Tues. - Mon. June 19-June 25

From a sunny and warmish MO,

Pat and I went to Kansas City last Tuesday - checked out "I Love a Mystery" bookstore, wandered around Whole Foods and found the Irish oatmeal that Margaret introduced me to, checked out Borders, took Pat to Land of Paws (a rather yuppy pet store), ate at TGIF, made a stop at Barnes and Noble -- and then headed north. We stopped at Liberty to check out an antique store and then another one as we were heading north on I-35. All in all, a good day.

I basically have puttered around the house while Jim was gone. He called me about 9:00 on Thursday evening that they were north of Watertown, SD and thought they would be in Chillicothe between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. - actually turned out to be a little after 5:00 a.m. Needless to say, all the guys were tired. Jim puttered a little on the horse coffin and then retreated to the bedroom for some much needed sleep.

We ended up making a trip to Cabela's on Saturday as there were a few fishing things he needed before his second outing. We also checked out sturdy chairs with arms at Nebraska Furniture Mart and ended up getting one with a few paint flecks missing - at a very good discount. The chair will be excellent for him to use in the weeks after surgery.

I had a yearly check-up with my "floaters" this past Wednesday and since he has dilated my eyes the last couple of years, I assumed he would do the same this year. Pat volunteered to drive me to and from - and of course it turned out that this year the dilation didn't occur. We did get together later for supper.

One of the things I did while Jim was away was to make arrangements for getting our yard mowed. Until fall it won't need frequent mowings - unless we get needed rain. We really don't need someone until after July 20, but I decided that Jim probably didn't need the jarring of the riding lawn mower so the guy is coming for the first time tomorrow. Actually he mowed our yard for several years when Jim was teaching and coaching track in the spring.

I fixed a pork roast on Sunday and we will have leftovers this evening. I opted for a baked potato last evening and Jim had some of the macaroni/bean salad that I had made - am not sure what his desire will be for this evening.

I have read the newest Janet Evanovich book - LEAN MEAN THIRTEEN - and of course found it delightful. I am currently reading book six of a series by Susan Wittig Albert. The setting is a mythical small town around San Marcos, TX with a contemporary time period. If you enjoy herbs with a few dead bodies thrown in, you might enjoy the series. The first book was THYME OF DEATH.

Jim leaves this coming Thursday (June 28) morning for his second trip to Canada. Dr. Eden, Jacob (Dr. E's grandson), John W., and Jim will be the foursome this time. They will stay the first night at Fargo, ND. Jim should be back in Chillicothe about 9:00 p.m. on Friday, July 6.

Be safe.
B.

June 13-18

From what has become a rainy day in MO --

This has been a rather busy week. I seemed to have problems readjusting to MO time and I think finally I am almost back on norm.

Last Wednesday (13th) we went to Liberty to do a couple of errands and then ended up at Liberty hospital for a very informational three hour session on hip and knee replacements. (Jim is scheduled for hip replacement on July 20). The three hours went quite rapidly and I had lots of notes which I have since typed and will ask Jim to look at when he has time. It will be a long rehab and even after the first part, precautions will need to be taken for months relative to his hip - such as no driving for almost 8 weeks, no ladder climbing for two years, etc., etc., etc.

Jim left early on the morning of June 15 for his first of two trips to Canada (one is a "make-up" for the trip he missed last year as a result of his by-pass surgery. He should be home in the wee hours of Friday, June 22. He will be home a few days and then leave early on July 28 for his second trip. The second trip is just northeast of Winnipeg so there is less mileage involved - will return about 9:00 on July 6.

In the meantime, I have somewhat tackled the house. One issue is that our bed is too high for Jim to safely use so I have cleaned out the yellow bedroom (which I have used as craft storage) and it is now ready for Jim's use. I have also contacted Norma C. relative to giving her good quart jars that are used for sorghum when a festival occurs this fall that she is active in. I talked to her today and since they don't have a good cane crop this year (flooding earlier) they are going to do apple butter and need pints - these I also volunteered. I have time yesterday and today boxing up quarts and pints - and it doesn't appear unfortunately that I have even made a small dent in the utility room - even though most of the pints and quarts are gone - have 5 or 6 dozen quarts and probably 8 or 9 dozen pints to give the group.

Pat and I went to Jamesport on Friday and are planning on an outing to KC on Tuesday - if we have the needed energy. Both of us love going to "I Love a Mystery" bookstore so that will probably be our first stop.

I have my eyes dilated this coming Wednesday and Pat will drive me there and back. The first time I had this done when I discovered I had floaters, I thought I could safely drive home after sitting in the office a little - that turned out to be almost a disastrous error in thinking. Jim drove me last year and Pat will rescue Chillicothe residents this year.

I really have accomplished several things since Jim left - vacuumed upstairs, shampooed the living room carpet, readied the yellow bedroom for Jim's recuperation, boxed up pints and quarts, have gone by Grand River Inn and they will locate a suitable chair for Jim to use after surgery (has to have good arms) so that he can rejoin his breakfast groups, typed my notes from our trip to Liberty hospital, and have spent a great deal of time holding the girls.

Be safe.
B.

June 4-June 12

From what has been a very nice latespring day in MO,

This has been a busy time since I last was on the computer. We left here on the fourth and we made a stop at Liberty at Perkins for a good breakfast. We had some extra time so we made another stop at Borders - and then on to the airport. Kay returned to Lubbock and I flew to LA - departures about two hours apart. Jim went to the Liberty hospital and had an MRI on his kneee (we still haven't heard anything about the results.)

My flight was late leaving KC (waiting for the incoming flight), but we must have made up some time enroute as we weren't quite so late when we arrived in LA. Luggage in LA is much slower than in Kansas City, but I finally located my suitcase and made connections with Tom (Jim's younger brother) on about his fifth trip circling the airport.

He drove us to Santa Monica where he carried my suitcase in and then picked up his two daughters and we went to El Cholo's for our evening meal. Between the first of May and maybe the end of September, one of their specialities is green corn tamales. This is something that you probably would either love or hate - and I love them. Afterwards he dropped the girls and me off at the apartment unit.

On Tuesday, I walked to the UCLA/Santa Monica hospital and found Margaret sitting on the edge of the bed - waiting to go home. She called Spiro (one of the apartment tenants) and he came to the "circle drive" - and then we waited probably 30 to 45 minutes for someone to show up with a wheelchair.

Margaret was in much better shape than I anticipated - to the point that on Wednesday, she was daring enough for me to drive in LA traffic. She was an excellent navigator as she would tell me one or two blocks ahead when I needed to switch lanes - anyway we ended up going to Junior's (a long time deli institution in LA) and then on to the shopping center across the way to find a couple of items she realized she needed. We then made it safely back to the apartment house - and some much needed rest.

We got out again on Thursday to go to the grocery store to stock up and then went by Campo's for an avocado burrito for lunch. We were driven by her son, Tim, to an Indian restaurant that evening. Risa, Tim's wife, was sort of celebrating as she has become an "author." The book will come out in January - CINESCOPES. Readers are invited to submit ten of their favorite movies and then the computer offers "spectacular" insights into what this choice means about you. I submitted my choices a year or so ago and was rather intrigued as to how close the "insights" were about me.

We basically rested on Friday.

On Saturday, we got out again and did a restocking of groceries (mainly fruit) for Margaret. Actually in the morning I was invited to return to St. Sophia's for another viewing of the church by Spiro and then we went across the street to Papa Cristo's for a marvelous Greek lunch. The place is not fancy, but the food is great. Margaret and I got out that evening and went to the French/Williams favorite Chinese eating place - just a few blocks from the apartment house.

Margaret has impressed me with her ability to maneuver the steps to get to her second level in her apartment as well as the desire not to just sit all day in the recliner. She even did the organizing of our evening meal on Friday - scallops, asparagus, brown rice, and strawberries.

I had an early morning flight on Sunday and other than an initial snafu when the taxi didn't show up I eventually got to the airport. I was probably lucky it was Sunday as I had no wait to check my suitcase at the curb and there was only one couple ahead of me going through security. The plane was about 2/3 full coming back so it was also nice to have an empty seat next to me.

Jim picked me up at the airport and then we made a couple of stops - then had a late lunch at O'Charley's.

Since I last did the blog several things have transpired in Missouri. On Wednesday, June 13, we will be attending an information meeting at the Liberty hospital relative to the upcoming hip replacement - others will also be in attendance. Then on July 10, Jim has to go through some preliminary testing at the hospital - with surgery scheduled for July 20.

In the meantime, Jim leaves for his first Canada outing early on the morning of June 15 - returning the 21st or 22nd (don't have exact calendar in front of me). He will be home then until the 28th - when he leaves with the second group - returning the evening of July 6.

Be safe.
B.


Friday was basically spent resting - for both of us. We did

Sun. June 3

From a sunny day in MO,

I've not been on in several days, but I have been doing several things. I picked up Kay on the 30th of May at KCI (flight had been delayed a couple of hours) and after eating at Panera at Liberty, we headed home. The downpour had already started and we drove in a downpour until about Hamilton - then got ahead of the deluge.

We left at 8:00 on Thursday a.m. to drive to Springfield, ILL to take in some Lincoln interests. We saw the Lincoln home and the tomb on Thursday afternoon, retired to the motel where we had made arrangements to stay, ate at a good Mexican place, and then retired for the evening. Well, I retired and Kay went to the fitness room to work on the treadmill.

On Friday, we made a quick trip to Panera to pick up a scone for Jim (we had a good breakfast at the Hampton Inn) and then headed to the Lincoln Museum. There were not too many people ahead of us and we had about an hour and a half before the school groups arrived. This is really an interesting museum with a diversity of exhibits and interactive displays. The special exhibit at this time centers around Mary Lincoln. We then went to a nearby mom and pop cafe and had excellent wraps and salads for lunch.

Afterwards we went to the Lincoln library where a very accomodating lady looked up data on my great, great uncle that had mustered in at Springfield and died after the battle of Vicksburg. Some of the data I already knew, but I had not realized he was a resident of Illinois at that time as I had assumed he lived in Macon County, MO - close to his parents.

Next we went to a church that has the pews that the Lincoln family rented for Sunday services. The guide gave us a tour of the church (not the actual church where Lincoln attended) and showed us stained glass windows made by Louis Tiffany. They were spectacular!

We made a short detour at Steak and Shake to get a yogurt milk shake - then headed west to Chillicothe, MO. Somehow - either negligence and/or enjoying the milk shake, I took a wrong turn and soon realized we were on the interstate heading southwest to St. Louis - not where I wanted to go. We eventually got off and a good lady at a filling station showed us how to avoid repeating our trip back to Springfield and how we could still reach highway 36. All in all, this accounted for about an hour delay in returning home.

On Saturday, I had a few errands to do and eventually we went by Pat Nichols and she joined us for a trip to Trenton and Huckleberry's - and then on to H&M store south of Jamesport.

We haven't done much today other than a couple of errands. I am going to fix my infamous no fat refried bean burritos for supper. I made some coleslaw this afternoon and even fixed a pan of brownies - so we should not starve.

Jim is driving us to the NKC area on Monday a.m. where we will have a good breakfast at Perkins and then will take us on to the airport. We have already downloaded our boarding passes so that will save a little bit of time. Kay leaves a little after 1:00 for Lubbock (has a stop in Dallas) and I leave at 3:00 for LAX. Jim's younger brother will pick me up and then we are joining other family members at Dragon Palace in Santa Monica for supper.

I talked to Margaret on Saturday afternoon and she had experienced a bad night - and wasn't feeling very good. I talked to her this afternoon and she had worn out much quicker walking this morning than what she had anticipated. My guess is that she won't be dismissed on Monday, but probably Tuesday.

I probably won't be back on line until June 11 as I fly back to KC on the 10th.

Be safe.
B.