sad sad news-----different wave length

Hanna, far left is Roxanne's special needs daughter--Roxanne is upper left, Glorine(Roxanne's mother is center, Dustin, Roxanne's son is back 2nd from right and Patrick, Roxanne's husband is far right--Roxanne's daughter-in-law is front--Patrick's son is in front--the picture was taken at the Lee reunion in July of 2011.

We arrived home with NO signs that I had expected.  When the dr unwrapped my arm it looked kind of like a twisted twig picked up from the ground!  Well maybe not that bad but really if I could have used my arm to point north it would have been pointing N NW a bit.  The short story is there is an hour surgery scheduled for next Monday.  There will be a plate inserted which will hold things in place while the arm and wrist heal correctly.  I will have the plate removed next fall when we come down to FL.  It sounds like in the end all will be fine but perhaps there may be some bumps along the way.
For sure my minor injury is NOTHING in light of the sad sad sad news we received yesterday.  My niece, Roxanne, who lived in Rapid City SD died yesterday.  Roxanne (she mostly went by Rocky) celebrated her 50th birthday last year.  She was a year old when her dad, brother Ronald-known as Red--his name was Lawrence, died in the fall of 1964. There has been way too many friends and family in the last several years who have died too too young.  We do not have the details surrounding her death but it may have been a heart attack while driving.  For sure another example of one just does not know what tomorrow will bring SO we all need to live life to the fullest, love people with all our ability and do our best to be Jesus to all whom we meet.
My FP is down to the last delicious drop.

LEARNING!!!!!!

We visit the dr this PM.  I am hoping & expecting a fix after pain meds are given.  I expect to arrive home with a right wrist in position & a cast from fingers to just short of my elbow.  We will soon find out what kind of dr I am.  I am thinking tennis by April 25
In the last few days I have discovered several things.

• no doubt, I am right handed
• scissors are made for right handed people
• teeth are not a perfect sub for a hand but they come in handy
• a micro-brew beer really needs 2 hands for opening BUT there are ways around it!
• my typing 101 class in 1964 did not include one handed skills
• sleeping with an arm at a right angle above your head is----well it can't happen all night
• We will not go into bathroom techniques
• showers well they can be very nice if you get my drift!!
• it is not a good idea to schedule a meeting where you have to sign your name
• not a good time to plan the family photo if you are taking it
• pain pills on an empty stomach is not good but then if you eat and take a pain pill your stomach may become empty
• when you are driving don't point out the sights!

Enough even though I have learned many more things

one armed short note

Terry's brother Cabot left on Thursday, it was a fun 13 days he was with us.
I then went out on the tennis court Friday AM for a lesson.  The lesson was over but I was asked to serve 2 more points.  On the first point I went back, turned and lost my footing.  Two hours latter Terry and I left the ER with my arm ready for a sling.  I have an appt Tue to get 2 bones set and the wrist put back in correct position.  It looks like tennis is on hold for 6-7 weeks!
Enough one arm typing for now

I present our new Annie Oakley!!

Here are the targets that Terry shot with her 99 rounds of ammo!  And those targets were shot at from the hip at 100 yards---well not really.  The instructor said she did a fantastic job and she was a natural.  I am a bit sad tho.  I brought MY Colt Diamondback 22 with us this winter which is the gun Terry used.  NOW I need to use the term "our gun"!!!  I tagged alone to the range and had just as much fun as Terry.  After shooting a box (50 rounds and $31!) of 9MM ammo I enjoyed shooting several firearms the instructors had. Perhaps the most fun gun to shoot was a 45 that is the same model that federal agents use--oh my gosh what a fun weapon that is.  It was a fun fun morning doing something I had not done in the past.
We are enjoying Terry's brother Cabot for some time.  He arrived Friday in his new (2003 I think) Jaguar convertible which he purchased when he visited friends in Tampa before driving to Naples.  He came down with a terrible cold on Saturday but he seems to be on the mend. I think the fresh squeezed orange juice is a big help.   He took a walk with Terry as I played tennis on Saturday and today they will take the shuttle boat to the beach while I have a 10:30 tennis match.  Yesterday we walked to the fitness center and spent about an hour there.  After that we spent about 30 minutes on the tennis court.  Cabot played tennis at one time but yesterday was the first time on the court for many years.  Today we will enjoy a ham with Grandma Ruby's cream potatoes.  I can hardly wait!!  We are also looking forward to Larry and Jeri visiting in March and then in April Aaron, Amy and kids will spend time here.
We continue to enjoy the Naples warmth which was a bit AWOL for a couple of weeks in January.  Today should be 79 and sunny.  When we asked Cabot what he wanted to do during his stay he said "I just would like to visit and soak in some sunshine". I did check the weather in St. Paul this morning and it showed -11 with relief from the negative temps after today. Most of my life I spent in ND and MN and the cold really was not that big a deal most of the time but for sure I can promise that winter temps in the 60s, 70s and 80s are easy to get used to as a person bikes, walks, plays tennis and just spends time in the sun.  It does seem to me that MN this winter is experiencing one of the coldest winters in some time.
We have yet to get our kayak out and I have not even taken time to use my new handy-dandy bike stand that Terry got for me through Aaron.  I guess January was taken up with work projects, tennis and reading.  This month the bikes will get on the stand and get a good cleaning.  Also I have not started editing my writing from last winter but that too will get in gear soon.
I need to refill my cup with FP.

I'll travel MY way!!!

There are as many ways to travel as there are people.  I think Terry and I have seen most of them!  Some are cute, some are tiny, some are huge, some look cheap, some look expensive but I am guessing that each, in their own way, get the owners to where they desire to go.  I think, perhaps, the most energized travel we have seen was in the summer of 2012.  On the shore of Lake Erie we met and talked to a young couple from CA.  They were on their bikes and by the time they planned to arrive back home they figured they would have biked a bit more than 10,000 miles.  Of course that is one way to do it but really not mine or our way.  The bottom picture is of a travel bus and it appeared that people would ride in the front bus and then sleep in the back where there are tiny windows.  I do not know how large the sleeping rooms were but from the outside it reminded me of a trailer for homing pigeons!
Yesterday Terry and I were able to refinish the two lounge chairs that sit by the pool.  Not a big thing as we just lightly sanded them and put a coat of oil on.  It certainly renewed their look.  Today I think it will be house work and yard work after tennis of course.  I need to upgrade my tennis game once again.  I started out like the "good, the bad and the ugly" and then went to the "good and the bad" now I am not sure what is next.  I do know that my serve is more than a work in progress and the rallies, well they tend to be fun most of the time even if the enemy gets the point!   I do think that with the little bit of extra weight that I am carrying this summer I am about 1/4 of a step slower--or could it be I am a year older?  My weight will come down a bit in February for sure. 
Warm weather has returned for a time here.  After having the last half of January in the 60s most of the time we are now in the low 80s again.  NOT to complain as the 60s are fine with me.  Yesterday as the sweat started to drip off the brim of my cap at the 45 minute mark it felt good.  Terry's suggestion (a good one I might add) is that I bring 2 caps and I think I will do that today.  I think my racket needs to be restrung but will not do that for a bit.  I think I can milk that for a week or two and use it as an excuse for my poor shots!!!
It is hard to believe that we are now into February.  It is even harder to believe when one looks at the weather in MN and sees that there are minus temps predicted almost each day for at least the next week.
No more FP.

Happy 4th birthday Ruby

A short birthday greeting to Ruby.  She is such a wonderful little girl and we love her so much.  She is her own person and has a mind as to what she wants to do--she will go a long way in life!!!!