Up North

 We travelled to two Doctor's appointments for me.  The first to have the Doctor add a different blood pressure med since one of the others was causing tummy troubles.  Then I had a different injection in my back.  So far so good we will see what happens in the next week or so.  This injection was a Transforminal Epidural Injection...there were two injections...and it was quite painful.  No pain no gain they say.  Still hopeful that it will work. 

We celebrated Jen's birthday a few days early...we went out to Supper at one of Jen's favorite places Ely's Ivy on Tuesday evening.  The food was awesome...I had Gluten Free chicken and roasted potatoes....my stomach was so happy to have real food...if a stomach could smile mine was beaming from ear to ear.  It all settled well with no tummy troubles. 

We got to pet Sadie several many times and Jen, Far Guy and I went to pick out the lighting fixtures for our Suite in the new house.  Right now the house is getting plumbing (almost done) and electrical...next up is insulation and sheetrock.  I should have taken photos but I did not. 

We also went to Hobby Lobby and yarn may have been purchased...you just never know what jumps right in your cart in that store. 

Leaves are stacking up in the yard! 

Minnesota weather: Rain fell on our way home Wednesday late afternoon. High 67F or 19C   Low 48F or 9C

What's cooking?  Eggs and potatoes....easy supper after being gone all day.

Far Side

Alrighty then

 The new vehicle was much easier on my back and legs as we traveled back and forth Up North to medical appointments. As with any new vehicle we have much to learn about the features.

Far Guy saw his Primary Care Doctor for a follow up after his hospitalization earlier this month.  He still has a nagging cough that is concerning so he will be on steroids for about a week.  Hopefully that will get rid of his cough.  Between the heat, humidity and wildfire smoke...good outside air is not here. 

I had test injections for a Medial Branch Block...my facet joints in my back are unhappy.   I did not have a good enough result to continue with another round of test injections.  You have to have 80% improvement and I only had about 60% improvement for the six hours that the test injections last for.  They have cancelled the tests in August ..so we are back to square one....or maybe it is square zero. 

Then I saw the Gastroenterologist to discuss my side duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (SD IPMN) on my pancreas.   It is considered precancerous.  Because of the size of the "cyst" (more than 5 cm) the Doctor recommends   1) MRI to watch what happens next  2) Referral to Mayo Clinic or the University of Minnesota  for surgery.   I have a MRI scheduled for the end of September and then we will evaluate the situation.  It is a nasty big surgery...many days in the hospital and a very long recovery.   I am not thrilled about that option. 

I had a video visit with my Rheumatologist...take prednisone he says ...he can do nothing for me. 

Yesterday was son in law Andy's birthday!  Now that is something to celebrate! 

Far Side

Up North

 We were Up North for a procedure that was cancelled and a Dr appointment.  

We had supper one night with the Great Grandchildren and supper one night with Grandson Noah and his wife Hanna.  We did more that eat...we petted Sadie, played cards and went to Menards. 

Nice to get a photo where Peach isn't trying to strangle Baby K.

After we left Up North we heard that Cee Cee put a rock up her nose that required a trip to the ER and an Xray.

Something always happening when there are four! 

Far Side

Foggy but warm

 It was 37F yesterday or 3C...warm for Winter but foggy.  Jen and Andy have the cleanest driveway on the block...anytime there is a bit of snow Andy takes care of it.

See the dirty snow? 

Not exactly a Winter Wonderland.  But the streets are good...as in not icy:)

Far Guy had a four stick two nurse IV for his infusion...the next try would have been the third nurse.  He feels kinda cruddy....not sick...just off. 

The last day of January...finally!

Far Side

A smile

 This may make you smile. 

Someone was a pill when it was time to take photos.  These are our Great Grandchildren growing taller every day.  That is Peach being a pill. 

We will be seeing more of these children, by the time you read this we should be Up North for the worst of the Winter weather.   Hopefully we are all settled in by now and Sadie is keeping track of us!

This was the snow that delayed our departure by a day, the roads were crappy for traveling, and we traveled in between storms.  

Far Side

Up North

 We had a combined 5 Doctors appointments on Tuesday and Wednesday Up North in Grand Forks, ND  2 for me and 3 for Far Guy.  All is well, other than we are aging...no cure for that. 

We went out for supper with Andy and Jen to a new place (Helix). My steak was good....my only complaint was they make their own steak sauce and I like Heinz 57.  Far Guy did not eat his crunchy green beans and I thought they were delicious.  This new place rivals Harry's and they have mostly gluten free options. 

Sadie was great company...she woke me up in the morning...first she jumps on the bed and lays down on top of you and licks your face, then your hands covering your face all the while her tail wags 90 miles per hour.  That is Sadie for you. 

Someone bought her a new toy.   She likes it.  

Pet Co is a great store.

We are back home safe and sound.

A few trees are beginning to change color.

Far Side

Andy and Jen, Little Elvis, Sadie

 Far Guy had Doctors appointments Up North so we left right after his Infusion on Thursday and came back late Friday afternoon.   He is doing okay.

Guess who else was happy to see us?

Little Elvis had a sleep over with us in our room.  He had a small problem last week, he caught a toe nail on something and it bled something fierce...and he traveled throughout the house ...no doubt looking for help...poor boy.  Jen asked me if I wanted to take him home...I would like to but I don't think he would be happy here.  He doesn't hear anything, hand signals work the best with him...and I am not sure how much he can see.  

AND then there is the retriever...

She was so happy to finally get my shoe.  Her tail was wagging ninety miles an hour.  She enjoys being a shoe thief!

She wasn't the least bit remorseful.  However she did give up my shoe...eventually...but would not retrieve the other one.   Sadie is quite the dog, Thursday evening she went from person to person for attention.  Her own personal round table of attention.  She has been shutting herself in the bathroom...she goes in there to drink out of the toilet bowl...yes dogs do that!  I am sure her big old tail hits the door and the door partially closes behind her...she isn't brave enough to nose the door open...so we worked on that a bit...with me standing outside the door saying "Sadie nose" and offering a treat through the open part of the door...she nosed it open multiple times.  Will she remember...not sure.  When she shuts herself in the bathroom she doesn't bark or whine she just waits patiently until someone rescues her.  Thats Sadie for you!

Did you know our son in law Andy is a marvelous cook? ...well he is...he made bacon cheeseburgers on the grill,  potato rounds in the air fryer and a caprese salad.  I miss his cooking and I miss the days off from cooking when he cooks! 

Jen is a good cook also...but she does not enjoy cooking like Andy does.  She is a marvelous baker! So they make a good team.

It was good to see everyone...we also got to see Adam,  Maddie and Andy's Mom!

Far Side

Afternoon pals

 Jen was at work and then came home to rest quietly.  Far Guy was downstairs working on a puzzle and having a nap. Andy was at work and came home in time for supper. 

Sadie and Little Elvis had me cornered in the computer room.  No way was I escaping without them.

They had the exits covered.  Smart dogs.  I will "do" in a pinch. 

View out the window in the computer room.

Notice no snow.  There was some morning frost but I slept through it. 

I was the cook yesterday.  Roast pork, mashed potatoes and gravy, with roasted parsnips and carrots.  There are enough left overs to eat again today.  BTW the Pioneer brand gluten free brown gravy mix was excellent!

Far Side

Getting Settled

 We made it Up North safe and sound.  Our youngest Grandson Adam came by and helped us move stuff from the car to the house.  We unloaded stuff and settled in quickly.

Saturday we went grocery shopping and I had a long rest time. 

Sadie and Little Elvis are thrilled with our company.  When Far Guy put on his jacket to go along to the grocery store Sadie was visibly sad. She makes us laugh with her antics. 

I moved one dog bed between Far Guy and I in the computer room.

Little Elvis is happy to be there with us.  He rested with me in the afternoon. 

Andy custom built the cabinets and drawers for the computer area.  It is just perfect.  It is a very pretty room where we spend some time off and on throughout the day. 

No snow here yet. 

Far Side

Babies

We finally got to meet the new babies.  They live up North and belong to very good friends of Jen and Andy.

Twins…when we found out that they were expecting twins I was hoping for two girls… but one of each is just perfect.

I was excited to meet them and their Mom said I could hold them as long as I wanted…I think she is over the new baby is all mine thing. They are just about eight weeks old.

Of course the boy child has oodles of hair…he slept the whole time we were there but we held him anyway.

The girl child was just as sweet as can be.  She is the patient one.

Perfect..they are just perfect! It will be fun to watch them grow up!

Two Highlights and a Non Highlight

Well another week down the tubes..a couple of fun things happened this week.  Far Guy and I went to the “Rez Parade” last Sunday.  We took Chance and parked near the Church and sat in the car until the parade started.   Before anyone calls me racist..the Native Americans call it a Rez  parade themselves. The highlight? 

This photo, how many people have a photo of the cops throwing candy at them.

Tuesday we went up to Jen and Andy's, their house is coming along…I am waiting for her to share before and after photos on her blog.  She made the move over from Area Voices to Blogspot..so now she is easier to find. Her blog is called East  Side Professor.   If she were not enamored with the English language and teaching she would have made a great Interior Decorator.  We went along with Noah to his guitar lesson, and then we all went out for supper.   The highlight?

This photo, I had to bump it up a bit in Photoshop..but I finally got one of the photos that is on my bucket list..a Rainbow!!  The blooming Flax field, Lightening and a baby Buffalo still remain on the photo bucket list.  We have had lots of rain this summer, and we have seen a few rainbows..but they either disappear before we get to a safe spot where we can photograph them or are so puny they don’t show up in a photo. ..this one I just took out of the window on our way back from town.

The non highlight this week was a Dental Checkup and Cleaning where it was discovered that I have not just one abscess but two ( sometimes I am just an over achiever)  and I will undergo two root canals on Monday morning..the infections have been treated with four doses of various antibiotics over the past six months. I told the Dentist to just pull them both out, he said he wants to try to save them..especially the one that shows when I smile..I told him that I am a cranky old woman and rarely smile anyway:(

Family Time

We were gone on Friday, but we came  back home on Saturday afternoon.   We headed up north to our daughters.   Far Guy was getting to do one of his favorite things.  Attend a hockey game at "The Ralph" ...with our daughter and son in law.. Far Guy had to cream our daughter in a couple of games of Ping Pong first.. they have had a ping pong war going for a really long time..since she was a teenager.

I got to do one of my favorite things..stay with the grand boys!  They tolerate me,  first they played video games..an x box I think..it is hooked up to the TV and has controllers.  I had played a shoot em up target practice game with Adam in the afternoon..eventually he told me "Grandma, you are done, I am playing all by myself now."  Dismissed by an eight year old!   They eventually wandered to the computers..which left me nothing to do..so I tried the video game by myself.  Well not really by myself..Adam came out and got me started..probably better than me hanging over his shoulder at the computer. "Which one you want Grandma, the one you couldn't play this afternoon?"  Yah ..I guess I need practice.   After awhile Noah came to check on me..they really took care of me more than I took care of them.  Noah showed me a Build your Own Roller coaster.. so I built one..it was all track..after my attempt we rode the coaster I designed..he told me that some people actually build such great coasters that they barf when they do the final ride (did I know that you could  watch a You Tube of people barfing during their roller coaster virtual ride? ) ..mine was not that great.. not barf worthy.   Time for the big event of the evening..a movie,  Hotel for Dogs..a cute flick..I like any movie with dogs and this was a pretty good little movie for us all to watch.  It was a non violent movie which suits me just fine.  We all got our blankies and pillows and popcorn and settled in for the evening!  I just love that huge sectional..that allows us all space..but togetherness..there was even room for two dogs and a cat.

Noah serenaded us with his guitar, he goes to lessons and is really coming along quite well.   His report card was fantastic..mostly B's and a few A's!!  Adams report card was good too..he needs to work on neatness..I think that is pretty normal.  Adam who struggled the entire school year last year with a teacher that should not have been teaching..told me " School is good Grandma"  What sweet words to hear.  "I have the best teacher in the entire school! "   Now that is really something, and a real relief to me.  Especially since I spent most of the  last school year wanting to visit his school and tell his teacher a thing or two.   Funny thing too..there was no grandparents day at school the entire year.

Hockey season is upon us.  On weekend nights like last night..the phone rings and you know it is about Hockey..first one daughter..then the other..all hockey fans watching two games on the TV..switching back and forth between channels..calling their Dad to make sure he is watching.  A local boy is on the BSU team..they played the Gophers last night..and then the UND game against St Cloud.. both games at the same time..on the same television.  It was way too much for me to keep up with:)