Tuesday, July 30, 2024, MN

 I spent most of the day Sunday with Pat and Tracey except for nap time and then I left there fairly early in the evening as they go to bed pretty early and Pat wasn’t feeling real great.

Tracey and I walked to the end of her block and back - a good distance for her - she is so much more steady on her feet now. We got ready for the day and had breakfast and watched some of the Olympics, had a short nap, and then headed to Middleton for a follow-up appointment with her doctor from the therapy hospital. He was very pleased at her recovery progress and told her that she could expect much more if she keeps up with the therapy. As we were leaving, he told her that he hoped he didn’t see her again.

I putzed around and did some cleaning and window washing today and then got her to her afternoon OT appointment. We had dinner and now I am back at Dawn’s, sitting out on the front porch listening to the birdies sing. I am so thankful for the great sleeps that I have had and I’ve also really enjoyed the evening chats with Dawn.

Saturday, July 27, 2024 - MN, WI

 What a week! Jill was out of town, so I helped out with getting the girls and some of their friends home after day camps on Tuesday and Wednesday. I managed to get everyone picked up on time, didn’t leave any personal items behind, loaded bikes, got friends delivered to their homes, fed snacks and made connections to evening activities. Wow! 

I also did my cleaning job on Wednesday before camp pickups, as Thursday I was heading back to Stoughton for a week.  At the last minute, I decided to leave Joey with Deb as it was going to be kind of a hassle to have him with me. I’ll be taking Tracey to several appointments and I can’t really leave him at their house (two cats) or at Dawn’s while I’m away.

I was on the road by 9 and got to Pat and Roger’s house by 1:30. I was surprised to see Pat’s son AJ there - he was helping them with stain for their log home. He and Pat were scrambling to put up a pop up screen house - they had gotten it twisted and I helped out and we eventually got it up - three helpers worked better than two, I guess. I’m usually up for a good puzzle challenge.

On Friday, we drove around to garage sales, made a stop at an Amish bakery, and saw a lot of beautiful countryside. That evening, we met my sister-in-law Sharon at Cooper’s in Portage for fish fry and of course, an Old Fashioned. The food was good, as was the conversation.

Yesterday, I drove the backroads to Stoughton and the drive brought back lots of good memories.  I hung out with Pat and Tracey, had dinner and a nice visit before I went to Dawn’s and got settled in for my stay there.  She had friends over for dinner, so I got to see Paul, Pam and Jeff too.

Sunday, July 21, 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.