A mixed day

When I think of the suffering Jesus did on this day it is painful.   Then I think of why he did it and my eternal life because of it and say it is a glorious day indeed.

I had PT yesterday and it, I am 99.99% sure, is the last time I need to wear my brace!!!  I am thinking the Dr. will tell me, on Monday, that I no longer need the brace so now I am practicing without it to make sure things are a go on Monday.  So I put the brace on a nice blanket for its final resting place.  I told my PT person that my goal was to throw it into the Mississippi River in June but she encouraged me to keep it just in case👎.  So I will do that but it did need a nice final resting place as I KNOW I will never need it again.

I am going over to the courts this morning as some on my team are playing guys who are better than they and that is always a good thing.  SO it will be a quick breakfast of hash browns, eggs and FP before I hit the courts with the last of my FP in my Yeti cup!

Another day closer

Good morning to all

It is Thursday and another day closer to my Dr. appt.  Can't wait to see what he says.  He did say it takes 12 weeks for the muscle to heal back to the bone so I think I should be good to go as next week it will be 12.  I know that darn leg and muscle is weak BUT.......

Hard to believe that we are only a few days to Easter.  We are having some people over so will have ham and Mom Lee's cream potatoes along with some things Terry is making like a humming bird cake and peep eggs!

I keep a list of books that I read and it is a good thing as I checked out 2 books a couple of days ago and as I started reading one I thought it was kind of familiar and sure enough I read it a couple of years ago.

No I have been up since about 5 AM and so am finished with breakfast and my FP so will wander over to the courts for a short time and then come back to do some things.  It seems like I am always busy yet it seems like I never get anything done!  Not sure if that is true or if I have become delusional in my old age.  Don't get me wrong, I have NO desire to be 2 again.

Post tennis league

On the west coast of Alaska, one of the many places we have visited in our 7 years of marriage, as of TODAY

Terry and I will celebrate our 7th anniversary today by going out to Coppers Hawk for dinner.  It seems like the 7 years have gone so so fast and we have gone to so many places and seen so much.  We both desire and plan to have injuries heal so we can continue to enjoy travel.  We want to continue a fun ride!!!

We had a very fun tennis party last Sunday to end the season.  Good food and fun people always make for a good time.  We gave out door prizes, some funny and some good.  The only bad thing about it is there was so much food left over and it is so good.  Need I say more?  Actually I am going to bring a pan of brownies over to the club today.  Too temping to have them sit around here.

PT today and also Thursday.  THEN next week on Tuesday I will be able to go to PT without the leg brace.  I have been practicing without it as I go out and my leg feels fine BUT of course the ham is weak.  Terry's foot is still on the mend and we are not sure when that will come to an end but we are hoping it will be soon.

I STILL am mixed up in my sleep due to the early time.  By 9:00 PM I am almost comatose but then I am wide awake by 5 or so.  Maybe I need to start running around the house at 9:00 and do that for an hour before I go to bed--wait I forgot that darn leg is not supposed to be run on at this time.  I am saved, I can go to bed at 9.

No I need to get reading this morning.  I have 100 pages left in "All-American Murder" by James Patterson.  It is unusual for Patterson to write a true story but this book, about Aaron Hernandez, is very interesting.  An easy read but it is due back to the library today so I need to finish it as I am not about to pay $.25 a day find!  Aaron Hernandez, a life that I can not even imagine.

So I will finish the book as I sip the last of the FP.

The only constant in life is change!

I stood sideways in the mirror this morning and how surprised I was to realize life changes!!!

As I sit at my computer this morning and sip FP with some Baileys in it I contemplate how and when life changes.  Well it changes daily and how??  Well that depends on self.

I realized life changes when:

• I opened the bottom freezer and took out a precooked frozen burger for breakfast.  As I placed it in the pan I thought, "not a venison burger for sure!" LIFE CHANGES
• I checked the weather on the phone and saw Cayuga ND is 32 with snow on the ground and Naples FL is 61 with a high of 79 today.  LIFE CHANGES
• I got out of bed and walked into the bathroom.  It was not the pail upstairs with a curtain to cover the door opening!  LIFE CHANGES
• I opened my phone to see if there were any messages and then I put the phone in my POCKET!  LIFE CHANGES
• When I opened the garage door to go to the store there was NO snow but instead leaves.  LIFE CHANGES
• I got out of bed at 6:30  and NOT 3:30.  LIFE CHANGES
• I looked out the window and saw the neighbor's house about 20 feet away.  LIFE CHANGES
• I remembered that my tennis team is coming over for the end of the year party this afternoon.  I will NOT be playing Arnie, Jack and Gary in a golf match on my course this afternoon.  LIFE CHANGES
• I remembered that I need to fit in 2 PT sessions in our pool at home.  No walking up to MY lake Tewaukon for a bath today.  LIFE CHANGES
• I thought about family and as I did I thought about Salt Lake City, Mesa, Jamestown, Holiday Island and Rapid City.  LIFE CHANGES
• I thought about siblings death, spouses death and I said.  LIFE CHANGES
• I thought about playing football, playing basketball, doing track and I thought.  LIFE CHANGES
• I remembered my fancy Bentley bike in St. Paul that I so enjoyed last summer and the fact that Aaron put it together.  Then I thought about the little bike and the big bike.  LIFE CHANGES
• I thought about being on the roof of the barn wondering what was beyond my little world.  Then I thought about my tennis team and where they are from: Wisconsin, Vermont, Delaware, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas and more.  LIFE CHANGES
• I remembered Dad drinking boiled coffee out of a quart jar in the harvest field and then I looked at my FP.  LIFE CHANGES
• I think about Mom and Dad and how they played out in my life early and then as an adult.  LIFE CHANGES
• I actually thought about how I said, as a child, that I would buy a banana everyday when I could afford it.  Now I walk by piles of bananas in the store and don't even think about eating one.  LIFE CHANGES
• I thought about our car when I was in HS.  I was always concerned that it would break down anytime I drove it.  Actually it failed to start LATE one night in the country side so I walked to the farmers house so he would pull us to start it!!!  Our Honda wagon has taken us 115,000 miles without failure.  LIFE CHANGES

SO the point: life is ever evolving into something different, something new.  We need to embrace change as if we knew it was coming and be thankful for what God gives us.  I know, that is almost always easier said than done but it is a work in progress.  I KNEW IT, MY FP HAS CHANGED FROM A FULL CUP TO EMPTY!

The floor is nice and clean

I had to clean the floor in the den this morning as when I got out of bed there were tears all over the floor.  My tennis bag had cried out of remorse for being ignored for so long!!!  I cleaned things up and assured my bag and cage of balls that they would again be important, not just now but in the future.

A "getting kind of ready day" for our tennis party tomorrow.  I have gotten 5 door prizes with two of them having the winner choose between 2 items.  I will have 5 bags and they will be labeled "A", "W", "B", "MP" and "R".  Without knowing what the letters stand for the winners will have to pick a bag.  Can't say now what they are as there is a far out chance that someone would stumble onto my blog before the party.  It should be kind of fun.  Before the party we will head to Palm Sunday church, then stop at the grocery store for the buns I ordered and then go with our neighbor John to his club for Sunday brunch.  When we return home we still will have about 4 1/2 hours to get things in order.  I think Terry will make potato salad today as it is always better if it is made ahead of time.  Maybe she will make her famous beans early in the morning tomorrow.  I forgot, I think she will make brownies today too.

Enough for now as there is a bit more work to do this morning and I need to get it finished before my energy from my FP runs out.

A nice ending

Some of the villa folks that came for our last winter party.  Several people will be leaving in the next couple of weeks.  Thirty or so came with yummy food to share and the conversation was about "what are you doing in the next several months?"

I spent an hour at the courts this morning.  Watching and wishing I could be on the court.  My count down to getting rid of this leg brace is now at 10 and counting.  After that it may be a while before I can venture out onto the court BUT getting the brace off when I go out and about will be  heavenly.

We have the tennis team coming over for our end of the year party Sunday evening.  We think about 16 people will be here for eats and treats.  It looks like the weather will cooperate and be warm.  The last few days it has been a bit chilly.  Everyone will enjoy Terry's potato salad and homemade beans that will go along with cold cuts and bread.  We do have a couple of door prizes to give away as well.

I only had one PT this week but will have 2 next week which should be the last of PT with the brace. I think at that time the exercises will be ramped up a bit but really not sure I am ready for that.  Maybe if I work harder at home things would be better.  I had PT Wednesday and my legs are still sore today.  I hope people feel sorry for me!!!

Enough for now as I finished my FP hours ago.

YES YES YES

Yes, it was indeed a good day.  Tied for the basement in the league we took on the #1 club in the league.  On court #3 we lost in 2 sets BUT took the second set to a tie breaker.  On court #2 we lost a match tie breaker(that made it 7 losses in 7 tries) BUT on court #1 we took it to a match tie breaker AND won 10-5.  I would say we played the #1 team pretty much to a draw and we also prevented them from winning outright as their loss on court #1 put them in a first place tie instead of the outright championship.  The winning match pulled us out of the cellar so another positive.  So to look at the future I can say this:

• In our first 12 matches we won 1 but in our last 18 matches we won 5 so that is certainly an up tick.  I would say going from 8% to 28% is MUCH improvement.
• Winning on court #1 is always difficult so to do it against the #1 team was amazing.
• I feel that the team did indeed improve and that is a positive for 2019.  I do not want this to sound like bragging but I can help the team a lot next year by being on the court again.

Our Wednesday also included taking our neighbor, John, out to happy hour last night.  Over the last 2 years the team has given me $$$ in the form of restaurant cards and we have not used them SO last night was a good start!  When we returned home John invited us over for dessert and then he played a bit on his organ, music that I could not sing to but it was fun.  

Terry and I ended the day by watching a Hallmark Movie and many know they always have a happy ending so a fitting end to our day.

I did squeeze in a PT session also yesterday and as I go along they get more intense but not complaining as I have to do that if I want to get HEALTHY again.

I used the last of the heavy cream in my FP so I am good for the day.

Interesting for sure!

The challenge is on.  We have our last tennis match of the winter today.  We play Huntington Lakes who are in first place by a point and we play at their place.  They do not have clay courts, which everyone else has but rather they have astro turf which is VERY different to play on.  Their home record, which includes matches against the second and third place team is 9-3.  So here we go, we have a chance to take on the best, on their funky courts and see what we can do.  We are currently tied for last place with a court record of 5-22  BUT 6 of our court losses have been match tie breakers.  We have not won a match tie breaker so the record is a bit misleading.  Anyway I have asked the guys to put on their BIG BOY pants and give it their best effort.  Win, lose or draw(well that is impossible) it should be a fun day.  That is for the guys on the court, for me well it is the last time I have to sit and watch a league match this season.  Sitting on the sidelines is not an activity that is fun!  It certainly would be fun to knock off the best, even if it was only 1 court but what the heck we will shoot for a clean sweep!!!  If we happen to go down on all three courts, but do so fighting, I can live with that.

I engaged in my new activity yesterday for the 5th time and I THINK I may be over the mental part and maybe on my way to having some fun, we will see as the weeks go by.  At 71 I may have just begun to live a bit!

We have had warm weather here with an 82 yesterday.  Only 70 today and then in the 80s after that for a few days.  Had a nice thunder, lighting and rain storm last night which was fun.  I sat near the pool and enjoyed the rain and the noise.  After it passed I went for a therapy swim for about half an hour.

I finished my FP with the Liam birch tree cup so will get on with the day now.  I have PT at 10:20 and Terry and I will go right from the hospital to the tennis match which is at 11:30

Time changes everything!!!

Twenty years ago, give or take 5 years, I would get up to my alarm at 3:00 and get the paper route finished.  Then I would shower, eat and be off to school by 7:00 AM.  After school I would go down to the locker room and get ready to coach the boys soccer, the girls soccer or baseball depending on the calendar.  Then I may hurry off to Trinity and coach another team.  I would arrive home, eat and maybe do some homework from school and then almost literally fall into bed to prepare for another day.
Well that was a long time ago.  Today I am looking at a busy week.  A PT appt, a Dr. appt, a tennis match, a villa party to prepare for and then an end of the year tennis party on Sunday.  I think WAY back I maybe did as much in a day as I do now in a week.  Like I said "time changes everything".  I am not saying I was doing things in the right way back then nor am I saying things are in perfect order now, just that as time flies by life flies by too and changes in the process.

I remarked to Terry, as we watched a bit of NCAA BB, that I wondered if my free throw record at Sargent Central still stood.  Well I said it with tongue in cheek because I do not think those kind of things were even thought about way back then.  I did make 19 free throws without missing in my senior year.  I remember missing my first one against Britton SD on a night Mr. Woler almost did not start me because I forgot my pull up fancy socks.  In the end one of the subs gave me socks so I could start the game.  Can't remember if no socks were my fault or Moms.  Well Mom is not here to defend herself so I will say it was my fault.  Anyway, in my mind, that is my claim to fame, 19 free throws in a row!  I could also mention that my scoring average was about 19 per game that year but then if I say that I need to say we, as a team, layed an egg in the first round of the district tournament.  Some good memories and some not so good.

I did not decline and that is not me because I was #34!!!

I have been kind of good at working on rehabbing my leg.  Some exercises, swimming 2 or 3 times a day and yesterday I actually went on a walk around the Villas. It was ridiculous as a short walk like that made me tired and my hips ache.  I guess that means I will not be able to go full force ahead on the tennis court in a couple of weeks.  Well I may not get on the courts for a month or so really.   IF I would do too much and reinjure my leg I may do something bad, not saying what!!!

Enough as I need to go to the courts and then get some things done around the house.  For some reason my FP seemed to be extra good this morning.

Sunday in March of 2018

It is Sunday again and usually that means an extended blog with memories as I drink my FP with a bit of Baileys instead of heavy cream.  Today I will add pictures that are out of my book.

The golf course that I designed and made where Arnie, Jack and Gary played many many Sundays.  As I have said in the past Arnie always won!  Lost balls were no problem as I would roll the 55 gallon barrel and with each bump I would pick up a ball.  I think Dad was a bit upset as I used almost all of his old oil to kill weeds in the sand putting surface.

With my pole, tackle box and can of worms I would walk through Bert's pasture, stroll through their yard and climb down the bank to fish.  IF I happen to be lucky Eleanor would see me walk through the yard and offer me a cookie.  After I had made a little jail for fish I would toss the bobber into the water and wait.  Usually after a couple of hours and many dreams of the future I would open up the fish jail and let them go free to enjoy another day.  Sometimes I would run the entire half mile home just because it was so much fun.  It was easy because Bert's cow pasture was about as bare as a bone.

I can still smell the pungent aroma of grass and weeds burning in the crisp fall air.  Dave and I might pluck a hollow weed, light the end and pretend we were smoking!  Of course that would be out of Dad's sight.

With the kerosene lantern in one hand and the milk pail in the other I would trudge through the snow to the barn.  As I entered the warmth from the cows would greet me and the soft chomp chomp of hay would fill my ears.  Then I would retrieve the one legged milk stool and go about milking.  Of course the beady eyes of the cats were always staring and begging for a squirt of milk in their mouth.  When finished I would fill a shallow bowl with warm milk and the cats would converge from all corners of the barn.  Then it was back to the house where milk was poured into the separator and would then become milk and heavy cream that, of course, was so superior to the Land O Lakes cream of today.  In the summer I might go all the way to the barn and back on my pogo stick but with no milk pail of course.

The old cast iron cook stove was an icon of the kitchen.  Burning coal or corn cobs or just wood it would heat the kitchen toasty warm while we fried sliced potatoes in homemade butter while playing ping pong on the round table.  Somehow it just did not seem right when the old went out and the propane stove came in.  I would say "No class".

After years and years of seeing that old cement foundation of the old hog barn to the west of the house one summer was the perfect time to pound, clean and drag cement boulders to the rock pile.  It was perhaps one of my favorite accomplishments when it was finished as Mom was so so pleased.

California boxes of used clothes came from Aunt Ragna.  I would rummage through them hoping to find a pair of socks that fit and ones that I did not have to fold over at the toe which made me feel like I was walking up hill!  Come to think of it maybe that is why I have a big hamstring as the Dr. stated!!!   One of my all time favorite shirts came from CA.  It was  light blue with dark blue stripes across the front and I thought I was pretty darn hot when I wore it in HS.  One day in study hall I squeezed between a desk and an open window and RIP the entire back of my shirt was wide open!  After returning my face back to a normal color Mr. Woler gave me the keys to his office so I could go get a sweat shirt to put on.  

I think that is enough memories for this morning.  It is time to get ready for church and begin to live the day in the present and then look to the future also.  As I drink the last of my FP, only the first cup has Baileys, I glance out the window and see that it is finally light out and the day looks perfect.

A fun day

And we saw:

As we headed out for our 6 hour tour here is Terry and John the captain

John's guests from Canada

Our destination for lunch, a well known watering hole in Fort Myers

We saw big boats

and little boats

and OLD fishing boats

and customized boats

some were even bigger than John's boat that we water skied behind

a few were not doing too well

and of course we saw some BIG homes, perhaps they cost a few $$$'s

We spent most of the day on the water yesterday.  We have had cool weather as our pool heater had not shut off during the day all week BUT yesterday was perfect.  We arrived home about 4:30 and the pool was on but the heater had shut down so that meant GOOD.   Sunny, with a slight breeze and temps in the 70s.  Our neighbor John, rented a boat and we were off.  We had lunch at Doc Ford's in Fort Myers, which is kind of a famous watering hole with great food.  I am always amazed at the homes, the boats and just everything as one travels along in the back waters near the gulf.  This morning my face and legs have a warm touch as maybe I got a bit too much sun but I THINK I will not peel as I seldom do.    Anyway it was a fun fun day.  We came home to a non-dinner evening as we were still full from noon.

The time for my Dr. visit inches closer each day.  Seventeen and counting.  Next week PT could only squeeze me in once so I may not be so sore.  I felt kind of a tiny lump on my incision last night so I picked and picked at it.  As I got out of my soaking tub there was blood on the towel and all over my hands.  I thought maybe I had opened up a geyser!  It may have been a stitch that was still in the leg but who cares, I am fine now.

I continue to wander over to the courts and watch a bit but that gets old after so long.  Perhaps I should concentrate on getting in shape but I have almost come to the conclusion that my shape is what it is so be happy.  Not sure I can actually get happy with it so I have a BIG decision to make--be happy with NOW or change.  Either way it looks to be an uphill battle for me.

I have been thinking of the term "unconditional love" lately and have decided that most of us, perhaps me included, do not practice that and maybe even do not understand it.  I have to think about it more.

My FP, which I served to myself in my "birch tree Liam" cup, is empty so time to move into phase two of the day.

A day late

Happy Birthday Mary, we love you---Dad and Terry

I did not get to the computer last night so I missed saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mary yesterday.  She is an amazing wife and mother.  We hope you had a great day Mary and may this coming year be one of joy and blessings.   I should say also that she is one of the three women in our family and all three are so special I feel blessed to be part of things.

Better late than never, right?

I took the time to research my hamstring injury and found it interesting.  I found out that I am unusual  but then that may not surprise some people.  I am not saying that is good or bad it just is!  I had a proximal hamstring avulsion.  How is that for words.  I actually decided to look up some things as I am now on the hunt for more activity.  Well I found that according to a health journal I am on track to be OK and perhaps start doing some sports again in early summer or maybe, just maybe, in late spring.  I also found the protocol that they are using in my PT, it is word for word on line.  I still have not found the answer as to WHY I had very little pain with the tear.  Mark my word I am not complaining but I find it interesting that of course there was severe weakness but very little pain.  The biggest pain, actually pain in the butt, is from the incision which is finally getting to the part that means it is not bothering me when I sit.  I also found that if one goes back not very far surgery would not have been a choice so I feel lucky.
Our neighbor John has had company from Toronto all week and he is taking them on a 4-6 hour boat ride on the back waters today.  He invited us to go along.  I am thankful we are free so we will leave about 9:30 today and get back maybe by 4 or so.  John has had boats all his life so he will be a good captain.
I was afraid to get on the scale yesterday as I KNOW my body transformation has gone north while I remain in the south!!!  Maybe this week!
Oh my I just sipped the last of my FP and it must have been from the bottom of the pot---I am awake now!

A fun match BUT no court wins!!!

Some of the many fans watching the court #1 match

We lost all three courts yesterday but really it was a fun day.  Our opponent, Beachwalk, were fun to play against but for sure they had 2 very good courts.  My #1 court played to a first set 6-6 and lost the tie breaker.  In their second set it again was 6-6 and again they lost the tie breaker but it did go into overtime at 6-8.  All in all it was a good day but chilly at 68 degrees and windy.

I could not sleep this morning so finally got out of bed at 3:15.  I opened up my e-mail and there in front of me was a note that made me second guess the wisdom of being a team captain😟.  No need to go into details BUT I suppose I should have seen some things coming.  When you are trying to set up a good team with friends it is bound to happen that either the friends or the team or both need to bend or get out of the way.  I guess in this one I need to make a decision as to what is most important going ahead towards the next season.  My bent would be to sit down and talk but in this situation I think it may not work.  SO by tomorrow I will make a decision and move on with life regardless of what comes of it.  Anyway to wrap tennis up for the morning we have one last match next week.  Word has it that we will play on astro-turf and it is difficult to say the least.

Wow, we are matching towards Easter quickly.  Eighteen days and counting but then it is only 19 days until I get this brace off for good I hope.  Talked to a guy yesterday who had the same injury way way back in the 60s and he just let it heal.  Things were different then.

On top of having to sit and watch tennis I have taken on a new thing and the saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" may apply here.  Will report at some later date because IF I fail in a big way I don't want to brag about it!!!

I poured most of my FP into a Yeti cup for my trip over to the courts later this morning but for now will sip my last half cup to the last drop.

Another day

Had to post this as it reminds me of better days!!! A championship last year but only a distant memory now!!!

We have our last home match tomorrow.  Can we go out at home with a bang?  NOT sure but we will see.  We have an away match next week and then the season is history.  I have not played a match this winter and it is difficult but next year is another year.  This year reminds me of my first year at the 2.5 level as my expectations and the results did NOT match up at all!
We are experiencing cool weather with a high of 69 today.  Tomorrow for our match a high of 70 but of course that is good for the guys on the court.  For tomorrow I hope people come and watch as I have too many snacks and drinks left so would like to get them OUT of the house.  Me, I will enjoy them as I snack and that is NOT good.
Terry and I have 4 destinations today as we go out and about this afternoon.  Will leave about 2:40 and return maybe by 5:00 or so.  With the awful traffic we have this winter we may be lucky to get home by 6:00.
My FP went the way of GONE many hours ago so will close for now.

Happy Birthday Amy

How about that, a spring time or better yet a summer activity on a March 12th birthday.  Happy birthday Amy we hope this coming year is special in many ways.
We love you,  Carmen and Terry

Darker in the morning now.

No words needed

Here we are on the second Sunday of March and only 3 weeks away from Easter Sunday.  As I often say time flies and as one grows in maturity it seems to go faster.

I am now 22 days from my Dr. appt when I feel more freedom will come.  My leg continues to feel fine so I think I am getting about ready to do a lot more.  This watching tennis is getting kind of old for sure.  I suspect it will continue for at least another month or so.  The PT that I have twice a week is making my body sore for a day or two after so maybe it is doing what it is supposed to do.

We have had a super rain over the last 24 hours and I think it is supposed to continue into this afternoon.  Nice and slow which means there is very little run off.  We have had a very very dry winter so far and wild fires are getting to be a serious problem.

I am getting a bit more into the book on President Grant.  With 900+ pages I will have to renew it and I still may not finish it.  A bit different than some of the books I read where I can pick it up in the afternoon and finish it the next morning.

For some reason my mind does not come up with a lot this morning.  I have yet to have breakfast but I have finished my FP.  Hard to decide what to eat.  How blessed can we be when deciding between many things to eat and then in some countries there is almost nothing.  It may be hash brown potatoes, an egg and some bacon this morning.  Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I have no idea why.  I do have a frozen pound of venison I could have or also a frozen pound of wild boar meat.  I wanted to hunt wild boar but again this leg is kind of restrictive.  Maybe next year.

Terry and I need to use some of our restaurant gift cards soon.  We have one for Flemings from 2 years ago and one from Bonefish Grill from last year.  The tennis team has given them to us at our end of the year party.  I am guessing this year they may give me a lump of coal!  BUT we want to be able to tell some of the guys we have used them.  One guy even offered to buy them back and use them himself.  We just do not go out to eat all that much and of course over the last 24 months there have been several things in our life that make going out difficult.  Terry now has this special shoe for her left foot but it is so so awkward to walk in so she tries to not do a lot of walking around the house.    Maybe, just maybe, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and things will change for the better.  BUT I will say that I have no complaints.  What the heck I can take my bp pills, my cholesterol pill and after I get my hearing aids in I am ready for the day which is a lot more than many people can say!!!

I was thinking this morning about why God does not clue us in as to what old age will be.  Maybe it is because He knows we would be a bit scared!  I have 2 guys on my team who are in their early 80s so I have a ways to go.  Perhaps I should ask Glorine or John what the 80s are like but what the heck I am only in the early 70s so I have a ways to go.

Enough for this morning as breakfast is calling.

Maybe?

How about that, a perfect round egg to go on my english muffin and then top it with cheese and ham! A good way to start the day and then to wash it down with FP and I'm living the dream!!!

I can say that because on Wednesday I lived through a nightmare.  We went into a match I thought we could win at least 2 of the 3 courts BUT we got our ------- whipped as of the 6 courts the BEST we could do was a 2-6 defeat!  It was so so bad I wanted to take my leg brace off and get on the court but of course that would have been a VERY bad idea.  We have 2 more matches left in the season so will see if we can finish with some positive notes.

My PT was cancelled Monday so I had my only PT of the week yesterday.  I am sore today big time.  But the good thing is I am now only 24 days from my Dr. appt when I THINK he will release me to do a bit more.  On April 2nd if he says wait some more I may hyperventilate and go into a fit.  I lost my cane so I think that is a good sign!

To make matters even worse I stepped on the scale yesterday to see what great progress I have made in my make over!  Well after trying to be good for a WEEK I am down a whopping .4 pounds.  I may as well give up and eat and drink to my hearts content.  BUT I will stay with the plan and see if this week can be better.  If not I may go off the deep end and have Baileys in my coffee everyday.  Come to think of it that may be a great plan.

Not much else to report.  This has been a tough week for more reasons than tennis but I need not go into that.  Sometimes life is good and sometimes it is not so good, I happen to be in the NOT so good mode at the moment.  I remember way way back in the days of HS soccer for the boys they lost in the state championship game and one of the fathers wrote a poem saying something like the sun comes up in the east the next morning and life will be OK.
Enough for now.  My FP is long gone this morning and it is time to get some things done.

March marches on!

My fancy "in" box is now empty!

Over the last few days I have worked at catching up on paper work and have been successful.  I even was so lame as to bring a box of papers from MN that should have been taken care of last summer.  But that is all history as you can see my "in" box is now empty.  I actually thought of upgrading the box to some fancy expense thing but then I knew I would not keep it empty as it would be so much fun to look at.  So it will remain some old some old "in" box.
I started the day off with a bang.  First I opened the thick bacon and placed 3 pieces (half pieces) in our copper fry pan.  After they were fried I oiled a large screw top from a quart jar and cracked a "cage free egg" into it.  At B B & beyond they have a device where you can crack the egg into but my screw top large jar thing works just fine.  As the egg was frying I popped in an original Thomas muffin into the toaster.  I am wondering if original means it is really old?  It looked fine so I ate it.  As the cage free egg was ready and the toast popped up I put together my breakfast.  First half a muffin, then my perfectly round egg, then a slice of cheddar cheese with the 4 corners turn in, then the thick bacon and finally the last slice of muffin!  What a way to start the day!!!  Oh of course I enjoyed my FP as I ate the sandwich and read the sports section of the paper.

I found out in a most unusual way yesterday that my leg is certainly getting better.  Before I drove over to the courts yesterday I picked up my brace, put my foot on the edge of the tub and snapped it on.  It felt good so I took my foot off the tub, stood up and there right before my eyes was my brace on the WRONG leg.  I thought what the heck I must be doing something right, aside from putting that darn thing on the wrong leg.  I shared that with Terry and then commented on how pathetic I am but of course it did not come close to being in the same ball parks as drilling a hole in the roof of the garage some years ago.  I am amazed because that is one of the reasons Terry loves me, I am so pathetic at times!!!

We spent some time with friends Betty and Carmen yesterday.  Yep there is another male Carmen just around the corner.  We went over for goodies at 3:30 and then went out to eat at 5:00.  The food was very good and of course I ate too much.  Carmen and Betty have a home in Michigan and they have come to the point where they still want to keep their home but they now hire some of the yard work done.  At 85 and 83 I would say that is a good idea.

I would give myself a B- in my journey to better health and less fat.  I started last Thursday so will weigh myself this Thursday and see what the scale shows.  My plan is to get up, walk around for a while so I can do my business, shave, pluck hairs out of my ears, wash the sleep out of my eyes, take off my leisure wear and then weigh myself with only my birthday suit on.  If anybody reads this please try NOT to picture the scene.  Anything to make that scale show as much progress as possible!  If it is really bad I may just weigh one leg.   I am guessing I will be disappointed, depressed and may have to go in for therapy!  No, not really but I will do better in the coming weeks.

I am now 28 days from my next Dr. appt which I feel will give me a new lease on life.  I am thinking that after April 2 my PT can consist of some jumping, running and things like that.  For sure I do NOT want to hurry things but still I want things to happen as soon as it is right.  Actually the one perk of this whole situation is a handicap tag for parking.  The down of that is here in Naples it seems 80% of the people are old and have that darn tag so most of the time all the parking spaces are full.  When I do find a space and use it I have to be careful to not get out of the car and run to the store like so many do!!!  I carefully take my cane out and tap the street in front of me as I slowly walk to the store.  Oh I make sure I have my brace on too.  With my luck the week after my tag expires they will come in and add another dozen spaces which I will not be able to use.

I find myself thinking a lot about people who are dealing with hardships.  There is Ben who had a very severe stroke, Deb who lost Dale, Hilda who lost David, Linda who lost Dave, Pat who lost David, Linda who lost Bruce and the list goes on.  How blessed I am and it gives me cause to do more, be more kind and be more compassionate to others.  Please know that "lost" means a person died, it does not imply people are careless and can't find their spouse.  I am not sure I needed to clarify that but I did anyway.
No, I just walked fast to the kitchen to get the last of the FP so will sign off and get some morning things done.

Another March day

Maybe 40+ years ago!

Your guess was correct.  It is Sunday and maybe time for a bit of "the good old days".  Here the boys were all dressed up for Ann and Otto's 50th I think.  Ann and Otto made it to their 75th.  This was taken in Lidgerwood where Ann and Otto had a grand home with so many special things in it.
I am now only 4 weeks from my next visit with the Dr.  At that time I should get the go ahead to do more activity with this leg of mine.  I think I am doing well.  I put the brace on when I go out, I do PT twice a week and I use that cane when I am out and about.  The whole thing makes me look Like I am in my 70s, oh I guess I am right?
Yesterday was a good day in some respects.  I worked for several hours at purging  paper and papers and papers.  I have come to believe that 99% of the time if you have a paper that is 10 years old it is time to toss.  I THINK I am well on my way to getting some order in all of the papers we have.  By the end of the day I will have a file that goes north and south, a file that stays in FL and a file that stays in MN.  After all that it is time to go through closets and see what stays and what goes.  That can be fun and it can be kind of difficult.
On my makeover, well it is a little up and down.  I kind of fell yesterday but not too badly so I continue the march today.  I can not weigh myself until next Thursday so that will tell the story.
Terry got a call from the Dr. about her MRI and yes there is a break in her toe/foot again.  How that happened is anybody's guess.  She will go in on Thursday and get fitted with some kind of special shoe and will go from there.  This old age reminds me of a situation I was in several years ago.  We had gone out to eat and were ready to leave.  I went to use the bathroom.  As I was washing my hands an elderly man came in and he was very upset.  He said, "They say these are the golden years but I just entered the women's restroom by mistake and I don't know if that is true!"  He was flustered and not in a good place.
Some of the things I am thinking about this Sunday AM:

• What was it like 40+ years ago when those boys were little?  I can hardly remember what my life was like.  
• What happened in our family when that little girl came onto the scene?  Gail was so so excited.  At that point we knew without a doubt that God was real.
• How does one deal with that fact that as family grows and does their own thing a person has to step back and allow time to change everything.  There comes a time when one has to release and give up to allow for children to grow and become their own person or family.  That is a challenge that is often met with defeat.
• As one grows older how and when is it time to change, to give up, to release, to step back and just be peaceful in how God's world evolves.
• When is it right to remain silent and when is it right to speak out?
• When is it right to correct and when is it right to let go?
• How does one remain an important part of the big picture yet know that it is time to be on your own again and allow children and grand children to be who they are?
• How does one do their own thing yet remain engaged in the lives of the children?

As you can see I have all these questions and really not much for an answer.  Perhaps that is what makes life exciting!

FP is gone for the day.

A new me!!!!!!

Me on Easter Sunday, April 1st, 2018 with maybe a change of glasses

For sure.  March started with an A+.  I did not snack, I did not drink, I exercised, I practiced my music, I prayed, I did not over eat and I went to bed by 9:00 PM.  Now that is a sure recipe for a makeover never before seen.  I am positive I will lose weight and once again have a full head of hair as I will also eliminate all stress in my life.  From Acts 2:17 ...and your old men will dream dreams.....
Actually I did have a good day yesterday.  Got a haircut and this time it was nice.  I had PT and as always it was a bit tough.  Terry and I watched a movie which was fun.  We now watch pretty much all our movies on Netflix.  I did go to bed a bit early but I knew if I stayed up I would want to snack and that is what I am trying to get rid of.   Oh I also mailed in my RMD so that should be in the bank in a week.  For me it means maybe an extra few stops at the golden arches (after I lose weight!).  I have papers scattered around the den so those need to be picked up today.  We are waiting for one paper on taxes and then they can be sent in.  Actually our refund is always welcome.
I retrieved the above picture from the 700+ slides I have on the computer.  As I clicked through the pictures from a long time ago it became crystal clear that EVERYONE changes with time and not always for the better!  After I looked at the old pictures I hurried to the bathroom to get my morning BP pill and cholesterol pills.  Then I hopped on the scale to get the lay of the land and stopped on my way to the computer to put my hearing aids in.  All set to face the day now.  With FP in hand and still dreams dancing in my head I am more than ready to face March 2nd.

Hello March 2018--we expect great things this month!

Top picture, a bit too early to include Helen!

The tennis team went down to defeat in all 3 matches yesterday.  No reason to expand on that.  The other team played very well and I would say their court 1 players were playing, at least yesterday, at a 3.5 level but the experience is good to play against better guys.  Next week is another match and I feel we will do fine.
I welcome March with open arms and high expectations.  I have HIGH hopes and plans for several things this month including music, weight, healing of my leg and healing of Terry's foot.  As we celebrate Easter on April Fool's day I am hoping I will be nobody's fool!!!  I have found that at the age of 71 I kind of expect to experience instant success in what I try and maybe, just maybe, things are the opposite now and with age some things take longer.  I will keep trying.
Looking at the top picture I think we look pretty happy.  I do think Mom and Dad could have found a better background for some of their pictures but at least there is no deer head in this one.  I am guessing we are about 1, 4, 6, 9 and 12.  As I am looking at the calendar I think I forgot Janet's birthday.  I will have to ask John Mouw and then write it in.  I tried to get everyone's dates in but I guess I failed at that.
As I look at the weather it appears that our warm February will extend into March with a high of 82 today.  Yesterday the guys on the court were drenched with a high of 84 I think.
We pretty much have our taxes ready to go but are waiting on one item.  We always get a refund so nice to get them in sooner than later.
Today includes work on papers, a haircut and PT.  I am not sure about PT today as I had some major leg cramps last night.  Not sure what that is from but when they come in the middle of the night they can keep a person awake for a time.
I am in the middle of my FP but I am hungry so will sign off to eat and drink!