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!