Jana's First Eye Surgery

First order of business is to let you know that Jana had her eye surgery yesterday (Wednesday).  She is doing fine.  She had the cataract in her right eye removed.  She cannot drive at all now because of the problem with her left eye.  She cannot wear her glasses any longer and won’t be able to until she has her left eye repaired.  That one not only has a cataract, but also a hole in her retina. 

Meanwhile, I am her nurse, cook, driver, etc. It’s a good thing I am here because she cannot see too well.   Now we are spending our days putting eye drops in her eyes (she is able to do this) and keeping a chart of when we do that (that’s my job).  We were both surprised that she didn’t have any eye protector put on the eye that had surgery.  She just has to wear one when she goes to bed.  The most frustrating thing that Jana is going through is that she can’t read.

Next surgery is May 9^th. 

The week before surgery we met Arlene, Jim and Sharon at Ron’s Roost for supper.  We then went to Jim and Sharon’s for dessert.  Jim left for a Parish Council Meeting which meant we basically had a girl’s night of talk and laughter.  Had a great time.

Wednesday Jana went to her primary care doctor for her pre-surgery checkup.  Everything was fine.  Thursday we went to St. Al’s and met with Father Mike for her to receive the Blessing for the Sick.  We had a nice visit with him also.

Other than that it was a typical week.  I made a few phone calls.  I still have a few more to make.  We read, watched the NASCAR races, and other favorite television shows. 

Today I am doing my laundry.  Tomorrow Jana goes to her eye surgeon for a checkup.  Then we are going to Walgreen’s to pick up my prescription, Kroger for groceries and Wassler for lunchmeat.  

Time Flies When You Are Having Fun

Another week has gone by quickly.  We have been out and about every day.

Monday I met with my financial advisor at Fifth Third.  I had plenty of business to take care of since I probably won’t be back for another trip this year.  All is well.

Later that afternoon we went to Brian and Tracy’s for a visit and supper.  Samantha was also there.  Bradley and Brianna also came for supper.  It was really nice seeing everyone.  Brianna called Steven so we were able to say hi to him.  He is still in Hawaii.  Brian and Tracy still have two dogs (Precious and Bella), Samantha has Tyson and Brianna and Bradley have Ziggy.  They were all busy running around.  We spent a good part of the evening visiting with all of the family (including the dogs).  We had a great time.  We had pizza from Domino’s for supper.  I drove home.

Tuesday I did my laundry, and not much else.  Jana’s washer and dryer is in the basement and after all the trips up and down I was tired.

Wednesday we took Aunt Betty to lunch at Friday’s.  We had a very nice visit with her.  She is in her early nineties now and is getting a little forgetful, but other than that she is doing fine.  After lunch we visited with her at her apartment for a short time.  She has a very nice place at Llanfair Assisted Living Home.

Wednesday we went to Fleming Jewelry.  Jana picked up her ring that she had repaired.  She also took a gold bracelet that she didn’t wear and used that to pay for her ring.  She will also get some money back.  I took the diamond charm that Jim bought me.  It has the diamond from my engagement ring. I purchased a gold necklace so I can wear it.  It is to be worn as a necklace but I didn’t have a chain for it.  We will pick it up next week.  When we left there we went to American Traders in Cheviot.  I had a ring I wanted to sell because I can’t wear rings any more since I have such bad arthritis in my hands.  Anyway, they gave me a good deal so I sold it to them.

We went to Skyline for supper.  We met Kevin and Renea, and Mark and Sandy, there.  Kevin and Renea came to Cincinnati for a memorial service for her dad which was to be held on Friday. He was a cook for the nuns at Notre Dame in Kentucky, and they had a Mass for him.  They also had a small get-together after Mass.  We actually had a lot of fun.  Kevin and Renea also brought my mail with them.

Then there is Friday.  First stop was 9:00 a.m. at Fifth Third Bank.  I had to pick up several certified checks.  One was for Rosenacker Funeral Home to pay for my funeral.  One less thing for the boys to worry about.

Then we met Ginger at Cheddar’s at noon for lunch.  We always have fun when we get together.  We are planning to get together one more time before I go back to Alabama.

Next it was a meeting with Kurt Rosenacker to give him the check to pay for my funeral.  He is such a nice young man.  Anyway, that’s all taken care of now.

Heard from Kevin when we got home.  He wanted to stop over and pick up a few things he needed to take back with him.  Since we were going to be home for the rest of the day/evening we told him to come on over.  We had a nice visit with him.

That was it for the day.  We had a light supper.  Watched some television and went to bed.

Saturday was Mass and then we went to LaRosa’s for supper. 

Now we are resting up for next week.

Getting Organized

It’s another busy week.  Monday I spent some time on the phone and made several appointments.  I still have several things to do when I come to Cincinnati.  Then in the afternoon we went to Barnes and Nobel (I bought seven books of which only one was on my list).  From there we went to Frisch’s and met for supper with Jana’s camping group.  There were seven couples there, and only two of them still camp.  I drove home since Jana has trouble seeing when it gets dark.

It rained most of the night with plenty of thunder and lightning.  This morning it was still raining, but it has stopped in our area now.  The bad thing is the sun is out and we are expecting storms tonight.  In fact we are under a tornado watch now.  Good thing that happened was my new bed was delivered while it was not raining.  The bed really looks good. 

We were very lucky.  Did not have any severe weather although there was a lot of it around us.

Wednesday Brian stopped and secured the television so we don’t have to worry about Penny knocking it over.  He also picked up the wine I brought him.  I found out that with the new medicine I am taking for my fibromyalgia and arthritis I cannot drink ANY alcohol.  Other than that Jana and I didn’t do much. 

We are trying a new way to keep Penny upstairs at night and when we are gone.  I hope this works because I hate shutting her in one room.  We are using a taller baby gate, and hoping that she won’t climb or jump over it.  So far it has worked the past two nights.  Now we just have to try it when we leave during the day.  I think she thinks the upstairs is hers and is her safe place.  She only seems to come downstairs to get me when she is hungry or at night when it is time to go to bed 😊

Thursday we went to the Ford place and Jana had her oil changed. 

Other than that we have been reading, dot-to-dotting, and catching up on some programs that we recorded. 

Of course, Saturday and Sunday we watched NASCAR.  Saturday we usually don’t get to see all of the race because of going to Mass.  But, that’s okay because Sunday is the important race.

It’s been a good week.

I Have Arrived

Hi y’all.  I am in Cincinnati now.  Kevin brought me here this past Wednesday.  We had a very tiring trip.  Traffic, especially trucks, was very heavy.  We also had several times where we came to almost a complete stop.  Never did find out why.  Kevin unloaded the car for us, and Jana and I took everything upstairs.  Kevin then left to stay with Mark.  Jana and I had supper.  Almost immediately Penny went behind the television and tried to jump on top of it.  The way Jana’s is set up I could not move anything to get behind the television to get her out so I asked Jana for a broom.  Penny does not like brooms apparently because she took off.  She tried once again to go behind there, I used the broom, and she hasn’t done it since.

Jana had put up baby gates everywhere to keep Penny out of places she doesn’t belong.  She put one at the bottom of the steps going upstairs to keep Mattie from going up and eating Penny’s food.  Penny knocked the gate down.  Jana put one across the door to the basement because last year she figured out how to open the door.  Now this worked last year.  However, this year she figured out if she got on top of Jana’s one storage chest she could get behind the gate.  We caught her because “Mattie told on her.”  It was a good thing because she was working on getting the door open.  If she got into the basement we would never find her. 😊  Of course, Mattie and Penny picked up right where they left off – chasing each other all over the place.

Jana and I spent Thursday spending money.  I bought a mattress, springs and bed frame for the bedroom upstairs.  It’s a double bed.  I also bought sheets, etc.  I normally slept in a twin size bed, and it was not very comfortable. The new bed will be delivered on Tuesday.  We had lunch at Skyline.  We went to Kroger to pick up a few items.  Then we came home and collapsed. 

Friday morning Jana and I picked up my income tax.  I had them done by the same place that took care of my taxes last year.  Then Friday afternoon we went to Good Friday services.  Then we went to Frisch’s and had fish sandwiches for lunch.  They tasted good.  I have always liked Frisch’s fish.  When we came home I ordered several prescription refills.  I use Walgreens so I can get them filled while I am here.  I do this through the internet.  I also looked up some telephone numbers and other information that I will need the next couple of days.

Saturday morning we went to Walgreens and picked up my prescriptions.  We also stopped at the mailbox to mail what I owed in taxes and Jana paid her bills.  We are being very efficient. 

This morning when I was getting dressed (Jana emptied one closet and several drawers in the chest for me to put my clothes) I went to get my jeans out of the cupboard.  Now, the closets have those folding doors on them also so they have baby gates across them.  When I opened the folding door leaving the gate in place, Penny jumped over the gate and went inside the closet.  Now, that wouldn't be a big deal, but the way the bedroom is built there is an area where the bed goes and a closet is on either side.  There is an open space between the closets that if Penny got into it we may not get her out because no one but her could fit there.  Well, there wasn’t anything I could do at this point so I left  the door open and went into the other room to get dressed.  When I came back into the room Penny was sitting inside the closet looking out through the gate.  I moved the gate and she came out.  Thank goodness she didn’t go behind the wall.

Today I am washing the bedclothes for my new bed.  Jana has been cleaning the leaves off the deck.

Hope y’all had a nice Easter.  We did.  We went to church in the morning.  Was lazy in the afternoon.  Then went to Sharon and Jim’s house for supper.  Sharon has been a friend of Jana’s since elementary school.  They actually attended all eight grades and high school together.  They have remained friends. I think that is wonderful.  Anyway, we met their daughter and her three children.  Had a wonderful meal.  We took Sharon and Jim an azalea plant and she fixed us an Easter basket.  We heard from our family.  All in all it was a really nice day.

What A Week!

It’s been a busy week.  We have had frost yesterday morning and a freeze this morning.  It is supposed to rain Friday night and Saturday.  I am not surprised about Saturday.  It seems it always rains on St. Patrick’s Day.  Our church which is St. Patrick’s Church is going to have a special Mass on Saturday.  We have a temporary priest because Father Jose is in Philadelphia in a hospital.  That is all we know.  No one has even told us what is wrong with him.  However, our temporary priest, Father Sherwin, has been doing a few things differently.  I really like him.  He is the one who agreed to the Stations of the Cross for Seniors.  It is held every Friday afternoon at 3:00.  I am thoroughly enjoying it.  It has much more meaning to me, and the other seniors agree.

I have been watering the magnolia tree and the new tulip poplar trees every other day.  They all seem to be doing just fine.  The Franklin trees that I started in containers last year seem to have survived the winter and are getting new growth.  I am really excited about that because we were told they were very hard to grow and probably wouldn’t survive.  It is still a touch and go situation, but there is hope.

Kevin and Renea’s new puppy, Shelby, is growing so fast.  Copper and her get along just fine.  They run all over the backyard.  In fact, Kevin moved his fence, with a little help from some friends, to make the backyard bigger.  The first time Copper came outside after the fence was moved, he ran up to the spot where the old fence was and stopped.  He looked around as if to say, what happened.  He didn’t stay there long.  As for Lola, she is just an old lady who doesn’t want to be bothered with a puppy.  Of course, Shelby still hasn’t learned that she needs to leave Lola alone.  Shelby has learned to sit.  She is especially good at this when she gets a treat and Copper is also sitting. 

I have stopped working on my genealogy for now.  I have kind of hit a road block so I decided to take a break.  I am back to working on my embroidery and plastic canvas.  I am also learning counted cross stitch.  A lot of ladies told me that it was hard and they wouldn’t touch it.  So, I watched a video on you tube, and decided that if I can do plastic canvas I can do counted cross stitch.  I’ll let you know how that turns out.  I bought a couple of easy projects, bookmarks and cards.  We will see how it goes.

I sure hope we get some rain soon.  We are still in a drought and I have been watering the new and transplanted trees.  If it doesn’t rain soon, I will have to get my mower, attach the cart and fill the sprinkling cans and start watering everything the hoses can’t reach.  I tried to get enough hoses to reach everything, but the hoses were then too heavy for me.  I sure hate getting old and not being able to do everything I want.  I am learning to adjust.

Just a quick update.  I have been sick the past week.  It seems I had the flu.  I am finally feeling better.  I have done absolutely nothing.  It’s been a rough week for Renea and Kevin also.  Renea’s dad died and they had the funeral and burial here in Alabama.  Her brother Mark and his wife came down along with a couple of other family members.  I felt really bad because I was so sick I couldn’t do anything to help them.

However, the past two days I have been packing.  Kevin is taking me to Cincinnati to stay with Jana.  We leave tomorrow morning.  She has to have surgery on both her eyes.  Both eyes have cataracts and one eye has a hole in the retina.  Recovery from the retina surgery will be quite lengthy and she will not be able to drive.  Not sure how long I will be there. 

The Frost/Freeze Has Arrived

Good Morning!  It’s a beautiful day in Alabama.  I have finished my morning chores, and now I am going to work outside for a while.  First on my agenda is mowing grass; at least two “sections.”  I finished picking up the twigs and branches that had blown down in two areas, so I thought I would mow the grass there.  I have even weeded around the trees and bushes in those areas.  Kevin got my mower charged and gassed yesterday so it is time to get started. 

So much for mowing the grass.  The mower wouldn’t start.  Kevin checked it, and I need a new battery.  So, I picked up a few more branches.

I have started embroidering the other hand towel to complete the set.  I finished the first genealogy class that I started.  I am keeping it open because I have been referring back to it while putting into practice what I have learned.  I have started the second class I am taking.  It is not what I expected, but I will hang in there.  I am hoping to get something out of it. 

It started raining early this morning (before I got out of bed) and it has been continuing.  It is a cool, wet and gloomy day.  We need the rain, so I am not complaining.  Since I can’t get outside I have been busy doing laundry and a few other chores inside.  I did hear on the news that we are supposed to have a frost/freeze the next two mornings.  I am sad about that because of all the plants, trees, etc. that are starting to show signs of life.  And, let’s face it, we can’t cover everything.  Just maybe we will get lucky and they will be wrong, but I doubt it.

Today is Saturday.  We have had a frost/freeze the past two mornings.  The temperature was down in the twenties.  This morning was thirty-two.  I just finished watering the three tulip poplar trees.  There are leaf buds on them, and I think they are okay.  We will find out in a few days.  I will water the magnolia tree after Kevin finishes mowing the front grass.  He decided to mow his front yard and my front yard this morning.

I have checked some of my other trees and bushes.  Some have dead leaves and the flowers that were blooming have died.  However, I have a few bushes that the leaves are still green.  Not sure about the Franklin trees.  It’s hard to tell with them because they are late to leaf. 

We are supposed to have storms late tonight and tomorrow morning.  Then by mid-week it is supposed to go down in the twenties and low thirties again.  If the first freeze didn’t get the plants and trees, the second one will.

I finished both genealogy classes.  As I said earlier the first one was well worth the time and money.  I learned a lot and have been putting it into practice.  However, the second one was a waste of time as far as I am concerned.  I don’t feel like I really learned anything that will help me.  I will just keep looking for those German ancestors on my own.  Maybe I will get lucky and find someone.

Okay, I am back.  I have finished all my indoor/morning chores, eaten lunch, and watered the magnolia tree. 

Jana and I have been doing DOT-TO-D0T books.  The one I am working on now has some interesting quotes/sayings at the bottom of the page.  I am going to use some of them to end my blogs starting today.  Not sure how many I will do, but there are a few.

The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand.  They are moments when we touch one another.  Jack Kornfield

Must Hope for No Frost or Freeze

Good Morning!  The a/c is now off.  In fact, I turned the heat on this morning to take the chill off.  We have had an inch of rain over Sunday and Monday.  I know that isn’t near what a lot of others have had.  Jana told me, and I have seen pictures on Facebook, that the Ohio River and the Miami Rivers are both well above flood stage.  I was just happy we received the amount of rain we did because it was good for the grass, trees, etc.  Now, we just have to hope we don’t get a freeze.  I have been checking the plants, trees, etc. and a lot of them have new growth. 

I am in the process of taking a genealogy class. I use the Family Tree Maker Program to record notes and information I find on Ancestry and other web programs.  I am taking a class to learn more of the features about FTM.  I have only taken two of the classes so far and have learned quite a bit.  Glad I am taking it.

I have also signed up for another one.  The next one is how to find your German ancestors.  I have subscribed to Ancestry World since I found out that Google has a translation program so I thought this would be a good time to try and find some German ancestors.  I also downloaded a translation program that Brian told me about.  I am hoping that between the two of them I can figure something out!

The purple martins have started to arrive.  They are busy building their nests in the apartment.  I have also noticed bluebirds, cardinals, sparrows, mourning doves, and many others.  I guess spring is on the way.  Yea!!!!  I will probably hang my hummingbird feeders in the next week or so.

Good Morning!  It’s sunny but a little on the cool side and rather windy.  Apparently, we were in the donut hole yesterday because we did not get any of the predicted rain.  We just had a LOT of wind.  This morning I picked up twigs and branches that were in my driveway and added them to the pile.  I have a lot more to pick up.  Since we didn’t get the rain, I watered all the new trees. All three tulip poplar are starting to get leaves.  Yea! 

I also watered the magnolia that the guys transplanted for me.  So far, so good.

I also fed the birds this morning.  They have been very busy and noisy.

The rhododendron looks great.  Lots of flowers. 

The forsythia “twigs” that I hope will grow into bushes also have green leaves.

The weeping cherry tree is starting to get little sprouts.  It never blooms like it should.  It gets a flower every now and then. 

However, the Bradford pear has just blossomed out beautifully.

The Rose-of-Sharon bush in the front of my deck is also looking good.

I also finished embroidering one of the hand towels of the set I am working on.  Turned out pretty good.  I really like to embroider.  I feel like I am creating a picture.  Weird, right? 

I have finished my first genealogy class, and I learned a lot! Now I have a lot to do.  Next Monday the new one starts.  I hope it is as productive as this last one.  

Now, as I said in my title we just have to hope we don't have a frost or a freeze.  Sad to say, that is very possible.