Saturday, July 20, 2024, MN

 Where does the time go? I was just talking with Rita about how one activity of 2-3 hours can seem like a busy day, but then we have to have time for our routines - a relaxing cup of coffee and the news, walks, meals, an afternoon nap, reading time, and tv/movie time in the evening.  How did we manage when we were working full time?  I much prefer the retirement pace.

I met with the Stampin Up girls on Monday and we made some pretty challenging cards, using techniques that we don’t ordinarily use - even had to watch a YouTube video for the yellow one on the left and the one on the right is a three-way-fold card. It was fun though and we always have good conversation and Nancy brought a yummy blueberry dessert for us (we rotate hostess duties and that person brings the treat).

I had a haircut appointment on Tuesday and had to go straight back home to get to art class with Genevieve.  We continued to decorate and paint giant beads that will go on a tall pole to make a garden totem. These art classes are always a good time - I just wish more people would get involved.

Wednesday was another full day, starting with helping with the mobile food truck and a quick change of clothes and heading to pick Karen up at her hotel.  She is here for her annual visit from Connecticut.  We headed to the landscape arboretum and strolled through the gardens and shop for a couple of hours.  We had hoped to take the tram on the tour of the full gardens but there was road construction going on and the trams weren’t running.  It had been a while since either of us was there, so we both enjoyed it. I took one photo and guess what?

We headed for Karen’s favorite restaurant, Wildfire, for dinner.  It wouldn’t have been my choice because it is so pricey, but I know she really likes it.  She opted for a $48 filet mignon and I had the Walleye sandwich for $21 - add a glass of wine and it still cost me $40 (a splurge for me).  It’s always nice to see her every once in a while and to stay in touch with old friends.

It has been a beautiful weather week - we have had the first four days in a row with no rain and that feels good.  Days have been in the upper 70s with low humidity and cool nights for sleeping with the windows open. I have spent an hour or so each day cleaning up the perennial gardens. Joey is so funny - whenever I put the shovel in the ground and scoop up some dirt, he is there wanting to play with the dirt clods. He has also discovered that he likes to dig and get his nose in the hole. Needless to say, his face needs washing when we go back inside.

Leslie and I planned to go visit Millenium Gardens in Plymouth today and although the weather was iffy, we went. It poured for most of the 30 minute drive but when we got there it let up and were able to stroll through and enjoy. It is beautiful and well worth the drive - I might want to go again to walk some of the other nearby trails. The rain held off until we were headed back home.

Sunday, July 14, 2024, MN

Happy Birthday to my sweet niece Monica - I sure do miss being around her, she has always been special to me as she was the one who lived closest to us when she was growing up. She is now a lovely, caring Mom of little Logan.

What a day!  I did laundry and when I left to switch out from washer to dryer, Joey got in the trash and had dragged a bacon grease soaked paper towel into the living room.  I scolded him and reached for it and he lashed out at me and bit my hand, just above the thumb joint.  He immediately hung his head as if he knew he did wrong and I ran to the bathroom to clean it up.  It was pretty deep and bled like crazy. I didn’t remember having a recent tetanus shot and wasn’t sure if it needed stitches, so I went in to urgent care. No stitches were necessary and it was less than five years since I got the tetanus - she taped it together and ordered a three-day regimen of antibiotic and that was that.

Now, I’m agonizing about him being a danger to my grandkids or some of these feeble old people around me.  I think I’m going to give him another chance and will work on the ‘drop it’ and ‘leave it’ commands - also do some research on correcting his reactive behavior.

Another newsworthy mention is that an assassination attempt was made on Donald Trump as he was starting to talk at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday night. The assailant was on a rooftop about 400 yards from the podium, a 20-year old kid.  It doesn’t bode well for an already heated and nasty upcoming election.

Saturday, July 13, 2024, MN

What a week this has been - something going on every day.  Other than a trip to the farmers market to stock up on lettuce, bread, and eggs and spending an hour out in the perennial gardens, I just woke from a nice nap and plan to do nothing the rest of the day.  I also stopped at a garage sale and my only purchase was a Bluetooth keyboard and I am testing it out right now - why haven’t I gotten one before this - it is so much easier to use than the tiny keyboard on my iPad.  

And now, to backtrack - Ben had the day off last Monday, so I went over to hang out with him in the afternoon.  The girls were all busy with their friends.  We went in to Excelsior, as Ben wanted my advice on some glasses that he had been thinking of ordering and the girls explored some of the local shops.  When finished, we stopped and had an ice cream and then I headed back home.

I spent the afternoon with the twins on Tuesday, picking them up after camp at noon and then they agreed to ride with me to Litchfield, as I have been wanting to see Anderson Gardens and it was a beautiful day.  I did have to bribe them a little and let them watch videos on my phone during the drive (an hour away).  

I thought it would be cool to stop at the world’s largest ball of twine that is in the small town of Darwin (Tom and I checked it out back in 2018) and what a poor choice that was - there were detours everywhere and it took an extra half-hour to get there, although we did see a lot of pretty Minnesota countryside. When we did get there, the road was closed and under massive construction.  There wasn’t a lot of activity, so I drove to it anyway and we got out and looked around - they weren’t real impressed. We did learn that it took 29 years to complete and has almost 80,000,000 feet of twine on it.

Back on more detours heading to Litchfield, we found the gardens that were quite small - a couple of acres, but very beautiful and we took a couple of loops around.  

I got them back home just in time to get their clothes changed so Ben could take them to gymnastics.

My only activity on Wednesday was to drive Deb, Lisa and her cat JoJo to the vet (her first visit since Lisa adopted her a month or so ago).   They had a real hard time getting her in the crate and she howled and howled the entire time, but survived the agonizing experience.

I cleaned for Ben on Thursday and hung out at home for most of the day on Friday. But Friday night was unlike most for me - I was invited to join Cathy and her friends Jodi, Karen, Susie, and Heidi for an evening at Jodi’s home.  We all brought some food to share, sat out on her deck, and drank wine, ate yummy food, and talked and talked.  We each brought a white elephant gift and played bingo for the prizes.  What a fun time - I didn’t get back home until 11:30.  

Jodi’s home is like being in an antique mall that is beautifully arranged and full of stuff everywhere.  The main house has small rooms that are stuffed with very feminine patterned furniture and there is a huge add-on family room and a deck attached to it.  We sat under a pergola that is covered in vines and there are flowers and garden art, statues, and flowers everywhere.  The only drawback was that their house is on  the MSP flight line and planes flew over us every five minutes.  I told the gals that I will never complain about the traffic on Old Shakopee Road (the one that my windows face) again.  

Saturday, July 6, 2024, MN, WI, MI

 I helped to set up for the food truck on Wednesday morning but couldn’t spend a lot of time as I was traveling to Mass City, MI to visit Carol and Richard for a couple of days.  Richard worked, so they weren’t arriving at their place until 8:30ish, so I stopped to visit with Jim and Sue in St Germain for a couple of hours first.  I picked up some BBQ from Smokestack to share with them before taking off.  I chose to avoid the interstate highway, so the route took me northeast through lots of small towns and there wasn’t a lot of traffic.  On a couple of 20-mile stretches I never saw another vehicle and it was a beautiful day for a road trip through the north woods of Wisconsin.

It was nice to see Jim and Sue again - we took a much needed walk after being in the car for 5 hours and then sat on the porch talking until it was time for dinner. The BBQ was delicious and Sue made a yummy salad to go with it.  

I then headed out for Mass City, another scenic hour and half drive through the towns of Eagle River, WI, then Watersmeet, and Bruce Crossing, MI and crossing into the Eastern time zone. Again, another beautiful drive and it was nice to see Carol and Richard again and to see the changes he has made to the house (new windows, added electric and a door to the upstairs, and some new furniture. He bought this house as a vacation getaway, as he likes to snowmobile in the winter. He told me that during a 3-day period two years ago that 46” of snow dropped and it was waist high on him as he stood at the patio door. We talked until 11, Joey entertained us and we finally went to bed. 

We spent the 4th just hanging out, going for walks, sitting on the deck and talking endlessly. Their friends Jean and Tom joined us for dinner and Carol made yummy beef tips that she served with mashed potatoes, salad, veggies and crescent rolls and topped that off with a cheese cake dessert.  We retired to the living and room and talked until 10:30 when Jean couldn’t keep her eyes open any more. It wasn’t long and the neighborhood fireworks began, so none of us got to sleep for quite a while.  Joey was very unsettled and I ended up putting his leash on him so I could keep him on the bed and he eventually settled in and fell asleep.  These are some of the wildflowers I found on my stroll around the yard and woods.

Richard was working on a project to replace the drafty old window in the dining room and Tom (a carpenter) was helping him out. Us women sat and watched while they worked and it wasn’t long before they had the new one in and the insulation all around it. I was impressed with their efficiency and quality of the job.

Joey was fascinated with the whole thing too, he sat there watching Richard for a long time.

We drove to Houghton to The Mineshaft restaurant for dinner and were quite disappointed in the service. It was a 40-minute wait for a table that usually isn’t an issue with a group of folks who want to sit and enjoy a cocktail while waiting but, unlike me, these folks don’t drink and wanted to be seated to eat right away.  Baked Whitefish (the catch of the day) was one of their specialties and it was barely warm when it arrived but we all ate it anyway since it took so long to get it - it was very tasty in spite of being lukewarm.  

This morning after a leisurely wake up and breakfast, I got my stuff together and headed back home. This time, I went west through Ironwood, MI, Hayward and Spooner, WI I-35 south back home.  Again, traffic wasn’t bad except through towns and I sure did see a lot of folks hauling RVs, ATVs, and boats - lots of lake life in the north woods. It always feels good to get back home.

Monday, July 1, 2024, MN

 Well…June sure flew by fast. We continue to have lots of rainy days and there is flooding of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers going on - road closures and homes and business buildings washing right into the river near Mankato.  All of that means that the tributaries feeding into them are flooding over their banks too.

We had an urgent resident’s meeting last Tuesdayand learned that our manager, Ronnie, is leaving us for better opportunities. My opinion is that she has been overworked and underpaid - no wonder she didn’t make it for a year.  First of all, she came into a mess left by the previous manager, much of it due to damage from a lightening strike last May.  Our electronic access panel has been out since then and the rumor is that it will be replaced in August. We shall see.  Anyway, Ronnie is a lovely person who always has a smile on her face and despite how she is treated by some - she is fair and kind and patient with everyone. I will miss her.

I’ve talked about the strange culture here in this building and I just don’t get it - residents expect the staff to do what I would call unreasonable above and beyond tasks - like helping them to get funding for false teeth or helping them to get a refund for a computer that they couldn’t get to work. We do have a service coordinator staff person, but I’m not sure if those are within her job duties.   I just see this as an apartment building and staff is responsible for keeping the building in good order and the apartments filled.

I heard from Carol this week and she and Richard invited me to join them at their place in Mass City, MI this week.  I accepted their invite and will head out on Wednesday with a stop to visit Jim and Sue in St Germain on the way. It will be nice to see them all and to take another road trip (that isn’t going to Stoughton).

Joey got a much needed haircut yesterday and he is such a good and cooperative dog - just gets better all of the time and the job gets easier and doesn’t take as long either. We wrapped it up in less than an hour this time.

There was some telepathy going on yesterday. As I was having a cinnamon roll for breakfast, I thought of Aunt Eleanor who made the best ones on Sunday morning and that was always a nice time to go visit them. I sent off a quick text to Jonnie. In a conversation with Bob later on, he mentioned a conversation that he had with Jonnie at the family reunion and shortly after I hung up with him - Jonnie called wanting Bob’s phone number so she could follow up on their conversation. Strange - I do see a connection there.

I had a couple of drinks with Joann and Elaine in the afternoon - it’s been a long time and we spent a lot of our visit talking about the presidential debate that was held on Thursday. Neither candidate performed well - Joe Biden really showing his age of 81 years and stumbling and fumbling for words and Donald Trump showing his usual avoidance of answering the questions presented, telling lies, and placing blame on Biden for all that is wrong with our country.  I feel that I am just going to have to vote for the party that I believe in and against Donald Trump - no matter what. I still feel that Joe Biden is capable of continuing his leadership of the country, although his physical stamina is a bit shaky and his performance at the debate was not good - the facts that he presented were truthful and accurate regarding what he has accomplished.

Sunday, June 23, 2024, MN

 The month of June has been a rainy one. The weatherman said that we have only seen 5 sunny days so far, but today was beautiful. I spent the night at Ben and Jill’s house as they were out of town. Joey, Yoshi, and I had a very nice walk this morning through the neighborhood and a small park trail.  I then finished up my house cleaning - normally done on a Thursday, but since I was going to be here over the weekend - I did it then. Yesterday was another rainy day, so we didn’t do much walking.

I spent Thursday afternoon with the girls and then Camille came to my house for a sleepover. She injured her ankle last week, so she wasn’t able to do gymnastics or go to camp.  We did the usual - crafts, movies, makeup and pedicures and Jill picked her up after running errands.

Wednesday, June 19, 2024, MN

 Yesterday was the first day in two weeks that I had nothing on the calendar and I took advantage of it with two reading/naps during the day and two walks through the neighborhood.  The evening walk helped me to get a good night of sleep.

Camille performed in the “Willy Wonka Kids” play on Saturday and she did a great job, didn’t seem to be nervous at all.  We all gave her flowers after the show. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any photos while there but should get to see them when they are provided to her parents.  It was a well done production and I’m proud of her for wanting to be involved.

Sunday was Father’s Day and we spent it at Lois and Dennis’ house - visiting and eating yummy food, as always.

I helped with the Food Truck delivery on Monday and it was different as a couple of volunteers have quit because of the coordinator’s rude and bossy behavior at the two previous food truck events (she was angry because she thought we started to do cleanup before all residents were through. It was a misunderstanding on the volunteers part and she reacted in a very unprofessional way). I was prepared to resign if I felt any sense of anxiety or tension this week, but she seems to have turned it around.  My rationalization was that I am volunteering for the residents in my building and they all appreciate it so much - not for her.

I had a haircut appointment with Shirley on Tuesday and it felt good to get that done again. 

I set out to repot my orchid plant yesterday but questioned the planting medium that Dawn had given me.  I was sure that she told me that she used Sphagnum Moss and wood mulch but the container that she gave me was moss and hay.  I did some online research and saw nothing about using hay, so I called her. She laughed and said that she must have had a brain fart that day and gave me the wrong stuff. I went to the Greener Gardens store and bought a bag of soil and couldn’t resist a bit of shopping  at the Assistance League Thrift Store that is right next door.  Now, I hope that my orchid doesn’t have a setback - it has been doing so well but had no room to make new roots.

It was a beautiful day so I spent a bit of time doing some cleanup in the perennial gardens here at my apartment complex.  

Friday, June 14, 2024, MN

 Today is the 68th anniversary of the accident when I was hit by a Gardner Bakery truck and broke my leg while walking my friend home from playing at my house.  What a summer! A month and a half in traction in the hospital and a long time in a full leg cast but my leg works perfectly because they fixed it right. I do have issues with joint and muscle pain, possibly related, but I am good.

I was on the road, heading back home by 6:30 this morning and I pulled into the parking lot at my apartment a few minutes after noon.  Joey was one excited dog and I was just as happy to see him as he was to see me.  I wanted nothing more than to unpack and take a nap - and that is exactly what I did to recover from a fun week of activity and family and friend connections.  I’m certainly not used to days that start at 6am and end at 10pm, but I enjoyed every minute. I’m happy to be back home.

Thursday, June 13, 2024, WI

 It has been a busy week and the days have been full.  It is so nice to see Tracey’s progress every day.  Pat took me driving in her Prius so I would know how the high tech car worked and he also showed me how to get her from the house to the car.  Her shower on Monday morning went well and it made me feel good to help her feel good.  I goofed and had the time wrong for her therapy appointment and got her there in the morning, but the appointment wasn’t until the afternoon, so that meant two car trips in one day and a little extra walking therapy.  She was a trooper.  When we left for her afternoon appointment, she stumbled and came down on her butt on the porch. While she sat there regaining her composure, a neighbor came over to help and we managed to get her up (minor scrapes) and to her therapy and all went well the rest of the day.

Tuesday was a day of rest for Tracey and I did some house cleaning while she took a nap.  We also paid some of her bills.  I went to Culver’s to meet up with classmates and it was nice to see a bunch of gals from high school days and catch up on the classmate, Stoughton, and family news.  While we sat there, we watched a truck fire in the lot next door. When I left, it was nothing but a charred skeleton of a truck.

After dinner, I went back to Dawn’s and visited with her and Randy until bedtime.

I was back with Tracey at 7am on Wednesday and she had a shower and an online doctor appointment in the morning and both physical and occupational therapy in the afternoon.  All went well again.  

After dinner, I met my friend Doug at La Cantina and had a yummy margarita and a nice catch-up visit with him. I was hoping for an early night but sat and talked with Dawn and Randy for a while after I got back to Dawn’s house. I think the margarita helped me to get a good night of sleep.

Today there were no appointments but Tracey’s aunt Diane came over in the morning to visit and then her mom and godmother, Carolyn came by to get some tips on how to help her tomorrow and next week. I got some groceries while Diane was here so she would have a good dinner tonight and some healthy snacks for a few days, as I am heading back home tomorrow.

It has been a good week and I feel good about being able to help with some things that were getting backed up; paid bills, did laundry, house cleaning, organizing her dresser and her prescriptions.  They are both so great full for the help and gave Pat some peace of mind when he was at work. I think I’m leaving with things in good order and she is making great strides toward doing things on her own and training her left side to function better.  Once she does a movement with her hand and arm - the muscle memory remembers it and helps her to be able to do it the next time.  It is an amazing healing process for the body and she is working hard to be independent once again. 

Sunday, June 9, 2024, WI

 Today was another busy day. It all started with a walk on the new Virgin Lake Trail with Dawn and Bob and Penny. While we were walking, I got a message from Jim and Sue checking to see if we could meet up for coffee.  We met them at the Wildwood Cafe and had a nice visit - a nice reunion for those two couples who had all lived together in a big party house in Houston back in the early 70s.

I dropped Dawn off at her house and headed to the Morrisonville Ball Park for my great niece Reanna’s graduation party.  It gave me an opportunity to see family on the Bridge side - all in one trip. Another great visit but the wind was blowing at 30 miles an hour and was really irritating my eyes.

I spent the rest of the afternoon with Pat and Tracey.

Saturday, June 8, 2024, WI

 Reunion Day! We loaded up the cars with food, photos, coolers, chairs, and even vases of flowers for the tables (thanks to Dawn) and got to the park by 10:30 to get set up.  Jonnie made these beautiful photo boards for each of my aunts and uncles and we all brought photos to put on them.  She also made this lovely board so folks could have their photos taken in front of it.

We ended up with 77 people attending and some of them came from as far away as Alaska, Phoenix, and Missouri. I had a chance to chat with almost everyone - I think I missed 3 or 4.  We had about an hour of rain and it was not a very warm day but that didn’t stop us from having a nice time and visiting with so many.  The food was delicious and there was plenty of it.  All in all, it was an absolutely lovely time.

We loaded up our cars and headed back to Dawn’s where we unloaded, put stuff away, and sat down and had a gin and tonic, but only relaxed for about a half hour before heading out to Jonnie’s house as he Alaska and Arizona folks were hanging out there.  We only stayed for an hour or so, then headed back into Stoughton to meet Bob and Penny for a drink. 

It’s not often these days that I am on the move all day and this one was from 6am to 10 pm. I was tired.

Friday, June 7, 2024, WI

 The day started with leisurely coffee with Dawn and then she and I walked to the Cozy Nook for our final reunion committee before the big day with Mary, Erin, Jonnie, Dawn and I.  We’ve got it down and are ready and hoping for a nice day, although there is some rain in the forecast.

It was my lucky day.  I went to Pick N Save for a few grocery items and there was a cop standing by my car in the parking lot when I got out of the car. She told me that I had been going 40 mph in a 25 mph zone.  She noticed my tags were from Minnesota and then we talked about why I was in town and that I had grown up here. She took my license and insurance information and went to her car, then came back a few minutes later and gave me a warning citation. Woo Hoo! I will be more conscientious about speeding in the future - it was a good reminder.  While I was in the store, after getting Dawn’s offer for Ben to stay at her house, I called to cancel the reservation that I had made for him. I was told it was within the 24-hour cancellation period and they would have to charge for the room. I gave her a little sob story and she waived the charges.  Truly a lucky day!

I then went and hung out with Pat and Tracey until it was time to get ready to go to Coachman’s Inn for dinner with my siblings.  Ben had arrived at Dawn’s, as she invited him to stay there rather than a hotel. Randy came over and picked Ben and I up and we met with Rita and Denny, Bob and Penny.   Dinner was lovely and it was nice to be with my family again.

Thursday, June 6, 2024, WI

I had Joey walked and dropped off an Deb’s for the week, was loaded up and on the road by 8 am, heading for Wisconsin and the big family reunion that has been in the planning stages since last September.  The drive was nice, uneventful, with not a lot of construction delays and I made it to the 1873 Grille in Portage where I met up with Pat and Roger and Sharon for lunch.  I ordered a Bloody Mary and got a 12 ounce glass with celery, olives, beef stick, cheese stick, and pickle and a beer chaser - so that was my lunch. We had a very nice visit and then I headed to Stoughton.

It was so nice to see Tracey at her own home and to see how well she is doing.  She still has a long way to go and her current goals are to be able to pull up and take down pants without assistance, to shower without assistance, and to be able to use her computer and phone better. She is walking great with a walker and doing most other things herself. Pat is being a good caretaker.

When I got to Dawn’s house, she and friends Paul and Ann had just arrived from Gazebo Music. Dawn fixed us a yummy Rhubarb and mint martini and we watched some PBS shows except we didn’t see much of the shows because there was too much conversation going on. 

Monday, June 3, 2024, MN

 Last week was pretty uneventful. Most of my time was spent reading, crafting, and getting things ready for our upcoming family reunion.  I made a trip to Costco to pick up the plates and napkins and cut up the name tags that were printed on full sheets of paper, eight name tags to a page.  My handy card making supplies always come in handy for a project like that.

It was also the week to give Joey a haircut and that process starts with a bath and good brushing.  The next day, after our walk, the table gets set up, the clippers readied and the cutting process begins.  He is such a good boy about it and each time we make new progress.  This time, he let me use the clippers on his legs and that saves a lot of time doing less scissor work.  I usually have to do some adjustments a day or so after that as I find areas that I missed or are uneven.  

I’ve worked in the gardens a bit on nice days or when I feel like I have the energy and my body isn’t hurting.  Whenever I go out there, I try to apply some of the compost that was delivered and I picked up a few annuals to add some color out there.  

Tracey was finally able to go home on Saturday. I haven’t talked to Pat to see how that is going yet, I think they need some time to adjust.  Life just isn’t going to be the same for them now.  

This lottery ticket paid off for me this week - $50 worth! Yay!

Monday, May 27, 2024, MN

 My trip to Urgent Care resulted in a series of blood tests to check for inflammation, infection, thyroid level, and Lyme Disease and I have gotten most of the results back by now and all are in the normal ranges.  I’m thinking it is old age or arthritis and I will just take pain relievers when necessary and resolve to the fact that my 76 year old body just plain hurts some (recently most) of the time.  

The City of Bloomington has a program that gives free compost to residents who participate in their compost collection program. Since I live in a multi-unit building, we don’t participate. I was looking for information on where I could purchase the compost and found an application form for donations. I checked with the staff here and got approval to apply and we are getting a delivery of bulk compost dropped off here on Tuesday.  Residents will have to distribute it between the vegetable and perennial gardens and it will do a lot to improve the soil and keep our plants healthy and beautiful!

After my morning walk yesterday, I got to thinking - what am I going to do with this day?  I considered a ride to see Anderson Gardens in Litchfield, but the day was gray and cloudy so I ruled that out.  I did some cleaning, went through photos, and then I decided I was hungry for ribs.  I went to the store and bought ribs and got them in the oven and invited Deb to join me for dinner.  Shortly before she came, Cathy invited me to join her for a drink, so I invited her over and we sat and chatted for a while before having dinner.  What a pleasant evening!

Friday, May 24, 2024, MN

 Tuesday was a busy day for me, starting at 6 am and still going strong when I got back home at 8pm.  I took a nice long walk, did laundry, cooked chicken and pasta to make chicken salad for dinner, went to Ben’s house and got Yoshi for a walk before meeting the twins at the bus stop, hung out with them and got them fed before gymnastics, took them there and watched them for the next two hours, took them home, then came home myself.  Most days for me have much fewer activities so that one wore me out. The girls have gotten so much stronger and more controlled and experienced and it was fun to watch them.

I heard from Pat while I was at the gym and he told me that Tracey would be released on Thursday (48-hour notice). He filed an appeal as he doesn’t feel that she is physically able to do what is needed to be at home.  He attend a meeting on Wednesday with her care team and her parents and he was surprised at how well she was doing. Some feeling has come back to her left arm and leg and she walked into the room with a walker, sat on a chair and was able to get back up on her own.  This is great although they still want to work with her to be able to go up and down steps and get herself into the bathtub.  

Speaking of feeling worn out, I am wondering what is going on with my aching body. For several weeks now, I have been hurting most days and taking a pretty steady regimen of pain relievers.  Yesterday, I sent an email to my GP and they suggested I see someone soon, as my symptoms sound a lot like Lyme Disease. I don’t recall getting a tick bite but I was exposed to ticks and found some on me earlier this spring. Of course, no appointments are available to see her or an associate, so I guess I’ll be heading to Urgent Care later today.

This is all going on just as I’ve been wanting to get in the gardens, but I feel so stiff and sore that I haven’t been able to.  

Saturday, May 18, 2024, MN

 I had planned to take another trip to Stoughton on the 8th, but canceled because Tracey is not at home yet and also because my car’s Brake/ABS/VSC lights are still coming on - I can’t get it in until the 17th. My calendar was wide open but I didn’t accomplish much.

Cathy invited me to meet her and her group of friends at Brassa, nice southern style restaurant near Lake Harriet. It turned out to be a fun evening with six gals at the table, then Karen left and Jody showed up and took her place.  Since they put us at a corner table and weren’t too busy, we sat there for 2.5 hours talking about lots of subjects. I’m so happy that she invites me along, as they are a great group of gals and like to have fun.

Our family gathered at Olivia’s for Mother’s Day Brunch and had a lovely time. The girls looked so nice and it’s always nice to get together.  After brunch, we all met at their house, as it was their weekend to catch up on lawn chores.  Lois, Dennis, and I didn’t do much, as were all having physical issues with achy joints, but we did little chores here and there to help out.  The twins and I planted Jill’s urns on the porch and I helped with watering while they worked their butts off putting mulch down.  After the work was done, we sat on the deck and enjoyed an Amalfi Mule made with Vodka, Ginger Beer, Lime Juice, limoncello, and topped with mint - a refreshing summery cocktail.

I took my car to Costco on Monday for tire rotation and learned that the tires are wearing unevenly so it needs an alignment in order for the warranty to stay in effect.  Also, while driving to Costco I realized it is also due for an oil change, so I called Eric’s and added those to the Friday appointment.  

I took Joey with me when I dropped the car off and we walked the 2.1 miles back home, a little longer than our usual morning walk, but doable. That is if you don’t take a wrong turn and add another half-mile onto the walk.  After turning down a street and realizing the other street didn’t go through because of railroad tracks, we ended up having to go farther west and then another couple of blocks back east to get home. It also started to rain lightly - we got a little bit wet.  

My neighbor, Leslie offered to take me to get the car when it was done - that was so nice! I was planning to call an Uber. They weren’t able to fix the electrical issue, as they just figured out the problem late in the afternoon and needed to order a switch. I will take it back there on Wednesday and wait while they change it out. Fingers crossed that takes care of the issue. 

Norah and Camille had their 4th and 5th grade spring orchestra concert on Thursday night and it was cute - short but sweet.  

I’ve been working on the reunion stuff this week; getting photos together and printing up name tags. Jonnie is making photo boards for each of the Peckham siblings so we are asking everyone to bring photos to add to the boards.  For those that we know are coming, we have about 70 people showing up. 

Monday, May 6, 2024, MN

 We had a couple of beautiful summery days last week so Joey and I walked the Bloomington Ice Garden trail - a pretty wooded walk that has a wood chip surface and goes around a marsh area.  It’s not a real long walk and we never saw another person but did see some wildlife - a turtle on the path, a Red-tailed Hawk watching us from his perch on a branch, and some noisy Sandhill Cranes - two males vying for the affection of a female.  There are some majestic Oak Trees along the path that haven’t leafed out yet. It just feels good to get out in nature and away from the residential streets where I usually walk.

Ben called me Friday morning a little after 8:00 to see if I was interested in meeting him at Staring Lake for a walk - all of his kids were already off to school and he had a little bit of time before his work day started. I scrambled to get dressed and met him at the park at 8:30. I love those walks and the opportunity to spend one on one time with him.

I went plant shopping with the building manager, Roni (she had the pocketbook) and Sherry, a resident from Building 2 (she volunteers to take care of their potted plants) on Friday afternoon to get plants for the decorative pots at the front of our buildings. We shopped at Bloomington Garden Center, a quaint little family owned shop near the Old Cedar Bridge trail that goes over the Minnesota River.  Their plants are so healthy and their prices are comparable to the big box stores.  We had fun shopping and Joann and I planted up the pots later that evening. I have lined up a few people who are willing to keep up with the watering. 

Charlotte had a swim meet on Saturday morning and she improved her scores on each of the five events that she swam in. Ben brought her to my house later in the afternoon for a sleepover. I made a Cajun Shrimp Stir Fry for dinner that she really liked and I will definitely make again. 

When I asked her what she wanted to do on Sunday, she said she would like to go to a Farmer’s Market. I looked around and found that there was a farmers market and an art show at the Franconia Sculpture Garden, about an hour’s drive from here.  She was up for it but when we got there, it was a little disappointing - a very small market with only a few booths and the sculpture gardens seemed like junk made into bigger junk.  A few of the sculptures were kind of cool but many were on disrepair and hadn’t been maintained very well.   We stopped at a wayside at Marine on St Croix on the way home and she spotted this cool tree. It’s a wonder that it’s still upright.

 We played Farkel and watched Taylor Swift videos when we got home and the family swung by to pick her up around  4 pm.  

Wednesday, May 1, 2024, MN

 The days have been rainy, it is much needed around here but I am tired of the gray wet days and relief came yesterday with a perfect spring day. The tulips are in bloom everywhere right now and the flowing crabapple buds are starting to pop open. 

I met with a few people who are interested in the perennial gardens on the east side of our property last Friday and we agreed that Monday afternoons would be a good time to meet up and do projects in the garden. That didn’t happen this week, as it was pouring when 3:00 came around.

Charlotte’s 6th Grade Choir concert was last night and the band and orchestra also performed.  The kids have practiced a lot and did a great job.  Funny - there were too many kids on her row on the riser and they were grappling for space during the performance.  Charlotte is in the third row just above the director’s head and to the right of the dark haired boy. She actually had the space advantage at this point. Ha! 

I drove through sloppy, fairly heavy rain to get there but it had cleared when I had to drive back home.

Sunday, April 28, 2024, MN

 The days leading up to my birthday have been very good and I have stayed busy, getting nice walks in the morning to start my day out right. Friday was a bit rainy but it was a soft rain, so it didn’t keep me from walking.  It was also much needed rain and we are getting more of it today.

The exception to the ‘very good’ news is that Tracey will not be going home on the first of May but will be transferred to another facility for additional therapy.  She is still at the point where she needs two people to assist her in many tasks and needs to get where only one person can assist, but she has to be able to do most of the work herself. Her right side has to be strong enough to be able to support the left side that doesn’t work very well.  I was planning to go there on the 8th to help her at home but might just be going for another visit.

I met the family at Hola Arepa on Friday evening and had a lovely dinner and toasted my birthday with a margarita. They brought me a bouquet of gorgeous tulips and a diffuser with very pretty scent (because I told Ben that my new neighbor across the hall is a smoker and I can smell it every time I go out my door).  

Charlotte had very good news that she was quite proud of - she got a perfect score on the recent MCA test (the standard academics test used here) and her teacher told her she was the only child she has known to get a perfect score.  That kid will definitely go places in this world. And she has a sweet, kind heart to go with it.  

I got lots of birthday wishes in the form of cards, texts, and phone calls throughout the day. Like my son Pat said, my birthday feels like “yesterday” with the exception of all of the attention and good wishes.  I met up with Ben later in the afternoon to hang out, as all of his girls were at sleepovers and Jill had dinner plans with friends.  We went for a long walk through the Carver Regional Park and it was our lucky day for seeing wildlife.  We saw Great Blue Herons, a couple of Barred Owls, Trumpeter Swans, Turkeys, Osprey (one flew over us with a fish in its talons), and a few deer. Ben found several ticks on Yoshi - I didn’t find any on Joey - yet. 

We picked up Indian food from Bombay Pizza Kitchen and a bottle of wine for dinner. The Butter Masala pizza with chicken was very interesting and tasty and we had a Samosa to go with it.  I can’t say it’s my first Indian food, but it has been so long that I don’t remember what I ate previously.  It was full of flavor and a teeny bit of spice, but very tasty.  

Tuesday, April 23, 2024, MN

 I invited Cathy over on Saturday evening to watch the movie, “Moving On” with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlinson. It was a good story and fun to have someone to share the laughs with.  

Camille called me earlier in the day to see if I wanted to hang out. Since I already had plans for that evening, Jill dropped her off on Sunday morning and we spent the afternoon together.  She wanted to make a clay pinch pot. I had some clay but it was very dry and not workable, so we went to Joann Fabrics and got some new stuff.  When we finished that project, we had some lunch and then took Joey for a walk and stopped at the park for a bit.  I took a half-hour rest while she watched a show and then we played a few games of Farkle before Jill picked her up.  It was a fun afternoon and makes me feel so good when they want to hang out with me.

The perennial garden here at Penelope is starting to awaken, so I organized a meeting with interested residents to get some input on what everyone’s expectations are and their willingness to help with maintenance. I kind of feel that the job would be more manageable if we work together rather than several people doing their own thing.  I put up a notice but have had to change the date several times, so we shall see how many actually show up on Friday.

Yesterday, Deb and I made two trips to the Bloomington Maintenance Yard and filled five bags of wood chips on each trip. We distributed them on the muddy ground behind and next to the maintenance shed on our property.  The area is mainly used by smokers but it is also the access to the resident’s garden shed and an extension of the perennial gardens.  It looks so much better than it did.

Today was bath and haircut day for Joey. He is such a good boy about it and we got 90% of him done.  I left the table set up and will tackle it again tomorrow for the finishing touches (legs, tummy, and feet).

Wednesday, April 17, 2024, MN, WI

 I’ve got a lot of writing to do to catch up on my trip to Stoughton. The drive down was uneventful with some rain between Owatonna and Rochester. I had the road to myself for the stretch between La crosse and Tomah with the exception of a few cars that were traveling about 90 mph and passed me.  The countryside got greener and greener as I traveled south and I always love that stretch of road through the driftless area.

My first stop was to visit Tracey and she was happy to see me and I felt the same. I am happy that the stroke didn’t have too severe an effect on her speech and memory. She has a long way to go to recover some use of her left side - her arm is useless, although with concentration she can get it her arm and fingers to move. The stroke affects the connection between her brain and her limbs and that is where she needs the most therapy.  She is getting speech, occupational, and physical therapy and also visits from a psychiatrist.  The goal is to release her from the rehab hospital on May 1, but I’m still not sure if that will be to another longer term rehab facility or back home. She has a long way to go and will need help at home.

I spent time with her every day that I was there and a couple of times, Pat and I went together.  On the weekend, I walked to Pat’s to have coffee with him, helped him with some household chores, cooked Mrs Gumtow’s casserole (one of Mike’s favorites) for dinner on Sunday, and squeezed in as many visits as I could.

Jonnie, Dawn, Mary, Erin, and I met up for breakfast at the Cozy Nuk (former Sugar and Spice) and made some plans for our June 8 family reunion. It was nice to see them all again. 

On Monday, after visiting with Tracey, I stopped by Tom and Karen’s house for a visit. The weather has been so nice that we got to be outdoors on the porch and it’s always nice to see them. From there, I went to Middleton to meet up with Pat and Roger and their family for dinner at Tanner’s. They just got back from Arizona two weeks ago and hadn’t seen them yet. Because the weather was so nice, we got to sit outdoors on the patio for dinner and had a nice chat. I then followed them to their home in Packwaukee and spent the night. 

Patty is working at a day care, so she was up and out of the house early. I walked with Roger and Louie before heading out. Rainy, windy weather was predicted for the afternoon and I wanted to avoid some of it. I had a light and steady rain from Black River Falls all of the way home and the wind was at my back, so the driving wasn’t too bad, but I was happy to get back home.

Joey did just fine with Ben and family and I’m happy that worked out so we can take care of each others dogs when needed. 

Wednesday, April 10, 2024, MN

 The weather was crappy for the last two days of my stay at Ben’s.  I had hoped to get back to Minnewashta park for a walk but ended up just going around the neighborhood.  As we were walking by a house, a large brown dog came charging out at us and, of course, Joey went ballistic and kept antagonizing the dog.  The owner was right there, but she couldn’t get him to stop for quite a while. Eventually she did and no harm was done other that a lot of growling and barking but it was still scary. 

I’ve been working on a felted cat project for Tracey who is a cat lover and asked Pat if I would be bringing her one of my fuzzy creations. So - in hopes of cheering her up a big, I made this silly guy (left) and the image I used as a guide on the right. I hope it makes her laugh.

I came back home on Monday afternoon, a couple of hours before the family got back, as I didn’t want to leave Yoshi alone for too long.  It was nice to get back home - for a couple of days - as I will leave for Wisconsin on Thursday morning.  The big news on Monday was the total eclipse of the sun although it was cloudy and we didn’t get to see any of it.  The path was quite a bit to the south and east so we would have only been able to see about 75% of it anyway.  This is a photo by Peter Herman Landscape Photography, an artist that I follow on Facebook.  The country was crazy about it and many cities and small towns along the path we’re expecting large numbers of people for the viewing. 

Camille called me Monday night and gave me a play be play description of their time at the water park in Mexico.  She also shared photos of her and Norah with their hair braided and then what she looked like after taking the braids out.  Cute!

I had my annual eye checkup yesterday, helped two residents with their rent rebate forms, took Joey to the vet for a nail trim, and gave him a little trim (face and legs) on my own.  We finally have a sunny day.

Saturday, April 8, 2024, MN

 What a week! After snow, high winds, and gray skies, we finally got a beautiful sunny day yesterday. Walks with the two dogs have been interesting - the leashes are constantly getting tangled as they both want to go in different directions and smell different smells.  They are getting along just great and Yoshi is so funny in the morning.  After he gets his food and potty out of the way, he heads right up to make sure Joey doesn’t sleep in.  Then he disappears to one of the girl’s beds again.  

Being here is like a vacation and I see why the family calls it the tree house.  The view from every window looks out at trees and nature.  The dogs started to bark the other day and there was a flock of turkeys in the yard.  One came up on the porch and pulled branches out of a planter, scattered dirt and made a big mess. 

I heard from Pat on Wednesday that Tracey had taken 15 steps that day and he was so excited about that.  This morning I learn there has been a setback and she couldn’t even stand up on Thursday, her blood pressure dropped and they took her to the ER yesterday with suspected internal bleeding.  And while all this was happening, nobody even called Pat to let him know - he learned about it when he stopped after work.  So today he has to empty her room at the rehab and the process starts all over again,  it is not a good situation.   I will be heading down there next Thursday, hoping that things have improved for Tracey.

Monday, April 1, 2024, MN

 Happy 57th Anniversary to Rita and Denny! Wow! That is quite the longevity.

Tracey was moved from the hospital to a rehab facility a week ago. There has been some progress but not a lot. Yesterday when I talked with Pat he told me that he and her parents are meeting with the team of professionals tomorrow to decide if she is responding to their treatment enough to be able to become independent enough that she could go home in a couple of weeks.  Pat feels that it will not be good news and that she may have to be institutionalized for the rest of her life.  The people in their family who can help out are extremely limited physically and the fact that she has not been in good health for a long time is definitely working against her now.  

Last week was busy and the weather wasn’t very nice, although we had sunny days it was cold and windy.  The sunshine helped to melt most of the snow.  We had an added food shelf delivery on Thursday and it was a shared event with Building 2. This is some of the volunteers and an example of our setup.

Ellen, Cindy, Ted, Marie, Maureen, and Judy

Ellen & Judy making things look nice.

Jill called on Thursday evening to ask if I was interested in meeting Lois and the twins at the Children’s Theater to see Alice in Wonderland.  Charlotte had a fever and couldn’t go and Jill wanted to stay home with her. Ben has been out of town for work. So I quick changed my clothes, put some makeup on, and headed for the theater.  The production was so well done - the costumes were incredible and the sets were so well done. It was a really fun show and I’m glad I got to see it, but sad that Jill and Charlotte couldn’t.

I was headed for their house at 8:00 on Friday morning as I was taking the girls to the Science Museum. Charlotte still didn’t feel good, so she stayed home. We spent the afternoon checking out the exhibits and then so the “Pandas” movie in the Omnitheater.  By the time we left the museum, Ben’s flight was just getting in from Las Vegas, so we swung by the airport to pick him up on the way back home. It was a fun afternoon but I was tired, so I just dropped them off and headed back home.

 Deb had kept Joey for the day and they had just come back from a long walk, so he was very settled when I got home.  It is so nice to have her willing to watch him every now and then.

I had planned to do some felt bunnies for the girls but on Saturday it just seemed like too big of a task, so I decided that they would get cards with $10 each. While I was folding the bills, I realized that I could make them look like a $100 bill if I folded them just right - so that was a little bit of a joke that I played on them. We originally planned to have Easter brunch and an Easter egg hunt at Lois and Dennis’ house but their yard still snow covered and very wet so the plan was changed.  I met Ben and his family at Olivia’s for breakfast. It was nice and they had a busy day getting ready for their Mexico vacation (heading to the airport at 3:30 am for a 6:30 flight today. 

I got to their house at 8:30 and will be spending the week here with Yoshi.

Sunday, March 24, 2024, MN

 Dang, it’s been eleven days since I’ve written anything and a lot has been happening.  Most important is that my daughter-in-law Tracey had a stroke last Saturday and has been hospitalized since then.  It affected the left side of her body with some paralysis and loss of peripheral vision. A bit of progress has been made in the last few days and I got to talk wit her yesterday. She sounded positive and ready to work toward recovery. It looks like she will be transported to a rehab facility tomorrow and will probably be there for 2-3 weeks. 

I considered making a quick trip to Stoughton but Pat would rather have me come down when she gets back home and will need some assistance.  He is working on getting a network together to help out while he is at work. Right now, my plan is to head down there on the 10th or 11th of April. 

Winter is back this week and we saw a few inches of snow on Friday morning but it was mostly gone by the evening. Today and tomorrow are predicted to get some possible heavy snow, up to 10” or so.  

Ben and I met up yesterday and walked around Staring Lake with the dogs.  I so enjoy these walks because it’s about the only time we get any one on one time to talk and that is a convenient half-way between our homes.  I wanted to see him as he is heading to Las Vegas today for a work trip. After the walk, I stopped by their house to see the kids and Jill. She gave me a box full of hair products from one of her salons and I will donate to some of my friends here at Penelope.

I spotted this cute little snow capped bird nest on our walk.

I had a real scare on Friday when I switched my phone service from T-Mobile to Xfinity as they were offering a pretty incredible price for both - $40/month.  Everything was done and my new service was activated. I hung up with the technician and went to make a phone call and it didn’t work.  I looked at my iPad and saw an email that said my phone number had been canceled and would be put back in service for other customers.  PANIC! I got in the car and headed for the nearest xfinity store and was helped right away.  The first thing the guy said was “don’t worry, your phone number isn’t canceled”. So he got my problem resolved although it took a while and he had to get someone involved who had more experience. All is good now and I still have the phone number that I got back in 2005 in San Francisco (I think I’m attached to it).

Wednesday, March 13, 2024, MN

 It’s been another active week around here.  Back on Sunday afternoon, I took a box of 50 Easter cards for Hospice to the grandkids for them to help assemble.  It is a project that they like to do and they have fun putting their own little artistic embellishments on them and I think the volunteer effort is a good thing for them to do.   I didn’t stick around for long, as they had chores and projects to work on but we did have a nice visit.

I went to the Sportz Page for dinner on Monday with Elaine and Joann and it was nice to connect with them again. We probably haven’t hung out since January - not sure why but I guess we were all going in different directions.

There was a Service Coordinator meeting in my building yesterday and I don’t think I will go again. The same five grumpy complainers attended and they didn’t have a positive thing to say about anything. I’ve been avoiding them and I’ve said that I would distance myself but I like to stay informed. I guess I will speak with Maureen directly for information. 

Deb and I went to Harrison Park and met up with our former Service Coordinator, Mary, who retired last November. We walked the trail and then found a picnic table and sat for a nice visit. It was good to see Mary again and to learn that she is enjoying her retirement - imagine that!

I had to get up early this morning and scramble to my follow-up cardiology appointment.  The echocardiogram that I had last week showed a 5% improvement in the pumping action (ejection function) of my heart - a result of the new medications that I am taking.  It is now pretty close to the normal range and I don’t have to have it checked again for six months.  The condition is called cardiomyopathy and if left untreated can result in heart failure.  I’m feeling pretty good that a few little pills can keep it working and keep me living the lifestyle I want.

As I pulled into my parking spot at the clinic, I spotted a large flock of Tundra Swans flying northward. Woo Hoo! I also spotted a Red Wing Blackbird and heard a Robin off in the distance recently. Spring is just around the corner.

Friday, March 8, 2024, MN

 Another busy week for me and I am ready for a slow down. I couldn’t even watch President Biden’s State of the Union address last night because I was too tired. How did our congressmen and women get to be so rude with the opposing party?  The sneers, grimaces, and heckles really disturb me and it disgusts me that they can’t behave at a professional level and show respect for the president, regardless of their party.  Anyway, I knew that I could get the information the next morning, so I went to bed.

Norah and Camille had a sleepover with me last Sunday, as they didn’t have school on Monday.  We made creamy pasta for dinner Sunday evening and then watched old episodes of Young Sheldon.  It was Camille’s turn to sleep on the couch and we all read for a bit before drifting off to sleep.

I had planned to take them to the Science or Children’s Museum on Monday, but all of the museums are closed on Mondays. Dang!  So we headed to Mall of America (not my favorite place) and to the Aquarium.  When we left there, we walked around the amusement park as they were trying to decide which ride they might want to go on and they spotted the climbing wall.  That was an option that Ben had suggested and they were all up for it.  It was a bit pricey but I knew that we would get our moneys worth by doing it and they stayed engaged and loved it for the full hour.  Of course, everything is a competition with those two and it was either a race to the top or who could get to the bottom first.  Funny girls.

Joey had a 6-month checkup on Tuesday morning and all looks good with him except that he is about 2 pounds overweight and I need to cut back on the people food and treats.  

I had art class with Genevieve that afternoon and we did an Easter needle felting project.  Here is my outcome from that session.

Last week when I stopped at one of my favorite thrift shops, Assistance League in Richfield, I purchased the little ceramic basket.  When I was checking out, the gals admired it and I told them what I was doing with it.  One of the gals, Kristy, told me that she had gotten into felting, purchased a lot of supplies and then didn’t like the craft because she poked her fingers too much. She asked if I would like her supplies - of course I would and I gave her my contact information.  So I got a text from her this week and will head to the store to pick it up later this morning.  I’m excited to see what she is passing on to me.

Wednesday was food shelf day and I did my volunteer duties in the morning and did some grocery shopping and food prep for Thursday lunch.  I also took Joey to the hockey rink to play - my little fence gate worked well and we spent about a half hour running around, chasing the ball (not returning it) and playing.

I had to get up early yesterday morning to make it to a 8:00 Echocardiogram appointment (a follow up procedure after starting a new heart medication a couple of weeks ago.  I will see the cardiologist again on the 13th.

Randy Sabien invited me to a show that he was doing at the Sidekick Theater and offered tickets. It was the same performers who did the Christmas show that I went to with the addition of a base player who looked a lot like Hank Williams Jr. So Deb and I went and sat in the balcony and enjoyed the show of great performers playing country music hits from before the 1980s. There was some real talent up on the stage and the show was fun to see.  After the show, Randy followed us to my apartment and we had Spicy Baked Shrimp, beet salad, breadsticks and apple cranberry crumble for dessert while we chatted about lots of different topics.  Feeding him lunch was the least I could do after he generously gave me tickets to the show.

 It was a very nice afternoon and I was tired and lazy the rest of the day.  I didn't even stay up to watch the State of the Union address.