Finishing Sentences

I saw this on Cissa Fireheart's blog and although I was not tagged I thought it would be fun.


I AM tired
I WANT to rest my feet.
I HATE; to gain weight
I MISS having a dog.
I FEAR : a storm
I HEAR the town clock
I WONDER: who will win the 5 million on Deal or No Deal.
I REGRET: being a scarty-cat.
I 'M NOT: doing the dishes.
I DANCE: looking at my feet.
I SING: when i am alone.
I CRY: easily.
I AM NOT ALWAYS: at ease
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: model buildings.
I WRITE: childrens stories.
I CONFUSE: the names of people.
I NEED: to be more mineful of others.
I SHOULD: do the laundry.
I START: a new plan tomorrow.
I FINISH: what I start.[not]


I planted a hanging basket of stawberries . Last night after it cooled a bit I made a cake for strawberry shortcake. I couldn't find the shortcake in the store.

I don't know if my daughter will blog or not. she had her second treatment tuesday and it was different than the first. Her right arm was blocked but also the left. She will have another treatment tomorrow.

The Falls in Trouble?

After we put out the restaurant and the people, and the boats around the "lake" [ a small plastic garden pool]. I planted in the lake flowers. This I have never done. I used plastic one that floated before. I then planted the rest of the flowers in the red garden. This was the former pool hole which took 30 bags 0f costly soil. " Dirt poor" The day was very hot and the plants needed water. I looked at the lake which was down about two inches and filled it and started the waterfall. I went to water the rest of the plants and when I came back the lake was dry. The engineers now have a problem, where did the water go.? Will we have to take everything down and start over.? When we go to Green Bay this weekend maybe we will find another way to make a waterfall.

Memorial Day

In my home town I don't remember a parade but we put flowers on the graves of our relatives. My mother would purchase the flowers and take them and as we became able to we helped plant them.

Now being away from my home town we do not put flowers on the graves but we have until Dr John became ill would go to the parade and to the ceremonys. Dr John sometimes was the speaker and sometimes he was called on to pray. All of the children were in the highschool band and they would march out to the cemetery . Besides the band , and the veterans, The Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts would march. As a Girl Scout leader I made that march. When everything was done at Crystal everyone who was a part of the ceremony would drive to Amasa [a place smaller than Crystal Falls]. After the ceremony there refreshments were given out. There were two bad things that are a part of our memories The heat and the bugs. The heat ans standing make for people passing out in the band.

We made two trips for dirt yesterday and another one today to fill the pool hole. I got the dirt in and the flowers planted. The For-get-me -nots do not look so good every thing else seemed OK.

In the morning we were to have a baptism at 10:00 but the people showed up at the 8:00 service. The pastor called the lady working with me at 7:45 and she set out the cake and made coffee We provide a cake and coffee and punch to celebrate after the service. I went late to church since I went Saturday night. I came in during the sermon which is followed by the baptism. No baptism I couldn't understand why. I am on the altar commitee for May so I couldn't get down right after service. We also provide refreshments after the last service of the month. I expected to see the cake. No cake. I said the whole cake is gone. Then my friend explained they came at 8:00.

Fighting the pool

Most of my day I fought with our 4'x 6' pool. Why you ask.

Here's the problem. Way back when we began plans for this garden railroad we bought it with thoughts that it would would be our lake. We have a smaller pool in the middle of the layout where we have a mountain with tunnels and a waterfall over it into the pool . It was a lot of work and still is not complete. The hole and larger pool were in place but we were far from ready to work over there. So it just sat there collecting rain water and debree and looking ugly. Last fall we pulled out the pool and placed it over the little pool protecting the little pool for the winter.

Afew days ago we pulled off the large pool and sat in the ground. We change a mind for a lake . Now we looked at the hole where the pool was.

I had ordered flowers to put in that side of the garden which was bare now with with a large hole in it. We had notice that the flowers had been shipped. Where were these flowers going to go. I could put dirt in the hole,or I could fill the hole and dig another one another place, or I
could put back the pool and fill it with dirt and plant the flowers there.

after going over in my mind for sometime. I decided to put back the pool. I dragged it over and up over the rail and into the hole. It did not go in nicely. It sat on top. So I pulled it out and got a shovel and dug some more. Pulled back into the hole and it went down a little but still was sticking up. I pulled it out again and dug some more and put it back better but still not right. Lunch time. When I looked out the window and saw that I still had a foot more to dig. I decided to pull out the pool . I went and got that cloth that keeps out weeds and I layed that down. I am going to fill the hole with dirt and plant my flowers there. No Pool.

Now we have the problem of where to store this pool. Don't know.

People have been asking about our colds. Mine has gone. Dr John is having some coughing.

My daughter after finding a doctor that knew what she had and how to treat it , went in for an injection of something that would block the pain to the hand and arm. I am a layman and I donot know the medical name, but the nerves will relax and begin to think all is OK now. I made that very simple and it isn't but that the best I can do. There can be one to six injections. She can move her fingers after the injection and got a muffin and pealed off the wrapper. She will probably blog about it later.

Remembering Harry

The more I think about my uncle Harry I am amazed. He had retired when I knew him. He stayed at my aunts home [it was his house too because my grandparents had left the house to the children] and when my birth mother died my father also came to stay in the house with me. When my birth father died I was adopted by my aunt. Harry was the babysitter for my baby sister and myself.

Harry was a bachelor. He was a sargent in the army during WWI. They rode horses. We had a room upstairs in the back which was like a walk-in closet. In that room he set up a "war room" during WWII.



He had maps and newspapers keeping track of the war. This is not the type of man you would think of changing dypers . He wash clothes and there were no automatic washer and dryers.

I remember a Christmas when because of the war the lights were not colored. He was not happy with that so he painted the white lights individualy different colors. To do that he hung them on the clothes line in the basement. We used them on the tree for many years.

Today was a beautiful day as warm as a summer day. We worked on the center of the railroad, uncovering the water fall and pool. We cleaned it out and added water and ran it.

It is my sister birthday. Happy birthday sister!

Happy Birthday Dr. John

Happy Birthday Dr John!

I am glad that we can celebrate together. I love your humor. You have put joy in my life.


I have an update on my sisters trip to Mayo. The Doctors do not recomend surgery. She is still able to do almost every thing she could before eg: golfing , cooking. Surgery might take a lot away. The tumor is slow growing and with three month check ups and radiation that would be a better option. She wants to say thankyou to all that have been praying for her and would ask for more prayers.


I remembered a n other story of Las Vegas with the grandmas. We stayed at Vegas World the first time with the grandmas, and they had a pool at the top of the building. It was HOT so we decided to go swimming. It was freezing and windy up there but we bravely went swimming, but we didn't stay there long.

Life With The Grandmas

The move of my mother to my home was gradual. First she broke her arm and I went and stayed with her until she could be on her own again. Then she broke her hip . She broke her hip the week after her 80th birthday. The next year she broke the other hip. My sister and I were with her for a week or two and I stayed on until she was able again to be on her own. What was not noticeable when we just visited occasionaly was that do to small strokes she was losing her short term memory.

Two things pushed the move into staying with my sister and myself. There was a relative who stated that he was coming to live in the house, who she did not want there. He did on paper have joint ownership of the house,but my mother had been living there since her mother died. The second thing that happened we felt that she was unsafe because she had been robbed during the day with as much protection that we could provide. Meals on wheels came around noon. Housecleaning came in the afternoon, and a friend came at supper and visited until time to go to sleep. She had a help line. Still someone had come in and had taken money from her wallet and bank. The bank was a large crayon shaped cylinder she kept her change in. She had no memory of being robbed. The friend found the wallet and bank on the floor. Because my sister lives a long way. My mother would stay with each of us for three months. My sister would have her come during winter because they have warmer weather.

My mother -in law also was losing her memory due to having small strokes. She also was having fractures in her back. When she was home on her own she grew fearful. She lived on a farm and the neighbors were not close. John's sister had her move in with her with home health making visits. While I was staying with my mother after the second hip broke, John's sister asked for help,so my mother-in-law would stay with us a month and John's sister a month. Until my mother came to stay with us John's mother would travel with me to my mothers a two hour trip one way once a week. We would go out to eat and visit.

Having the two grandmothers at my home together was best for them because they had each other for company. No one complained about what TV show they should watch. They didn't mind if a story was repeated over and over but the fear of being alone was not there.

Since they had only the now we tried to make the now as pleasant as possible. While they both could walk fairly well we took two trips to Las Vegas. We also included them in the activities we participated in. My mother-in-law enjoyed being the hostess at our open houses at Christmas. She also would go over to the church with Dr. John and helped put together mailings. In the picture above you see my oldest grandson learning to walk using my mother-in law's walker.

My mother-in-law past away at Dr. John's sisters house.

My mother as she got older got more demanding. My sister and my mother looked at assisted living places in a town near us. They found one that was very nice. She would have her own apartment with a fairly large bed room. The apartment had a kitchenet. She would get housekeeping and laundry. She moved in after Easter with my encouragement because we had trouble on Easter.

Easter morning our church has three services. The bell choir which I was a part of played at the early service. I left leaving instructions for my daughter and daughter -in-law to help my mother get ready for church and we all would attend the later service. Now I was not there but I was told that my mother was very irate because I did not get her up to go church . She refused to get dressed. She called out for juice repeatedly as the family tried to get dressed and feed my oldest granddaughter who was a baby at the time. This is when I lost it and decided that she should go to the assisted living place. I have a bit of guilt about this maybe a little more time she could have stayed with me.

She liked the assisted living place and felt like she was on vacation. I visited her regularly and we participated in the activities. During the summer they had a picnic and the families of those staying there would bring a dish to pass. They dressed up at holloween in costumes. They had an Easter egg hunt at Easter. My mother did not stay in her room but would go down and sit in the living room with the fireplace, keeping track of all those coming and going. When she first went there they had a large piano which she would play. Her sight became bad and she had difficulty reading the music, so the playing ended . A major stroke brought her to the hospital and then to a near by nursing home as she continued to have larger strokes.

The Town Begins

Yesterday we had no rain. It was windy and cool in the morning but warmed up in the afternoon. This means that we could begin on our garden railroad.

We changed the layout some and so the foundation of the buildings had to be painted. I began that task . I put on a apron trying to keep the paint off my clothes. I also put on gloves. I started with spray painting and the wind blew the paint everywhere but on the block. The wind picked up my apron and it flew up over my face. I gave up on the spray and used a brush. I finished all but three before we had to go to the doctors. I took off my gloves before cleaning the brush so I worked at getting the paint off my hands, didn't look at my face.

When the doctor went to examine me he was alarmed because I had a new black spot on my face. I then remembered the apron flying up. I told him no it was paint not a mole.

Today working around the raindrops we put out some buildings. The next day that should be nice is Sunday. Hope they are wrong and we get some sunshine.

Mother's Day is Over

For Mother's Day we {Dr. John and I} went out to eat. Some advice: go when they begin serving. I made the mistake of thinking I would avoid long lines. I avoided long lines but got cold food, good but cold when it should be hot. Very good service eight servers to just us. There were also no food left as far as the special breads they were known for. It was nice to get out anyway.

Monday I tackled the vacuum cleaner. It needed to have it's belt replaced. I began to do this some months ago. The problem I had was the right size belt. I got the right numbers and a nice lady tried to help me at Walmart , but none of their belts had the right number so we took the closest. It did not look anything like it and no way to put it in. So back to store with old belt in hand and numbers. We found a belt and I bought two. Yesterday I tried to put it in. Directions sound not to difficult, put the left end of roller in first and stretch the belt and put in right end. It was the stretch part I had difficulty with. I was determined and after an hour I managed the feat ,very proud that I got it done. It worked.

In the afternoon, I built the fire station, which arrived in the morning.

To day we are going to have partly cloudy skies and we should be able to paint the building foundations. Tomorrow back comes the rain but in our area we have not had the flooding yet.

Mothers

Happy Mothers Day!

I have had three mothers in my life. They were all great. They have all passed away. My birth mother died when I was four years old. I went with my father to live with my aunt, my fathers sister. My father died the next year and my aunt became my mother. Her name was Margaret, nick name was Peg.

She was a working mom but she didn't need a babysitter or daycare. My uncle was staying at her home. He was an other brother. He was mr. mom.Her husband was over seas fighting in WWII. Her husband became my father.

She was a secretary but worked at different jobs through the years. She worked for the railroad, the DNR, and the church. After her husband returned from the war, a baby sister was born.

My mother was active in the P.T.A. and worked at the Halloween carnivals. She had great respect for teachers and when they had conference she would provide a place to stay. She attended every activity my sister and I were in. She was a church organist since she was in highschool. She was in the Eastern Star. She would play the organ for the Ice review practice. She loved to play Bridge, and won very often belonging to a Bridge Club.

My mother never spanked. She never raised her voice. She just gave you that look.

My third mom was Edith my mother-in-law. She was a stay at home mom. After Dr John's brother died she began taking in foster children mostly babies. She was an expert on baby care. When I was going to have my first child I had much to learn. I had done baby sitting but it was for children out of diapers. She gave me practice with the baby she had at that time. After the birth she came and stayed to help me. She was with me when I was with Dr John in Green Bay when he had that ear infection.

I loved my mom's and I miss them.

Rain and Snow in May

This is very yucky weather. The wind is strong and drives the sleet into you and it is slippery and cold. A friend of mine said she has not turned on her furnace all winter but she did on May 11.

I want to thank all of you who said they would pray for my sister.

There is good news coming from my sisters house, her youngest daughter will graduate from Purdu {not sure of spelling} this weekend. She is not done though she has to get a licence.

If you haven't read Chris and George blog you would not know that Chris's youngest son will be leaving for the Middle East Friday. Our prayers go with him.

We had a nice meeting at the church. The number was small but considering the weather it was a surprise that we had anyone. We started with a salad luncheon, then a short meeting and ended with the final bible study in the Lutheran Women Today. It was led by the Pastor. We usually do the bible study in circles and the women lead.

Speaking in Tongues?

Dr john brought this subject up in his blog. He said that I spoke in tongues and so questions arose. This practice is not in most Lutheran churches. But I would bet , although I have not any facts that there are people who speak in tongues in most congregations. This I believe to be the case in most congregations no matter the denomination. Why because it was the way God seemed to move in the 70.

Dr John heard about a Lutheran Charismatic conference in Minneapolis. It was about thirty years ago. We went with the children staying in a campground near Minneapolis. I think the conference was held in a large auditorium down town. We attended the conference and the children were taken and cared for by a near by church. I loved the music and the enthusiasim of the worshipers. The singing in the spirit was beautiful. There were people who spoke in tongues and then there was someone who would interpret what was said. At the end of each day it was hard to get people to leave. There were no 20 minute sermons think of an hour or more. You did not feel that it was so long because they were good speakers. There were free material and there was a book store. There was no fear there because everything was in order. There was no pushing tongues but explanation. No one attacted you.

We left with neither of us speaking in tongues. John did go up for prayer and he said nothing happened. We now kno w better.

I found a little book on how to speak in tongues when I got home and was putting things away from the trip. I read the book and prayed the prayer at the end,but I said I wanted to beable to just to speak to others I didn't care if I spoke in tongues. I was very shy.

During my devotions I played Christian songs and would sing along. As I was singing I began to sing in a different language. When I told John he said don't tell anyone.

This experience let to more Bible study. I found I could pray in tongues and did not have to sing or talk out loud. I searched for a Lutheran understanding of what had happened.

Dr John was correct the information that he spoke in Latin was a sign that God was in control .

Beacon House

I have mentioned before about the Beacon House , a remodel Best Western. When I came there they had a small family room and kitchen. When I left they had a large kitchen in the basement with three refrigerators , one freezer, three stoves and ovens. Each room had it own cupboard. The had a large screen TV. There was a counter, and a number of small round tables . There were two or three micrwaves Across the hall they had a large family room with TV, Puzzles,and magazines,and homemade afghans. They were putting in a childrens playroom and computer room when I left. The charge for the rooms were whatever you wanted to give. There were no TVs in the room so that those staying there would leave their room and meet others for support.

The Beacon House brought to mind two other stories. They were connected. There was a young lady whos husband was in the hospital. I can't remember why. Dr John had been moved to sixth floor so I met her the Beacon House at breakfast with the other Betty. She was interested in healthful life style, commenting on the number of calories in the sweet rolls we were eating provided by Beacon House. She did lead me to make some changes. I bought a loaf of bread and milk and cereal. I began walking to and from the hospital, about three blocks if you cut through the parking lots. She and her husband lived in the woods and didn't have running water or electricity. Her husband passed away.

There was another family who I met in the ICU. The father who was elderly had heart problems and he as the other heart patience left the ICU in about three days, in a wheelchair balloons tied to the chair and loaded with gifts and stuff. All very happy to be leaving for home. We shortly heard the code blue. He had not made it out of the hospital. Their long trial began,John was moved to the sixth floor . The young woman from above had come into the ICU. The family of the elderly gentleman offered to drive the young lady to her home because she didn't have anyone with her. This was not a short distance and she agreed and they took her to her home. Writing this and bringing her to mind I wonder how she is doing. The elderly gentleman did pass away.

We painted the street of our garden railroad, actually we painted it yesterday but we put in the parking spaces. I got my hair done and we drove over to get our car license and cold medicine.

A Family

Those of us in the waiting room of the I C U became a family. We prayed for each other . We answered the phone and put messages on the board if family members weren't there. We of course did not meet their loved ones.

One of the ladies husband was in the ICU a week before mine. Her name was Betty also. She was from my home town. I called her the other Betty. Her husband had open heart surgery. The surgery went well but he had a reaction to the anesthesia He pulled out the stitches and then came along many complications. Betty and I stayed at the Beacon house . We ate breakfast together with others that were staying there. Betty had a large family that was careing. She left the hospital a week before I did. Her husband left the hospital with her. Many of the complications were like what my husband had. He unlike my husband did not stay on the ventilator. I missed her for that last week.
..
Another lady with strong faith and a large caring family,husband fell from a latter at work causing a head injury. She and her family were Packer fans and she made sure we got to see the games. Her son who was there with her had a miracle. The son was in an accident and they thought he would die and there he was supporting his mom. Her husband did die . She had to make that terrible decision to take him off life support.

There was a family who's mother was there due to a car accident where the son was driving. Again this
was a large family who gave each other support and had great faith.
My sister-in law and her husband were there every day.

My family was there taking off work to be there for their father and to support me. When the time became so long they had to go home and back to work but they would come back on week ends. Thanksgiving we got the meal prepared at Super One and we took it to the Beacon House to eat.

There were many who came and went, I just commented on the ones that stayed for a long time in the I CU.

There was one family who 's loved one was Dr. Johns room mate. that didn't get along with each other so badly that the security had to be called and them removed but most were supportive of each other and those others in the waiting room.

A Note

This will be short I didn't have time to write and I am very tired. It was one of the days starting at midnight. I remembered just before going to bed that we needed to get our car license. I thought that I put the envelope from the State in my little wood letter holder. It was not there. So I spent the early morning hours looking for that envelope . I gave up and went to bed. I looked after I woke up, and I still have not found it. Dr. John had a bad night with the BiPap on different settings. As I was looking for the envelope the tray to hold my keyboard fell down.

Dr John did have a good Doc report.

I forgot the part about someone leaving the freezer door open and every thing defrosting. There goes my diet as we try to eat that food and not thow it away. Well I must try to get some sleep.

The ICU in Marquette

John was in the ICU for six weeks when we first arrived. I lived in the waiting room, sleeping at the Beacon House. We could see him for fifteen min when we went in his room. They told us to talk to him. I found this most difficult,because He was the talker and I was the listener. At one time there was another man next to John in a coma and his wife was very good at talking to her husband.
The waiting room was a large rectangle. The end near the door was very cold, Jacket cold. The other end was very warm, shorts and t-shirt warm. You needed to dress in layers as you never knew where you would have to sit. I took a short time going out shopping buying clothes that I could wear in layers. I also carried a small blanket. It was nice that we trusted the others in the waiting room and did not have to carry everything around with us. Our other things we had were magazines and puzzle books. I had also my cross-stich. There was a cupboard of old, very old magazines and puzzles with pieces missing.

I did a lot of puzzle making, I found it kept my mind busy with things other than John. I went out and bought new puzzles . I know that most people are there a short time and the magazines and puzzles were not important.

In my next blog I will talk about the amazing people who were in the waiting room with me sharing our troubles.

Ride to Marquette

I want to begin with a thank you to the doctors and nurses who took care of my husband in Iron River. I also want to thank Pastors Fred and Kim who were there with me. It was early morning when I was told that John would be sent to Marquette, It was late afternoon before the ambulance left . My oldest son and daughter arrived . The doctor talked to us as a family. Pat had not arrived and the ambulance pulled out . As we were driving away Pat passed us. He was flagged down. We drove to the house where I threw in a suitcase a bunch of things to wear. I had no idea how long it would be before I could return, and as it turned out it was a long time.
It was late when we got to the hospital. We tried to stay at the hospital guest rooms but they were filled. There is a former hotel which was open to people who needed to stay for someone in the hospital. The former Best Western became the Beacon House. There was no charge just a donation. You can't smoke and there isn't a TV in the room. There is a room that has a TV and a refrigerator for the guest to use. The room at that time had a couch and a chair and a table with some chairs around it. Quite small. At this time we couldn't care less. It was a place to stay. We got to see John who was in a coma and attached to many tubes. We didn't see a doctor but the nurses talked to us. I will continue later.

We had a nice weekend with the family. My youngest grandson missed the train show because of his behavior in school. He understood this. He did get to go to the water park. I enjoyed the train show and tried hard not to buy everything. I proved to be a coward at the park and would not go down the slide which everyone else enjoyed. I got in the hot tub however. Best of all, we got together as a family.