Sunday, April 2, 2025, MN

 What a lovely Easter I just had at Lois and Dennis’ house. She made the entire brunch meal with two kinds of quiche, a frittata, deviled eggs, muffins, and a fruit tray.  My contribution was chocolates from the Drooling Moose shop here in Bloomington.  

Jill’s creative spirit had the girls working together to solve 25 riddles, each correct answer led them to a hiding place where a candy filled egg was found.  When they collected all 25 of the prizes, they got to open the Golden Egg that had $20 for each of them.  She comes up with the greatest challenges for them - of course there was some grumbling but they got into it and had fun doing it.

Friday, April 18, 2025, MN

 A Happy, Happy Birthday to my niece Becky today! 

It has been an active and busy week with several more sessions of helping people with their income tax for renters refunds. Building 2 finally got there certificate of rent paid on the day after tax due day and I had to redo several that I had done for folks in that building. What a pain! 

I helped out with food shelf on Wednesday and Joey and I went for a nice walk around Girard Park.  

Yesterday, I cleaned for Cassie & Tommy and had an appointment later in the afternoon to get my permanent crown.  I am so satisfied with my dentist and his assistant - the temporary was comfortable and the permanent fits perfectly. I’m not too satisfied with the cost, as even with my insurance, it is $725 out of my pocket. 

Cathy texted me shortly after I finished my dinner last night and invited me over for a glass of wine and some conversation.  We had lots of that! I didn’t even have to put on shoes to go there!  I’m thankful that we have become good friends and neighbors.

As I was reading the news this morning, I got a text from Patty letting me know that Judy passed away last night.  She and I have been friends since 6th grade and my visits to Stoughton won’t be the same without being able to see her.  She will be missed by so many! 

Spring is getting closer! The grass is green, the shrubs are starting to leaf out, I’ve see n Magnilia trees in full bloom, my first blooming Pasqueflower, and today - a Goldfinch singing at me from a branch in the tree.  Life is good!

Sunday, April 13, 2025, MN

 The week has been busy, helping neighbors with their renters refund on Thursday and Friday, only to learn that the workaround for the folks in Building 2 is much more challenging than it should be.  Without a Certificate of Rent paid that should be provided by our landlord, they need to contact the Department of Revenue by phone (a 40+ minute wait) or by email.  I helped a few sent email request and a couple of gals did it by phone.  They now have to wait to get the form from the state before they can submit their taxes in order to get the refund.  What a pain! I haven’t felt stress like that in a long, long time and I’m trying real hard to let it go.

I cleaned my humidifier and when I turned it back on, it just kept shutting off.  I still had the manual, so I tried to fix it and when that didn’t work, I called the company, Lasko.  The service technician was so helpful and patient, telling me what to do to fix the issue and it still didn’t work. His solution was to offer me one-time complimentary replacement that I am 100% satisfied with - I had to cut the cord at the machine, take a photo and email it to him. It wasn’t long after that, I got an email telling me that the replacement had been shipped and I should receive it in 5-7 days.  Now, that is customer service and I will be loyal to that brand in the future. 

Sherry and I went to Willy McCoy’s for dinner Friday night and it was already loud and packed with a 20 minute wait at 4:30. So we headed to the Northstar Tavern and had a nice, quiet dinner and conversation.   We both had the walleye dinner and it was very tasty with the exception of the coleslaw that was dry and had no flavor.

Yesterday, after a couple more tax sessions, she and I headed out to Eagan to a couple of estate sales. It’s nice to have a friend who likes to do that, as it is something that I normally do all by myself. One of the sales had absolutely beautiful artwork and I was so attempted to buy a new ring (there were 3-4 that I really liked) but then - do I really want it and will I wear it?  I left without one.

Ben invited me to join the for a BBQ rib dinner, so I made a batch of baked beans and Jill made potato salad and Charlotte and her friend Lily made chocolate cupcakes that were frosted by Camille and Norah. Everyone contributed.  I wasn’t very happy with the way the beans turned out, I used a Martha Stewart recipe that called for lots of cloves - I cut way back to less than half - and they still had a way too strong clove flavor.  Oh well, live and learn.  It was nice hanging out with the family.  

Wednesday, April 9, 2025, MN

 The weekend at Ben’s was uneventful and I spent Monday finishing up on my laundry and cleaning their house so I could leave it in tip top shape for their return.  I left there about 6:30 to go back home and they got home about 9:00. They weren’t home for an hour before I heard from Ben on how nice it was to get home to a sparkly clean home. That made me feel real good!  It’s nice being back to my own home.

I ended up having to go in to see my doctor yesterday for a follow-up on my recent UTI. The good news is that it is completely cleared up and I got some suggestions on how to prevent getting another one.  I am so happy with my doctor - I never feel rushed and I feel that she is very knowledgeable and willing to present options that might not include a treatment with drugs.

I helped 4 more residents with their MN income tax forms today and they all left feeling pretty good about the renters refund that they will be getting - much more this year and nobody has a clue as to why that is. I’m not complaining - mine is almost double this year.

I could resist buying this adorable jigsaw puzzle the other day and it was a really fun one to do.  It brought back many memories of my travels with my little trailer.

Friday, April 4, 2025, MN

 Dang! Another storm came through here on Tuesday evening and dropped another 3-4” of heavy, wet snow on us.  Temps on Wednesday got in the upper 30s so it melted pretty quickly.  This was taken when I woke up around midnight.

Since the weather was so nasty, I got busy and got the girls bedrooms and bathrooms cleaned, so I have a bit less to do on Monday before the family gets home.  It’s kind of nice to be able to spread out the job over several days rather than pack it into one.  

Lois invited me to go with her to the Galleria mall to see the flower show that Bachmans puts on there every year.  The huge island arrangements were scattered throughout the mall and it was so nice to see colorful arrangements and beautiful tropical plants. We were both a little disappointed that there really wasn’t much of a flowery odor except when we got near some hyacinths.  There were a few Jasmine plants here and there but they didn’t even have an odor.

I cleaned for Cassie & Tommy yesterday and it went quickly because the dog was at the groomer and Tommy was out of town (he works from home).  It is a pretty easy job and I always feel the reward of leaving things sparkly clean for them when they get home.  They appreciate my work and pay me quite well.

I went to dinner with Lois and Dennis to the Lion’s Tap last night - it is located out in the middle of nowhere in Eden Prairie and has been a popular burger joint for many years, it is a hopping place.  They serve only hamburgers and French fries and local craft beers.  My burger was delicious and it really hit the spot.  I will definitely go there again.

This morning started out with a nice walk with Lois and the dogs at Minnewashta Regional Park.  The dog park is closed for Dutch Elm tree removal, so we walked the trails.  It’s a good thing that I wore my muck boots, as the lake trail was very wet until we got on higher ground.  When we got near the beach and a wide open area, Lois let Yoshi off the leash and let him run around for a bit.  It wasn’t long and a ranger came walking up to us and reminded us that they have to be kept leashed.  Busted!  It was a nice hour long walk and felt so good after being cooped up for several gloomy, wet days.

I took a nice, long shower and got ready to go to a birthday party for Heidi, one of my new friends that is part of Cathy’s circle of friends..  Cathy is staying at her daughter’s house in Richfield this week, so she took advantage of the space to entertain her group of seven ladyfriends and we had a fun night of lots of talk, laughter, and great food and drink. One of the group, Tilly is not back from her winter in Florida’s, so she joined for a while in a FaceTime call.  Dinner was beef and cheese fondue with lots of veggies, an assortment of breads, and then chocolate fondue for dessert with strawberries, angel food cake, and pound cake.  We started early and I expected to be home early but it was almost 9:00 when I got back. What a fun night!

Heidi, Karen, Cathy, Me, Sandy, Susie, and Jodi

Tuesday, April 1, 2025, MN

 Happy 58th Anniversary to Rita and Denny, married on this day in 1967 at St Ann’s Catholic Church in Stoughton.  That is some good longevity!  

I spent quite a bit of time last week helping residents with their income tax so they could get the renters refund that the state offers.  Initially, I thought it was going to be real pain but after doing several (twelve so far), it is going smoothly and each one takes only about 10 minutes.  

We had a wintry storm on Saturday that left us with a 2” coating of snow on the ground. It did not stick to the roads and was mostly gone by early afternoon the next day when the temps got up in the 40s.  Another similar weather event is predicted for today and tomorrow, although it looks like this one is tracking farther to the  north. 

I had a physical therapy consultation on Friday and was given a few stretches to do to see if I can get some relief for the pressure behind my eyes.  That is the one symptom that is most uncomfortable right now, although I still have these strange episodes a few times during the day and night.

I started gathering up stuff to take with me to Ben and Jill’s house where I will be spending the next week while they are on vacation.  I was loaded up this morning and got here by 9:30.  It should be a relaxing time in a beautiful place.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025, WI, MN

 Monday was another nonstop, whirlwind kind of day.  Dawn and I walked over to Sunrise Restaurant and met with Mary, Lori, and Erin. Jonnie was not feeling good, so she didn’t join us.  We ended up sitting there for 2.5 hours talking, laughing, and reminiscing.  

When we got back home, we took Joey for a walk and then had about 10 minutes to rest before we left for a tour of some apartments at Greenspire.  I know, I haven’t mentioned this much but I have decided to move back to Stoughton and this is one of the subsidized options there.  Every apartment was remodeled last summer and cabinets, appliances, bathrooms, heating & AC, patios or balconies were all completely redone.  It is a complex of about 80 units in ten two-story buildings.  The grounds are nice with mature trees and it is location in a residential area.  After seeing the options, I am thinking a 2nd floor unit with balcony would be preferred. So…I am looking at a possible move in July or August, depending on availability of units.  

The hardest part about this will be moving away from Ben and his family, as I have been closely involved with them for the last 13+ years.  My thinking on this is that when I do come to his house for a visit, it will be more hands on quality time spent with the family - rather than the little snippets of time we have together now.  I feel that I am ready for small town living again, will welcome the quiet that comes with that, and I don’t feel I will ever lack for an active social life.  

Dawn and I went to The Feiring, a new restaurant in town and had a cocktail and a serving of bruschetta that were both yummy. Then we walked over to Fahrenheit 361 and she had a glass of wine and I abstained since I was feeling pretty chipper after the jalapeño margarita that I had at the previous place.  I dropped her off and then went to hang out with Pat and Tracey for about an hour before saying our goodbyes.  The days have been really busy and full and I have slept so good every night - including an 8-hour window of sleep one night - that just doesn’t happen for me very often.

This morning I was packed up and ready to hit the road by 9:30 and I made it home by 3:00 with a short stop at Randy’s house in St Paul to drop off a care package from Dawn. It feels real good to be back home and I enjoyed a nice, hot bath and walk to the park.