No Memorial Day For Judy

We will miss you this year. Are you sure you won’t be able to rent an electric wheel chair like Ron? He thinks that will work for him. You can get wheeled off and on the plane. I just wonder how long it will take to completely be independently walking. It will be strange without you there.

Nancy and I had a good time when she flew to Spokane for Rachel’s sixteenth birthday. You know it wasn’t really to visit me. Rachel was here for a volleyball tournament and she played all day on Sunday. We caught most of her games in between touring homes here in case Brett wants to move, checking Diana’s new home location and Charlie and Katie’s farms near Rockford. It was such fun. John took us on a tour of his property so we could see the trees they’ve planted, the well they pump, and the ditches he was digging. He looked like he was really having fun but I could only see work, work, work and then the beautiful mountains and prairies in the distance.

We looked at photos but no one wants any and they are all too small anyway. We also looked at old jewelry that Nancy says are collector’s items according to her friend who loves old pins, bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Nancy took one or two of Grandma’s old pins to see if they were perhaps valuable. Who knew someone would actually want old jewelry. Miles loves the old jewelry as he thinks it's valuable like the pirates seek. We’ll see.

Claire, Nancy and I went to the Interplayers Theater in honor of Lucille and Nels who never missed a play there. We saw An Infinite Ache which was so good. Perhaps you had seen it a few years ago. It was so well done with only two actors.

Mostly, of course, we spent every waking hour talking, laughing and trying to remember things. When we left John’s property we tried to think of his daughter’s name. I remembered Jake but we couldn’t think of McKenna or Finley. It takes two or more old brains to make one fact-finding brain these days. It also means we need to see them more often.

It is cold and rainy here today. My pool is under a dome waiting for the pool paint to cure for a few more days. Warm weather would be good for it. The lone painter almost has the entire outside of the house painted now and if it ever stops raining he can finish the garage. Nancy was good help with matching paint colors. She and Larry are on their way to Palm Springs now that the taxes are completed.

I know you are remembering no 90 degree bends and careful stepping up the stairs. It looks like a long recovery if you are to do it correctly. You don’t want to follow in Ron’s path.

Bar None

Here is a sample of the bar cookies I got to take home and eat after sitting through 3 hours of a baking demonstration. We also ate plenty of cookies there but the intent was to go and learn how to make the delicious desserts so we could bake them for our guests. It took me only 30 minutes of the class to realize that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. No, not really I paid good money to sit there and listen to how to mix and bake the bar cookies. I blame Connie and Mary for getting me into the class in the first place. You'd think by the time I get this age I would know better.

It is snowing like crazy here today. Big flakes are coming down. Down onto the swimming pool which is covered by a large air house that has now fallen into the pool under the weight of the snow. The pool service man was certain it would be warm enough to repair the fiberglass surface before the pool needs to be filled.

You have caused an international alarm due to your recent surgery. I thought it was so nice of Shizuo to write from Japan. And Uncle Ron's message to you was very thoughtful also. So I'm sure that will make a difference in how you enter surgery the next time. Will the second hip replacement be next? Oh, that's right, you won't tell us until it's over.

Last week I was at Peyton and Walker's for a few days. They are doing well in school and are crazy about baseball and football. They keep mentioning teams and scores to me and I have no idea. We even went to church on Palm Sunday and it wasn't just for the Egg Hunt. I hope it helps. Here are the boys with the girls next door.


Your sister will be here next week. Your ears might be burning. We will save your old photos for Leslie. Be careful on the stairs.