We were married 55 years ago today.
Saturday I took some red silk poinsettias to the cemetery where my parents are buried. It was a nice day about 40 F or 5 C and the snow was melting fast. I had been wanting to get there before it snowed...I didn't make that deadline...but finally got er done!
The flowers look nice against the snow. I am glad that the headstone has vases on each side...it makes flower taking easier. Needless to say we were the only people there...but a bunch of Wild Turkeys were in the area.
Not much snow for this time of year. Even less now as it began to rain early Sunday morning...it will be a skating rink out there with the dreaded black ice. 36 F or 3 C was our high yesterday with those rain showers.
Pain Report: Small improvement...not enough to cheer about...yet.
Christmas card report: 14 added to the previous 65 makes 79 total...I am making progress. A rainy day helped and I skipped my nap.
Far Side
It was raining on Monday, so....I began the big sort. Many totes full of "stuff" were brought upstairs after my Mom died. Lets just say I have a rather large mess up there...Far Guy refuses to go upstairs.
Rainy days and evenings will be time to sort. I will eventually get done...I hope.
My baby brother brought me three more totes yesterday, one tote had...greeting cards and a small box with some of my Fathers things...like an old billfold...no money in it...a leather belt that has seen better days...a Japanese or Korean book of maps....his drivers license ( I shredded it)...a razor, hearing aids and glasses.
Not sure what is in the other totes as I didn't get to them yet. Have to leave those surprises for another rainy day or evening project.
I know the Lions take glasses...I heard they take hearing aids too!
My Mother made a quilt for Jen a few years ago. It now has a perfect spot at Gather in Laporte.
It hangs on the railing upstairs.
My Mother is adjusting to life in the assisted living apartment by herself. It is hard, she and Dad have been together more than 72 years. Dad was asleep yesterday when I visited. Mom shared that the Nurses at the Home said he wandered the halls all night long. Mom usually eats the noon meal with him and sometimes supper. At his table is an elderly lady who has no filter and her language is quite colorful...it doesn't seem to phase my Dad.
One day at a time.
We have candy ready for our usual Trick or Treaters...hopefully I will get some photos!
Far Side
It was my Mothers 93rd birthday yesterday. She was having a hard time with my Dad. We were supposed to go out to lunch but since they had a bad night and morning we stopped by to see how they were doing. Dad was asleep, sometimes I think he has his days and nights mixed up just like a baby. He woke up and had lunch, later in the afternoon he was moved into the nursing home next to the assisted living apartments. Mom can walk over there to visit him.
And so it goes.
Far Guy and I got the high dose flu vaccinations yesterday. So cross that off our list. The gals at the Infusion Center where Far Guy goes for his weekly infusion take good care of us.
Grocery pickup was mostly uneventful. The peanut butter shortage must be over! Town was busy.
And it snowed. In some spots the ground was white. So we have officially had our first snow. Early in the morning we knew something was up as our yard was full of Robins and Juncos. I think the Robins were just stopping by on their way south.
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My Dad's birthday was yesterday. He was 96 years old. We had a small get together for his birthday and for Mom's birthday later in the week. Mom will be 93 years old.
They are in assisted living. Dad seems more confused everyday. He was diagnosed with MDS or Myelodysplastic Syndrome which means that his red blood cell production has been disrupted. Left untreated it can become leukemia. Right now the only symptom he seems to have is fatigue...he sleeps a lot during the day and last evening when we showed up for the birthday get together he was in bed. So I woke him up and helped him get ready...my brothers and sister and their spouses were all there.
I pray many times a day that my Dad will just go to sleep and be done here on earth. He has fought the good fight...I think the race is over for him....but God must still have a plan for my Dad.
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Philippians 4 : 6 - 7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
My Mom saved the top of their cake. She covered it in wax. Last Spring when we were helping her go through things the box with the cake inside was opened. Needless to say the photo is worth keeping...but the cake was not!
My Dad has dementia. He will be 96 in a few days. He may or may not realize that it is their wedding anniversary. My Mom who takes care of Dad will know that it is a special day...one that she recalls fondly.
Dementia is hard... outwardly Dad looks the same...dementia is hard.
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My Dad has a black /purple eye because he fell getting out of the car . He has fallen a number of times this Summer. Since he is a large guy my Mother cannot lift him up...so she calls the ambulance. He was checked out at the Emergency Room and was released to go back to their apartment in assisted living.
Black eyed Susans in the wild gardens.
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Cars with Fins.
We had a quiet Saturday. Far Guy struggled with the front seat cover for his old car, he finally got it arranged so he is half pleased.
We recycled and on the way stopped by the place we rented on the narrows the Fall and part of the Winter 1972/1973. One of my cousin's daughters bought it and she has fixed it up real cute! The bathroom is no longer blue. Our oldest daughter and I lived there alone when Far Guy went to Basic Training in San Antonio, Texas.
My Mom made an apple crisp and she and Dad came out in the evening, my baby brother, his bride and Baxter came over too. It was a nice evening to sit outside. Baxter is two years old now and I will take a photo of him after he is groomed later this week.
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Virtual appointment in the morning, some laundry, I met a long time blog reader Kay from Kansas in the afternoon over at her beautiful place on Potato Lake. I had a very nice visit and the opportunity to pet both of her dogs! On the way home I stopped at my parents, they were on their way out to a fish fry with old friends from Indiana....so I walked them to their vehicle. Dad gave me a hug but there was no smile to go with it...so I am sure he did not know who I was. I did some grocery shopping for some hard to find items and came home and made supper. After supper we took Ranger Blue to do recycling and took a ride around the block....a country block is 4 miles:)
Rainbow and clouds
After we got home I wandered through one of the wild gardens.
My ever vigilant husband locked up for the night. Apparently he was talking to me and I was not answering ( nothing new about that)...it didn't dawn on him that I was still outside. I would have been locked out! However my other baby brother and she who sees robins first stopped by for a visit...she had jury duty yesterday but the case was settled and she got released. I am very jealous of her getting called for jury duty...I have never been called...that and her hair is turning the most beautiful shades of silver. I have been working on this grey hair thing for years...and she just started going silver during covid and is way ahead of me! ( Far Guy is helpful...he says he will work harder at helping my hair get more grey.)
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We saw a double rainbow one night last week.
Far Guy wood carved yesterday. I went to town to visit my parents. Mom says that Dad is having some very confused days. However yesterday he was having a good day and knew who I was...not my name but that I was his oldest "kid." He talked about when Mom and he first met and how she slipped and fell last week and he was not strong enough to help her up. She has fallen twice recently...she has a bump on her head and a bruise on her arm. On his confused days Dad is a hand full for Mom.
In the evening we trimmed back the tomatoes...they were getting way too tall, we had to get a ladder out to trim them. It was a warm humid day yesterday.
Far Side
I ran errands in town on my "day off" due to no ironing. I visited my parents, they are adjusting well and seem happy in their new apartment.
Far Guy cooked supper...hamburgers with bacon, corn and french fries. I laid on the couch with my feet up and was available as a consultant if need be.
Far Guy's sister was very sleepy and hardly awake at all yesterday. She did send a message to her brother via her husband that she loves him. She is not eating much at all anymore, a spoon of applesauce with her pills and a spoon of carrots. Very hard to see her go downhill. We hear that the Hospice nurses are very kind and good about helping out her husband, daughter and son in law as they all care for her at home.
We went for a ride down to the river to the area I call "dead beaver area."
Far Side
Busy day yesterday. Every thing went just fine with my parents, their new place is nice. I am tired.
And to top the whole entire peachy day off...I inspected my incision and I am positive they left a stitch in place...the bums:( :(
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It is spitting rain here from time to time. No snow, but the sky is dark and the wind is blowing. Up North at Jen and Andy's house winter has returned with twelve plus inches of snow. I am thrilled for them.
We had a busy day; ran errands to Wally World, Post Office and the Meat Market. Stopped by my parents and Dad knew who I was. They are moving into Assisted Living on Wednesday. My other baby brother and his work crew are helping as is his wife, Stacey and Megan. I will join them and do what I can.
Photo of a Swan taken a few days ago.
The brain dead lady at the Post Office told me I didn't need tracking on my packages...talk about lazy.
The fellows at the Meat Market were happy to see me again. Meat prices have stayed about the same there. Town was fairly busy.
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We have a few things on the list this week. Snow. Putting the bed upstairs together, searching for a couple of "lost items"...you know the kind you put "away" so well you cannot locate them. Taking naps are high on the list this snowy week.
I made the menus for the next two weeks...when we lived with the kids they do suppers day by day...Jen is a moody eater she never knows what she wants to eat days ahead of time. Heck I could do menus for a month...but two weeks at a time works well for us...of course it is not written in stone we can change ideas if we want to.
Those worthless steri strips lasted about 48 hours on my hand...So I put some more on.
My parents are moving into Assisted Living this week if all goes well and my Dad is released from the Nursing Home.
Far Guy's sister is confined to bed now, she says her legs weigh a ton and she cannot move them anymore. Far Guy calls her every evening. So sad to see her go downhill little by little.
Shell River
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Far Guy and I are watching Vikings Valhalla on Netflix at night. It isn't as funny as Norseman but still entertaining enough for us...it is fairly violent so it is not for the squeamish. The special effects and wardrobe department did an awesome job on this series and we hope that there is a second season.
I keep reminding Far Guy that Vikings are his people...as the Vikings bodies naturally developed Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency because they ate so much fish and would get worms....of course they only lived to be 40 or 50 years old so the effects of Alpha 1 were all positive ...they didn't get worms. However they did pass their genes on down the line. Far Guy has both genes, our daughters are carriers and we have one grandson that also carries one gene.
A few days ago it was rare disease day...since Far Guy is lucky enough to have two rare diseases (Trigeminal Neuralgia and Alpha One Antitrypsin Deficiency)...I thought I would at least mention it.
Back to the movies.
My Niece Stacy sent me this photo...she said "It must have been a good movie!"
Dad and Mom with four of their Great Grandchildren. ( I am guessing that the movie was The Yearling)
Far Side
Yesterday we had a gathering for my parents birthdays and their anniversary. My baby brother and his bride hosted the party at their lake home. It was a bit rainy so we gathered in the garage and in the porch to eat.
There was a good turnout. Many of my cousins showed up, my Dad has no living siblings, my Mom has two living siblings and Uncle Al showed up. There were 4 grandchildren, 13 Great Grandchildren and 2 Great Great Grandchildren to help celebrate.
Mom and Dad with the cake made by Jen
There was lots of food. Hamburgers, brats, pasta salad, coleslaw, potato salad, veggie tray, baked beans, chips, cake and ice cream cake.
My other baby brother, my baby brother, me and Mom and Dad
Dad knew who his children were...he could not come up with my name but knew I was born first, he called my brothers by name.
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My baby brother picked me up on Wednesday morning and we did some cemetery work...trimmed around headstones and cleaned them up. Other helpers were my baby brothers bride and their friends from Wyoming Mark and Cindy. Lots of help scrubbing lichens away.
Our Paternal Grandparents and a bit further away our Great Grandparents and some Uncles and Aunts.
One of the Maple trees was still somewhat in leaf.
Then we went to our Maternal Grandparents and Great Grandparents graves.
It was a beautiful day to be out and about.
Today is my parents 71st Wedding Anniversary they were married in this church. Their birthdays are coming up soon. Dad will be 95 and Mom 92.
The Church is next to the cemetery, they no longer have services there but the church is used for special occasions.
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