In the spring of this year, we went to Virginia to see Tony and Anais. They surprised us with a trip to New York Ciry. We had a great time.
On the double decker bus around the city
We got together for dinner with Leslie and Don Borwick, Bill's old high school friend.
Tony took time out to run a race with a friend.
We went to Time's Square
Tony took time out to run a race with a friend. We also got a great tour of Fredricksburg
We went to Time's Square
In April, Uncle Dinny died. Bill wasn't feeling well enough to go, so Kathy went with me.
July 26
We went to Maui in July, which I wrote about in a separate blog.
The weather has been
beautiful since I got back from Maui. We've been swimming in the
morning, but it's just for the exercise. When we swam every morning in
Maui, it was as much for the loveliness of being there and visiting with
friends as it was for the exercise.
We both wish we could live half in Maui and half here. We just don't have the resources for that, and we would have to give up the dogs. They are annoying, but we love them. If only dogs could be taught to pull weeds.
I miss our friends. We do have some, but everyone is so busy with their lives, kids, work, etc. just as we are, but when we were raising our kids, we always had time to get together with friends for parties, movies, dinners, and especially, game nights. Why don't we make the time to do those things anymore? I think friends are almost as important as family. It kind of makes me sad.
Bill is feeling good, although not back to normal, yet. We have to go back to San Francisco in three weeks and we'll find out if he is well enough to start back on his Yervoy treatments. The hardest part for both of us is the eating challenges caused by this. He has to eat low fiber, which means pasta, white bread, and very little fruits or vegetables, as well as well-cooked meat. I try to eat high fiber and no white flour. It makes it a bit difficult to plan meals.
Places we want to go: (in no particular order)
July 28
Bill's brother Mike, his wife, Gail, and their son Seth and his wife, Tracy, arrived this morning from Maine for Bill's dad's memorial on Thursday. They had an unfortunately long trip because of mechanical difficulty on the plane, so they missed their connection in Detroit last night and had to spend the night there.
Scott and Jenn and the boys are in San Francisco, and I think they will be here on Wednesday, which is when Tony and Anais are flying in. Monique and Brian will be here Wednesday afternoon and Susie and Kurt will join us at the memorial on Thursday. I asked Joline and Bill to come up, but I don't know if they will be able to make it. I hope they do, because they haven't seen all our kids in a long time.
We are in limbo as far as any future plans go. We want to do all the things I wrote about, not all at once, but we want to start with a visit to Joline and Bill, and another trip to Maui to finish up some work. With Bill's colitis, we don't want to plan anything, especially to Joline's, because he wouldn't be able to eat any of her delicious food.
August 6
I don't want to talk about illness here, so I'll focus on the good stuff. It was wonderful having all the kids here together, even though it was for such a short time, and the reason was a sad occasion. Monique and Brian were here, too, and they haven't seen all of us together for quite a long time. Susie and Kurt were with us, too, and even four people from Cascades attended the service. Of course, Bill's brother and part of his family came in from Maine. They were able to stay for five days, so we got to see them a lot.
Things are starting to get back to normal, I think. I'm not sure what normal is like, though, because since I quit my jobs, we have been so busy getting ready for Maui and for the memorial. Now, we don't have any short range goals, so we're able to do things that have needed doing for a while. We started working on the garage, trying to get rid of some of the stuff, yesterday. Today, I cleaned out the Tupperware cabinet and tossed a lot of old stuff we haven't used for years. Why do we accumulate so much stuff? And why is it so hard to throw away or give away things just because we have had them for a long time?
Bill felt good on the day of the memorial, and he was able to enjoy being with all of our family and friends.
August 10
I hate it when I do that! I just wrote several paragraphs on this blog, but closed it without saving it, so I lost everything.
Things have been quiet around here since everyone left last Saturday. We had one job to do on Monday, because I couldn't pass it up. I got called by one of the companies I occasionally work for in two different kinds of jobs - merchandising and mystery shopping. They had a rush job at a Walmart in Reno, that they were willing to pay big bucks for. So, we did the job on Monday. The actual job took us about a half hour, but we were in the store for a little over one hour, because of waiting for managers and looking for things in the stockroom. For that, the pay was $89.00. I wish I could get three of those jobs every week.
I did something for myself that I have been wanting to do for a long time. Several years ago, I had permanent make-up applied to my eyebrows, because my eyebrow hair had been diminishing due to my low thyroid. I liked having eyebrows, that looked almost real, but the job the person did was not great and my eyebrows faded so much that I have been using eyebrow pencil to draw them on for several years. On Thursday, I went to a certified micro-pigmentation specialist, who was recommended by Bill's plastic surgeon, and I had them done again. It is a little bit painful, but only for a day, and she did a wonderful job. She is even able to create hair strokes, so they look very real. At first they are swollen, and look rather large, but they look more natural in a few days. I remember the last time, I was startled by how I looked, and I hid myself for a week, and then I was happy with the results. So, I have no doubt that I will be happy with them in a few days. Bill has already made big-time points by saying that I look like I did when I was 25!! Boy, does he know how to make a "girl" feel special.
Sept 22
After the trip to see Bill and Joline, Bill had a few days of recovery. I know we didn't over work him, but he was simply exhausted when we got home. To make things worse, I got a migraine two days after we got home, and he had to take care of me. It was a bad start to the week.
Today was Color Me Rad, and Kathy was there bright and early with her running team.
she was hoping to be in the first group to start, and she got her wish, so while we were at the finish line cheering for everyone who was finishing, all of a sudden, there she was. Luckily, she whooped at us, so we were able to get a picture of her, just before she went over the finish line. She and a couple of her running mates decorated our car for us, even though we just had it washed. It was a fun morning.
Sept 30
After a rough day for Bill, yesterday, with his stomach feeling kinda yucky, we had a surprise phone call at 5:00. It was Rommie, asking if we had any dinner plans, and hoping it wasn't too late to invite us to go to the Outback. Bill said he was in the mood for some great salmon, so we hurried and got ready. We had a wonderful time. The girls were both in great moods, and very talkative. Bry, who can sometimes be a little bit moody, was animated. It was a totally enjoyable evening.
We're heading to Maui in two days, with a small stop-over in Seattle. We are very hopeful that the trip will be uneventful, and relaxing, and that Bill will recover some of his strength.
See Maui - All Alone 2012 for the Maui story
Back to Real Life
October 28
Kathy picked us up at the house at 6:40 yesterday morning for a ride up to Virginia City. She and Bailey were doing a 5K Haunted Run. We had such a good time with her and the girls. Rommie was scouting for elk, so he couldn't be there. They ran with Kristy Moberly Houston and her son Parker. Kristy and Kathy went to school together.
When we got to Virginia City, the temperature was 36 degrees, but the sun was shining, so we were only a little bit cold after we got out of the car. We got there so early for the 9:00 am run, that we waited in the car for a little while until some of the other people showed up. Kathy's goal was to do the run in 45 minutes. They ran through the old cemetery. She did it in 41 minutes but Bailey beat her at 39 minutes. They weren't aware that a lot of the run was up and downhill on dirt roads, so it was much harder than they had expected.
After the run, we were going to go to our little mom and pop restaurant in Carson City for breakfast, but we realized in time that the Nevada Day parade was going on, so it would have been a real nightmare getting through town. Also, the restaurant is right on the parade route, so we probably would have had a very long wait. We ended up at the new Peg's Glorified Ham and Eggs in Sparks. Breakfast was very good and very filling.
There were so many events going on around town that would have been fun to attend, because of Halloween, Nevada Day and Make a Difference Day. It's too bad that they were all on the same day.
Meanwhile,
Tony and his friend, Jenny, did a 5K Zombie Run at Lorton SuperMax
Prison in Virginia. We haven't heard if they made it out of the run
with intact brains, what with all those zombies running around.
Unfortunately, Anais couldn't go to this one, the first of Tony's runs
that she has missed, so there was nobody to take pictures. Tony said
that they got some shots with their phones, so we're waiting for him to
post them.
I talked to Monique this morning, for the first time in way too long. We got caught up on all of our news.
November 4
I went to see our nurse practitioner a few days after we returned from Maui. She said my back pain was due to a muscle/skeletal problem and that physical therapy should help. The therapy started last week, but my back has improved so much on its own that, although I'm scheduled to go to physical therapy twice a week, I don't feel that my back needs any improvement. We're working on strength and on the arm problem that I've been trying to ignore for about six months. The therapist said it is tendinitis, and she can help me. She also said that the swimming I've been doing is very good for my back and arm. Bill can't go swimming for a few days because he had an ingrown toenail removed, but I have been going without him. I've been lucky because nobody else has been there, so I can play my satellite radio on the phone and use the Jambox speaker, so I have great music to swim with.
The weather has been spectacular, cold at night and warming to 70 during the day. I've been doing some cleaning, the kind I never had time for when I was working. (Another shout out to Aunt Vera!!) With Fall in full force, the leaves are rapidly falling, so I got out with the leaf blower and picked up a huge pile of them yesterday. Bill even came out to help me, because all the dust makes me cough terribly. I figure that if I/we can go out every few days and pick up one large trash bag full of leaves, it will all be nice and clean before we get snow.
Kathy is having company for dinner tonight, so she asked me to make three pizza crusts for her. Joline sent me the recipe for the crusts that she made when we visited her, and made them this morning. I just happened to have enough dough left over so we can have a pizza, too. The sauce is almost ready and we are starting to get hungry.
November 4
Well, it's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegon... Oh wait, that's not right. It has been quiet and peaceful here. We got ambitious and baked three banana breads last Tuesday. We didn't want them to stay here, because we have no will power, so we gave them away to Maxine and Mickey, and to Lily, our newest next door neighbor. Then we took the third one and dropped in on Christie and Cliff, who we haven't seen in several months. We ended up staying for well over an hour and it was wonderful to catch up on all the news. We talked about her losing her mom last summer, and about us losing Bill's dad. Their daughter, Leslie, is engaged, and they are very happy about that. Their granddaughter, Megan, is five already, and they adore her. We went to breakfast with Susie and Kurt on Saturday morning (Nov 10.) It was good to see them, as it always is.
The results came back on Bailey's allergies and it turns out that she is allergic to almost everything. Wheat, barley, corn, carrots, apples, pork, just to name a few. We hope she will be feeling better now that we know what she can't have.
We have a huge project beginning, which just proves that we're totally crazy. We love Joline's wood floor so much, that we decided we wanted to get wood floor for our house. We had an estimate last week, and, for only 900 square feet, it was going to be almost $9,000.00. And, because of the dogs, they couldn't guarantee that it would last. Joline's dog weighs only a few pounds, but ours are well up in the 40 to 55 pound range, so, we are getting new carpeting throughout our house, which means that in the next two weeks, we are going to have to pack everything that is on the floor, and move it to the garage or the kitchen. We started with the bookcases yesterday, and have already made a good sized dent, so we don't have to do too much at one time. Our next San Francisco trip is on Nov. 26, so we need to be finished with the packing and moving by then, so they can install the carpeting on the 29th.
We were going to spend a quiet Thanksgiving day because Susie and Kurt, who always invite us over for their celebration, are going to their daughter-in-law's house this time. But, Kathy called and said that Rommie is going hunting, so they aren't going to go to his sister's house. She and the girls are going to come here for dinner. The challenge will be preparing foods that Bailey likes and can eat.
November 17
Today is perfect for staying in and getting lots of things done. It is gloomy and raining, something we don't have often enough.
We have been working really hard at getting everything out to the garage or the sunroom. We've gone through all the bookcases, and moved them out. The buffet and filing cabinets are empty. We think things are moving along at a good pace.
We are going to have ham for Thanksgiving, voted on by Bry and Bai. Kathy posted a picture on Facebook of Bryanna straightening Bailey's hair a couple of days ago. It was so neat to see them getting along. I was going to copy it and put it on here, but it's gone. Maybe because Bry's bra was showing a little bit. It was a great pic of cooperation.
I had a really long talk with our friend Donna, in Texas, yesterday. She and Rollie are so much fun to be with and we have missed them since they moved away from Sparks.
Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2012
My list is probably lacking things for which I am truly thankful. Here is what I am able to come up with:
Our condo – we are fortunate that we have been
able to hold onto the condo in Maui for 17 years, and we are especially happy
that we are able to go to Maui again. We
missed going for four years, while Bill was undergoing myriads of
treatments.
All U.S. Veterans – And their families. – For giving up all that they do and have to assure me the ability and the right to do what I want, like share this with you.
November 30
The new carpeting is gorgeous, and so soft. We love it.
December 1
We had a lot of fun, and we couldn't have gotten the whole house decorated without them. There was cooperation and helpfulness throughout the night. After one of their favorite kinds of dinner, roast tri-tip, rice, and lots of salad and fresh vegies, we did the decorating and then while watching It's a Wonderful Life, we had popcorn, hot (not too hot!) cocoa, and ice cream with fresh strawberries and blackberries. When eleven o'clock rolled around, we were all more than ready for lights out. It is 9:17 am and both girls are still sleeping with dogs (although the dogs took a short break from sleep to eat their breakfast at 7:00.) We had a memorable night. Now, how am I going to tell them that we will need them to come over a couple of days after Christmas to un-decorate the house and put everything away?
In the morning, Kathy came over to pick them up and stayed until noon. After breakfast, we looked through some old albums with photos and memorabilia, such as the kids old report cards, letters, etc. It was a wonderful time.
I just finished a wonderful book by Elizabeth Berg, about a woman reflecting on her family when she was 12 in 1958. It was the kind of book I felt connected to, because there were two sisters, the older one being 14. My sister was 5 1/2 years older than I, but the feelings of having and being a sister were so familiar. I am going to give it to Bryanna and Bailey and beg them to read it. It isn't the kind of book they usually read, but I just want them to experience it. I hope it will impress them with the way the sisters acted with each other. I see so many similarities in their interactions with each other. It also has a mom who came to the realization that she wasn't happy in her marriage, and the ramifications of that discovery.
December 26
We had a wonderful Christmas. We threw our first
party in four years. We only asked a few of our best friends to come, so
it would be small. Unfortunately, four of them couldn't make it. Sally
was stuck in the bay area due to weather over the pass, and Christie and
Cliff were having a sad doggie issue. Susie and Kurt, Earl and Louise,
and Mickie and Maxine were here and Bryanna and Bailey came over with
Kathy and stayed for most of the party. We all had a lovely visit with
good food. Rommie was hunting so he couldn't make it.
Christmas Eve was lots of fun at Rommie's mom, Grace's, house with a lot of his family. We played games including the white elephant gift exchange, which produced some really great gifts. We ate and talked and played more games, including impromptu Pictionary, where we could either draw or act out the words. Then someone suggested that we play charades, and everyone had to act out the words. That had some hilarious moments, ie, when Lisa acted out "rabbit," and a couple of turns later, Idonia had to act out "Lisa." She did it by pretending to be a rabbit, and I guessed it right away. Suddenly someone mentioned that it was after 8:00. We all had things to do to get ready for morning so everyone packed up their gear and skedaddled.
In the morning, we got to The Brown's at 7:30 and started getting the breakfast ready. I had already baked one of the monkey breads, so I got the bacon going. When everyone was ready we opened a few of the presents, and then Rommie got the eggs scrambled. We took a break for a delicious breakfast and then got back to work on the presents. Everyone had wonderful presents, but there were a few real successes.
After breakfast and presents, we stayed for about an hour, and then packed up to go home and rest up for the afternoon. We went back to Grace's for dinner with some of the family. Some of them weren't there, having other family to see, so we had a nice quiet afternoon with only a few.
The ham, yams, mashed potatoes and trimmings were delicious as always. We didn't have any games. I think everyone was pretty worn out and satisfied just to talk.
We watched the snow start just a little while after we got there at 2:30, and by 5:00, it was getting pretty built up on the ground, so we decided to go home early. I don't like driving in the dark anyway, and with snow, it is especially bad, so we didn't mind skipping dessert to get home before nightfall.
We got the dogs fed and settled down with the movie, "Terribly Loud and Incredibly Close", which we have been saving. It was sad and uplifting at the same time, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The snow was still falling when we went to bed just before 9:00. This morning, it is still and quiet out there, and the snow is only about two inches deep, but it is really a beautiful sight.
We both wish we could live half in Maui and half here. We just don't have the resources for that, and we would have to give up the dogs. They are annoying, but we love them. If only dogs could be taught to pull weeds.
I miss our friends. We do have some, but everyone is so busy with their lives, kids, work, etc. just as we are, but when we were raising our kids, we always had time to get together with friends for parties, movies, dinners, and especially, game nights. Why don't we make the time to do those things anymore? I think friends are almost as important as family. It kind of makes me sad.
Bill is feeling good, although not back to normal, yet. We have to go back to San Francisco in three weeks and we'll find out if he is well enough to start back on his Yervoy treatments. The hardest part for both of us is the eating challenges caused by this. He has to eat low fiber, which means pasta, white bread, and very little fruits or vegetables, as well as well-cooked meat. I try to eat high fiber and no white flour. It makes it a bit difficult to plan meals.
Places we want to go: (in no particular order)
- Washington to see Craig and Jackie
- Canyon Country to see my sister, Joline and B-I-L Bill
- Las Vegas to see Rollie and Donna, when they are on one of their weekend jaunts from Texas
- Maui - because we need to finish some of the work we didn't get done. We could pay our maintenance man to do things, but this gives us a good excuse to go there. Dr. Minor said to buy refundable tickets, "just in case."
- A cruise to Alaska
- A cruise through the Panama Canal
- A cruise to anywhere
- Texas to visit Carson and Brendan (Scott and Jenn, too, of course, but I put the important ones first)
- Virginia, again, to see Tony and Anais, but they, most likely, won't be ready for another visit from us for a long time
- Tahiti
July 28
Bill's brother Mike, his wife, Gail, and their son Seth and his wife, Tracy, arrived this morning from Maine for Bill's dad's memorial on Thursday. They had an unfortunately long trip because of mechanical difficulty on the plane, so they missed their connection in Detroit last night and had to spend the night there.
Scott and Jenn and the boys are in San Francisco, and I think they will be here on Wednesday, which is when Tony and Anais are flying in. Monique and Brian will be here Wednesday afternoon and Susie and Kurt will join us at the memorial on Thursday. I asked Joline and Bill to come up, but I don't know if they will be able to make it. I hope they do, because they haven't seen all our kids in a long time.
We are in limbo as far as any future plans go. We want to do all the things I wrote about, not all at once, but we want to start with a visit to Joline and Bill, and another trip to Maui to finish up some work. With Bill's colitis, we don't want to plan anything, especially to Joline's, because he wouldn't be able to eat any of her delicious food.
August 6
I don't want to talk about illness here, so I'll focus on the good stuff. It was wonderful having all the kids here together, even though it was for such a short time, and the reason was a sad occasion. Monique and Brian were here, too, and they haven't seen all of us together for quite a long time. Susie and Kurt were with us, too, and even four people from Cascades attended the service. Of course, Bill's brother and part of his family came in from Maine. They were able to stay for five days, so we got to see them a lot.
Things are starting to get back to normal, I think. I'm not sure what normal is like, though, because since I quit my jobs, we have been so busy getting ready for Maui and for the memorial. Now, we don't have any short range goals, so we're able to do things that have needed doing for a while. We started working on the garage, trying to get rid of some of the stuff, yesterday. Today, I cleaned out the Tupperware cabinet and tossed a lot of old stuff we haven't used for years. Why do we accumulate so much stuff? And why is it so hard to throw away or give away things just because we have had them for a long time?
Bill felt good on the day of the memorial, and he was able to enjoy being with all of our family and friends.
August 10
I hate it when I do that! I just wrote several paragraphs on this blog, but closed it without saving it, so I lost everything.
Things have been quiet around here since everyone left last Saturday. We had one job to do on Monday, because I couldn't pass it up. I got called by one of the companies I occasionally work for in two different kinds of jobs - merchandising and mystery shopping. They had a rush job at a Walmart in Reno, that they were willing to pay big bucks for. So, we did the job on Monday. The actual job took us about a half hour, but we were in the store for a little over one hour, because of waiting for managers and looking for things in the stockroom. For that, the pay was $89.00. I wish I could get three of those jobs every week.
I did something for myself that I have been wanting to do for a long time. Several years ago, I had permanent make-up applied to my eyebrows, because my eyebrow hair had been diminishing due to my low thyroid. I liked having eyebrows, that looked almost real, but the job the person did was not great and my eyebrows faded so much that I have been using eyebrow pencil to draw them on for several years. On Thursday, I went to a certified micro-pigmentation specialist, who was recommended by Bill's plastic surgeon, and I had them done again. It is a little bit painful, but only for a day, and she did a wonderful job. She is even able to create hair strokes, so they look very real. At first they are swollen, and look rather large, but they look more natural in a few days. I remember the last time, I was startled by how I looked, and I hid myself for a week, and then I was happy with the results. So, I have no doubt that I will be happy with them in a few days. Bill has already made big-time points by saying that I look like I did when I was 25!! Boy, does he know how to make a "girl" feel special.
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| Me at one with my real eyebrows |
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| Me with Gee on our first cruise in 2004 |
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| Me today with my new look |
August 16
Bill
is feeling lots better, so I am, too. We've had a quiet week. My
eyebrows are looking more normal since the scabs fell off. I panicked
two days ago, when I looked at my left eyebrow, and found that there
were gaping holes with no color. I called Pam, the technician, who
said the color would start to come in soon, and, today, it has.
Apparently, what I took a picture of last week was me with scabby
eyebrows. They still look a little sparse, but much more betterist than
before. Ick! Here I am right now.
I
am so proud of Tony for starting his health regime a few months ago.
One day, he decided to stop drinking any alcohol. Not that he was a
heavy drinker, but he thought it would be a good experiment to try going
without. He liked the way he felt. Then he started walking, which led
to running. Now he has done several 5 K runs and he has signed up for a
half marathon. We were with him and Anais, and their friend Jenny in
DC for one of his runs in the rain. It was freezing and lots of fun.
He is looking fantastic - still very muscular, but much slimmer than he
has been in years and I know that he is healthier, too.
The
neatest thing is that he has inspired Kathy to run. She has been going
out every morning before work, and running, using Map My Run to keep
track and post on Facebook. She has now sighed up for her first 5K,
Color Me Rad, at UNR in September and Rommie has signed up with her. We
are going to be there to cheer them on.
We
have tried to find perfect dates to go back to Maui to do more work on
the condo, and it's possible that the dates were just presented to us. I
didn't want to take the condo off the market in December, but that was
the only time period with at least 10 days available, except September,
which is too soon, because of Bill's condition. We got a call a couple
of days ago, from Doc and Mary Pat, people who had reserved the condo
for three weeks in October, way back in March. They even paid the
entire amount right away, so the money has been long spent. Doc has
cancer, and they had to cancel the trip. They were hoping for a partial
refund of their $2500.00. Of course, we will send back the entire
amount. This is something that is very close to home for us, and we
wouldn't feel right keeping any of the money, even if our contract says
that we can. So, we think we will be going in October. We can fly to
Seattle, non-stop from here. We'll have to spend the night both ways,
but the flight to Maui is non-stop, which we can't get from any other
city. Now, all we have to do is see if Kathy and Rommie will put up
with our girls for ten days or so.
We
ordered verticals for both windows, and we will be taking them with us
in our luggage, if we can roll them up and fit them in. We don't need
to take much else, because we both have clothes and shoes there.
I
worked for one hour every day for two weeks prior to our trip in June,
to get rid of the weeks in the rocks in the backyard. I dug up the area,
and got every root I could find. Every weed was gone. When I got
back, I found that they had all grown back. Except that our backyard is
looking fantastic. I am not resorting to Round Up. I will kill
anything that grows that isn't supposed to be there.
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August 21
Bill
has been feeling so much better. His legs are less rubbery, and the
fatigue has improved so much that he isn't having to take such long naps
every day. He has also been able to eat more foods. We are planning
two trips, one to see Joline and Bill in Canyon Country and I booked the
trip to Maui in October. We are so looking forward to both trips.
I
wrote a note to an old friend, Debbie, from high school, and she wrote
back today. Not only does she remember me, but she said she thinks
about me every time she drives by my house on Louise. She was such a
fun girl, and I was sorry we lost touch over the years. She mentioned
that there is a Granada Girls Weekend coming up at the end of September,
but I don't see how I could make the trip down there twice.
I've
been working hard cleaning out the garage. I'm giving away, throwing
away, or selling stuff on eBay. So far, on five auctions, I've made
almost $50.00. It isn't much, but it's more than we would have had if I
had just given all of it away.
I've applied for Social Security, so I guess I'm officially old.
Sept 9 We had a lovely drive to San Francisco by way of the GGB. When we got to the Inn, OMG, the old fart who was cleaning the sidewalk yelled at us for parking in the designated check-in spot in the driveway of the Inn. He screamed that he was tired of "us" parking there all the time. I assume he always yells at the guests who park there. He got Bill all worked up so the two of them were having a shouting match right there as we were walking up the stairs. I pushed Bill up the stairs while telling him to calm down. He gets so upset at anything that goes wrong. Liza heard the commotion and ran out to tell him to leave us alone, but the damage was done. It took a cold shower, a cup of tea, and a half hour to get him to to relax. He's taking a nap and I'm having a big glass of wine. In a couple of hours, we'll go to Boudin's for tomato soup in a sour dough bowl. Naughty, but it will taste sooo good. Well, we finally got to Boudins only to find out they close at 6:00 pm on Sunday. It was 5:56. I begged them to serve us, saying we had driven 220 miles for their soup. They did and we sat out in the mall courtyard area, so they could finish closing. The soup and bread were not as good as the last time, but we enjoyed it. Sept 15 After Bill's oncologist visit in San Francisco, we had such a wonderful visit with Joline and Bill in Canyon Country. Poor Bill (hers not mine) pulled something in his back so he was in pain a good part of the time, but he did his best to keep up. Bill (mine, not hers) was feeling pretty good, but he is moving very slowly, and still gets tired a lot of the time.  Joline made her famous meat roll for us, something I know how to make, thanks to her, but I never make it. Every time we have it, it tastes better than the last time.  The next day, she made four pizzas, from scratch, using a new crust recipe, that I forgot to get, but I will have her email it to me, next time I think of it.  Our nieces, Cyndi (Mark,) Terri (Keith) and Debbie came over for homemade pizza, pasta, meatballs, and salad on Wednesday evening and it was so much fun. Terri's kids, Chandlar and Devon and Debbie's son, Gavin were there, but Cyndi's son, Garrett, wasn't able to make it. It's always wonderful when we can all get together. I just wish all of us could get together with our kids there, too. Bill with Terri and Cyndi  On Thursday, the day before we left, we went to the cutest old restaurant, Halfway House Cafe'. We always look for local color. They wanted to take us to the country club they took Tony to a couple of weeks ago, but it was closed for a private party that day. Maybe next time.   The drive home was good, but looonnnggg. The trip from Carson City to our off ramp, a distance of 37 miles, took exactly 35 minutes with the new freeway. Very nice. We have decided that our carpeting has to go. It has been getting more and more worn and dingy, and cleaning it isn't doing the trick anymore. We think we are going to go with a laminate, which Joline has throughout their house. It always looks so clean and shiny. The Bills |
After the trip to see Bill and Joline, Bill had a few days of recovery. I know we didn't over work him, but he was simply exhausted when we got home. To make things worse, I got a migraine two days after we got home, and he had to take care of me. It was a bad start to the week.
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| The team before the run |
she was hoping to be in the first group to start, and she got her wish, so while we were at the finish line cheering for everyone who was finishing, all of a sudden, there she was. Luckily, she whooped at us, so we were able to get a picture of her, just before she went over the finish line. She and a couple of her running mates decorated our car for us, even though we just had it washed. It was a fun morning.
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| Finishing the run - Kathy is in the middle |
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| After the run |
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| Nice mustache |
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| We always wanted a pink car |
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| Making the car pretty |
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| Great job, guys. |
Sept 30
After a rough day for Bill, yesterday, with his stomach feeling kinda yucky, we had a surprise phone call at 5:00. It was Rommie, asking if we had any dinner plans, and hoping it wasn't too late to invite us to go to the Outback. Bill said he was in the mood for some great salmon, so we hurried and got ready. We had a wonderful time. The girls were both in great moods, and very talkative. Bry, who can sometimes be a little bit moody, was animated. It was a totally enjoyable evening.
We're heading to Maui in two days, with a small stop-over in Seattle. We are very hopeful that the trip will be uneventful, and relaxing, and that Bill will recover some of his strength.
See Maui - All Alone 2012 for the Maui story
Back to Real Life
October 28
Kathy picked us up at the house at 6:40 yesterday morning for a ride up to Virginia City. She and Bailey were doing a 5K Haunted Run. We had such a good time with her and the girls. Rommie was scouting for elk, so he couldn't be there. They ran with Kristy Moberly Houston and her son Parker. Kristy and Kathy went to school together.
When we got to Virginia City, the temperature was 36 degrees, but the sun was shining, so we were only a little bit cold after we got out of the car. We got there so early for the 9:00 am run, that we waited in the car for a little while until some of the other people showed up. Kathy's goal was to do the run in 45 minutes. They ran through the old cemetery. She did it in 41 minutes but Bailey beat her at 39 minutes. They weren't aware that a lot of the run was up and downhill on dirt roads, so it was much harder than they had expected.
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| They all dressed up as Sharpies |
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| And they're off |
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| Bailey and Kathy |
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| Bailey finishing |
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| She left Kathy in the dirt |
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| Kathy finishing the run |
After the run, we were going to go to our little mom and pop restaurant in Carson City for breakfast, but we realized in time that the Nevada Day parade was going on, so it would have been a real nightmare getting through town. Also, the restaurant is right on the parade route, so we probably would have had a very long wait. We ended up at the new Peg's Glorified Ham and Eggs in Sparks. Breakfast was very good and very filling.
There were so many events going on around town that would have been fun to attend, because of Halloween, Nevada Day and Make a Difference Day. It's too bad that they were all on the same day.
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| Jenny at the Zombie Run |
I talked to Monique this morning, for the first time in way too long. We got caught up on all of our news.
November 4
I went to see our nurse practitioner a few days after we returned from Maui. She said my back pain was due to a muscle/skeletal problem and that physical therapy should help. The therapy started last week, but my back has improved so much on its own that, although I'm scheduled to go to physical therapy twice a week, I don't feel that my back needs any improvement. We're working on strength and on the arm problem that I've been trying to ignore for about six months. The therapist said it is tendinitis, and she can help me. She also said that the swimming I've been doing is very good for my back and arm. Bill can't go swimming for a few days because he had an ingrown toenail removed, but I have been going without him. I've been lucky because nobody else has been there, so I can play my satellite radio on the phone and use the Jambox speaker, so I have great music to swim with.
The weather has been spectacular, cold at night and warming to 70 during the day. I've been doing some cleaning, the kind I never had time for when I was working. (Another shout out to Aunt Vera!!) With Fall in full force, the leaves are rapidly falling, so I got out with the leaf blower and picked up a huge pile of them yesterday. Bill even came out to help me, because all the dust makes me cough terribly. I figure that if I/we can go out every few days and pick up one large trash bag full of leaves, it will all be nice and clean before we get snow.
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| October 1 - Maple tree in the middle is still green |
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| October 29 - same tree |
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| November 4 - same tree |
Kathy is having company for dinner tonight, so she asked me to make three pizza crusts for her. Joline sent me the recipe for the crusts that she made when we visited her, and made them this morning. I just happened to have enough dough left over so we can have a pizza, too. The sauce is almost ready and we are starting to get hungry.
November 4
Well, it's been a quiet week in Lake Woebegon... Oh wait, that's not right. It has been quiet and peaceful here. We got ambitious and baked three banana breads last Tuesday. We didn't want them to stay here, because we have no will power, so we gave them away to Maxine and Mickey, and to Lily, our newest next door neighbor. Then we took the third one and dropped in on Christie and Cliff, who we haven't seen in several months. We ended up staying for well over an hour and it was wonderful to catch up on all the news. We talked about her losing her mom last summer, and about us losing Bill's dad. Their daughter, Leslie, is engaged, and they are very happy about that. Their granddaughter, Megan, is five already, and they adore her. We went to breakfast with Susie and Kurt on Saturday morning (Nov 10.) It was good to see them, as it always is.
The results came back on Bailey's allergies and it turns out that she is allergic to almost everything. Wheat, barley, corn, carrots, apples, pork, just to name a few. We hope she will be feeling better now that we know what she can't have.
We have a huge project beginning, which just proves that we're totally crazy. We love Joline's wood floor so much, that we decided we wanted to get wood floor for our house. We had an estimate last week, and, for only 900 square feet, it was going to be almost $9,000.00. And, because of the dogs, they couldn't guarantee that it would last. Joline's dog weighs only a few pounds, but ours are well up in the 40 to 55 pound range, so, we are getting new carpeting throughout our house, which means that in the next two weeks, we are going to have to pack everything that is on the floor, and move it to the garage or the kitchen. We started with the bookcases yesterday, and have already made a good sized dent, so we don't have to do too much at one time. Our next San Francisco trip is on Nov. 26, so we need to be finished with the packing and moving by then, so they can install the carpeting on the 29th.
We were going to spend a quiet Thanksgiving day because Susie and Kurt, who always invite us over for their celebration, are going to their daughter-in-law's house this time. But, Kathy called and said that Rommie is going hunting, so they aren't going to go to his sister's house. She and the girls are going to come here for dinner. The challenge will be preparing foods that Bailey likes and can eat.
November 17
Today is perfect for staying in and getting lots of things done. It is gloomy and raining, something we don't have often enough.
We have been working really hard at getting everything out to the garage or the sunroom. We've gone through all the bookcases, and moved them out. The buffet and filing cabinets are empty. We think things are moving along at a good pace.
We are going to have ham for Thanksgiving, voted on by Bry and Bai. Kathy posted a picture on Facebook of Bryanna straightening Bailey's hair a couple of days ago. It was so neat to see them getting along. I was going to copy it and put it on here, but it's gone. Maybe because Bry's bra was showing a little bit. It was a great pic of cooperation.
I had a really long talk with our friend Donna, in Texas, yesterday. She and Rollie are so much fun to be with and we have missed them since they moved away from Sparks.
Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2012
My list is probably lacking things for which I am truly thankful. Here is what I am able to come up with:
Thinking
of Things I am thankful for:
My husband – without whom, I am sure, I would never have grown into the person I am. He has been my support, my inspiration, and my companion for 44 and ½ years.
My husband – without whom, I am sure, I would never have grown into the person I am. He has been my support, my inspiration, and my companion for 44 and ½ years.
Bill’s
doctors who have worked diligently to keep him alive and functioning through this
very challenging disease. I am thankful that his cancer is being controlled by
some amazing medications, that weren’t even available as recently as five years
ago.
My
kids – who despite growing up at a time when many became druggies, despite not
always having the advantages that might have been available to many others,
turned out to be competent, productive, responsible individuals and people with
whom I enjoy spending time.
My
kids spouses – they married our kids and make them happy.
My
grandchildren – we have been so fortunate to have our lovely granddaughters so
close that we know them inside and out.
My regret is that we don’t live near our grandsons, who are quickly
turning into real people. I’m grateful
that the boys are able to see their other grandparents so often. Children learn so much from the older
generation.
Joline
– my sister is very important to me. Her
support has been constant through Bill’s illness. When I get into a panic, she knows just what
to say to keep me going. I don’t think I
could have gotten through the past four years without her.
Family
– this is one everyone is thankful for.
I don’t see our cousins, nieces and nephews and in-laws very often, but
I’m happy to have them and see them
whenever possible.
My
dogs – yes, my dogs. All the wonderful 4-legged beings that have graced my life
with unconditional love, dedication, unbridled joy, companionship and
acceptance almost constantly since I was seven years old.
My
profession – I was so fortunate that Bill had a profession which allowed me to
be a stay-at-home mom most of the time.
The few “real” jobs I had to supplement our income so we could have some
extras, never kept me from my main job of being a wife and mom. I’m grateful
that, since we moved back to Nevada, I was able to work at one full-time job
for one year, and several part-time jobs for five years, allowing us to
maintain our way of life even with the economy giving us constant challenges.
Aunt
Vera – who finally convinced me that I needed to retire from all those
part-time jobs once and for all. My
sister and several friends had been
telling me to take care of myself but Aunt Vera helped me to see that by
retiring, I would be doing just that, allowing me to be more available for Bill’s
health needs.
Bill’s
dad – I am very thankful that we were able to bring him out here to live near
us last October, and that he was healthy and happy in his assisted living
home. We were able to see him from five
to seven days a week, and we enjoyed being with him up until he got sick. While I miss him, I’m thankful that he didn’t
linger once God decided to call him home.
My
health – I weigh more than I should, but, despite that, and a few small
occasional illnesses, I have enjoyed good health all my life. This is very
important to me because it is allowing me to be a full-time caregiver to Bill
when he needs me to fill that role.
Friends
–we don’t see them as much as we used to when the kids were home. Everyone has their own families and most of
our friends are still working. I wish we
were able to spend time with them. But, I know that, if we needed something, I have
friends I could call on, and they would be there in a flash.
Our
house – which is way too small for us.
But, at least we have one.
Our
neighborhood – it is quiet and safe. We
sometimes have to overlook some of the old fuddy-duddies who live here, but we
enjoy the amenities we have just three short blocks away, like the pool and
gym.
All U.S. Veterans – And their families. – For giving up all that they do and have to assure me the ability and the right to do what I want, like share this with you.
November 30
The new carpeting is gorgeous, and so soft. We love it.
December 1
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| A work in progress |
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| The finished product |
We had a lot of fun, and we couldn't have gotten the whole house decorated without them. There was cooperation and helpfulness throughout the night. After one of their favorite kinds of dinner, roast tri-tip, rice, and lots of salad and fresh vegies, we did the decorating and then while watching It's a Wonderful Life, we had popcorn, hot (not too hot!) cocoa, and ice cream with fresh strawberries and blackberries. When eleven o'clock rolled around, we were all more than ready for lights out. It is 9:17 am and both girls are still sleeping with dogs (although the dogs took a short break from sleep to eat their breakfast at 7:00.) We had a memorable night. Now, how am I going to tell them that we will need them to come over a couple of days after Christmas to un-decorate the house and put everything away?
In the morning, Kathy came over to pick them up and stayed until noon. After breakfast, we looked through some old albums with photos and memorabilia, such as the kids old report cards, letters, etc. It was a wonderful time.
I just finished a wonderful book by Elizabeth Berg, about a woman reflecting on her family when she was 12 in 1958. It was the kind of book I felt connected to, because there were two sisters, the older one being 14. My sister was 5 1/2 years older than I, but the feelings of having and being a sister were so familiar. I am going to give it to Bryanna and Bailey and beg them to read it. It isn't the kind of book they usually read, but I just want them to experience it. I hope it will impress them with the way the sisters acted with each other. I see so many similarities in their interactions with each other. It also has a mom who came to the realization that she wasn't happy in her marriage, and the ramifications of that discovery.
December 26
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| Earl and Louise |
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| Susie and Kurt |
Christmas Eve was lots of fun at Rommie's mom, Grace's, house with a lot of his family. We played games including the white elephant gift exchange, which produced some really great gifts. We ate and talked and played more games, including impromptu Pictionary, where we could either draw or act out the words. Then someone suggested that we play charades, and everyone had to act out the words. That had some hilarious moments, ie, when Lisa acted out "rabbit," and a couple of turns later, Idonia had to act out "Lisa." She did it by pretending to be a rabbit, and I guessed it right away. Suddenly someone mentioned that it was after 8:00. We all had things to do to get ready for morning so everyone packed up their gear and skedaddled.
In the morning, we got to The Brown's at 7:30 and started getting the breakfast ready. I had already baked one of the monkey breads, so I got the bacon going. When everyone was ready we opened a few of the presents, and then Rommie got the eggs scrambled. We took a break for a delicious breakfast and then got back to work on the presents. Everyone had wonderful presents, but there were a few real successes.
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| 31 bag from Jenn and Scott - with all the kids |
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| A special Tony original |
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| Cowboys rock |
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| iphones!!!!!!!!!!! |
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| Bailey can't believe it |
After breakfast and presents, we stayed for about an hour, and then packed up to go home and rest up for the afternoon. We went back to Grace's for dinner with some of the family. Some of them weren't there, having other family to see, so we had a nice quiet afternoon with only a few.
The ham, yams, mashed potatoes and trimmings were delicious as always. We didn't have any games. I think everyone was pretty worn out and satisfied just to talk.
We watched the snow start just a little while after we got there at 2:30, and by 5:00, it was getting pretty built up on the ground, so we decided to go home early. I don't like driving in the dark anyway, and with snow, it is especially bad, so we didn't mind skipping dessert to get home before nightfall.
We got the dogs fed and settled down with the movie, "Terribly Loud and Incredibly Close", which we have been saving. It was sad and uplifting at the same time, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The snow was still falling when we went to bed just before 9:00. This morning, it is still and quiet out there, and the snow is only about two inches deep, but it is really a beautiful sight.
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