Friday, November 14, 2025

Friday, November 14, 2025

 I called Rene on Wednesday to see if her visitor (Russ) arrived ok and she told me that he was there, but now he is gone.  He got there, in bad physical shape, exhausted and went straight to bed.  When she went out to check on him a while later, he was shivering and had a high fever, so she called 911.  They took him to the nearest hospital in Clinton but he needed so much more care that they transferred him to Kansas City.  It sounds like he has serious liver problems and has spent the last few days detoxing. My hope is that he goes into a rehab program after this and is able to clean up before returning to Rene's house. She was able to have a good conversation with him and he does want to get sober.  

Addiction has been such a scourge on my family and it just makes me feel so sad and helpless.  My Dad and five of my seven brothers (three have already passed) have been affected.

Tom and I had a really nice chat on the phone yesterday and we both agreed that we would like to see each other more often.  I am going to look into a visit there in February, maybe about the time of his birthday on the 27th? 

It has been beautiful here this week with temps in the upper 50s.  Yesterday afternoon when Joey and I walked past Sue's house, she was out cleaning up her yard. We hung out in the back yard and talked for quite a while - she is such a fun person to be around.  

Monday, November 10, 2025

Monday, November 10, 2025

It's been a while since writing again.  It seems that my days go by, sometimes with hardly anything to do, but yet I find ways to fill them. I'm usually busy in the mornings and by the time I take Joey out for his second walk, I'm ready for a nap.  Speaking of naps, I also wonder how I'm able to take a 1.5-2 hour nap in the afternoon, but I am.  

I totally messed up on an eye doctor appointment last Tuesday - following the directions that my GPS gave me that took me to the wrong address and I didn't arrive in time for the appointment, having to reschedule.  What I learned from this experience is that I really need to actually review the map before following the directions.  I knew where I was going but usually use the GPS to make sure I turn at the right places or avoid construction.


I was able to make it to my dental hygiene appointment the next day, Wednesday and got a clean bill of health - not a single issue with gums or teeth and great compliments from the hygienist. All good news to me.


Camille called me on Thursday night to see if we could hang out together on Friday, as they didn't have school.  So I picked her up around 10:30 and we shopped and shopped.  Most important on the shopping list was for her to choose yarn for the blanket that I will be making her and it took three different stores to find it and she ended up sticking with her first choice.  I told her that I was going to watch for sales before buying it, so it might be a while before she gets her blanket.  


I found a Celiac safe restaurant at the mall, so we went there for lunch.  It is a fast food type restaurant in the food court and we feasted on chicken nuggets, cheese curds, and onion rings.  It is so good to see more of these options coming up, as I feel bad for the girls sometimes with their diet restrictions.  Of course, while at the mall, we had to stop at a body care store - those girls are so into that kind of thing - bubble bath, scents, skin care, makeup, hair products - you name it!


After several hours of shopping, that was enough for me, I took her home and headed back home myself.  I didn't have to worry about Joey for a while, as Deb took him for a walk before I got home.


Rene called me on Saturday afternoon with some big family news. She has decided to help out our youngest brother Russell who has been homeless and living in a shelter and on the streets of Madison. She bought him a bus ticket and will let him live in her husband, Mike's, 'very nice' workshop that is on their property and has not been used since Mike passed away in August.  Rene decided to give him a chance and that it would be a good place for Russ to recover from the lonely, miserable life he has been living.  It is furnished with a sitting area, tv, bed, heat and water - he will share her kitchen/shower in the house.  


She is one big hearted gal and I sure hope that this doesn't become a burden to her. I also can't help but feel that Russ will be so appreciative, that he does the right thing.  He will be traveling by bus this week and arriving in Warsaw on Wednesday.


It has turned cold here and we are getting a taste  of what the winter will be. There have been a few snow flurries in the air and small amounts are accumulated on the ground - 23° and a cold, cold, wind on Sunday.


When I came out of the bathroom yesterday morning after getting ready for the day, I found coffee and coffee grounds pouring over the counter and onto the floor.  What a mess! Apparently, I did not have the carafe centered on the base.  What a nice way to start the day!


Norah called me in the morning and wanted to hang out, as her parents were back and forth from Charlotte's swim meet and Camille had other plans.  So I headed over to pick her up and we stopped to do a bit of shopping (thats what they always want to do) before getting to my house.  We spent the afternoon playing Monopoly and she ended up winning by almost $2,000.  All of the time we were playing, we were watching You Tube videos of her favorite singers - mostly Taylor Swift and she knew the words and dance moves to every song.  And did I mention that she ate constantly too.


We had our weekly family dinner at Lois' house yesterday - Canadian Walleye that she had in the freezer from Dennis' latest fishing trip that included is brother Don, Don's two sons and Ben.  Ben had watched him cook it several times and was able to duplicate the recipe - it was so good!  Next week is my turn to host the family, so I will have to come up with a plan for something that will work in my small apartment. I don't think I've ever had seven people in here at once. It will be interesting to see, but like Lois and I were saying - does it really matter as long as we are together?


After several attempts this afternoon, I was able to get the cover on my AC unit.  The new AC unit had a frame that was hard to remove and then just the awkward positioning made it difficult.  I was determined and kept trying different approaches and finally got it. It will keep the cold wind from getting in here.


We saw a little bit of sun today and the temps got up to the mid-30s.  Joey and I went for a walk later in the afternoon and as we were going through the park, I put my foot in a hole and came straight down and caught myself with my forearms - otherwise it would have been a face plant.  I'm glad that I have been diligent in my stretching and exercising as I was able to get back up and didn't even limp away.  I might feel it tomorrow though.

Saturday, November 1, 2025

Saturday, November 1, 2025

 I watched the leaves falling from the birch tree outside my window this week, starting with a bright yellow and going to naked in just a short time.  This is the latest and I thought it was cute. 

I had an eye doctor appointment on Tuesday and got all screwed up and missed the appointment. I have been to this clinic before but apparently when I chose the location from the pull-down menu on the GPS, I chose the street spelling as Highland rather than Hyland and it took me to a residential area far to the west.  I definitely questioned whether I was going to the right place but didn't pull over to check. When I called the clinic to let them know - it was going to take too long to get there, so I had to reschedule.  Dang it!  When things like this happen, I question if it is related to the damage that my brain has had from seizures or if it's just me having a senior moment.  I tend to think it's a bit of both. 

I did make it to my 6-month dental hygiene appointment the next day and all is good with that. I got an A+ on how well I take care of my teeth.  

Wednesday was a beautiful day here but Thursday and Friday were cold and rainy.  It was not nice for the Trick or Treaters yesterday.  My community had a Halloween party and I decided to go since there were a lot of people signed up (not only the usual 5-6 regulars) and this is the first party/gathering that has been held since I moved in.  I came up with a simple costume and another gal came as the Pink Lady from "Grease" but most wore only a printed sweatshirt or goofy headband. I ended up winning 1st place and getting a $10 gift card.  We also played a few games and had pizza, green punch, and cupcakes.



Sunday, October 26, 2025

Saturday, October 25, 2025

 This has been the most active day that I have had in a long, long time.  It started with a decent walk for Joey as he was going to be left alone for quite a while. 

I then headed for Minnetonka where the girls were involved in a swim meet and Charlotte had 3 events starting around 10:30. It  was crowded but I met up with Jill and Lois right away and we found a good spot to watch.  Charlotte did great - coming in 4th for her team in the 100 yard breast stroke & 100 yard freestyle.

The  twins were swimming later in the afternoon so Lois and I took Charlotte home, as she had a party to get ready for and then we headed back in time to watch Norah and Camille's first event - the 200 yard free style and they both cut their previous times by quite a bit. Norah came in first in her heat.  There was a 1.5 hour gap between events, so I went back and took Charlotte to her party, then came back home so I could let Joey out.  I watched the rest of the meet streaming on You Tube.

Earlier in the week, Cathy had told me that I was invited to a gathering of girls at Tillie's house this afternoon and I really debated whether to go or not.  I hadn't been able to meet up with them during the summer, as I was either recovering or just unable to go when they had things going on.  So I took Joey for a decent walk and headed to Tillie's house.  I'm so glad that I did, as it is always nice to hang out with a bunch of girls, eat great food, and talk, talk, talk.  Just as I got there, the neighborhood was out in force with a parade of adults and children in Halloween costumes and that was so much fun to watch.


Sandy, Susie, Tillie, Cathy, Me


Friday, October 24, 2025

Friday, October 24, 2025

 It is always fun to meet up with the Stampin Up group and we did that on Monday. Pat brought the treats this time - some yummy pumpkin cupcakes and cinnamon ice cream. We made two cards - one was a real challenge and the other just pretty.  I might attempt to make them both again.  One of the problems I see with these cards is that they are heavy and require 2 stamps - the cost of a postage stamp has gone up to $.78. I still plan to make my Christmas cards - guess I had better get busy with that. 

There was a presentation on Dementia that afternoon and it was so informative and well presented.  Colleen spent the first 10 minutes or so describing the different types of the disease and the rest of the time was spent on the individual with the disease - how they perceive things, what their behavior can be like, and how we can help them to maintain their dignity and quality of life.  I'm feeling that it was well worth going to.

I got a much needed haircut on Tuesday and did a little shopping at Target afterward.

It was only 32° yesterday morning and 28° this morning - so the winter coat came out for the first time.  We are expecting warmer temps this week and back up to 50s. Yay!

I took these two pictures of the view from my bedroom and living room - just love these birch trees through all seasons.




Sunday, October 19, 2025

Sunday, October 19, 2025

 It was a pretty busy week with helping out with food shelf and the pet nail trim with Mary on Wednesday and art class with Genevieve on Friday.  It was nice to see her again, as it had been a couple of months that she wasn't able to come.  We did embroidered greeting cards that were a lot different from the ones that I had done in the past.  We came up with our own designs and the cards were stitched freehand.  Since I've been thing about getting going on some Christmas cards, I made a wintery one.  

Yesterday was Dennis' memorial service and it was very nice, although sad and tearful.  I only wish I was one of those people who could control their tears but I'm not - my eyes water indoors, outdoors, and when I'm happy or sad.  I've always said that my emotions come out my eyes. It was nice to connect with Jill's Aunts and Uncles and some cousins (a big family) many who I had only seen at Ben and Jill's wedding.  They all traveled quite a distance to get here - an example of how much he was loved.

After the visitation, the Deacon said some prayers and then Jill got up and talked about the influence her Dad had on her while growing up.  He encouraged her to be a strong woman with courage to take on the challenges of life, take risks, and pursue her ideals.  And she thanked him for the influence he has had on her children whom he loved with all of his heart.  Ben spoke a little bit about how he was welcomed into the family and Dennis' influence on him and his family.

And then his brother Don got up and told stories of their childhood and how much Dennis loved fishing, hunting, golf, and being around friends and family.  I certainly saw that side of him.  His sister-in-law Linda also had some loving sentiments for him.

We went over to Lois' house afterward for a lunch and just to visit.  I didn't stick around too long, it was standing room only, and I was ready to get back home - a long and stressful, emotional day.  I was in bed by 7 pm.

I made a big pot of chili on Sunday afternoon and invited the neighbors, Tom and Sue to join me for dinner.  We had some great conversation and it was good to see them again. 

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

There sure hasn't been a lot going on around here and the days have felt long and boring. I did do some thrift and consignment store shopping but nothing stood out to me and didn't buy anything.  

We did have some nice warm days and then last weekend the temps dropped down and I actually saw a 36º morning last Thursday but the days have been comfortable.


I went to Ben's house Sunday afternoon to give Norah and Camille their birthday gifts and had dinner with them.  It was nice to see them all again, including Lois who is adjusting to the huge change in her life.  Ben cooked a yummy dinner of smoked pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes and smoked broccoli.  Dang - he is a good cook!


I finally finished Norah's blanket that she requested last summer. What a project that was - she was really happy with it.  I asked Camille if she would consider some other options as that yarn was so difficult to work with.




I helped out with the food shelf this morning and we got the least amount of donations that I have seen since helping with this project.  I also got a call yesterday from the county food pantry asking for financial donations.  


Our damned President and Representatives have shut down the government - it has been two weeks now and there is no sign that they will come together to come up with a solution.  It just really ticks me off - he is sending billions of $$$ in aid to other countries but refuses to help Americans.  We shall see what happens - I hope they don't mess with my social security - he says that won't happen but I don't believe a thing that he says