6AM when it was time for me to get up anyway.

I left a bit early for bible study because I wanted to drop a couple of things off at Kate and Ron's before I headed to Falls.   I rang the bell but when I got no answer quickly, figured they were still asleep and just left the cooler with the soup and scones and the other things  between the door and the screen.

Then I stopped at Walgreens to get a wedding card for George and Betsy's son Shawn and his wife to be.  I filled it out and enclosed a check when I got to Mother's .  Jeff and Kathy will take it with them to the wedding.  I just couldn't go this time.  There is too much here that is iffy.

Bible study was well attended.  we were only
sing Ione and Helen Maurer.   We are getting closer to the end of Mark and have ordered a study for Psalms to start as soon as we finish the gospel.

Mother and I had a nice visit.  I had to go back in the afternoon.  She was out of her blood pressure medicine and I found out that there was a miscommunication with the insurance company.   By the time they got it straightened out it was close to 3PM so I picked it up then and took it to her.  Chelsea came with me.   Mother enjoys seeing her and Chelsea enjoys the ride.

Chelsea goes immediately through the house now, right into the kitchen.   I don't know if you remember, but when we first got her, she would not enter the kitchen at Mother's.   Mother took care of her one Sunday, and had to put her food next to the fridge right inside the kitchen so Chelsea could get to it without putting foot on the linoleum.

Then, when Bart, Barb and I went to Ireland, Barb and I found a little jacket in the streets of  Cashel.   It was Barbie and Ken size.   I picked it up and told Barbara that I would take it home to Mother.   I did and we put it on a shelf in the kitchen.   The jacket is still around somewhere, but since it was placed in the kitchen, Chelsea has no fear of going in there any more and it was definitely that event that was the change.   You explain.

Have a great Tuesday.  It was HOT today 88 and humid.  I know that some of my readers would disagree with the definition of hot, but it was hot for us.

Love

God love you

Mary
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