Dad 697: A New Year Ahead

(Dad writes today. He is better about writing posts than I am. Maybe I should rename the blog "Mainely Derf"! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Not a great winter day. Not much sun but quite warm. At least there is no storm.

I have been told to make this short. I will do that.

Christmas is over and now we must get through the start of a new year.

Good night, Mary Lou, and I'm waiting to see you again. Knowing we will be together again is a great thought!

Weather lady just said we won't see sun until next year. Only a few days away!

Hope this is short enough.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

December 25

🎄  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  🎄

Dad 696: Shortest Day, Longest Night

(Dad writes today! Happy "Winter Solstice" tomorrow! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! From inside the house the day outside looks like a beautiful spring day. But temperature is not like spring (30's).

 

Not much to report on this time of year, so here's a little info for all the people out there. Tomorrow will be the shortest day of the year. On Thursday our days will start to increase in time. Not much per day, but at least the amount of daylight will be increasing each day. The longest day will be here in six months. It will be a whole lot warmer then also. So Winter, please go by quickly.

 

Tune in next week for my post-Christmas post. I have most of my holiday projects done. I will complete my duties for the season after this blog post is done.

 

This post is done.

 

Sooooo.... Have a Merry Christmas!!!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Fivety

At work today I saw a check for $50.00.

The check-writer entered "Fivety" on the legal line.

Onety

Twoty

Threety

Fourty

Fivety

Sixty

Seventy

Eightty

Ninety

Tenty

These things amuse me.

😏

Dad 695: A Trip to the Surgeon

(Dad writes today. More feet stuff! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A nice day but cool. Right now it is about freezing. It is, however, late in the day.

 

I went to see my foot surgeon today to check out my toe-less feet. One foot is fine, but the other foot has the start of a bleeding sore on a toe stub. This is being caused by my new shoes. I am to take my new shoes back to the shop to get them readjusted.

 

Fortunately, the shoe specialist had a cancellation for Friday, so I will go to the shoe man in two days. I'll hope for better results.

 

Then I will have to see my foot surgeon again about this. Hopefully I'll get an "OK" and be done with my foot problems.

 

I'll keep you posted in the coming weeks. Enough for now.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

It's the 12th of December

December 12th already?!  Didn't the month just start?!

Fortunately, I'm almost done with my Christmas preparations.  Just a few more items to get.

One item I need to buy is something for myself... a present for Lew to give to me.  I'm going to get myself something real nice!

😁

P.S. Not sure what the "real nice" thing is going to be yet....

Dad 694: A Trip to the Dentist

(Dad writes today. He makes a Seinfeld reference, ha ha! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Looking out the window, today was a beautiful day. But the temperature never made it up to the freezing mark. It's about 25 degrees now.

I have been interrupted in my writing by another shooting in our country. A shooter is at Las Vegas University. Didn't take long for the police to find the suspect. He is now expired. Don't know anything else, such as how many people were shot or how the suspect died. We will find out later.

Now back to what I wanted to write about. Had my cleaning at the dentist today. I'm not a fan of going to the dentist. (But I'm not an anti-dentite!) Must return next month for the removal of an old black filling. We are also watching another tooth that will eventually need work. I will keep up with my dental needs.

Enough for today!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

A Football Opera

The Rockets are playing in a basketball "Classic" this week. Dad and I will watch as many games as we can; it depends on online streaming. They won last night — quite handily!

After last night's Rockets game was over, Dad turned on Monday Night Football. He enjoys watching the ManningCast when Peyton and Eli are doing their simultaneous broadcast. Last night they had Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as a guest.

I only watched a couple minutes of the ManningCast, but it happened to be when Tua played "Tears in Heaven" on the guitar! The game was still going on, so Peyton sang (I use the term loosely) to describe the plays that were happening. It was so catchy that this morning I found myself singing, "The Bengals jumped off-sides...."

🎸🏈😉

Christmas Lights

Our house is looking mighty festive!

Lew did a great job. 💗🎄

Dad 693: Basketball Is Back

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another stormless day here in the Northeast. However, the temperatures today did drop to freezing. Yes, a thermometer was at 32° today. Getting rather cool. It will get worse before it gets better.

 

Zach is once again coaching the varsity boys basketball team in Rock Falls, IL. We watched last night's game online. Zach's team started very slowly, falling behind 12-0 before finally scoring. Lost by 10 points, so did all right in the last three periods – but must start faster. The team should be good this year.

 

I'm going to try to attend the Kents Hill School reunion next June. I was invited by the class of 1964 for their 60th graduation celebration. Going to do my best to get there. We will see!

 

Still plugging along. Still miss Mary Lou. That is it for today.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Back to Work

I wrote one blog post during my vacation. Overall, I was very unproductive during my days away from the office, but I think that's what a vacation is supposed to be like.

When I went back to work this morning I learned I had missed some excitement. Our office building was broken into last Tuesday night! The perpetrator did not manage to get into my office; in fact, it looked like he gave up quickly. Other colleagues weren't so fortunate. A high-ticket item was stolen, but it has been recovered intact. This is the kind of excitement it is okay to miss.

Now high on my to-do list: Finish my Christmas shopping.

Dad 692: One Month

(Dad writes on this stormy day. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A real lousy day. Heavy rain and temperatures in the 40s. It won't be long! We can wait!

 

Just heard that a car exploded by the Rainbow Bridge near Buffalo. Sounds like a terror attack, not knowing where the car bomb was supposed to explode. All New York bridges to Canada are now closed. Hope to learn more about this later. Fatalities involved.

 

Well, it was one month ago today that Mary Lou left her earthly home. We miss her, but she is enjoying her new surroundings. Save me a seat!

 

Big holiday tomorrow. Thanksgiving is upon us. One message for you:

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Also pray that our country can get on the right road. We seem to be going in the wrong direction. Thanks to Joe and Kamala.

 

That's all for today.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

 

Back to the Blog

It's been a few weeks since I've actually written a blog post myself, so thank you for still reading Mainely Tracy. And many thanks to my father (a.k.a. Derf) for keeping the blog going with his own weekly posts.

It has taken me a while to adjust to the fact that I no longer visit Mom at the nursing home every day. I did stop in there at the end of last week to drop something off, and some of the staff mentioned it's been an adjustment for them as well. They all loved my mother.

I am taking this whole week off from work. This is the first time I've done that since starting my part-time job in early March. I spent the weekend doing nothing other than eating too much and watching football with Lew.

Today I became a productive member of society. I visited a friend this morning. I did Dad's laundry and my own laundry this afternoon. I also took care of some mail that had piled up on my desk.

Other than our Thanksgiving plans, I have scheduled nothing more for the week. Maybe I'll finish some books that I've started — I have about five going right now! Maybe I'll do some origami. Maybe I'll create something with LEGO bricks. Maybe I'll do a jigsaw puzzle. Maybe I'll watch a movie... or two... or three....

Hey, I even may write another blog post.

Dad 691: Cards Coming

(Dad writes today. I am not working next week and one of my goals is to write a blog post myself. Wish me luck! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Fairly nice day today but temperature is only in the 40s. No snow on our ground yet. We have had a little bit, but it is gone. Ski areas are now opening up. The snow makers are working well.

 

Still receiving cards of sympathy for our loss of Mary Lou. Nice to hear from some of her school system colleagues. She was very important to them.

 

Not a day goes by that we don't have a yearning to sit down with her to just talk. We wonder what she is doing now. We'll know someday.

 

Tune in next week and I'll try to have more info.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Dad 690: A Day at a Time

(Dad writes today. I need to start writing again, too. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another beautiful sunny day. But the cool weather is coming to us (high 30s and 40s). I always start my blog post by stating the weather.

 

The days go by. Sadness is a part of every day, but we are managing to survive. Every day gets us a step closer to having a reunion. We await that great day!

 

We had a delightful visit at the end of last week from niece Gina, nephew Harry, and Harry's wife Donna. It was great to see them after so many years. Many thanks to them for visiting us! We certainly enjoyed their visit, and we hope they did as well.

 

Gina brought her dog, Westinghouse... oh, I've made a serious error... his name is Hemingway. Gina sometimes refers to him as "Dog." (I liked pretending I couldn't remember his name!) We all enjoyed "Dog." He was very well behaved and he got along well with his Maine family.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Dad 689: Pretty in Purple

(Dad writes today. Kim and Debbie are back from their excursion. I've included a photo of their efforts. Beautiful! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! "Sunny day" is the way to describe today. Quite cool, though, at 40 degrees. But it is not snowing! The northern part of the state did get a few inches of snow a couple days ago. Makes us think of what is coming. It won't be long and winter will be here... and I am not happy about it.

Even though the day is sunny, our hearts are still a bit cloudy. Deb and Kim are driving to pick up Mary Lou's ashes and select an urn today. Should be back shortly with the memorial. Still a little unbelievable that she is gone. Hope she is enjoying her new home. Hope she saves me a seat next to her.

We are anticipating the arrival of some family members from Pennsylvania tomorrow. My niece Gina and my nephew Harry and his wife, Donna, are coming for a couple days. Haven't seen them for a few years, so we are all looking forward to their visit.

Asking for God's grace to bring us through this difficult time in our lives.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Dad 688: We Say Goodbye... For Now

(Dad writes today. Our lives are forever changed. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another beautiful fall day with temperatures above normal (high 60s).

 

I lost my bride of 63 years this past Sunday, October 22. Mary Lou had stopped eating, and her mind was not capable of normal thought processes. She had not spoken to us for a couple weeks as she was making her way to her Savior, Jesus Christ, to meet him face-to-face. I know she recognized Tracy and me as we met with her daily. We are happy to know where she is now, but the heart still has a hole in it. We will see her in the future. I am ready to go!

 

Zack came home from the University of Maine for the weekend, although he had originally planned to stay at school. But this allowed Glen, Deb, and their two boys, Josh and Zack, to visit Mary Lou on Saturday. Feels so good that they all were able to visit Lou as a family one last time on the day before she passed. I believe God planned this visit and had Zack come home from school.

 

I must write an obituary with Tracy's help. I hope we will have it published within a week or so. There will be no services at this time. Instead, we will have a family gathering in the summer to celebrate her life.

 

We rejoice that Mary Lou's troubles are over. She is whole again! But she is certainly missed by her family. Yes, we are sad, but we know we will see her again. What a thought!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Dad 687: God's Grace

(Dad writes today.... ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another cloudy day as we approach a great weather day tomorrow, then to three days of rainy weather. We have no choice, so we accept the days.

Just watched Franklin Graham discussing the Israel conflict. What a mess!

I don't feel like writing today so I'm asking you to read Tracy's post from Sunday. It is a difficult time for the family. Keep praying for all, especially for Mary Lou. She needs God's grace. We all do!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Praying for Mom

Dad and I both see Mom every day. When I got to the nursing home on Friday, she was sitting in her wheelchair! It had been a while since she had done that.

Yesterday she asked to "play games" which means to do her little jigsaw puzzles. She did a few with me and also did some with Dad when he was in later.

It was nice to see her sitting up, and it was nice to work on puzzles with her. But the current concern is that she is not eating more than a couple bites (if that), although she is drinking fluids.

Today was a difficult day. She didn't say much. I asked her, "Am I your Tracy?" and she nodded. Before I left to pick up Dad for his visit with her, I asked what her husband's name is, and she did answer... correctly, by the way!

Please pray that the nursing home staff can keep Mom pain-free and comfortable. And pray that her mind can be at peace. I made a sign a long time ago that hangs where Mom can see it: "Mom, don't be afraid. God is with you."

Friday... working on her puzzles!

Dad 686: Please Keep Praying

(Dad writes today. The world is in turmoil. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another nice sunny day in the early fall. Temps no longer in the 70s but the high 50s will do. Weather doesn't seem as important as we watch the war in the Middle East.

 

We have our own United States values being questioned by members of Black Lives Matter and the infamous "Squad" in our government.

 

We will continue to pray for Israel against their opponents as we watch this world and our country fall to new levels. Thank you, Joe and Kamala!

 

Mary Lou seems to be resting well as we visit her daily. Please keep praying that she will be kept comfortable. Thank you for your prayers!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Ice Cream for Lunch

My friend Carmen came by after church. The Dairy Corner closes for the season tomorrow, so she took Lew and me out for a "summer-is-officially-over" ice cream treat! Yummy! Not one of us felt guilty about having ice cream for lunch.

And if that yumminess wasn't enough, Lew went to Amato's to pick up dinner for Dad, himself, and me. A few weeks ago I discovered they have a baked macaroni and cheese dinner. It is delicious, and the portion is large enough for two meals. So, so, so good.

It was a great day of eating!

Tomorrow night I am planning on having a salad.

Dad 685: Please Pray

(Dad wrote this post shortly after the lunch hour today. Yes, please pray! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Summer weather is still with us in the Northeast. We'll take it, but it is probably about to change. Fall, we welcome you to the Northeast!

We are visiting Mary Lou daily and keeping our prayers flowing. We can use all of your prayers, as it is a critical time for her. We have hope for her life at this moment. Please pray for her and her family.

I'll be going to visit her for the afternoon in about an hour. This will be our daily plan in the future. Thanks for your concern!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Number 49

Tim Wakefield, the great knuckleballer who played for the Red Sox, died this morning. The reports are that he had a very aggressive form of brain cancer. He was only 57 years old. Gone too soon.

I haven't followed the Red Sox very closely for the past couple years. The current ownership is too political, and they also have messed up by not holding onto some fan-favorite players — for example, Mookie Betts.

But we were big fans during Tim Wakefield's tenure with the team. He was fun to watch, and it was apparent that he was a good man.

Thanks for the memories, #49! You will be missed.

Dad 684: Debating On the Debate

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! We are enjoying a long run of nice weather. Temps today in the 60s. Looks like rain is about one week away in this area.

 

I am now wearing real shoes on both feet. I had been using a surgical shoe on my "recently surgically-removed toes" left foot. But finally I'm in my own two shoes. I also have ordered special shoes which I will have in 4 to 6 weeks. Hope my foot infections are done!

 

Well, I've watched enough TV today to put me in the debate mode. A lot of interest in the southern border with its unbelievable happenings. What a mess! Thank you, Joe and Kamala! Great job!

 

I probably will watch the debate tonight. Maybe make a comment next week.

 

Done for today!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Lew and I Host a Gathering

We are long-term subscribers to WORLD Magazine. I also get the weekly "Roundup" newsletters various WORLD writers send via e-mail.

Several months ago I wrote to Steve, the writer of one of the newsletters. He had told a story about how he and his wife had a bat in their bedroom. This reminded me of our own story, of course! You can read our story right here on Mainely Tracy:

Superkitty (July 26, 2012)

My Take on the Bat Incident (July 27, 2012)

I sent our bat tale to Steve. He thought it was hilarious, and he published part of it in his newsletter. Jerry was definitely the hero! A few weeks later I sent Steve a photo of Jerry looking at a page from WORLD Magazine — a page with a photo of Steve and his own cat.

Our subsequent correspondence led to a gathering of WORLD Magazine donors in Maine. Steve and his wife flew to Maine yesterday morning. We had a fun meetup at our house with them and 12 other donors who responded to Steve's invitation. It really was a great time....

And everyone got to meet Jerry, the "CATalyst" for how this came to be!

Jerry reads WORLD.

Dad 683: More Foot News

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Enjoying a few days of late summer weather. Temps are a little lower than in the summer, but the weather will be brilliant until this weekend arrives.

 

I still seem to be making progress with my foot care. Keeping an eye on my foot to be sure there is no infection left in it. This seems to be the case, for which we are very happy. My surgeon wants to see me in three weeks.

 

We will be going to check out a new shoe for my feet with a professional on Friday. Hope to be able to get a new pair of diabetic shoes with a "fill" in the front to replace the toes. Will say how we do next week.

 

I'm done for today, so....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf !

After Lee

After much hype, Hurricane Lee didn't affect us much.

We did have some strong winds, though. Sadly, a man was killed when a tree fell on his car. And over 100,000 households lost power, but most have had it restored.

Dad and I went to visit Mom this afternoon. After we got home, Dad sat outside on the porch and enjoyed the beautiful weather we are having today. I would love it to be like this all year!

Dad 682: Good Foot!

(Dad writes today. I counted 10 exclamation marks in his post. I think he's happy.... ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! A day late! Another nice day nearing the end of summer. Halfway through September! Enjoy it!

Saw my surgeon on Wednesday. She was very happy with my foot. I now may be on my foot for all occasions. I'm free from having to walk on my heel. I'm free from not showering my foot. I'm back to normal. What a feeling! Good foot! It was worth the wait!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Foot News!

Dad is hoping to write his weekly post tomorrow, but he did want me to share that he got great news today: He had an appointment with his foot surgeon, and she gave him the "all clear" on his foot! He no longer needs to have it dressed, so he can go back to wearing his regular shoe.... Put a sock in it!

Summer in September, Part 2

This past week was the warmest week of the summer. And, if it wasn't, it sure felt like it. We used the window air conditioners for several days in a row.

Today things cooled down a bit, but it was still shorts and tee-shirt weather.

The NFL season is now in full swing. The Patriots came close to winning but didn't pull it off. I'm trying to decide if I really care.... 🏈⁇

Dad 681: Back to the Blog

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

I'M BACK! Derf Here! Summer weather is still here in the Northeast. Let's enjoy it while it lasts.

Well, I am back after a month-long hiatus from this blog. I went to my doctor for a follow-up after my foot surgery and ended up in the hospital. Found out I had an infection in my foot. This led to another surgery to deal with the infectious disease. After two weeks in the hospital, I was sent to rehab for almost two weeks. They finally let me go home since the foot is coming along well and seems to be going in the right direction.

I'm busy getting things back to normal. I'll try not to miss any more blog posts. Welcome back. Tune in next week. May have more news.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Summer in September

Dad came home yesterday.

Mom's new jigsaw puzzles are arriving.

I may need to work only two days (today and tomorrow) this week.

Today was a beautiful day! Needed air conditioning!

Forgot I Had a Blog!

The past week and a half have been such that I forgot about my blog!

Dad is doing well and will be coming home from the rehab facility Monday morning. The antibiotics are working for the infection, and he is now allowed to weight-bear fully (not just on his heel) while wearing his surgical shoe. Yesterday he and I walked from his room on the short-stay wing to my mother's room on the long-term-care side of the facility. He took his time and did well.

Mom has shown great interest in doing her little jigsaw puzzles. The puzzles she does are about 12-pieces or so, and she enjoys doing them over and over again. I ordered some more puzzles on Amazon to provide more variety... for ME! 😁 

Happy September to all!

Short-Term Update

The paperwork all worked out and Dad went to the short-term stay unit this afternoon!

A Birthday and a Monday Update

Happy Birthday to my husband, Lew! It's a milestone year for him. (Hint: Three quarters!)

As long as all the insurance paperwork goes through as expected, Dad will be transferred from the hospital to rehab tomorrow. He needs to have a short-term stay since he isn't allowed to put weight on his left foot yet. We are expecting him to be in rehab at the same facility where Mom is in long-term care, so that will be handy... one-stop visiting!

Lew and I are still keeping up with the Little League World Series even though the team from Maine is out of contention. We always enjoy this Series, even if Maine isn't represented. It's fun to watch the kids play.

Check back tomorrow for another update!

Thursday Update

Lew spoke with Dad mid-afternoon. No updates. His surgeon is scheduled to see him tomorrow morning, so perhaps we'll find out more then. She is going to change the dressing on his foot.**

The team from Maine got run-ruled in their first game today at the Little League World Series, so they are now in the loser's bracket. Hopefully their next game will go a little better... make that, a LOT better. Still, they did great to make it to Williamsport. A lifetime memory for them!

** An update to the above: Dad's surgeon stopped in to see him late-afternoon today and changed the dressing. She called me and said the foot is looking good! She probably won't change the dressing again until Monday. The final results aren't back from all the tests yet, so he will probably be in the hospital over the weekend.

Wednesday Update

Dad is still in the hospital, so fans of Derf will have to wait patiently for his next post.

His surgery went well yesterday. The surgeon called me to say she cleaned up all the messy stuff and took more bone, which she sent for testing. (No results yet.)

In the meantime, Dad needs to stay off his foot and let the hospital staff take care of him. Lew and I visited him this afternoon, and he is cooperating. The staff loves him. When we left he was in bed watching the Little League World Series (which started today). 

Praying for a good healing process!

Monday Update

Well, the MRI showed that the infection is in the bone, so Dad gets to have surgery tomorrow to remove a little bit more of the top of his foot.  Sounds like a lot of fun.

Prayers welcome!

Saturday Summary

Lew and I have visited Dad and talked with him on the phone over the past few days. He is still in the hospital and seems to be doing well. He especially enjoys ordering his meals -- room service! -- and has a good rapport with the staff. The big "wait and see" at the moment is an MRI; it's been ordered but may not happen for another day or two. The MRI is to see if the infection has gone into the bone in his foot, and we are praying that it has not.

My employer gave me a nice raise in my hourly rate of pay. I certainly welcome that. 😀

Maine will be represented in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA! The team from Gray-New Gloucester/Raymond won the New England Regional tournament. The entire state is looking forward to watching them in the World Series.

I've had some nice visits with Mom. The room change has been hard on her, but she's slowly getting used to the new space. I do think that watching some familiar TV shows has helped, believe it or not! We've also done the puzzles she likes.

I have a big old scratch on my right index finger courtesy of Jerry. It's time to trim his claws! 😼

A week ago today Lew and I attended a get-together at Carole's house. Dick would have turned 75 last Saturday, so Carole invited family and friends to a celebration of his life — complete with cake! We will miss him always.

Back to the Blog

I took a little bloggy-break this past week.  It was busy with family, friends, and work, so I thought the blog could take a break. And it could!

Wednesday is normally Dad's day to write, but he is back in the hospital. He had a follow-up appointment with his surgeon yesterday, and she told him to go the hospital and get admitted. He needs to be on stronger antibiotics (the kind only done by I.V.) to take care of the infection in his foot. We are not sure how long he will be in the hospital, but we should know more on Friday when the medical team looks at his foot again.

Kim, Joe, Kaelen, and Cocoa left for Illinois on Monday morning. We received a text message from Kaelen this afternoon that they had arrived home safely. We had a nice visit with them, and it seemed to fly by.

I think I'll wrap up this post. I will try to write more often!

Dad 680: Don't Walk This Way

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another nice day with temps around 70 degrees. Don't need A/C today. Open the windows!

Yesterday I saw my foot doctor after a one-week interval. I had not been behaving throughout the week. I did too much walking around on my foot. So I'm paying for it now.  The dressing on my foot needs to be changed daily; Lew is helping with that and changed it today. Also, I have been put on a 10-day antibiotic to get rid of the infection in my red foot. It seemed to be working today; the foot looks better. But if it doesn't work, I might have to go to the E.R. I'm trying to be good and not walking so much. I'll keep you posted.

Zach, Kelsey, Bode, and the new star Boston left for their home in Illinois yesterday. Should be back soon as they made Cleveland yesterday. Joe, Kim, and Kaelen will be hitting the road on Monday. That will also be my sister Deb's birthday. I won't tell her age, but she is younger than I am.

Enough info for today, so I'm done.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

August

The first day of August, 2023. My new boss started today. (Had I shared previously that my prior boss left at the end of June?) Now they just need to hire a replacement for my co-worker that finished up last week. I'm busy!

Dad had another follow-up appointment with his foot surgeon today. He's back on stronger antibiotics to fight off the infection. He still needs to stay off his feet as much as possible.

Kelsey, Zach, Bode, and Boston left for Illinois today. It was nice to be able to see them while they were here.  Kim, Joe, Kaelen, and Cocoa are in Maine until next Monday.

Here's wishing all my readers a pleasant month of August!

Double-Digit Day

Lew and I went to grandson Adam's 10th-birthday party today.

Ten years old already.  Wow.

The kids in attendance at the party went on the homemade slip n' slide.  I did not.

I did, however, eat a hamburger, chips, fruit, and a piece of ice cream cake.

Happy Birthday, Adam!

Dad 679: No More Toes

(After a week off, Dad returns to writing his weekly post! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! The weather has improved upon the arrival of our Illinois family. I guess we will get storms later this week.

 

We are enjoying our Illinois family's visit! Hard to believe they have been here for a week. Mary Lou got to meet her great-granddaughter Boston (yes, that is her name), and she will get to see Bode soon.

I am hoping to get back to visiting Lou within a week. To make it easier, I had asked about a lighter portable oxygen machine. I received a phone call this morning from my oxygen supplier stating they will see me tomorrow about a portable O2 maker. We will see!

Last Thursday I had my final three toes removed from my left foot. Yesterday I saw the surgeon's work when she changed the dressing. My foot looked great. I hope to get a picture of it next week. You all will be impressed by the surgery. A great job. I have a boot on to help my foot heal. Hope to be well on my way next week.

I'm done!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Hang Zero

Dad is doing his best to keep his foot up. He has his follow-up appointment on Tuesday.

And the beat goes on....

One Birthday, Two Anniversaries, Three Toes

Yesterday (Thursday, July 20, 2023) was my father's 85th birthday.

It was also the wedding anniversary for Debbie & Glen, and Lew & me.

And it was the day my father's remaining three toes (one big, two others) on his left foot were removed. Dad, Lew, and I left for the hospital around 12:15PM and got home around 6:30ish.

We sure know how to celebrate! 🎈🎂🎉🥳

(P.S. Kelsey, Zach, Bode, and Boston arrived Wednesday afternoon. We did have an early birthday dinner for Dad that evening.)

The Illinois Invasion! :)

Kim, Joe, Kaelen, and Cocoa arrived yesterday afternoon. The three humans are staying at our house; the dog is staying with Debbie and Glen. (Hopefully you will be able to differentiate between the human names and the dog name. 😁)

Kelsey, Zachariah, Bode, and Boston will arrive later today. They will be staying with Debbie and Glen.

Debbie is the only Maine resident that has met Boston. The rest of us are looking forward to seeing her for the very first time!

I think Dad may be writing his regular Wednesday post today, but if not please keep your eyes peel for a post from him later in the week.

Family time!  Blessed....  💕💗💕💗💕

Mom's Move

A couple mornings ago (Friday), Debbie and I helped move Mom to a different room at the nursing home. We were informed a couple weeks ago that this would be happening. The wing that Mom has been on for three years is becoming a short-term stay wing, hence the move.

In our opinion, the new room is nicer than her old one! The major concern is Mom's adjustment to the change. I spent Friday afternoon with her, and Dad visited late afternoon as well. I also went yesterday and today for a couple hours each day. Yesterday was kind of tough for her, but today was better. I think she will get used to the new space.

Mom's new roommate is hardly ever in the room during the day and goes to bed early. So the atmosphere is quiet and peaceful, which is good for Mom.

I told Mom that we all knew she was in a new room and that we would visit her just like always.

Someone else figured out Mom had moved, too. Today, outside Mom's window:

Puzzlin' Cats

Matt, Emily, Eli, and Adam gave me a jigsaw puzzle at Christmas. I started it not too long after that, but I didn't work very much on it until just last week.  I finished it yesterday!

It has one thousand pieces. Many of the "fill" pieces are similarly-shaped, and I'm pretty sure I may have fit some of the pieces together incorrectly.

Below is the finished picture to prove that I did it.

I've already broken it apart and boxed it up for someone else to enjoy.  🧩🧩🧩😻😻😻

Dad 678: Happy Birthday, Mary Lou!

(Dad wrote this post earlier today. He did visit Mom! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another beautiful day. Temps in the high 80s. May hit 90° in a couple hours.

 

Today is Mary Lou's birthday. For the next week she will be a year older than I am. Next week on Thursday I will match her age of 85. It is hard to believe we are still here after all these years.

 

I will attempt to see her this afternoon. No visits have been made by me for many weeks. Would like to get a less-heavy portable oxygen machine. That is my next goal so I can visit Lou every day. Want to visit the same as before. Daily visits!

 

Just got a phone call from my new foot doctor in Portland. Will go to an 11:00 AM appointment tomorrow to continue my treatment for diabetic problems. Maybe will get rid of all my toes. I'll keep you posted.

 

Done for today!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

The beautiful birthday girl!

I Will Buy a Candy Bar

Yesterday I received a letter from our credit union. If I don't use my debit card by the end of the month, they are going to deactivate it.

Reason: I haven't used it for several months, and they want to protect my account from debit card fraud. According to them, deactivating my card is a "security feature."

Lew uses his debit card. I do most of our online banking. We both have direct deposits going into our account. It is not as though we are inactive members. 

If I lost my debit card, I would definitely report it as lost. So what if I'm not using it? Nobody else is either!

Home Services Trifecta

We have a new saying in our household: "When it doesn't rain, it pours!"

The recent rain had kept two things from happening: 1) our second mosquito treatment for the season, and 2) the sealing of our driveway.

Both of these things happened today. All of the businesses who work outside are trying to catch up on their backlog before the next expected rain (which is soon).

Why did I call use the word "trifecta" in the title of this post? Dad's landline has been making a crackling sound, and a phone company technician (Lenny) came today and got it fixed.

So it was a busy time at our place today. Yes.... When it doesn't rain, it pours!

Dad 677: Finally Some Summer

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Finally, a summer day with warm weather and sun. Temps were in the 80s today. It is 82° now. I've done nothing all day and have decided to write something at 4:30 PM. Not the proper way to spend my day.

 

Well, I don't have too much to say tonight so this will be short.

 

Still a lot of shootings in the country. Would like to speed up time and get to the election in 2024. Hope for a change of leaders. Would like to see adults with sense take over for the incompetence we have in charge now.

 

I'll see my doctor next week. I must get over wanting to stay home. I must get my hopes up and start visiting Lou again. I still am "housebound." Must get over this. Must get back to regular living! Done!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

The Fourth

Happy Birthday to our great country!

I am hearing fireworks as I write this, so that's two scary nights in a row for our kitties. (There were lots of booms last night, too.) It rained the first part of the day; if only it had rained all day and kept the fireworks at bay.

I had a nice visit with Mom this afternoon. We had a video chat with Kim and Kaelen while I was there. We also watched some tennis (Wimbledon, first round). By the time I left, we had switched the TV to Andy Griffith and Mom was getting her dinner.

Because of today's holiday, I get to go to work tomorrow.  So it's time to sleep!

💤💤💤💤💤

One Lovely Rose

There is a new RN at the nursing home. He just started yesterday.

Today he brought in a flower to my mother and said, "A beautiful rose for a beautiful lady!"

The RN said his girlfriend left the rose on his windshield because they'd had a fight. He's never received flowers before, so he's not sure one rose is enough of an apology. (Best wishes, girlfriend!)

Anyway, my mother loves looking at her rose. We put it in a vase with water, so hopefully it will last for a little bit.

🌹

Dad 676: Rain, Rain, Rain!

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another very damp day. We have a weather pattern now that does not leave our days sunny or dry. In the first 28 days of June, we have had only six days that have not had some rain. With two more days in June, we will have at most eight dry days for the entire month. One more day of rain tomorrow. Yes, a rainy month.

 

The heat in the southwest is basically unbearable. Yesterday and today records were being set in the southwest for power usage. Surely will have grid failings this summer if the weather continues to follow the current pattern.

 

Forest fires in Canada are still affecting our skies. The fires are allowed to burn without much defense and smoke settles over the U.S. skies.

 

Hope to visit Lou today. She called me last night and I promised her Tracy and I would see her today. She was feeling scared but I think she was comfortable when our conversation ended.

 

Congrats to LSU for its college baseball championship win over Florida.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Driving to Work With My Brother-In-Law

While driving to work on Route 1 this morning, I recognized a vehicle that passed me. It was Glen, also on his way to work.

I called his cell phone (hands-free) and he answered. I told him he just passed me and that I would wave to him at the upcoming stoplight.

We hung up.

I pulled up beside him.

We waved.

He left me in the dust.

It was fun driving partway to work with my brother-in-law!

P.S. This post is modeled after Driving to Work With My Sister, which I wrote over seven and a half years ago!

Rocky IV

Since this is Mom's fourth summer at the nursing home, I have dubbed the squirrel that eats off her birdfeeders, "Rocky IV."

This Rocky is very athletic. Holding on with only his back feet, he was on the birdfeeder for at least 15 minutes this afternoon. Mom enjoyed watching him, but then she said it was time for me to scare him off.

He will be back!

Dad 675: Have Oxygen, Will Travel

(Dad wrote this post earlier today. The lawn looks good! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! A good afternoon for Lew to mow the lawn. Dry day, sun is out. (We have received rain every day this month.) Git 'er done!

Well, I'm trying to get unleashed out into the world. As of now I'm "homebound" to my O2 tank. I'm trying to get mobile again so I can visit Mary Lou at the nursing home on a daily basis. I must get familiar traveling with my O2 gear. Then I'll hopefully be able to resume my regular visits to Mary Lou within the week. I'll do my best to get out of this "homebound" feeling.

Yes, I must get used to carrying my O2 gear outside. I'll make it!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Father's Day

Blueberry pancakes for breakfast with Dad. (Thank you, Chef Lew!)

Early afternoon visit with Mom.

Late afternoon visit from Matt, Emily, Eli, and Adam. They brought dinner with them — steak tips, potato salad, bread, and strawberry shortcake.

Final round of U.S. Open golf tournament. Watched a few holes with Dad, and the final holes with Lew. (Congratulations, Wyndham Clark!)

God bless all our fathers!

Clean Up in Room 4

I have spent the past couple weeks going through the stuff in Mom's room. 

We brought a lot of things (puzzles, games, books, decorations, etc.) into her room over the past couple years, and it was "getting away from us."

I threw out some stuff and I utilized the storage space more effectively — in my opinion, anyway!

One positive outcome of my efforts is easier access to her puzzles, so we've been doing those again. Mom even said, "I really love these puzzles!" And that made me happy. 😊💕

Dad 674: Oxygen 24/7

(Dad writes today. His note to me: "Short enough, Tracy?" I think so! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Northeast weather is not the sunny days we want. Temp not bad. It is in the high 60s. Really would like some sunny days with temps in the mid-to-high 70s. Please.

I'm now on oxygen 24/7. The only concern — other than watching where I'm walking so I won't trip over the long tube that allows me to take in the O2 around the house — is I must make sure the machine is working at all times.

My throat is very dry and I would like to clear it. Perhaps suck on candy or buy a humidifier. I'll think about it. (More dampness!)

Keep checking the blog each week and I'll keep you informed. Enough for now.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

63 Years

Happy Anniversary to my parents! They had a brief visit outside today. I did manage to get a picture, but the sun didn't make it easy on our eyes. 🌞

Sixty-three years of wedded bliss!

Say, "CHEESE!"

Debbie brought these gorgeous flowers to Mom.

Where's Marilyn?

It's been a while since I've done a "Where's Marilyn?" post, so she and I both figured it was time!

Find the kitty....  😻

Delivered!

Update after Dad's earlier post today: His oxygen equipment was delivered around noontime. Lew and I sat in on the delivery so we could learn about everything, too.

Dad 673: Waiting

(Dad writes today. I will do another post when the the delivery has happened! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! We are going through a weather situation that does not allow for the sun to be seen. Plus we have smoke from Canadian fires leaking down through the eastern part of our country. New York was so smoke-covered yesterday that one could barely make out the skyline.

Tuesday I went to check with my doctor about getting oxygen. I am getting readings in the 60s and a couple in the 50s. We figured out what I needed and the call has been made, but I have heard nothing since returning home. So I called my doctor this morning to check on how and when I get my oxygen package. I now wait for a return call from the company that will deliver my O2 and teach me how to run it. I would like it to be today. Please, please, please!

I will wait and keep testing and reading numbers from high 90s to low 60s and 70s. Please get me out of my waiting pattern!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Tomorrow Is Thursday

Dad's weekly post has been postponed until Thursday.  Reason: We both forgot it was Derf day!

Thank you for checking in!

😊

Read a Book!

Every now and then I write a post about how I love to read.

I own many books that I still haven't read yet. There are piles of physical books sitting on the floor in our guest bedroom. I also have pages and pages and pages and pages of book titles on my Kindle.

Long-term readers of this blog know that I've been keeping track of the books I've read for a few years now. I even list them for your perusal. (See the links on the right-hand side of the page.)

You will notice that I've been reading a lot of books by three authors: Agatha Christie, O. Henry, and George MacDonald. This is because I am trying to read all of the works by these authors. It's taking a while!

Hey! Read a book!

Saturday Breakfast

Lew and I went to breakfast this morning with Carole and her daughter Donna.

We had a lovely time, although we all knew there was an "empty place" at the table. It was our first Saturday breakfast out together since Dick passed away.

Carole and Donna gave Lew a golf ball and tee that they found in Dick's bedside table. I am going to make a LEGO display stand for the ball and tee.

We had a great conversation, catching up on the events of the past month.

We shared lots of laughter and a few tears.

It was a morning that we all needed.

We are blessed.

Dad 672: Smile!

(Dad writes — make that "dictates" — today. Short and sweet! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here!

We are having a beautiful, sunny, spring day. High temp of 72.

I had a teeth cleaning this morning. As long as all goes well, I do not need to return to the dentist for six months.

😁

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Warmer, Warmer, Getting Warmer

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer.

Today's weather lived up to that.

I used the A/C in my vehicle.

And that is enough excitement for now.

An Expensive Hobby

Building a 250-pound robot and then putting it in a position to get destroyed... well, that is an expensive hobby.  And it is also the premise of the TV show BattleBots.

BattleBots is one of Lew's favorite shows; in fact it may be his most favorite. So after hearing him talk about it and seeing a few of the matches here and there, I decided to watch the post-season with him.

The post-season started with 32 teams in a single-elimination tournament. Last night was the championship itself, which we watched tonight via DVR (a wonderful invention).

I think I may have enjoyed the show enough to watch the next season when it comes on. I have no desire to build my own bot, though. I don't think I could stand watching it get pulverized! Not to mention the money.... 😁

Dad 671: Growing-Older Pains

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! The weather has been fairly good over the last few weeks. A little wet and rainy, but one does get a chance to mow the lawn. Also the temperature is climbing (although slowly). Summer, please hurry.

 

It is not fun growing old. We all are doing it....

 

Somehow around four to five weeks ago my left leg had serious pain problems and it was very bruised and swollen. (I remember nothing I did to cause damage to the leg.) I went to emergency care to check it out. I found out that I had no structural damage to the leg, so I decided to let it go and heal by itself.

 

Although my leg is feeling much better, it's still been swollen. I also have had an oxygen shortage. I went to my primary care doctor on Monday for help. I do have a weak heart (known about), but I am now trying to get rid of the swollen leg in order for my heart to work better. Hopefully the medication my doctor prescribed takes care of this. If the O2 doesn't improve, I may have to take O2. But I think I have started on the path of correction. My leg seems to be smaller.

 

It is not fun growing old.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Got Spam?

Of the e-mails I just deleted from my spam folder, at least ten of them were telling me this was my "last chance" to renew my antivirus software before it was disabled.  These e-mails were from crazy-long e-mail addresses.

Other interesting e-mails in my spam folder are about "the funding I requested" or joining the AARP.

You probably have received similar e-mails.

Who ARE these people that send out this stuff?  (I don't really want to know the answer to that!)

Sports!

I watched a lot of sports on TV this weekend.

Lew and I watched baseball, golf, and bowling. ⚾🏌🎳

Dad, Lew, and I watched The Preakness Stakes. 🏇

Mom and I watched college softball. 🥎

Now I am going to watch the back of my eyelids!

⚾🏌🎳🏇🥎

I Go Outside

Wow! I spent time outside on three separate occasions over the past couple days:

#1. Yesterday I asked Mom if she wanted to go outside and she said, "Yes!"  So we got her in her wheelchair and outside we went. We went three times around the small traffic circle in front of the building's main entrance before she wanted to go back inside. That's two times more than usual, so I knew she enjoyed it. 

#2. I met my friend Mary for lunch today. After we ate we sat on a bench outside of the restaurant to chat for a few more minutes. Right after we sat down, I checked my text messages. She had beat me to the restaurant and had texted, "Sitting on the bench out front." I was just seeing her text and we laughed about how her text message was true once again!

#3. Lew and I went to Eli's Little League game tonight. It was a little chilly, but we had some hot food from the snack bar and managed to "inadvertently" persevere to the end of the game. Why inadvertently? We planned to leave after five innings. Little League games are typically six innings long, but tonight's game "timed out" because another game was scheduled. So they only played five innings after all! Eli's team got beat, 7-4, but it was fun to watch them play.

All this fresh air has made me tired!  🌞

Dad 670: Boot Them Out

(Dad shares how he really feels today, ha ha! He's right, I think. ~ Tracy)

Derf Here!

Life goes on as the country seems to be going down another road. Our President just came on TV and is suggesting that he is getting the debt paid by the USA; we never fail to pay our debt. So as our country seems to be headed down the wrong road, I believe the majority of the country believes this.

We will continue as a family to visit our matriarch. We will continue with our program and hope that we get rid of our poor leaders in the next few months. I've never seen people keep their jobs when they know nothing about what is going on in the States. Boot them all out. Top down! I'm done!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Two Celebrations

I took a bloggy-break the past few days. Just a quick post tonight to get back into it.

Sunday (two days ago) was Mother's Day. Mom and I celebrated by eating chocolate chip cookies that I brought. She ate her whole cookie and then started on mine! When she picked up the final piece of the cookie, she took a bite, looked at me, and then handed it to me as her eyes asked, "Do you want this?" I thought that was sweet, and I did eat it. 🍪 I also brought her a jello cup, which she enjoyed.

Saturday (three days ago) we celebrated the life of our friend Dick. It was a lovely service. Lew spoke for a couple minutes about their friendship, and he did a nice job. Lots of people attended the service, so we had a busy afternoon of fellowship. We were pretty tired by the end of the day. We will both miss our wonderful friend.

Today is the middle of May! Fifteen days of May before today and fifteen more days after. Enjoy!

Dad 669: Talking Tall Tales

(Dad writes today. I wonder how he really feels about things, ha ha! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! We sure have had some nice weather the last week. The only rain for this week is expected on Friday. Other than that, I guess we will have good weather through next Monday.

I have spent a lot of today watching news about the President's family. All should watch this, especially the mainstream media. (Get rid of the mainstream media.)

I'm now watching Biden cussing out the Republican party.

I'm now not listening to Biden as he still is not talking about the truth. When Biden is speaking, his tales are not quite honest. That is the way I see it. I'm done!

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Normalcy

I have been thinking non-stop about our friend Dick and his grieving family and friends. It's like a computer program running in the background that's taking up all of the working memory.

I was, however, able to have a couple days of "normalcy" by going to work yesterday and today. I put in a total of 17 hours and accomplished much more than I thought I would.

One day at a time.

Best Friends Forever

My husband lost his dearest friend, Dick, yesterday. His passing was unexpected and we are still feeling somewhat numb.

Dick and his wife, Carole, were our Saturday morning breakfast buddies. Dick and Lew also met with two other retired guys midweek for their "old man's breakfast."

Dick and Lew went Christmas shopping together every year, albeit in recent years their "shopping" day was more about where to eat breakfast and lunch! They played golf together. They went to movies together. They did household improvement tasks together. They cherished their status as BFFs.

We grieve for our loss, but we rejoice with Dick who is now with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So — although we will miss you for now, Dick — we WILL see you later.

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of knowing this great man.

Another May Birthday

Today is my cousin Wendy's birthday.  She is almost a whole year older than I am.  (A year minus three days older, to be exact.)

Wendy is our family's Prayer Warrior.

I received a birthday card from her today.  I sent one to her earlier in the week.  We've always enjoyed celebrating our close-to-mutual birthdays.

Happy Birthday to you, dear Wendy!

💕

Dad 668: The Regular Schedule

(Dad writes today! It is pouring outside right now. ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another cloudy, damp day with possible showers in the Northeast. We have had a very poor month of weather. The prediction seems to favor similar weather for the next couple days. The experts are predicting a fairly good Mother's Day weekend. Perhaps our weather pattern is going to change and it will be a pattern for the better. Let's hope so.

 

It seems that Lew and Tracy are now on the positive side of their sickness. They both are getting back to normal. We are quite happy, and hopefully they will continue their productive direction. We'll take it!

 

Our regular schedule for visiting Mary Lou will now resume with Tracy getting back to her daily visits. She will be followed by me to finish the afternoon. Our visits are helping (I think) to keep Mary Lou's spirits up.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Birthday Photos

I had a very nice birthday yesterday!

I went to work for a few hours. One of my colleagues brought me these lovely flowers.

Lew made cheese nachos for my birthday dinner...

... and he bought a Triple Chocolate Cake!

 

As for a picture of me on my birthday? I have only one!

Yes, I left work mid-afternoon and stopped to visit Mom. I hadn't been to see her for a couple weeks due to the bad cold I had, but I am now well enough to visit. Dad was there, too, so the three of us had a nice time chatting about my new status of being 60 years old.

Happy May to all!

Have a Good Night!

After tonight's sleep, I will wake up and be 60 years old.

I've decided to embrace my new age.

Remember.... It's the "Sensational Sixties."

I can do this.  😎

The Penultimate Day of My 50s

I don't really have anything interesting to write about today; I just wanted to use the word "penultimate" in my post title. 😄

It is true, though. Today is the next-to-last day in my 50s.

I will be 60 years old on Monday.... Sixty!

How did that happen?!

My fellow Batgirls and I are calling this next decade, "Our Sensational Sixties."  That's the attitude to have, I guess!  I'll keep you posted on how it goes. 😏

Homeschool Art & Science Fair 2023

Lew and I felt up to venturing out of the house this evening since we had a very important event to attend... the Homeschool Art & Science Fair! Both Eli and Adam had science and art exhibits.

Eli's science project was on the brain. Lew and I enjoyed identifying which parts or our brains were most dominant or in need of help! 😁

Adam's project involved looking at slides through a microscope. I'm not sure I got the full experience since my glasses were in the way. He had several slides. The two I remember the most are apple and spit!

There were 9 other exhibitors, for a grand total of 11.  Last year (the first annual) there were five exhibitors, so the idea is catching on. I am looking forward to next year's fair already.

P.S. Did you know that dogs have dichromatic vision?

Dad 667: Two Old People

(An early post from Dad today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another lousy day in the Northeast. Our spring weather has been awful. Still cool and damp. But the grass is green and needs mowing. Must wait for the sun. Please come soon!

 

It seems that Lew and Tracy are on the mend. Lew has had quite a lengthy setback with a bug. He seems to be talking more and we hope he continues to gain his strength. Tracy is on the mend and is slowly gaining back her strength. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon.

 

I'm getting to spend my afternoons with Mary Lou. We sit together and watch Seinfeld and Gunsmoke throughout the afternoon as well as a little of Andy Griffith. I keep telling Lou that we are acting like two old people. Then I say we are old people. But the run has been great. In two months we will mark our 64th anniversary. Then the big old 85 marks our age. What a great run! Thanks to our Creator!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

On the Mend

I made it to work all day yesterday and half of today! And the half-day was because one of my colleagues isn't in until tomorrow. She needs to get some things done before I can do my piece, so I saved some of my work time for tomorrow afternoon.

I'm tired and still coughing a little bit. But the progress is noticeable.

Lew is starting to feel a little better, too. His voice isn't fully back yet, but it's a start.

Now if only the weather would warm up!

Health Update

You know the story about the tortoise and the hare? In our scenario, the hare is this nasty illness running miles around us. Lew and I are the tortoise. We are making slow, but steady, progress.

WE.WILL.BEAT.THE.HARE.

I'm supposed to work tomorrow and Tuesday, and I think I'm well enough to do that... as long as I have a full box of tissues to start the day.

Fortunately, my father has been feeling fine! He is able to make his daily visits with Mom while I am out of commission.

Thank you for your patience, blog readers. I have ignored my blog even more than I usually do!

Here's to better health and better blogging!

Dad 666: Wishing Good Health

(Dad writes today. I stole a box of tissues from him this afternoon. ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Another cloudy, but sunny day here in the Northeast. I sure will be glad when we get some warm weather. Please send some soon!

Today's post will be short.

I'm here at the nursing home visiting Mary Lou. She is working on drinking an Ensure.

As of now, I'm interested in seeing Lew and Tracy get rid of their colds (or spring allergies). Lew has had his cold the longest. I am hoping they both gain good health and feel better soon.

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Coughing, Super Beef, and Sunshine

My poor husband has a bad cold. The volume of his coughing would rival anyone's in the world!

I also am fighting a bit of a cold, although mine isn't as severe as Lew's. But it has kept me from visiting my mother for the past couple days.

Glen went and picked up Super Beef sandwiches for everybody yesterday. We each got two sandwiches! Dad, Lew, and I all ate our first sandwich for dinner last night. Looking forward to eating the second one today. The Super Beef rivals any sandwich in the world! YUM!

I just sat outside for about half an hour. It was so nice to feel the sun on my face. Spring is here!

Dad 665: Heartening News

(Many thanks to my Dad for keeping the blog going. He writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another nice day in the Northeast. Temps close to 70°. However, there is still a wind that makes it cool outside. Please turn the outside fans off. Thanks!

 

Tracy is working part of a third day this week. There is work to complete by next week in order to close the quarter that ended March 31st. I have no idea what needs to be done. Hopefully Tracy and her colleagues know what needs to be done!

 

Both Tracy and I will visit Mary Lou Lou for five days in a row, starting today. We will follow our regular plan for visiting her (Tracy first, followed by me). Tracy doesn't visit on Mondays and Tuesdays, but I visit all seven days of the week.

 

I received some good news today. I wore a heart monitor for one day, and my report was very good. I have AFib but my heart did not have too many extra beats. I was told the news was good. We'll see!

 

Done for today!

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Happy Easter!

Our church added a Saturday evening service this weekend, so Lew and I attended that last night.

This morning Dad and I watched a livestream of Kim and Joe participating in their church's Easter choir. (Joe was the director and Kim was a "directee.")  We enjoyed being able to sit in Maine and watch their service taking place in Illinois. 

I visited with Mom late morning. I played one of the songs from Kim and Joe's choir. Then we watched some of the dog show and some cornhole. 

Dad, Lew, and I went to Debbie's for an Easter luncheon. It was a lovely time and we all ate far too much.

HE IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

A Visit From Luna

One of the hospice CNAs brought her dog to Mom's nursing home today. Mom always enjoys seeing animals. Luna is such a sweet dog!

Good news: The mask mandate at the nursing home ended yesterday. Yippee!

Dad 664: A Lunch Visitor

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! A non-sunny day in the Northeast with weather reports that will bring sleet and freezing rain this afternoon. However, we should not get freezing rain on the coast. We'll see!

 

I'm glad I waited until now to write this blog post. I was eating my ham sandwich this noon and looked outside and saw a truck in the driveway. It belonged to Matt. He was in the area for the phone company and was able to come to eat with Lew and Tracy. This is two days in a row for Matt to show up for lunch.

 

I'm now getting ready to go and see Mary Lou. Today Tracy will visit her before I do as Tracy is done work for this week. She appears to welcome her two-day work week. It seems like a great system.

 

Well, I will stop writing for the day. So....

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Technology Tuesday

Today, the end of my two-day work week, was a day defined by technology woes for me and my work colleagues.

Examples of woes: slow restart of a computer, peripheral equipment not working, program settings not allowing a report to appear, insufficient permissions to access needed data, and more!

Despite the problems, we persevered. We solved the issues and sent those woes packing!

One of my favorite comments is, "Modern technology is great when it works!"  We worked hard to make that happen today.

💻🖥🖳💻

Happy April!

Last night I was paying great attention to the weather in Illinois. Tornado warnings! Kim and Kaelen were keeping us updated via text message. We are all thankful that our Illinois family got through the storms okay. (Apparently they are expecting more bad weather mid-week. Ugh!)

Speaking of the weather, I have stored my winter boots until next season. Now that it is April 1st, I am counting on NO MORE SNOW. 

This is Final Four weekend for the NCAA basketball tournaments. I stayed up late last night to watch the women's semi-final games. I must say that the women are as fun to watch as the men are. They are SO good!

This is also Palm Sunday weekend. If our church hands out palms tomorrow, I will bring mine to Mom when I visit her in the afternoon.

I just thought, "April 1st! That's right, it's April Fool's Day!" I'm not really much for April Fool's jokes, so I hope your day has been kind and joke-free!

Dad 663: Two Old People

(Dad writes today! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! Another sunny spring day but temps only around the mid 40s. We are gradually marching towards summer. Please warm up!

 

It certainly is nice to be back to my pre-hospital schedule. I have been back to visiting Mary Lou on a daily basis for the past week. I am Tracy's relief on five days of the week now that she is working a two-day per week schedule. Tracy seems to like the two-day work week and enjoys the work that she is doing. Planned work that she fully likes (I think).

 

Mary Lou is carrying on her stay at the nursing home. She remains about the same as she has been for the past few months. She and I spend our time in the afternoons acting like two old people. Then I realize that is what we are. All in all we are enjoying each other's company and spending time with each other. In fact I'm getting ready to go to the nursing home shortly for the remainder of my day. So I'll talk to you next week.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

A Milestone

I finished up my fourth two-day workweek today.

Since I only worked three weeks in the job I tried out last fall, I think I should celebrate my current achievement!

I will celebrate tomorrow by lunching with a friend and then visiting Mom.

Blessed!

Following Up From Friday

We got food from Ken's Place today!

Remote, Remote, Where Art Thou?

My mother's TV remote control has been missing for a few days. This is the third time this has happened. The first two times the remote was found eventually, although the first one took months!

We have a backup remote control in a drawer in her room, all programmed for the TV and ready to go. I have a taped note with her name on the back of the backup remote, along with the message, "This is NOT the missing Panasonic remote." I want the staff to keep an eye out for the "real" one. Possible locations are the laundry room and the kitchen.

Dad and I decided we should probably have a backup for the backup, just in case. I got one today and programmed it for the TV.... And I put a taped note on the back, of course.

Here's hoping the Panasonic remote surfaces soon!

Roll Down the Sidewalks!

Although the first day of Spring was earlier this week, the real sign of Spring is when Ken's Place opens.

And it opened today!

I just looked out the window and saw that it is busy, busy, busy!

I imagine that Dad, Lew, and I will order something from over there within the next week or so.

Now waiting for Pier Fries to open in another month....

🌞

Dad 662: An Important Day

(An early post from Dad today! ~ Tracy)

Derf Here! Pretty nice day today but temps are now in the low 40s.

Today is a very important day for me. I am about to visit Mary Lou for the first time in a month. Looking forward to my visit. Not writing any more today because this is my number one appointment of the day. I'll let you know about it next week.

Thanks to Tracy for her visitation schedule!

That's all for today. So....

Until next time!

Toodle Pip!

Derf!

Happy Spring!

A week ago today we were having a blizzard.

Today the temperature outside was supposed to make it up to 50 degrees or so. (I haven't heard for sure whether it did or not, but I do know it was pretty nice out.)

So here's hoping the winter weather is finally behind us.

Ken's Place opens this Friday!

Happy Spring!

A Laugh With Mom

I bring my mother a couple bottles of Ensure each day. She usually drinks both of them while I am there.

When she gets toward the end of the bottle, I have to encourage her to tip the bottle up higher so she gets it all in her mouth.  I sometimes do this by demonstrating with the (covered) bottle myself.

Yesterday I did the demonstration and said, "Tip it up high, high, high..." in a high voice.

When Mom took the bottle from me she did exactly what I had done — even saying the comment in the high voice.

Then she looked at me and started laughing! Mom doesn't have many moments where shades of her "old self" shine through, so this was pretty special.

I laughed with her.

💕

March Must be Mad!

The NCAA basketball tournament started today! The round of 64, anyway. The "first four" play-in games were Tuesday and yesterday; I guess those are technically part of the tournament.

There have already been some big upsets. A 15-seed beat a 2-seed. A 13-seed beat a 4-seed.

Mom and I watched the second half of Maryland's game this afternoon. Mom is from Maryland and attended the university for a while. So we were happy when they won today!

Play ball!

Dad 661: Back to Normal (Almost)

(Dad writes today! Also, Happy 203rd Birthday to the State of Maine! ~ Tracy)

 

Derf Here! The storm is over and not as bad as predicted. Still about 40,000 without power in Maine. Rain and mountain snow predicted on Saturday. It seems as though our winter is in March. Please come soon, Spring.

 

Thursday evening, February 23rd, I was transported to Maine Medical Center as I was suffering from lack of movement and strength. I had been vomiting Thursday evening. I vomited early Saturday morning and at the time I was ready to "buy the farm." I was told I had a "bug" and the rest of my family also got it. I, however, had some vomit get into my lungs. As a result, I had pneumonia.

 

I was transported on February 28th to a rehab facility – the same facility where my wife has been a long-term care patient for the past three years. I managed to not see her during my short stay.

 

After a few days of PT and OT I was discharged on Sunday, March 5th, to come home. I have received PT, OT, and healthcare needs at home along with nurse visits. I have completed all of my home care and will be discharged by my home nurse on March 20th (the first day of Spring).

 

I seem to be back to normal and will be glad to see Mary Lou on March 22nd. Looking forward to it!

 

Enough for now.

 

Until next time!

 

Toodle Pip!

 

Derf!

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

My favorite Facebook post today was by a high school friend:

Great. We sprung forward so hard we're back to winter.

I did go to work this morning and fortunately we were done with our tasks by noon. The snow had started to come down pretty hard by then, but I just took my time driving home. (Lew was glad when I arrived!)

I guess it's supposed to snow all night.  Sigh....

❄❅❆

Getting Older As I Type This

A couple weeks ago I got a mailing from the Social Security Administration updating me on my full retirement age (67) and what benefits I can anticipate receiving depending on the age I start taking them.

My initial reaction was, "Seven more years before I reach full retirement age?" 😩

And then I realized, "Wait.... I'm old enough that they are starting to prepare me for this stuff!" 😲

After a quick perusal of the mailing again today, I did the only sensible thing: I created my online login and then filed the paperwork away. I've still got time. 😊

Fried Ice Cream

Lew and I met some friends for lunch at El Rodeo, located in the same building as our old diner (which we still miss).

I decided to have dessert after our meal. Fortunately the waitress brought two spoons since the portion was enough for two people. Lew helped me eat it.

I had never had fried ice cream before.

It. Was. Delicious.  🍨

A Rhyme: "Update 3/8"

Dad is keeping busy now that he is home. His weekly blog post will return next Wednesday, so today you will have to put up with an update from me.

I survived my first week at my new part-time job! I sure do like this two-day work week. 😊 This week I worked yesterday and today. Starting next week I will work Mondays and Tuesdays, for approximately 16 hours per week.

The job is a bookkeeping position for a local parish. The current bookkeeper is working through the first week of April — which makes the learning curve much easier for me to negotiate! All of my work colleagues are quite nice. I'm going to enjoy working with them.

I probably won't be able to visit Mom on days that I work, but I still will have five days per week to make my regular visits to her. It should work out well.

Blessed!

Post-Weekend Update

Friday evening and part of Saturday was spent de-cluttering the floor in Dad's bedroom, since he needs a clear, wider path to walk through. There are a lot of items for him to sort at some point. But Lew and I were happy with the progress we made.

We had the worst snowstorm of the year on Saturday. Heavy snow started during the night and lasted until the afternoon. Our plow guy came twice in order to keep it manageable. (He got stuck the first time; fortunately, he has two trucks on the road and the other guy came to help get him un-stuck!)

Yesterday (Sunday) morning Lew and I went to pick up Dad. We are all glad he is home. Jerry is especially happy.  😺🐈

I start my job tomorrow!

Updates 3/1/23

Dad's Wednesday blog post is pre-empted this week by his short-term rehab facility stay. He went from the hospital to rehab yesterday morning. He is regaining strength and working on getting his feet back under him. I must say he is looking so much better than he did last Thursday night!

Zach's basketball team's season ended tonight. The team that beat them in tonight's sectional game won the state championship last year, so it was a tough one going in. Congratulations to Zach and his Rockets on a great season! It was fun watching your games!