No Joke

I don't like April Fool's Day jokes.

I don't like practical jokes.

But when the weather reporters were calling for SNOW tonight and all day tomorrow, I really, really, really, REALLY hoped it was an April Fool's joke.

It was not a joke.

It is already snowing.

To end tonight's post on a cheery note, here is a picture of the macaroni and cheese that I ate for dinner.

Got a Gum Graft

As my regular readers know, I took a "bloggy break" due to the gum graft I had last Friday.

Not that anyone is wondering, but I thought I would share that the procedure went fine.

Tomorrow morning I have an appointment to get the stitches taken out of the roof of my mouth. The packing that initially covered up these stitches fell off a couple days ago, so I've been able to feel the stitches. Very annoying. I can hardly wait to have them removed.

The stitches for the graft itself dissolve on their own.

As for future gum grafts? I think four is enough. Sometimes I wonder if our ancestors had the right idea: Take the teeth out, get dentures, and be done with it!

Dad 351: Snow in Spring?

(Mom is working hard! Enjoy Dad's post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another dismal spring day in the Northeast. Also heard the weatherman say parts of the state could see a little snow this weekend. I just hope we are not living in that part. Please! LET SPRING BEGIN!

 

Spouse (Mary Lou) is still up the road in the rehab hospital. Seems to be improving with each day, but the process is slow. Please continue your thoughts and prayers so she can get home shortly. She has many recorded shows to watch. Thanks for caring.

 

Will watch both final fours this weekend. I only wish for the UConn women to finish up another undefeated season and reach 113 wins in a row. Wow!

 

Next week the baseball season begins for real. Go Red Sox!

 

Done for now. Sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

A Present for Jerry

Today I received the following text messages from Lew with accompanying photos.

Jerry's bed came. Of course he prefers the box it came in.

He figured it out.

We love our kitties!

I'm BACK!

My return from my blogging hiatus is not the only exciting news:

• Ken's Place opened for the season this past Friday.
• My beloved Red Sox start their regular season a week from today.
• The Dairy Corner opens on Friday, April 7th.

Other things to look forward to: Warmer weather, Pier Fries, and yard sales. (Well, maybe not yard sales....)

Welcome, Spring!

Dad 350: Easing on Down the Road

(Dad writes today. My next blog post will be on Monday. Have a great weekend!  ~  Tracy)

Derf Here! Another cold windy winter day in the Northeast. If I'm not mistaken, it is Spring. Well let the weather prove it.

I will be brief today as I'm running late to visit Spouse for her dinner. Mary Lou (Spouse) is now in a rehab facility about one and one half mile from our residence. Even on our road.

She seems to be slowly gaining strength from her fall, bone breaking, and operation on her shoulder and arm. She seems to be feeling a little better, but the progress is slow. We must have patience. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks, and I must be on my way. Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Big Plans This Weekend

I have another gum graft early Friday morning. It will be my fourth one. UGH! I can't believe I will have had four – at least there will be one in each quadrant of my mouth. I like balance and symmetry.

 

Derf will be posting tomorrow. Then, in honor of my gum graft, I will be taking a "bloggy break" until Monday. I plan to sleep, watch March Madness, and have Lew wait on me all weekend.

 

Smile!

A Complication

When I woke up yesterday (Sunday) morning I felt like I had forgotten something. It didn't take long for it to occur to me: Saturday's blog post! Lew and I had talked about him writing one, and then we both completely forgot all about it.

In our defense, we have had quite a lot going on recently. We don't lead complicated lives; but when complications arise for us, they all come at once.

Do you want to hear about one of our complications? Then read on....

When I came down to breakfast this morning, Lew ushered me into the kitchen and asked, "Breakfast for one?"

And why couldn't I eat at our dining room table? It's because our dining room looked like this (and still does at the moment):

And why does our dining room currently look like this? It's because our living room currently looks like this:

And why does our living room look like this? It's because new vinyl flooring got installed today (that long piece of cardboard is protecting a seam while the glue dries).

But, you may ask, didn't we just get a new floor put down about three months ago?

Why, yes. Yes, we did.

We really liked our three-month old floor (in fact, the new vinyl is the same product), but when we started having trouble with it lifting and bulging and tearing... well, we knew something was wrong.

For all of you aspiring floor contractors out there: When installing a product you've never installed before, please make sure you know exactly how you're supposed to install it. For example, if the product is supposed to be glued to the sub-floor, then don't just merely set it on top of the sub-floor and call it good. If you neglect to glue it, then it will lift and bulge and tear.

Sassy and Sunshine

Sassy, the rehab center's cat, paid Mom a visit tonight!

Mom also keeps Sunshine close by at all times.  :)

(Sunshine, the yellow bunny, is a gift from Kim. Sunshine's name is by Eli.)

Moving Day

Mom got the staples taken out of her arm today.

Then she was moved to the rehab facility that is right down the road from our house.

Hooray!

She is happy, Dad is happy, Kim is happy, Debbie is happy, I am happy....

Now Mom needs to get serious about her rehab so she can move HOME.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

Dad 349: Spouse in Stitches

(Dad wrote the following earlier today. He and Kim just got home from visiting Mom. I guess I'm a little behind on getting this uploaded to the blog! LOL! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A gorgeous cold sunny day to complete the cleanup of yesterday's blizzard. Anywhere from 15 to 22 inches of snow around our area. Please, no more winter as spring is a few days away. PLEASE!

 

Getting ready to visit Spouse at the rehab hospital. If all goes well, she will be moved to a rehab facility just up the road from our home. She should have her stitches removed tomorrow if all goes as scheduled. Still need prayers for her progress. Thanks for your concerns. They are welcome.

 

I am now wishing to not use my plow truck again this year. One thing good about storms in March: The snow melts more quickly. At least I hope so! Done for today! Sooo....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Why I Didn't Leave the House Today

Unfortunately, the weather forecast was spot on regarding this storm. It is pretty much a whiteout here.

I took this picture through a window in my living room.

Monday, Monday

Worked hard today. (Still getting up to speed on my new responsibilities.)

 

Feeling tired after the time change. (Now that we have "sprung" ahead, can't we just call it good? I could do without adjusting the clocks twice a year!)

 

Getting ready for another nor'easter. (Hope the weather forecast is wrong!)

 

G'nite!

Lew's Logbook: Short and Sweet

(Lew writes today, the coldest day we've had all winter. ~ Tracy)

You know how Tracy writes a blog post now and then that is “short and sweet”? The reason is usually because she is bone tired or not feeling well.

I have been sick for four days. Much of that time has been spent in the bathroom, if you catch my drift.

My stomach is still upset and I have no energy. The Dr. office said it could last another couple of days. Oh joy!

Here’s to short and sweet.

I threw in a picture to make up for lack of text. A day at the beach last summer:

More Alphabet Fun

By rearranging the letters in the word "tried" you can get "tired."

This week I tried to keep up with all aspects of life.

And now I am tired.

(In case you're interested, I was somewhat successful in my efforts!)

😴😴😴😴😴

I.G.T.F.

I have rearranged the letters in T.G.I.F.

 

I.G.T.F. is for use on Thursday: "I'm Glad Tomorrow's Friday!"

Dad 348: No More Four Eyes

(A brief update from Dad today. Thank you for your prayers!  ~  Tracy)

Derf Here! Another beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Had my remaining eye surgery yesterday. Cataracts are gone. New lenses have been inserted. Wore a patch overnight. Patch off this morning and now both eyes can see great. The world is much brighter and clearer now, and I no longer wear glasses after about 60 years.

Spouse still in rehab. Many visits (every day) by many family members. Kim is here from Illinois for a few days. Deb and family have been in to see Spouse; Lew and Tracy have, too. Emily, Eli, and Adam made a surprise visit. We are working on her rehab and where it will take us. Please pray for us and the decisions we must make.

Short and to the point! Sooo....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Mail Call!

Our mailbox recently had a run-in with our plow guy, whose name will be withheld.

 

The damage to the mailbox wasn't really noticeable to the eye. But if you tried to open and close the door, you would find it to be a really tight fit.

 

On Saturday our delivery person decided that our mailbox was "blocked" and therefore did not deliver a couple items we were expecting. (Some elbow grease would have worked, but alas.)

 

Lew had already purchased a new mailbox last week; it just needed to be installed. Dad took care of that yesterday morning.

 

We still didn't get any mail delivered yesterday. But we did have some outgoing mail, which the mail truck did pick up.

 

Between the successful pickup yesterday and my online request to "redeliver" the two items from Saturday, the postal service realized we were back in business.

 

Lew watched our mail get delivered today. It took quite a while for the delivery person to stuff our box with three days of mail.

 

Lew's comment regarding this delivery: "Finally!"

Closed for the Season

Tracy's Tax Preparation Service is pleased to announce another successful tax season.

Federal and Maine income tax returns were prepared for the following taxpayers:

1. Lew and Tracy
2. Matt and Emily
3. Derf and Spouse

Thank you, TurboTax, for once again providing easy-to-use preparation software (for a fee, of course).

Bringing in the shingle until next year!

Lew's Logbook: Litter Box

(My husband is brilliant! Enjoy his post! ~ Tracy)

I have not been a cat person for most of my life, but now…let’s just say that I have grown.

Some of you know our large cat, Jerry.

Two weeks ago Jerry deposited a significant pile of poop at the bottom of our stairs. It was a healthy one. He had not done that before so I started wondering why.

Google: "My cat pooped on the floor.”

One of the suggestions was that the cat may be uncomfortable in an enclosed litter box. We have a fancy one of those downstairs, and it has occurred to me that it is a little tight for big Jerry. He had not used it to poop for a while. (The litter box upstairs is not enclosed.)

Answer: Modify the box.

The picture below shows the extra height I added to the “pooperia."

It worked.

Jerry is now making deposits again.

Remember to ExercEYEs

My tasks at work are changing quite a bit; I have more responsibility. I started learning the new stuff yesterday, and — BOY! — have I been busy. I'm going to enjoy it once I get the hang of it.

Because I am so intent on learning everything properly, I have spent way too much time staring at a computer the past couple days. (I need to do better about taking short breaks.) My eyes are so tired and watery right now, so I need to keep this post short.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Surgery Success

Dad got home just before 8:00 tonight. He had the opportunity for a brief visit with Mom after her surgery.

The doctor spoke with him, and he said the surgery went well... although her arm will still hurt for a bit!

Mom will spend the night in the hospital. The plan is for her to return to rehab tomorrow.

Please pray for healing (arm and collarbone), increased steadiness on her feet (so she can come home), and relief from pain.  Thanks!

Dad 347: A Real Pain in the Arm

(Keep the prayers coming for my mother. Dad gives an update in today's post. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! I'm writing this blog post in the early morning and it sure is "a foggy day in London town." Only about 1/4-mile visibility. It will get better! At least that is what we've been told!

 

Spouse is still at New England Rehab. Currently they are trying to get her stomach settled. Then they can work on her rehab more vigorously. Her shoulder pain and arm pain remain severe. Thoughts and prayers for her are requested. Thanks.

 

It is a game of trying to get an extra-strength painkiller that won't affect her nausea. Her eating needs some serious improvement. I have been assured by her case manager and in-house doctor that they are working on all her needs.

 

We are hoping for daily improvement in all areas. Less pain – eating better – etc.

 

Prayers that the whole team will find some answers. They hope to get her home in two weeks.

 

I'll keep you posted.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

 

P.S. Just learned Spouse will have surgery on her arm tomorrow!