Pecking order

Fri., November 22, 2002 - A home nurse came again.  I had Meals on Wheels today.  I called Jean.  Mary & kids came this evening -- they brought soup.
Sat., November 23, 2002 - Tom & Merilyn left Sunday a.m. for Laughlin.  A home nurse came again.  I called Ray.  Mary brought noon meal - a beef & vegetable mixture -- very good.
Sun., November 24, 2002 - I baked a pumpkin pie.  Nancy came & ironed for me.  Tom called from Laughlin to find out how I was.  Bill, Jenny & Patty came in p.m.  We had pie for lunch.

I wonder how it is Jean got called before Uncle Ray.  Maybe she had tried to reach Grandma or something.  Her birthday was in May, so it wasn't that.

I wish I could remember more of the fun sayings Jean tossed around often.  The only one I recall is "for crying out the window."

Here's the Christensen family.  I think Uncle Pete looks rather handsome here.  Jean looks waaay to serious for how I remember her.

Poor parenting?

Sat., November 16, 2002 - Dale came to see me at 8:00 a.m.  Mitch & Anna came in the morning also.  Tom & Mary came in early afternoon and Nancy came after the football game was over.  She stopped at my place & picked up some things I needed.  Tom, Anna, Mitch & Nancy ate at the cafeteria.  Everybody left by 7:30.
Sunday, November 17, 2002 - Mary & the kids came after early church.  Greta came about 10:00.  Dale here too in the morning.  Tom was here from about 10:30 to 12:45.  Greta, Mary, Mitch, Anna & Nancy ate in the cafeteria.  Bill, Jenny & Patty came in mid-afternoon.  Nancy left about 8:00.  Every day blood was taken for testing.  I evidently had a heart attack several weeks ago.  I'm also hooked up to a heart monitor.  Had an IV one day.
Monday, November 18, 2002 - Nancy came at 6:30 & Dale at about 8:00.  Talked to all 3 doctors & will get a pacemaker on Tuesday.  Nancy called Greta, Tom, Bill, Mary and Ray.  More x-rays were taken.  Mary here at noon.  Dale, Dane & Kyleah here about 5:00 p.m.  Mary & kids here at 6:00 & Tom here at 7:00.

Good heavens.  Did I just drop my kids off on a Saturday morning and go on my way?  Mitch would have been 11 and able to locate a hospital room on his own with Anna in tow, but still.  Hopefully at the very least I had something important to do and came up to say hi and then left.  Egads.

For no particular reason, here is a fun photo of Grandpa and Tom.  I sure miss that place.

Rummikub extravaganza

Sat., October 12, 2002 - Dolores brought bananas and milk.  They were on sale at Hy-Vee & I paid her for them.  We haven't played Rummikub this week - she has had a very sore leg - almost sounds like the sciatica I used to have.  Greta called in p.m.
Sun., October 13, 2002 - Nancy & I went to Mary's church -- All Saints Lutheran.  We had dinner at KFC's.  Went to Penney's & I bought a fall weight coat.  Then to apartment -- took a nap -- then showered & then 2 games of Rummikub.
Mon., October 14, 2002 - Bill came at 11:00.  We went to a restaurant & met Jenny & Patty.  We had lunch & then Patty & Jenny went shopping & Bill took me to the dental school at the university. Impressions were taken for both upper & lower dentures.  Bill & I played several games of Rummikub.  In evening I played cards & won 3 games.

Grandma and Dolores might not have played Rummikub lately but it looks like Grandma got her fill over the next couple of days.  And of course she paid for her bananas and milk.  We wouldn't imagine it any other way, would we?

In honor of Dorothy Jo's birthday earlier this week, here's a photo of her place I've always liked.  Simple, but as I recall she was showing the other ladies some of her flowers and I happened to catch this picture.

All is well

"January 11, 2002:  Called Marie Parker.  The 9th was her 97th birthday.
January 12, 2002:  Mitch and Anna here in evening -- watched cartoons on TV.
January 13, 2002:  Called Greta in a.m.  Nancy came for dinner.  I took a shower.
January 14, 2002:  Bill here in p.m.  We played Rummikub.  Jenny and Patty went shopping after Patty went to the dentist."

I should have started a label for Rummikub.  It sure gets mentioned frequently on here.

As some will already know and recall, there was (probably still is) a perk at The Pioneer House for those wishing to participate.  Folks were given a little cardboard tag on a string.  The idea was that they would put it outside their door hanging on the doorknob once they were up in the morning every day.  Someone volunteered to go around and check for tags at some point in the day.  This was a way to be sure the occupant was okay and did not need help or medical attention.  I believe the occupant was to move the tag back in at some point and that was likely checked too, otherwise the tag would be there morning after morning and not accomplish its purpose. 

When we were clearing out Grandma's unit after she died, I took the tag without really having a concrete reason for doing so.  Well, now it has become my "everything is okay" talisman.  Not that things are awful and I need the assurance; it's just a nice thought that includes Grandma with it.

I noticed some time ago that the tag was missing.  I knew it wasn't stolen and that a tornado hadn't blown through, so it would turn up in time.  And yesterday it did.  It fell down behind my desktop at work and was on the floor behind a box.  But, now it is back where it belongs as my little all-is-well reminder.  Photographic evidence above.

Changing clocks

"October 28, 2001:  Moved the clocks back an hour.  Nancy brought more "stuff".  Bill, Jenny and Patty here in evening.  Later Tom and Jeff came -- Tom brought Runza lunch.  He had been helping Dale do brick work.
October 29, 2001:  Talked to Ray in a.m.  Mary took me to Beauty College for hair-do at 5:00 p.m.
October 30, 2001:  ??"

My journal doesn't have question marks, but if I miss a day, I just put "a normal day".  If there was something extraordinary, I would probably remember so normal is fairly safe.

In other instances, I know Grandma had Mitch come over and change the clocks.  He was tall enough to reach them and seemed to be pretty adept at it.  Grandma was so tickled at how quickly he got them all done.

Someone in the know can correct me, but I believe this is Grandma and Uncle Ray.  If so, I wonder if that is their dad's hat's shadow at the bottom.

Oh, a point of interest.  A year ago yesterday was when I started this blog.  How time flies.  Or in the words of Grouch Marx, "time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."

Mitch, the yakker -- finally

"May 13, 1995: Nancy, Bill, Jenny and Patty came in the morning.  Bill took us to dinner at the Black Knight in Wayne.  We played cards in the afternoon.  About 4:30 we went to Dorothy Jo's for Teresa's college graduation party.  Bill's left about 6 or 7:00 -- took Mitch back with them.  Nancy had brought him to Greta's in the morning.  Mary and Rick didn't come -- doctor advised Mary not to take such a long drive.  Tom and Merilyn came to Dorothy's and then here -- we played cards.  They left for Lincoln about 11:30.  Tom had a job to finish Sunday.
May 14, 1995:  Nancy, John, Helen, Dale, Kyleah, Dane, Howard and I were at Greta's for dinner.  Had a good dinner and good visiting."

I hate to pick on Grandma here, but of course it was a good dinner and good visiting.  Good grief.

I am glad to read that Mitch went a-traveling without his parents.  Most of us remember when that would not have happened -- not no way, no how.  But by this age, he was getting much better.  I think mid-May would have been about five months after the shock I had in the grocery store when Mitch started talking the ear off the lady behind us in line.  It was like a switch was tripped -- prior to that incident he pretty much wanted nothing to do with anyone that wasn't Rick or me.  But that one day, shortly after Christmas and his birthday, that he started telling this lady who was a stranger all about his presents and excitement for the holidays.  Thankfully, she was not opposed to talking to a little guy and responded with all the right questions and shared enthusiasm.  I swear I could have walked out of the store without him and he wouldn't have noticed.

Here's a photo of Mitch a different Christmastime, obviously not enjoying himself very much.  Moments before he was happy in his little disguise, but once the camera came out he was done with it.  Obviously.

Ladies!

"February 1, 1995:  Frank Fleer died last Thursday -- January 26 and was buried at Winside Cemetery today.  Howard was an honorary pallbearer but didn't go the funeral -- he explained why to Sharon and Shanda.  I didn't go either -- afraid of ice.
February 4, 1995:  Bill, Jenny, Patty, Mary, Rick, Mitch and Greta here for dinner.  After dinner the ladies went to Norfolk to shop.  Bill and Rick washed the dishes.  In p.m. Rick, Bill and I played Yahtzee while Howard slept."

I like that Grandma called us ladies.  Of course, it was easier than putting down all the names but she could have said gals or something.  Ladies is better.  I thought she had gone, too until I read the part about her playing Yahtzee.  Not because I remember the event so much but because I considered her a lady, too.

Great game, Yahtzee -- easy for kids to learn but still fun for the adults.  I must admit it is also fun to play on the computer.  No chance of dunking the dice in drinks like Anna did that one time.  She was 8 or so and she and Grandma and Mitch were playing at Grandma's place at Pioneer House.  Anna had a class of juice about the same height as the Yahtzee tumbler.  She put the dice in a container to shake them and have her turn, but dumped them in her drink by mistake.  Grandma laughed and laughed. 

Appropriately, here's a photo of Anna and Grandma at the Pioneer House.  Oh, and there's Maude to the left.