Still on Standby

First, my apologies to John and Sherida for completely passing up writing about our last Friday trip to Deep Roots Winery.  What a fun time we had catching up!  Beautiful venue, very good food truck.  I am not much of a wine drinker but I did ok with it.  The acoustics inside the barn are not good.  If we go again, I would sit out on the porch or around the fire.

Ted left on Sunday bright and early.  He was picking up Tal to drive to San Antonio, Tom would join them later on in the week.  He has had a great time with his best buddy here in Texas.  A lot of the Ohio gang came and they all met up too.  The one thing we always do when the girls are along is go to the Cowboy Bar in Bandera for a cook your own steak night and a dance band.  Just loads of fun!  But alas, no ladies, no two stepping this time.

I asked Ted if he saw my friend that bit me last year.  He said no but shocked the group with my story!  He will be home Thursday afternoon.  

Monday afternoon I played cards and it wasn’t one hand held me back, it was three.  Since a round is six games, I spiraled downward half the time!  I had really lousy cards and no jokers!  But it is always a pleasure to play with these ladies and this week was no exception.

Forum produced our Vintage Clothes fashion show on Tuesday for a new women’s group being formed at the country club.  They chose a teal suede cowgirl outfit for me, along with purple and beige ones for two other ladies.  The three of us represented Houston’s rodeo.  There are some cute and some gorgeous outfits and the show is always well received.  Priscilla took my costume back to the office so that saved me a trip on Wednesday.  

That morning I had my 6 month regular check up to have my prescriptions refilled.  We have been seeing Dr. C since the day we moved here in August of 2001.  I had an awful cold and with so much I had to do with our furniture arriving that I went to the Village Center in our strip mall.  Dr. C. took care of me and when he opened his own office, we followed him.  

Last April he brought up my weight gain of 2 lbs.!  I had just returned from Mission TX after 3 months and really didn’t know exactly what that number was.  Then this summer I came home and knew I really needed to get serious.  He was delighted I had lost but he didn’t say how much, best I can figure based on my scale I have 5-6 lbs. back to my WW goal that I reached in August of 2018.  I guess that’s not bad after 3.5 years.  He called the next day and said not one number on any of my blood tests was off.  I am good for six more months.  

Thursday I was talking to my Indiana relatives a lot.  My sister who has Alzheimer’s and her husband were moved to Assisted Living.  However, he was put in Hospice the next day.  I am not sure just what is going to happen to her living arrangement.  I think she will probably need Memory Care and not an apartment.  Everything has spiraled down so quickly that they are sort of in shock.  I think next week they will get a better handle on what happens next and then what to expect after that.  It such a sad time for us all.  

I talked to my sister in law in Connecticut and she rallied from her fall but they had sent her from her independent living to the hospital to a rehab place and now they have to assess where will be best when she is ready to be moved again.  All of this is dreadfully hard on everyone.

My oldest daughter has been coordinating her mother in law’s cancer treatments and she is now in an assisted living facility.  I have not heard how she is faring with her third round of chemo.

I will tell you this … the scariest thing is to look at your phone in the morning.

We went to church and out to eat.  Ohio State beat Penn State so all was good in Mudville!   Ted is still in second place in his class at Nationals but there have been shooters since he left on Thursday and continued through Friday, Saturday and will finish up Sunday.  We hope his score holds!   

So Much Fun!

It was a delight to stay home on Thursday!  How quickly disliking having things to do versus having nothing to do occurs. Hard to reach a happy median. I was able to do the laundry and get things in order. 

The Friday morning "meeting in the park" was so refreshing.  We had the pavilion on the water. Our social committee did not disappoint with coffee, cider, water, breakfast burritos, cookies and cupcakes!  It was a long meeting because so much ground needed to be covered. 

I saw so many friends I have made over the last 10 years. There was a tribute to our cancer survivors because apparently there is an All Cancers month (actually February they said) so we were honoring our ladies the first chance we were all together.  Certainly a group you don’t want to belong to but an amazing show of resilience and grace.

L

In the afternoon I had an appointment for my mammogram.  I am 6 months late due to covid and traveling.  I did wear my bracelet I was given at the meeting.  By the time I got home I had an additional green band saying I was checked in at the hospital front door for covid,  accompanied by my info bracelet given at check in.  I am now down to GYN, PCP and eye doctor to see before we take off again.

We attended Mass Saturday evening and ended up at Appleby’s for dinner.  Let’s just let it at "now we know why they had parking and tables available, unlike most of the others".  

I took Sunday off!  I did just what I had to and spent the rest of the day catching up with family, we have a couple very delicate medical situations going on and decisions will need to be made.  Conditions are so fluid that plans are hard to make.  There is not much I can do from here except pray and stand ready to help where and when I can.  

Monday was nail day.  I had two excellent operators and they both did a fine job.  We are set for third covid shots Wednesday and haircuts on Thursday. 

We received our booster shot so we are caught up and I hope everyone is happy  I immediately ordered passport covers with a side for your vaccine card.  I admit traveling was my main reason for taking the shot.  With family spread all over the country I need to be able to travel however necessary to get places in a short period of time. It hasn’t come to that yet but I am prepared if it does.  

Haircuts were taken care of so we are ready for the weekend and whatever it brings.

Saturday was a work day at the gun club for Ted, laundry for me.  It poured rain as we drove to church but stopped before we got there.  Ted chose Black Bear diner for dinner.  

CeCe participated in the Trunk or Treat at Morgan’s high school where she was in charge of the Japanese Club trunk.  

 

Ted headed to San Antonio this morning to participate in Sporting Clay National Championships.  He is attending with Tom and Tal.  Brother Dan and Sue did not come from Ohio this year due to medical procedures he thought were going to happen but were moved to December.   

And time marches on.  

The Hurrier I Go the Behinder I Get.

After a quiet week between birthdays, things picked up.  We chose to eat at home after church on Saturday because a whole week of eating was staring me in the face.  We were humbled by the amount of cards and good wishes we received for our birthdays  

Sunday we went to Perry’s with Irene and John.  We had a very nice dinner and such good company. Monday I had a breather from eating out but on Tuesday I had lunch while playing cards with about 25-30 ladies. I went from first to last over one hand!   

That evening we had more cards for couples along with dinner at the country club.  I am not crazy about their food and they didn’t disappoint me.  I should be like Ted and just get a burger!  Again, I went from first to last with one hand.  Maddening!

Our errand for Wednesday was to drive the motorhome to Holiday World in Willis to have the fabric of our slider topper replaced.  It was stretched from wind and was bowing so it holds water instead of it running off.  When I bring in that long slide after a rain, the water runs down on Ted in the driver’s seat.  It should be ready by Friday  

I attended Continental Breakfast on Thursday.  It is a breakfast buffet held at Newcomers members’ homes and is a great time to visit without an agenda. I saw so many friends I have had little contact with over the last 1.5 years due to the  pandemic.  Being gone 6 months out of the year doesn’t help either.  There was a good crowd, nice food and a beautiful house to drool over.

Just to be sure I don’t waste away, Friday was a CWJF Sustainer lunch.  There were about 15 of us, three of whom I served in Forum with through my “work” years.  The leader of the Sustainers is a wonderful lady I only met through this group previously and the others I will get to know better.  It was a delight!  I came away so pumped about their future plans and was so glad I went.

I thought we were going to pick up the coach but when they removed the topper fabric they said the rubber seals around the slide need to be replaced.  So they will have it ready on Monday, we hope (!). They are keeping it indoors and plugged in for the duration.  We had to spend $3000 to replace a smaller slide floor on our last 5th wheel so better safe than sorry!  

I wonder if Casa Medina misses us yet.  We have been there once or twice in the past 7 months.  Saturday we went to Joe’s Italian.  We did not renew our community theater tickets so our visits to Joe’s aren’t happening.  I brought enough home for Sunday lunch.

Monday I ventured to a new restaurant to play Rummicube.  I had played it twice last year in Mission but I sat at the training table and we all did pretty well.  Most of it came back to me so I had a bit of an advantage.  We did not keep score so nobody won.  

Our motorhome was ready Tuesday morning so I was up, showered, dressed and on my way to Willis.  Everything appeared ok so we closed it up and brought it home, but not not before Ted topped off the fuel we used between Carthage and home in August.  Thank you, DC, for these skyrocketing fuel prices.  Lots of under $400,000 earners affected by this non-tax.  Don’t get me started on food!  Inflation is a tax that affects everyone.

By 10:45 I was at a restaurant ready to play cards, and I won.  I think it is only the third time I have ever won at this game called 3-13!  Fun game!  

Not to waste any time sleeping on Wednesday morning, I had to be at the Hand Me Up Shop to be picked up by Priscilla.  We were on our way to the Forum offices to be assigned our vintage clothing fashion show garments.  She will be a flapper in a red fringed dress and I will represent the Houston rodeo in a teal suede ensemble. What you wear depends on what fits!  Those size 2, 4, 6 and go wanting.  The girls who fit in them usually have to wear two different outfits.  I have the cowboy boots and hat, turquoise jewelry and silver belt to finish out my “look.”  She asked me if I wanted to be Barbara Bush until we looked and it was 16W!  Uh … I don’t think that would work!  

I have a free day tomorrow.  Friday our Forum general meeting will be outside at a park in deference to covid.  Then in the afternoon is my “six month late” mammogram.  Once I get through that I am down to GYN, PCP, and eye doctor.  It takes us all Fall to get all the appointments in we have to do.  

CeCe celebrated her second birthday a week late due to Aunt Kara’s family being under the weather.  

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