Our Cincinnati and Elk Lake Week

Monday my friend Donna (K-12) visited us in the condo. Everyone is mesmerized by the gorgeous view of downtown Cincinnati and the Ohio River.  We eventually left for lunch at Mi Casa.  They also have a bakery and Donna bought a few things to take to her daughter. 

Our impressive building sits at the end of what was the 8th Street Incline.  Next door to us is the Incline Public restaurant with a patio with an equally breathtaking view.  It was there we met Ted’s 7 siblings and in-laws for dinner.  It is always a great time to get all together for a visit.

We chose the American Sign Company museum to fill our afternoon on Wednesday.  It starts back in the late 1800s and starts with “Objects” used to show what service was offered, mostly because many could not read.  The rise of electricity, light bulbs, eventual neon, etc. were all represented.  We lucked out in that two busloads of seniors had just arrived for their scheduled tour.  Their tour guide invited us along!  The info was quite interesting.  I solved a mystery for the young tour guide.  A 5 star restaurant for years, “The Maisonette” was represented by their very recognizable black awning and red door entrance.  In a window above this display was a window with LaNormandie Taverne and Chop House.  The young man admitted he didn’t know what that was.  I said it was a restaurant in the lower level of The Mainsonette.  Procter & Gamble was just down the street and both restaurants were frequented by many employees.  He thanked me for filling in that blank of his tour.  

Thursday we met our Maid of Honor and Best Man (now married 50+ years).  She has developed Parkinson’s but was doing very well needing very little assistance, mostly getting in and out of her chair.  We had a very long lunch and hated to say goodbye!

Friday was Lake Day!  We arrived at Tim and Cindy’s in time for lunch.  I brought boiled ham and cheese for lunch, goetta for breakfast and hamburgers and filets for two dinners along with soft drinks!  They cook every meal no matter how much we protest!

My brother Kim arrived with his friend Kathy in time for grilled burgers and way too many sides.  We took a pontoon boat ride around the lake afterwards and then spent the evening on the deck at the bar with nephew Brian and family stopping by.  

Saturday was the Poker Run!  Riding the pontoon again, we all chose a sealed envelope with a card from 5 boat docks.  Each place had adult drinks and appetizers or cookies.  One had hot dogs and the last check in place was pizza!  You turned in your cards to make your best poker hand.  I had 2 pair - jacks and 4’s.  But I didn’t win!  Tim won a cooler as a door prize and a niece won $50 for the worst hand!  It was a fun time!  We waited a long time to grill the filets because no one was very hungry until later.

Tim, Ted and I went to church on Sunday.  After breakfast, Kim and Kathy left and the four of us crashed in the family room for a bit of napping.  For dinner, Ted and I took Cindy and Tim to dinner at Merrick Inn in Lexington.  The food was outstanding!  I had walleye pike, stewed tomatoes and corn pudding plus rolls to die for.  I had a delicious peach and Moscato drink plus shared strawberry shortcake with Ted!  A real southern feast!

Monday we cleaned our bedroom and bath then packed up to leave.  Our hosts were leaving Tuesday to their house in Aruba.  

Time With CeCe

We had no plans for Wednesday, other than a load of laundry so we drove to visit Pat and Barb, two ladies I worked with while we lived in Troy. We had a nice visit and I was delighted to see them both.

On Thursday, Kelly met us at Culver’s for lunch, saving our ice cream coupons for later. After Despicable 4 (that CeCe pronounced scary with a mean grandma and beetles!), we returned to Culver’s to have our ice cream. 

When we got home, there was a crowd.  Sam and Haley stopped by to say hello, Pat and Kelly came too to take CeCe home, Cassie came by later, and Bill, Kara, Morgan, Ted and I were on hand.  CeCe loves a crowd!  

Ted picked CeCe up at 7:45 am Friday in time for her parents to get to work.  She was ready to go to Frankenmuth to see the Christmas store (Bronners’s).  

It is about 1.5 hours to get there.  I had two tops to exchange at Chico’s so we stopped first to do that.  We made our way to Bavarian Inn for the famous family style chicken dinner.  We made stops at the fudge shop where we watched fudge and taffy being made.  I bought some for my neighbor.  We visited Bronner’s last.  CeCe started singing Jingle Bells immediately.  Later, for some reason, she switched to Happy Birthday!

Saturday we packed up the car and headed to Cincinnati.  We stopped at Jungle Jim’s, a supermarket and then some, is a real tourist attraction!  Kara loves it!  I hated it!  It is so filled you can’t figure out where anything is and when I finally found a map, it didn’t have the info I needed.  I just wanted coffee items and bagels!  I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.  

We arrived at my brother’s condo that he had so graciously offered to us for our week here in Cincinnati.  He is at his house in Columbus.  It is located high on a hill overlooking downtown Cincinnati and the Ohio River.  We have the whole place to ourselves!  The view out of our 5th floor window.

We had planned to go to church and then out to eat but we were too tired so just opted for dinner.  I chose Ron’s Roost who serves great chicken and a few local favorites.  I had my favorite turtle soup and hot bacon slaw to go with my chicken.  We came home and I immediately fell asleep.

Sunday we went to church at the parish Ted’s family belonged to for years.  He attended elementary school there.  We stopped at Sam’s to get goetta and brats to take to the lake, and Walmart for a toaster and Tide.  

Then we attended a Pompeii program at the Cincinnati Union Terminal train station that is a museum complex now.  It was a good program but having visited the ruins, in person, it lacked the awesomeness of what the area is really like.  It is amazing and the sheer volume of what happened is hard to portray.  But had I not been there, it would whet my appetite to go there.  

We stopped at a church festival, enjoyed a drink and the music but didn’t stay too long.  We are both finding being on the go is wearing us out.  Age is catching up on us!  

Made it To Michigan

A lot has gone on over the past couple of weeks.  I slowly eased back into regular activities.  We worked out that Ted would go on ahead to Columbus, driving himself in the car because of needing to take his guns and ammo for the competitions.  If I needed PT or other appointments I would be able to drive myself.  Kristin was still in town so I thought I would be busy.  

We never expected a hurricane!  We were lucky in that our generator kept us with electricity but we had no internet, cable or WiFi!  Pretty boring!  I could drive to the parking lot at MDAnderson to make phone calls and check messages and emails.  

After 2.5 days we got our power back and the other things came back on line eventually.  Two funerals I was to attend were cancelled, Shanghai and 3-13 were both cancelled, but I did attend our neighborhood luncheon before going into Houston to spend the weekend with Kristin.

On Monday I flew to Detroit.  Ted had finished shooting on Sunday but stayed over to Monday so he could plan his arrival from Columbus at DTW when I arrived.  The timing worked out perfectly.  As soon as I stepped outside, Ted was pulling up.  We drove to Kara’s, had dinner, and settled in for the next 4 days.

Today we had to take an Amazon return to Kohl’s and stopped at Office Max looking for those round hole reinforcements Ted wanted for his shooting sheets.  Turned out it was Closing and very little was left.  While looking for the circles I found a pack of ink cartridges that worked in our printer that I normally pay $80 for marked down to $3.50. What a bargain!  

We were close to CeCe’s school so we stopped and asked if we could say hi.  She was just finishing lunch and would move on to nap time so they let her come out into the hallway.  She didn’t understand exactly why she was being called out and had a worried look on her face.  But then she broke into the biggest smile and ran into our arms.  I told her I liked her haircut and she said it didn’t get into her mouth anymore.  It was way too long!  Then she said she had peanut butter on her face.  I said “I noticed.”   She had to go back but we told her we would see her Thursday for a day out.  

Kara fixed a beef tenderloin for dinner.  Evening entertainment was the All Star baseball game.  Three Astros were voted to play but two were injured!

Success!

Happy 4th of July!

I am happy to report I am mobile.  The steroids plus gabapentin have worked their charm … that and 6 weeks have passed and that was the prediction of time to healing.

My MRI confirmed lots of things going on in my back, much of it contributed to my age!  There are a few areas of impinged root nerves.  I will have to be careful to baby my back and not fall again. 

Terry and Carol were in for John’s funeral. They called and suggested we go to 5 pm Mass and out to eat so we did that.  On Sunday they called and asked if they could come over to see my cabinets. We said yes.  They stayed all afternoon, took us to dinner then came back and we played cards. I won! 

It has been a sad week. We buried our good friend John on Tuesday.  It was a lovely service and Irene appears to be doing well.  Next Monday is another funeral for Joanne’s husband.  We received a message from Niles, Ted’s best friend down in Mission, that said he was entering hospice after a long battle with cancer.  Another card playing friend, Anita, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that has migrated to her lungs.  This certainly is a very sad time of life

Last night we attended the Houston Symphony’s performance at the Pavilion of Red, White and Blue!  It is a free performance each year and the place fills up.  It supposedly holds 16,000 including the pavilion and the hillside.  We sat with the Newcomers group next to a non Newcomers couple and the man attends Bible study with Ted.  Then, a lady came in the row and it was Sally from Newcomers and then someone called my name. It was Frieda who moved away10 years ago and recently moved back.  It is such a wonderful performance and fun time!

Today is friend Tommy’s birthday and they invited us to Taste of Texas.  Last fall we celebrated my and Susan’s birthday there.  Kristin was in town so she joined us.  It is  a very popular Houston steakhouse and the food is fabulous.