Wednesday, October 15, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, October 6, 2025

 Jill's Dad passed away last night and my heart has felt heavy all day, even before I knew.  He was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma back in December of 2021 and has tried all of the treatment options that were offered to him but this last one was just too much.  I feel so bad for their family but am glad that he is no longer suffering and I know that he will be missed by so many. He was a good guy!

Dennis Keith Quinn

( October 17, 1946 - October 5, 2025 )

Dennis Quinn, age 78, of Chaska, Minnesota, formally of North Mankato, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on October 5, 2025, surrounded by the love of his family.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025 starting at 1pm with a prayer service at 2:30pm at Bertas Funeral Home, 200 W. 3rd St. in Chaska, Minnesota. A private burial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to American Cancer Society Hope Lodge Minneapolis or Multiple Myeloma Research Fund. https://themmrf.org/

https://www.cancer.org/support-programs-and-services/patient-lodging/hope-lodge/minneapolis.html

Born in Carroll, Iowa, on October 17, 1946, Dennis was the son of John and Estelle Quinn. He was raised in Defiance, Iowa and graduated from St. Paul’s High School with the Class of 1965.

From 1966 to 1971, he proudly served in the Iowa National Guard and later received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army Reserves. Dennis dedicated more than 40 years to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, retiring on July 3, 2009.

Dennis was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. He was blessed with  a loving marriage of 53 years to his wife Lois with whom he had 2 children, Jill and Casey.  He is survived by his beloved wife, Lois; daughter, Jill Quinn (Ben Bridge); and his treasured grandchildren, Charlotte, Camille, and Norah Bridge. He is also survived by his siblings, Mary (Chet) Plisiewicz and Don (Barb) Quinn; and sister-in-law, Linda Quinn. He was preceded in death by his son, Casey Quinn; his parents; his brother, Dan Quinn.

Whether you knew him as Denny, Eskimo, Mo, Esk or Papa, Dennis was someone who brought warmth, humor, and generosity to every interaction. A man of many talents and passions, he loved the outdoors—especially fishing, golfing and traveling. A self-taught handyman, Dennis was proud to have built his own log home and was always ready to lend a hand to anyone in need.

Dennis took his responsibilities seriously but never missed a chance to enjoy life’s simple pleasures—whether casting a line, golfing, reading, or sharing stories around the dinner table. Above all, Dennis cherished time spent with family. He was immensely proud of his children and grandchildren and was their greatest supporter—rarely missing an opportunity to cheer them on in every milestone and activity.

Dennis will be remembered for his warmth, quick wit, and the love he so freely shared with those around him. His legacy lives on in the hearts of his family, friends, and all who had the privilege to know him.

I have been just dragging butt the last two days, sleeping at least 8 to 9 hours at night and getting at least one nap in each day.  I guess I'm still recovering from my road trip. 

Happy, Happy 12th Birthday to my twin granddaughters, Camille and Norah!  It's hard to believe this much time has passed - they are beautiful girls in so many ways. Will probably celebrate this weekend due to Dennis' passing. 

I heard from my PCP this morning after an inquiry on whether or not I needed the pneumonia vaccine. She said yes, and there were openings today, so I got it. Check that one off the list - I believe I am fully vaccinated now.

I took Joey to to dog park for a while this afternoon and he is out on the couch after romping around for a bit. 

Thursday,October 2, 2025

On Monday morning, Dawn and I walked over to Sunrise Cafe for breakfast with cousins, Jonnie, Mary, Sue, Lori, and Erin. I had an embarrassing memory blunder with Lori when I asked her how her husband Jim was doing and she reminded me that he had passed away last November.  I guess this is just the way it's going to be and I hope that I don't offend anyone.

I drove to Sun Prairie to meet Leslie for lunch at Buck N Honey's - she came in from West Allis.  We had a really nice visit, keep in touch on a regular basis, but it's always nice to meet in person. I thought that some of the other Milwaukee and 'the land' friends would us join but I learned that Jane has knee problems, Nancy is living up north, and Linda is apparently not in very good health either.

Back to Pat & Tracey's but it was an early night as he had to work the next day and I was heading to Pat and Roger's.  

I was off to Pat & Roger's on Tuesday morning after taking my time having coffee and doing laundry so I could remake the bed that I slept in all week.  Dawn is so good about making me feel welcome and letting me stay when I come to Stoughton and we always have a good time together.

I got to the Hoovey's house and Pat and I took Chloe for a walk and later in the afternoon we headed for Cimaroli's for some delicious crab dip and crispy bread and an Old Fashioned - my first cocktail since mid-June - I watered it down a lot but still felt the buzz.  

We all went for an early walk on Wednesday morning and then I packed up, said goodbye to my good friends, and headed home. It was a 5 hour drive with a few stretch, snack, gas, and potty stops along the way.  

I got to Ben's around 1:45 and as we were catching up, he got a call from Jill for him to pick up the girls at school and go to hospital to say goodby to papa. His major organs are starting to shut down and he said 'no more'.  He has fought it for a long time and tried everything possible to lengthen his life, to no avail.  My heart goes out to their family. 

After my walk on Friday morning, I made a pot of potato and ham soup to take to Ben's in the afternoon as they are still spending quite a bit of time at the hospital. Dennis is in mostly a medicated sleep state right now, his family has all been here and they are just keeping him comfortable.  Ben called to say he was heading to the hospital so TyI offered to meet the girls at the bus stop and get them to swim practice.  That was perfect since and I hadn't seen them in a while. Charlotte had a party to go to, so Ben took her while I was at swim practice. The girls asked what kind of soup I brought and I got an 'I love that kind' response, so that made me feel good. Just as I was leaving, Jill pulled in, so I got to talk with her for a bit.  I feel so bad for what they are going through, I know it well although Dennis has suffered for such a long time with various chemo treatments and this last stay in the hospital has been over six weeks.

 

September 25, 2025

On Thursday morning, Deb picked up Joey as she will be watching him for the next two days as I am off to Wisconsin and Ben will be picking him up from her on Saturday when he returns from his work trip to Las Vegas. I was packed and had the car loaded and was on the road by 8:00.  This is my first road trip since last October, so it's going to feel good to connect with family and friends again.

I was just cruising along I-94 and I noticed the tire pressure warning light come on, so I made a stop in Baldwin to have the air pressure checked. I had just had that done a few weeks ago when I had tires rotated, so I wasn't too worried unless there was a puncture or something. They topped them off and I headed down the road again. I think it is my spare that has a slow leak.

Back on the road with a stop for a stretch break near Eau Claire and then again in Portage where I met my sister-in-law Sharon for lunch at the Hitching Post.  It's always good to see family and I got an update on what's been going on with everyone.

I arrived at Dawn's, got settled, and we were walking around her yard, checking out her gardens when Pat came around the corner and we chatted for a bit before I walked over to his house for dinner and hugs with him and Tracey.  I brought his birthday lasagna for dinner, so he didn't have to cook anything.

Since Tracey's stroke two years  ago, he has become quite the caretaker as she has many limitations.  She has now lost about 50 pounds and will be able to do more in the line of physical therapy and will be starting more therapy to improve the use of her left arm and hand.  I sure noticed a positive difference since the last time I saw her about a year ago.

Pat had the day off on Friday, so after coffee and breakfast, he and I went to see Tom and Karen. Tom's health is not very good and he is very crippled up - I started to cry when I saw him - damned emotions that come out my eyes.  Most of our conversation was about health issues and their rescue dog issues.  After an hour or so visit, we left and then stopped at Fraboni's Italian grocery for pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and salami for Pat's yummy homemade pizza for dinner.

I drove around Stoughton looking at apartment options and I'm sticking to my plan to stay on the list for Greenspire. The grounds are very nice and the apartments have been remodeled, including solar and covered parking. 

I went back to Dawn's for a nap, and got a text from Doug to see if our 3:00 time was still going to work out.  I had forgotten and he said he was available any time, so I headed to Deak's Bar and Grill for a beer and a chat with him. It was good to see him and learn that no news was good news from our classmates.

I went back to Pat's but begged off and didn't hang out for long and left early as I was exhausted.

I walked over and had coffee and breakfast with Pat and Tracey and then Pat and I got her outside for a two block walk.  She did just fine - her balance is good and her steps are steady.  She just needs to do it more often.

I needed to move, so I did some garden cleanup and trimmed the rose bushes back a bit, then headed back to Dawn's to rest a bit, take a shower and get ready for Roger's 80th birthday party.  What a screwup that was! I messed up on the time - the party started at 1:00 and I had it in my mind that it started at 4:00.  When Patty texted at 2:00 to see if I was ok, I headed there but a lot of people that I wanted to see had already left.  Dang it!

It was an early night - I felt just beat.

Tracey had a party to go to on Sunday, so I got to hang out with Pat one on one, but we ended up having visits from Bill (Tracey's Dad), Diane (her Aunt), and Pat helped his neighbor Rose with a repair project. 

I had dinner that night with Dawn and she made zucchini stuffed with chicken, cheese, and orzo - boy was that good.  Jonnie came over and we sat on the porch and talked but called it a night early as we were meeting up with more cousins the next morning at 8:00.

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Today is the 58th anniversary of my engagement to Mike - he proposed to me in the driveway of the Starr School - how romantical (I think that is how he would say it).

I was up early Sunday morning, walked Joey, had my egg and cheese sandwich and was ready when Ben and Charlotte arrived at 8:00. I was taking him to the Theodore Wirth Trailhead in N Minneapolis for the annual Utepils Trail Run and he was doing the 10K.  The unpaved trail winds through the woods, lakes, and hills of the park so we were unable to see him during the run and I messed up getting his photo at the start.

Parking was a real challenge when we got to the brewery but we made it in time to see him cross the finish line and then some big guy moved in front of him. Grrrr!  He did great and came real close to his goal of 1-hour.

Sunday afternoon there was a knock on my door and Ted handed me $20 - I had won the half-time score on the weekly MN Vikings Football pool. It's funny - I could care less about the football, but I sure don't mind the $$.

This is the week that I get ready and prepped for my Wisconsin trip, as I head out on Thursday morning.  I've gotten in touch with a few people that I want to connect with and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Pat and Tracey

Friday, September 19, 2025

 It's been another busy week, starting with our Stampin Up group's annual indoor picnic on Monday. I made the Corn and Bean Salad that Ben made recently and it was well received - it is so flavorful and colorful. We also had chicken wings and dummies, croissants, a broccoli and apple salad and a yummy apple cake with cinnamon ice cream for dessert.  After we ate, we assembled about 60 cards that Judy had prepared for a local hospice group - they were fall themed all occasion cards. 

That afternoon I prepared the filling for a chicken pot pie that I was making for dinner with Carol and Richard who came for a visit on Tuesday. 

Most of Tuesday was preparing for my guests - cleaning house, finishing the pot pie and other dinner items.  They arrived around 4:30 and we proceeded to eat and talk the rest of the evening.  My friendship with Carol goes back to about 1969 or 70, as her ex-husband Mike and my Mike were friends from the Navy and we got together every now and then. Their kids were close in age to ours and kind of grew up being friends too.  They divorced and Carol and Richard have been together for about 35 years now.

We spent a good part of the day on Wednesday at Mall of America and ended up walking 6.6 miles that day.  I was kind of dreading it - not really fond of the big shopping extravaganza but it was a nice time and we had a nice lunch at Cowboy Jacks.  I came back home and we all had a rest and they picked up pizza on their way to my place and we had pizza and watched the movie "Wolf" with Brad Pitt and George Clooney. It kept our interest and was pretty good.

We hugged and said goodbye and they were heading back home to Wisconsin the next morning.

I had to be at the clinic for a blood draw on Thursday morning, as my doctor is following up on some symptoms I've been having lately - a tingly sensation that I notice when I am napping or sleeping - concentrated in the shoulder and right side of head area.  I'm not sure that they are seizures but just in case, I reached out to him.  He isn't concerned about any of the blood results but wants me to now have a 24-hour portable EEG that is scheduled for October 14-15.  I will have to go in on the 14th and have the electrodes and a cap put on and then back on the 15th to have it removed.  Guess I will be in recluse mode that day.

I also wanted to get my flu shot that day and they couldn't fit me in for an hour and a half so I went shopping at Kohls and picked up a couple of t-shirts and light weight sweat pants.

This morning, Friday, Ben and I met at Staring Lake for a walk around the lake loop trail.  It's been quite a while since we have been able to fit a walk in - he has been working on a challenging project for his job - finished it yesterday and got some good recognition for a job well done.  I could tell in his voice yesterday that he was feeling pretty good about it.

We were about 2/3 of the way into the walk when it started to rain lightly, then got heavier and heavier and it wasn't long and we were drenched. Both of us had water resistant jackets but definitely not enough protection for that kind of downpour.  It certainly added some interest to our walk.

I stopped at Costco to get gas on the way home and when I came in the apartment, I couldn't find my Costco Credit card.  I looked and looked, went down to the car to see if it fell out of my pocket or purse - but no.  As I came up the stairs, I slipped and came down kind of twisted and landed on my left hand and knee - now I hope I don't have any issues from that.  I got back to the apartment, checked my purse again and there it was in the first pocket that I checked.  Boy, sometimes I wonder about myself

Saturday, September 13, 2025

 This week on Wednesday I had my second Truxima infusion and all went well with that other than feeling a bit fatigued afterward.  It only took 4 hours this time. Deb kept Joey again and had him walked and worn out by the time I got home so I could take a nap.

Thursday was my follow-up appointment with the Nephrology (kidney) specialist. My sodium levels are in an acceptable range and I need to continue to restrict my water consumption to 32 oz per day maximum.  Again, he expressed how rare this condition is -   I am one of two patients that he has seen this year. 

I decided to do go to an estate sale on Friday and the route took me past the Annunciation Catholic Elementary School where two children were killed last week and 20+ students were injured by a gunman who shot into the school.  For blocks along the roadway, there were green and blue ribbons hanging from poles, signs, and buildings and as I approached the school flowers lined the walkway.  What a sad world we are living in these days when someone targets innocent children.  The news is full of stories like this these days.

I didn't make a lot of purchases other than a couple of books.

This morning, Saturday, I went to the Farmer's Market with Leslie and stocked up on ingredients for a couple of events that I have to make food for this week.  It was a beautiful morning, warming up after the cool spell we had last week. 

Monday, September 8, 2025

I helped with the food shelf on Wednesday morning and then Tom came over when that was done.  He has been having problems with the GPS on his phone, so had to make some calls to try to resolve his issues - I don't think he solved the problem.  

We took Joey to the dog park in the afternoon and he had lots of fun running around with the other dogs. That wore him out, so he was ready for a nap when we got back home.  I think Tom and I were too.

Mary came for her monthly pet nail trim clinic in the evening and we tried to do Joey's nails again but he wasn't having it - he fought tooth and nail.  We went door to door and she did three cats while she was here.

Tom and I went to Green Mill for dinner and neither were impressed.  He kind of wanted to check it out, as it is close to his hotel but I think he said he wouldn't be going back there again.

We spent Thursday going for a good walk in along the Minnesota River, taking naps, reading, and watching a few more episodes of "Shrinking".  I would definitely recommend that Apple TV series as it is funny, sad, and a lot crazy.

Our activity for Friday was to take a drive to Stillwater.  The weather has turned cold around here, so it wasn't a very pleasant day weather wise but we only have a few days left.  We had a very nice lunch at Harpers on Main Street and then walked along Main St to check out a few shops.  

From there, we walked to the lift bridge that crosses the St Croix River.  It is one of the few lift bridges that are still operating in the US and was the only way to get from Hudson, WI to Stillwater, MN until the new bridge was completed in 2017.  It is no longer open to car traffic, only bicycles and pedestrians.

Papa Murphy's Pizzas was our choice for dinner.

Saturday was another busy day, starting with the Farmer's Market.  Once again, I hoped there would be more food trucks, especially the local egg one that is highly rated, but they weren't there so we ended up with egg rolls instead for breakfast.  

Not far from there was the St Bonaventure Festival that included a car show.  We probably spent an hour and a half walking through there, both of us having stories to tell about memories of this or that.  It was fun and we were both glad that we decided to do that.

When we got back home, I cooked up a batch of spaghetti sauce and let it simmer on the stove for a couple of hours while we had our afternoon naps and reading time.

Dang, Sunday has arrived and it is our last day together.  We drove to Staring Lake and walked the Loop Trail around the lake - I think it was 2.3 miles - and the day was beautiful.  

We made a quick stop at the grocery store, so Tom could have some thing to snack on for his drive back to Colorado.  We hung out, hat the rest of the Papa Murphy's Pizza for dinner and he left early for his hotel so he could get plenty of rest before his long drive.  His destination for today is York, NE, about the halfway point between here and Peyton, AZ where he plans to arrive tomorrow evening.  

When we were talking before he came here, neither of us were sure about how it would go, but like I said, we got right back in our old routines, feeling comfortable with each other, talking, laughing, sharing experiences, and enjoying each other.  Hopefully the gaps between seeing other won't be nearly as long in the future. 

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

 Tom got to my apartment about 6:00 on Saturday evening and we had a nice dinner of roasted chicken with vegetables and picked up right where we had left off since the last time we saw each other in February of 2022. And we never run out of things to talk about.  It is very good to see him again.

After getting home from a morning walk on Sunday, I learned from Ben that they were going to celebrate Charlotte's 14th birthday with the family that afternoon. Papa  Quinn would not to be able to join us as he is back in the hospital.  Ben and Jill made Bun Cha (Charlotte's request) Japanese noodles, Asian meatballs, parsley, mint, and a mild or hot sauce.  Camille made a chocolate cake and we had that with ice cream after dinner.

Yesterday was a day to hang out around my apartment after a nice morning walk around Girard Lake Park.  Tom took apart my room fan, cleaned and oiled it and it is running quiet and much more efficient.  He also helped me flip my mattress, a job I sure can't manage by myself anymore.  We just hung around the rest of the afternoon and had leftover potatoes and chicken made into quesadillas for dinner.

We have been watching the series "Shrinking" in the evenings - what a crazy bunch of characters that are giving us lots of laughs.  

Saturday, August 30, 2025

 Thursday morning started early as I had to be at the Infusion Center by 7:30 am.  Ben met me there but we learned that he wasn't able to be with me, so they sent him packing. I will definitely put a comment on their website to make it clear that support people are not allowed. They got me prepped, took my temp, put in the IV, did a saline flush, and started the infusion by 8:30 -  gradually increasing the dose until I was finished around 1:00 pm.  I had no side affects and felt just fine, was allowed to eat a snack and read, use iPad, and nap.  I was told that the next one should take a little less time.

When I got back home, I got a call from the Neurologist's nurse with an update on a prescription and she said that she could get my recommended EEG and MRI scheduled for me.  They just happened to have an appointment open that afternoon for the MRI, so I jumped on it and got that behind.  It was also convenient that an EEG appointment was available the next day and that is now behind me too.  I don't have any more appointments until my next infusion on the 10th of  September.  Woo Hoo!

I am now waiting for Tom's arrival - he should get here late afternoon, early evening and he plans to spend about a week. 

Thursday, August 28, 2025

 It is 6 am and I woke up early in anticipation of my first Truxima infusion today.  Back on Monday, I saw Dr Pati, a seizure specialist, for a second opinion on the infusion treatment recommended by my neurologist.  Ben joined me at the appointment and I was so impressed. He is professional and very knowledgeable, answering all of our questions and clearly explaining what is going on.  

The purpose of the infusions is to reduce the activity of my immune system, as it is overactive and attacking healthy cells.  With auto-immune disorders, your immune system does the opposite job that it is supposed to do and rather than keep your cells healthy, it destroys them and in my case, caused the seizures that badly damaged the right temporal lobe of my brain.  The good thing about that is that my right side is not my dominant side, so now the left side of my brain is doing all of the work and needs to be protected.  He also told me that this very rare type of auto-immune disease may affect 1-9 people out of 100,000 and I am at risk of having repeated seizures.   Needless to say, I am proceeding with the recommended infusion therapy, with monitoring with EEGs and MRIs to make sure it's working.  It was an emotional day, to say the least.

Bob and Penny arrived for a 3-day visit that evening and I had prepared a dinner of chicken pot pie, caprese salad, breadsticks and ice cream.  I always like to feed my visitors when then have spent a long day on the road.  Dinner was well received and I will definitely umake that recipe again. It sure was good seeing them and I so appreciate them coming for a visit. 

I had a dermatology appointment Tuesday morning, so I just stopped by their hotel and we went and walked the path that goes around Girard Lake Park and then to Shantytown Bar & Grill for walleye lunch. Their goals were to visit with me, to eat walleye, preferably at a restaurant near the water, and walk a path around a lake - things they don't get to do in KC. After our walk, I went home and they went back to their hotel for naps before heading over to Ben's for pizza and a visit with the family in the evening.

Wednesday was another fun and busy day, starting with a walk around Hyland Lake Park that was about 2 miles. I took Joey back home, took a little rest, then they picked me up and we went in search of a restaurant on the water that served walleye and ended up at Dangerfield's in Shakopee. We were all impressed with the restaurant and food, sat out on the screen covered deck overlooking the Minnesota River and had walleye again. 

After another little break, naps and rest, they picked me up and we headed to the  Midweek Market at the civic center to listen to music by the band 'Six to Midnight' for a while. Normally there is a good size farmers market on Wednesday night but that must be done for the season as there were only a few food trucks but nothing that really appealed to us. So guess what we did - we went and ate walleye at Willy McCoys.

We hugged and said our goodbyes and they head back home to KC today.