Ronald, I wanted to be just like him

     I am in the writing mood today.  If anyone is reading this and does not have much time you may want to sign off.  The start of book two??--maybe but then maybe not too.

     It was a Thursday morning and the sun was barely shining indirectly into the west window.  I heard Mom call from the open door at the bottom of the stairs.  "Time to get up Carmen".  I was kind of in a grumpy mood so in my mind I replied, "I know so don't yell so loud."  I reached over to my clock radio, which sat kind of tipsy on a chair, and turned it on to see if I could get the score of the Twins baseball games from Wednesday.  I then realized that they had not played on Wednesday but really it did not make any difference as they were out of the pennant race.  My beloved Milwaukee Braves were also languishing in third or fourth place so what was left of the baseball season that was interesting?  Well the big thing was Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were battling it out for the home run title but that was pretty much it.  It looked like a Yankee/Reds series coming up and of course the Yankees would be favored maybe in five or six games.
     Of course baseball was my first love but as I turned the radio off I immediately thought of the day. My thoughts went back to the 12th.  As Dad brought the mail in he handed me a letter much to my surprise.  Me, a letter, I never got any mail but there it was in my palm a letter with Sargent Central stamped on it and in the upper left hand corner was the name Coach Hanson.  I had no idea who he was but was curious by the mail.  I opened it up and it was a note stating that fall football practice would be opening on Thursday, September 21st at 9:00 AM.  That was only nine days away.  I had actually thought of football and wondered what it would be like to play.  I remembered Dad talking about Ronald playing and how tough he was.  According to Dad he was the toughest guy on the field and the smartest too!  Well that was Dad talking about his favorite son but I did think it may have been true about Ronald.  After all he graduated from college in three years and was now a teacher.  I felt he was smart, strong, athletic and was about the best big brother ever.
     I mulled the idea of football over and over in my mind.  I had played little league baseball and had done very well in that.  I had played basketball in grade school and thought I was pretty good but I was not sure if I was good because of my height or skill.  Now as a soon to be freshman in high school I was 5 feet 11 inches and pretty darn fit.  I guess there was nothing wrong with lifting bales of hay for cousin Russel and then throwing 1000's of rocks from the rock wagon to into the rock pile!  Ronald had brought some bar bells home but using them was a bit boring.
     So here I sat on the edge of the bed watching the room turn into a crimson yellow from the sun and holding a letter about football from coach Hanson.  This morning, at 9:00 AM was the first practice and I had not even asked Dad if I could play.  I was pretty sure if I asked he would say "no" because I would be staying after school everyday and for the practices before the start of school I would have to get to Forman which was a twenty-five mile drive.  I got dressed, stuffed the letter under the radio for good keeping and hurried down the stairs to see what Mom had for breakfast.  If it was Oatmeal I decided I would not be hungry.  Mom surprised me with fried eggs and toast with chokecherry jam so I wolfed down my food and kind of hurried out the door.  I would be plowing today and I hoped I could finish late in the day or tomorrow for sure.  With the three bottom plow behind the "M" plowing was not the fastest!  It used to be the "M" and the Ford but Dave had started to work away from home a couple of summers before so I was solo in the plowing.
     I shortened my dinner break at noon because I wanted to finish.  I even took an extra round after I saw Mom's white towel on the barn door.  Now that meant I was serious!  As the sun set I took stock of the field and decided that there was at least a good three hours of plowing left.  That meant working with the lights on the tractor for some time and I decided it was not worth the effort so I would call it a day and finish up the next morning.  As I hit the east end of the field for the last time the sun was already set and it was getting dark.  I changed gears and headed home, around the pasture and over the bridge to the east of our farm.  When I entered the house Mom asked in a surprised voice, "What got into you?"  She knew that sundown was usually my cue to call it a day.  I explained that I had wanted to finish but it got too late.  She smiled, in her special mom way, and set a steaming plate of mush for me to enjoy.
     I decided I was too tired and it was too dark to take my nightly bath in Lake Tewaukon so I said good night to Mom and Dad and headed upstairs.  As I slide into bed my eye caught the letter and at that point I decided I wanted to try football.  I was not into asking Dad for anything so as I slowly descended the stairs, making sure not to knock down any of his reloading equipment, I actually said a little prayer.  "Please Jesus have Dad say yes".  I walked into the living room and of course Dad was sitting in his chair reading a magazine.  It would be a photographer's magazine or the American Rifle Men.  I stood for a moment in front of him before he looked up with a puzzled face.  "Dad could I try out for the high school football team?"  To my amazement without blinking an eye or lifting his head he said, "Sure".  I then told him it started today but I thought I could still go.  He asked me if I had finished plowing and I said I could finish up tomorrow morning but the practises are in the morning before school starts.  He thought for a moment and then said I should finish the plowing in the morning and he would take me to Forman on Monday.  As I mounted the stairs again, missing his equipment for reloading for the second time, I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
   Monday morning morning came almost to quickly.  I knew practice started at 9:00 but Dad had to put gas "on the car" so we did not get going until 8:40.  I knew we would not make it by 9:00.  Sure enough we pulled into the school parking lot at 9:10 and it looked like half the school was on the football field doing exercises.  As Dad scanned the field he did not see coach Hanson so we walked into the school.  Dad asked the school clerk where we could find coach Hanson and she said he may still be in the locker room.  Just go to your left, down the stairs and you may find him in the locker room.  If he is not there he may have just left for the field.  As I trailed Dad down the stairs we met this guy who looked like he could be a lot older than Dad.  He gave away his title by the black and silver whistle hanging on what looked like a broken shoe string.  Dad stopped and said, "Hi I am Lawrence Lee and this is my son Carmen.  He is interested in trying out for the team."  He said nothing about being two days late.  Coach Hanson smiled but to this day I think I caught a glimpse of hope in his smile.  Here he was seeing a freshman who obviously had not shaved that morning.  I was about as tall as coach Hanson and showed arms and shoulders of a farm kid who was not afraid of work.  He even perhaps thought I may be part Native American as my summer tan had a hue of dark dark brown sweat as I was nervous and afraid.  Coach quickly said it was not too late.  He told Dad that practice would be over by 11:00.  I hesitantly followed coach down the rest of the stairs as Dad ascended the stairs and disappeared.  I felt I was going into a wilderness where everything was foreign.  Coach Hanson disappeared into the equipment room and asked me to follow.  He pulled out this and that and things I had never seen.  I knew what shoulder pads were but rib pads, knee pads, thigh pads and of course football pants with pockets on the inside where pads went.  It was a mixed bag of things as of course the equipment had all been picked over.  Then there was a helmet that was a tad too small, shoes that were a bit too big and then the QUESTION came?  Do you have a jock strap?  I didn't even know what he was talking about.  He went into his office and brought out a small box and seeing it I knew what it was for.  Coach asked me to get all of the equipment on and then join guys on the field.  He would meet me out there.
     I was awestruck and afraid as I walked out onto the field.  Practice was now into the third day and I knew nothing of what was going on.  I was able to spot Larry, my best friend in grade school, and quickly got in line behind him.  At that time Larry was about half a head shorter than I but by the time we were seniors he was a few inches taller than I.  Our first drill was a tackling drill.  I watched intently as guy after guy lined up to tackle someone.  When it came to my turn I was standing against a guy who was bigger and older than I.  When the whistle blew I lunged forward, caught the upper part of the guys legs with both arms and the next thing I knew he was flat on his back with me on top.  I thought I must have done something wrong but as I got up Larry gave me the thumbs up sign and, for the first time that morning, I was able to crack a thin smile.
     The morning, from then on, went quickly.  For the most part I knew not a thing of what we were doing but I tried to watch and do what others did.  I learned that morning that football was fun and I also learned that I was stronger than many of the guys on the team.  Does that mean I was better, no not at all as the learning curve was steep.
     As practice ended everyone meandered into the locker room, stripped and got into the showers.  I was not sure what to do.  The last time I stood naked in front of guys was when I boxed in the fourth grade and that was embarrassing.  Well what could I do?  Cayuga school did not have showers, my home did not even have a bathroom so I decided it was time to enjoy the luxuries of a daily shower.
     I lettered that first year and football became my favorite sport.  After my junior year I was voted captain for the next fall.  My junior year we were conference champions and the school superintendent gave us a ride to Minnesota to watch a Viking game.  We got on the school bus early in the morning and returned late that night.  In the cities we watched the game, ate out and the bus took a tour of the airport so we would catch a glimpse of the big planes!
     In my senior year things did not go so well.  Coach Hanson retired and our new coach certainly could have vied for the worst coach of all times.  Apart from losing many good players through graduation the previous May several of our best players suffered injuries that curtailed their playing time.  We won one game so as memories go perhaps my best memory of that senior year was crowning the homecoming queen with a kiss on the cheek!  I think I was the only one who was able to kiss Nancy in her high school years!  Of course I have no proof of that.
     

Last Saturday in April of 2018

I could use this from the farm to sharpen some of my knives.  

Not a whole lot happening on the home front.  I continue to get in 2 or 3 swims a day for my leg.  I took it easy yesterday as I had PT but before that my leg was a tad tender.  Not pain, just tender as I walked.  It may be the ball machine this afternoon.

Pretty quiet around here as our neighbors to the south left for Denver yesterday.  John, to the north, has been gone for some time.  Two weeks from today Terry and I will be in Milledgeville GA for her grandson's college graduation.  Driving there on Friday we will stop in Winter Haven FL to visit a friend of Terry's, Judy Fredrickson.  She was a grade ahead of us in high school.  I am guessing Terry has not seen her since HS or maybe at a reunion sometime.  After the graduation on Saturday we will head back to Naples and see how far we get.  It is about 560 miles so I am guessing that with graduation in the afternoon we will not make it home that day.  Maybe half way or so.  I am guessing that safety is more important than being concerned about the price of a hotel room.

Hard to believe but I started getting a few things in order for our trip back to MN.  I know that we will leave in 4 weeks minus one day but still it is so easy to do things at the last minute and then realize, when it is too late, that I forgot something important.  We have a large plastic container that was supposed to go north a year ago but it remained in a closet here.  We will not talk about who was to blame.  Really in the world today forgetting something like that was the least of our worries!

No, the FP is history, breakfast is finished and I am on my way to the courts to look.  I say look because for me that is a bit more negative than watch and this looking/watching tennis is getting more than a tad old!  As I have said before the up side is over the last 4 months I have not a SINGLE unforced error in my game, how about that???  Oh it may be that Bailey's again but no that is a Sunday only event but really no unforced errors, what the heck I have had NO winners either so maybe I need to be a bit more honest and realistic.

As I look at my calendar hanging near the computer I see that Helen/Mike were married on this day in 1990.  Mom and Dad drove to my place and Mom stayed with us as Dad flew to the wedding.  I think that was the last time Mom visited St. Paul.  No to shave and then on the bike to the courts.

What is one to do???

Here I am almost😉 past my prime and I still have not learned an important lesson in life.  I have not conquered the art of eating to fill my stomach as opposed to eating because one likes the taste of the food.  I get it, WHEN one is hungry you should eat food that tastes good BUT it should be a NO NO to eat when one is not hungry only because you like the taste of the food.  I have found, from experience, that eating just because you like the food is a sure bet to a crying spell when one looks at the side view in the mirror.  Perfect and recent example.  Yesterday I toasted an english muffin and then made a breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese and ham.  Sounds good and and tasted so so good I filled up on the first one and made a second one just to enjoy the taste.  You would think I would know better by now but NO.

Not much planned for the day.  I do have an appt to hit the tennis ball with our pro at 11:00 and then Terry has an appt at noon but that is it.  Today will be the last hitting session with the pro.  I will now use the ball machine instead.  It would be nice to hit with Phil (the pro) once a week but really the cost is not worth it.  He is VERY good but I need to remember the wisdom he gives me and then apply it to my game when I use the machine.  What the pros (his wife Myke is also a pro) charge is not outrageous but it still adds up if you do it often.

No I had better get going.  Dad said I need to take the Ford tractor down south this morning and drag the two fields one more time now that the snow is gone and planting can happen soon.  We need to kill those tiny weeds before planting as we do NOT use weed killer in our farming.  He said he will put wheat on the middle field, barley on the south field and this year the north field will be summer fallowed.  I wonder if he makes the decisions or if Uncle Jim, who owns the land, tells Dad what he wants.

Gee I just finished the last sip of FP and am wondering if I put Baileys in it as I read the above!!!  I am sure I did not so I sit here scratching my head.

A good read

I am in the middle (page 510 of 960) of the book GRANT by Ron Chernow.  If anyone is interested in the Civil War this is a must read book.  I have come to a totally new perspective of the war, of the South/North relationship among other things.  During the war 620,000 soldiers died, the most of any war before or since.  Towards the end of the war it was costing the Union $4,000,000 a day!!! It is estimated that the war cost $6,190,000,000 and by the early 1900s the benefits to war veterans probably cost more than that.   Don't know what that would be in today's $s but of course the money was not the point.  The point was how it was fought, why it was fought and the repercussions it had even to this day.  It also give a very detailed account of the man Grant.  It is NOT a fast read but certainly a very good one.

Not much else today.  I may work on my tennis serve a bit but not sure.  I did use the ball machine yesterday and funny but ALL my shots were winners, I lie not.

Fun to see that the Midwest now has spring temps and I am guessing the snow in most places is only in the minds of people.  That is a good thing.

My FP hit the spot as usual.  AND also as usual it is now history so it is on with the day, April 25th.

As I woke this morning I thought to myself I had better get up and milk those cows but then it dawned on me we sold them about 60 years ago!

A Dagwood day!

My breakfast consisted of hashbrowns, an egg, cheddar cheese and sausage on a bun, a Dagwood for sure.

It was an exhausting morning.  As I bent down in the garage to put my shoes on before leaving I realized I did not have the keys so I went back into the house.  As I opened the car door to get in I remembered my wallet was in the kitchen drawer.  Finally as I settled into the drivers seat I realized I did not have my hearing aides on.  At 7:45 I finally exited the garage  for a bit of watching tennis and the PT----I was exhausted!!!  IF I had not the wisdom to consume that Dagwood I would probably have had to shut the car off and go back into the house for a morning nap.

John and his boys built a forge in their garage and have done some iron work.  Mom and Dad purchased a welder for Henry for his birthday so they now have the things needed for iron work.  Henry and Liam have done weekly sessions on a farm as part of their home schooling and their experiences have wet their appetite for "some olde kind of trades" so to speak.  Below are some of the things they have made.

This is a froe used to make thin sheets of wood.  It was used  to make shingles among other items

Pretty fun stuff.  Grandpa/Great Grandpa Lee would be impressed as am I.  The iron works plus the welding is a wonderful way to spend time for Dad as well as 14 year old Henry and 12 year old Liam.      I am hoping that crafts such as this continue to be more important than video games and TV.  And for sure more important than girls at this stage of life.  If I remember correctly John said Henry is teaching him how to do some of this stuff!  I think Liam is more into animals as he thinks he may want to have goats some day.  Here is a picture of Liam on the farm with a 1 day old goat.  It seems Liam is a natural with animals.

So much for today.  I actually just finished my FP as I carried it with me in my Yeti cup to PT and back.  I may have to drop my Yeti as my PT gal said Yeti just dropped NRA as someone they supported.

A late bloomer???

Taken in St. Paul April of 2018---no no in Devils Lake around 1974 actually

I thought of brother Ronald this morning.  I am not sure if I heard this or he said it but I remember the story of Ronald walking uptown in Kulm ND where he and Glorine lived.  He said he walked up just for the reason of talking (BS ing perhaps) with some of the guys who would sit on a bench in front of some store.  I believe his comment was he had come to the age of knowing there was some good in that kind of activity.  I am sure most of the time Ronald was busy with teaching, doing gun work, doing house projects and I believe the list could go on and on.  In my mind he was a man who could do pretty much anything at any time.  I remember the deer hunting year we dragged out deer until we were blue in the face.  The next year Ronald had built a carrier of aluminum poles and a bike wheel so we just put the deer on that and wheeled it out.  Anyway I drove to the courts this morning and hit two container of tennis balls with the ball machine.  Afterward as I was leaving I stopped to say hi to a couple of guys.  I actually stood and talked to them for some time, an unusual event for me.  Differently from brother Ronald, I just may be a late bloomer!!!

As I bloom into maturity, as least I am trying, I find my Sunday mornings enjoyable as I think and type about "what was".  This morning when I woke up I thought back to the days in the 50's when I would wake up Sunday morning and would say, "Is this the Sunday of church or is this the Sunday without church?"  We had services every other Sunday as the pastor had 3 parishes and the country ones had service every other Sunday.  Sometime even before I could think I would wander downstairs and there would be our shoes that Mom had lined up with a shine on them.  Yep, church today.  In the summer the down side of that was I HAD to wear shoes as Mon-Sat it was pretty much barefoot.

I did almost nothing on the physical side yesterday as in the morning I was afraid I had an issue with my leg but as the day wore on I felt fine so the ball machine was on the docket this morning.  Did I hit the ball well this morning?  Well I have NO comment on that.

I rewarded myself this morning with an Americano coffee at Starbucks.  As I drank it I thought why did I do that as it is not even up to the standards of my FP.  Oh well one or two in the winter months is not so bad except a penny squandered is a penny lost for sure.

No it is time to jump in the pool and do a bit of therapy.  I know Mom would not approve as it has not been a half hour since I ate!!!  FP, down the hatch and onward for the day.

WHAT???

I wonder what happens when they rupture a hamstring?  They may not even know!

A short note today.  The slice on the end of a finger makes it kind of difficult to type.

I kind of have a warm feeling in my left leg this morning and I don't know what to think, maybe a little too much yesterday.  Regardless I am going to go easy today.  I did hit the ball with a friend yesterday and decided I would be fine taking a step or 2 either way as the ball came towards me.  I found that I was VERY VERY careful and almost afraid to do anything.  Don't know if that was good or bad but it certainly surprised me.  I have heard that after a major injury sometimes the mental part is more difficult than the physical and I think I may be a believer now.

I will take my Yeti with FP and head out.

A bird's eye view!

As I watched tennis today this hawk, who kind of owns the courts, sat watching to make sure all the line calls were correct!

As I sliced onions this morning for my egg dish I, by mistake,  sliced my middle finger on my left hand.  I will have to call my guitar teacher and say I bow out of my lesson next Tuesday and then hope all is well for the following week.  Shoot, just when I was getting good😏.

I went to the fitness center and did some exercises this morning.  I did the stair climb for about 3 minutes and that was enough.  Then did the tread mill and some other machines.  After I rode home to make sure Terry was OK, she did not feel well yesterday, I took a ride around what I call the loop.  It is about a mile square as the total was 5.2 miles when I returned.  That stair climb is something that one should be able to do but oh my it is difficult with a comprised hammy.

I received a call from the pro shop.  Someone, anonymously, gave me the tennis ball machine for the next month.  Now I will have to use it.  Pretty nice and of course it is NOT difficult to figure out who it was.  Onward and upward towards tennis again in the next few months.

I have started to do a list of projects when we arrive in MN and my goodness I may need TWO pages of paper, help again for sure.

Went to the Farmers market this morning and the lady said next week is the last week of the season.  She said there just is not enough local business to have them open in the summer.

Enough for now.  I took my FP with me in my Yeti cup this morning so that is a done deal.  My weight was up a bit this morning, I need help!!!

Happy birthday Michael

Happy birthday Mike.  Keep being the great educator, father and husband that you have been for these many years.  We hope you have a fantastic day.  Love, Carmen and Terry

Another day in April

Just a reminder that after we arrive in St. Paul June 1st I have the inside of the new kitchen windows to prime and paint.
The kitchen windows now match the rest of the house and with them I now have NO storms or screens to put on!!!

I have not swam yet today so will have to do that soon.  I did have PT this morning and then served and hit the ball with a friend this afternoon so I think I am about finished for the day.  

We are having warm dry days here.  Today it is 82 and we have had very little rain.  I am not complaining as I think MN and parts are having cool temps and there is still a lot of snow on the ground.  As I hit the tennis ball this afternoon I did not have to move very much in order to sweat.

Not much to say today as of course I finished my FP hours ago and now the decision is to take a nap or not.  I opt for the NOT today.  Often when I take a nap I think of the Sundays Dad should have been playing catch with me (my opinion) instead of taking a Sunday afternoon nap!

I should add I may now be a junior!  We had dinner at friends last night and their name is Betty and Carmen.  Being Carmen is 83 I think I can now be Carmen Jr.!!!

This is it for today.

Time marches on

This could have been used as one milked cows on the farm if the April snow had come in 1955!

Terry and I are making plans for the trip to MN in May.  It looks like we should arrive in St. Paul June 1st.  On the way we plan to stay at the Grand Olde Opera hotel in Nashville, stay in Memphis and take in Grace Land and then wash down potato salad with good beer in Holiday Island!  Our last stop will most likely be Grimes Iowa where Terry's youngest son and his wife live.  We are hoping the snow will be melted by the time we arrive!!!

I shared with brother Dave last weekend that I have been taking guitar lessons.  I have been advancing at a snail pace at best.  In 2014 I came down with arthritis in my right hand and it seemed to come from making 1000s of passes on my table saw as I made finger joints in boxes.  As I strain to get my wrist in the right place and put my fingers correctly on the neck my hand often aches.  OF COURSE THAT IS THE REASON I HAVE PROGRESSED AT A SNAIL PACE!  That is my story and I am sticking to it.  I have been taking lessons weekly or should I say weakly?  I will take them for the next 2 weeks and then stop.  I THINK I am going to go a different route than what my teacher has been doing with me.  He says that the classical guitar, which is what Dave made me, is not intended for the kind of playing I want to do.  When I shared that with Dave he sent me a link that gives 10 reasons to play a classical guitar.  How can I go against that???  We will see.  Perhaps I am not meant to play and sing but I need to find out on my own terms so will go forward at that snail pace and see what comes of it.  After lessons I plan to continue on my own.

I had an interesting day yesterday.  I left at 8:00 for my PT and then had an appt at Honda for a recall issue.  Got home at 2:30 and that is a long day for this guy when I was hurrying to do nothing.  Luckily I had a book at the Honda place.

My title today refers to April as it seems we just had Easter and April Fools day and here we are on the downhill of the month.  At the pace of time passing I may have to think about Christmas presents soon😕.

I have a 7:30 hitting session with the tennis pro this morning.  He said we can go over a bit if we want.  I almost become winded when I THINK about it so we may not go over the half hour.  My PT person suggested I vary my pace on the treadmill and that will help my wind.  My thought is almost Chinese checkers here I come, no more out of breath!

I was totally depressed a couple of days ago.  I stepped on the scale in my birthday suit and I had lost 10 pounds.  I was on cloud 11 but then I looked down again and saw the readout "ERR".  So in desperation I stepped on it again and guess what, down .2 pounds!!!  I consoled myself by saying every little bit helps!  Well to be honest since April 2nd I am down about 6 pounds and that includes eating the left over cream potatoes from Easter on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th.  So all is not lost.  I am saying all I want to lose is not lost.

No my FP is down to the aroma so it is time to shave and hustle over to the courts for my 30 minutes of windedness!

Happy birthday Leo Lee

Perhaps I have used this picture before but it is one of my favorites

Leo, the tax guy, is 11 today.  This picture was taken some time ago and since then he has become a smarter, better looking and all around great guy.  Not that he wasn't when the picture was taken!

Leo Grandma Terry and Grandpa Lee wish you great day and may the year ahead of you bring great things to your life.  We love you.

The hurt goes on!

Cousin Mary sent this from an album from Aunt Ragna--nice hair cut I would say--that is Janet & me

I had PT yesterday and the hurt goes on.  Not terrible but not a lot of fun either.

Our homes here are being painted as I think they have not been painted for some time.  Makes them look new and fresh.

I found the perfect gift if you know of someone who really likes coffee!  There is now a travel espresso coffee machine that plugs into a car outlet.  Just put a pod in and you have espresso coffee in 2 minutes.  It is made in France and it only costs $200.  Get one for each car!!!  The article said you could get it on Amazon but I did not find it there.  I know people will be REALLY interested so the web site is www.hand-presso.com  I have not gone to the web site so not sure what it has but for sure I wanted to pass on the important info in case people want to get a gift for the person who has everything.

I read an article this morning about the Holocaust and each time I read something about it my heart becomes heavy.  This was a story about a gal and guy who were good friends in Germany.  The gal's father was a diamond dealer and he was able to sell diamonds and buy passed out of the country for his family but that was not the case for the guy.  He and his family was rounded up and put on a train to a camp.  The gal found this out and assumed they all were killed.  What she did not know is the guy's mother pushed him out of the train on the way and he lived.  Now 70+ years later they were reunited in CA.  The guy said his father was in the hospital when his family was taken so he was saved.  Eventually he was reunited with his father but he said his father really died of a broken heart a few years later.  I read things like that and then see the news about nerve gas etc and I feel heavy and sad.  I then say do we really have any troubles?

I took some pictures of some machines in the fitness center and showed them to my PT people.  There are a few that I could use now so will bike over there this morning and try it out.  I was out of bed this morning by 5:15 and by 6:30 my FP was ALL GONE.

Be careful today!!!

We are in Friday the 13th and so far so good.

I kind of had a wake up moment this morning.  As I sat watching tennis a friend, Alf, from Canada, came over and sat down.  He had just had bone marrow implant in his back and was walking kind of carefully.  BUT we got on the topic of guitars, at one time he had six and, in his words, played kind of  crudely. He since has sold five of them BUT he shared that his instructor said it took about 10,000 hours of playing to get to a place where one is good.  That means if I played 2 hours a day, 365 days a year I can become good in 13+ years.  At that time I will be 84 and perhaps will need to ask that I be buried with the guitar!  SO I have changed my plan and now my goal is to be a be able to play "Rock to My Lou", "When the Saints go Marching In", "Yankee Doodle" and of course "Ode to Joyful Rock" all error free and before we head to MN in late May.  MAYBE  that is doable and I think I need to forget about being GOOD.

I have PT today at 1:10 and I suspect it may be a torture 45 minutes again.  I thought they told me that the saying, "No pain, no gain" did not apply in PT but they lied I think.

Another nice day here with sun and temps in the 80s.  Not so much in MN as it looks like they may, again, have an April snow storm tonight and tomorrow.  Now if I were teaching I would want that to happen during the week.

Actually I have my FP in my Yeti cup and the last little bit is still hot, way to go Carmen.

They don't lie!

Looks to be a nice day, right Helen!

As the weeks go by the PT people have said that we would get to exercises that were more difficult!!!  Oh my I came home from PT yesterday and was wasted.  I don't feel too much this morning but yesterday PM was a disaster.

Had Terry's Dr. appt yesterday and not much news except we now know that there is nothing broken in her right foot which the MRI showed.  She is still wearing a special shoe on the left and that seems to continue for a while. I tried to convince the Dr. that I should be good to go on the tennis court soon IF I take it easy but he would not budge.  SO it is stand and hit and practice my serve until May 18th when I see him again.  He did give me some good tips on my serve.  I told him what brother Dave said about his serve and throwing the racquet over the net, kind of and he said when he was learning they had wooden racquets and the pro would give them a broken one and they were to serve by throwing it over the net!!  Maybe Dave was a pro too!   Maybe a bit of play after May 18th BUT we leave the 24th of May so pretty much NO tennis until next fall.  I say I want to get back on the court BUT after yesterday there is NO doubt that the body say "No way" for now.  I can ride bike so maybe that should be my MOT ( mode of transportation) for the next while.

We continue to get hot dry weather.  We had a sprinkle of rain yesterday but it was about the same amount of sprinkle that I would have in the trees when I was plowing way back when.

It looks like MN may have another snow this weekend.  I have no idea what happened to "April showers"?  I guess we can blame it on global warming.

I had to chuckle as I read some in the Naples paper this morning.  They were talking about some banquet that they will have to honor outstanding football players from area HS.  I thought back to my HS days and how that honor could have played out.  In Naples they said for the honor it was 40% football, 40% grades and 20% citizenship (doing community service etc.)  Well I thought back to my days.  Football, well I was the captain and played ALL the time.  There were no statistics kept back then but I would bet I had more tackles and harder tackles than anybody else.  My grades, well I graduated on the honor roll but they forgot to put my name on the program!!!  Community service well I don't know if picking rocks in the spring before school was out or plowing in the fall on the weekends would qualify for community service but that was kind of it for me.  Maybe I would not have been nominated for the honor!!!

No, I drained the FP maker and my cup looks pretty much empty so I am getting dressed and going over to the fitness center.  I will try to walk on the tread mill and then watch some of the guys play.  An unusual day as Terry and I have NOTHING planned.

A good start to the week

I am on the go this morning.  Started with a 2 egg, 3 olive (green, ripe and kalamata) and salsa omelet while I washed it down with FP coffee.  No cheese or bread as we are on the Whole20 kick again.  It is a great way to eat it just takes discipline and in that area I score a C- or worse!  I do have a cup of FP left as I blog.  I am now headed out to the fitness center and then will watch some tennis.  Terry has a couple of Dr. appt today in the afternoon.

I hit the tennis ball with a team mate yesterday and felt like an invalid as I stood and swung the racquet and became tired after 10-15 minutes.  Dr says NO running at this time.  Oh my gosh at this rate I may give up tennis and take up a sport where all you have to do is sit on your behind and have fun!  I need to walk a bite on the treadmill this morning and see if that helps over the next few days.  My goal is to hit the fitness center everyday this week and see how I fare.

Got to go as I gulp down the last of the FP and I will ride the bike for sure, no car this morning.

Onward

The first place finish of last year is a good memory but not one to carry over to this year.
A new time and a time to make new memories.

There is not much new happening here in Naples for Terry and I. Terry continues to hope and pray that her feet will heal.  She saw the Dr. Monday and it seems like it is kind of more of the same.  She did have an MRI on her right foot to see if there is anything there that is causing her discomfort.  She will see the Dr. tomorrow and he will go over the MRI.

As for me my leg is same old same old I think.  No pain, PT twice a week but now I can do some hitting of tennis balls on the court IF I do not run.  I hit on Tuesday and on Friday with the pro.  Today I will hit with one of my team mates but of course the hitting is limited to 20 minutes or so.  Hoping that I can start to do some running by the 23rd or so.

We continue to have unseasonably warm weather here as we have seen mid 80s for some time now.  That is good for my pool PT times as I do it 2 or 3 times a day.  I have weather on my phone for pretty much all the siblings and I see that John/Judi have high 90s or maybe they are in MN by now.  I think John said as time goes on they leave for Mesa earlier in the fall and stay later in the spring.  As I look at Lake Park MN they are at 19 this morning so maybe they need to stay put for a while.  Don't know if I have mentioned it but we are heading north May 24th to take in a HS graduation of Terry's grandson in GA on the 25th.  Will leave GA the morning of the 27th, Terry's birthday, and then head west and north.

I had some thoughts yesterday as I sat and watched tennis.  I have now been out of tennis for 4 months and counting.  It hit me yesterday that sure guys say hi and talk a bit BUT the reality is one is out of the loop.  I thought, "The life of tennis here goes on without me and really I am not missed so much either!"  Well that can be said of life and death too.  When someone dies, they can be close or just someone you know in passing, life goes on and actually that person is not missed all that much in the everyday activities of life.  Sure if a child, spouse or someone close to you it is painful and you miss them BUT in actual life one moves on as there is no choice.  You eat, work or play, sleep and the death of someone becomes a memory to cherish but in LIFE they are not a factor.  Of course I realize they can be a factor in that someone hangs on or can not function without them BUT really life is ALL about the living and not those who have passed from our life.  I am not down playing death or the passing of someone you love but what I am talking about is everyday one wakes up and has to face life today with the people who are here.  I hope this does now sound like I think someone dies and then they are out of mind.  It is just that the sun comes up and goes down every day regardless of our life or the life around us.  My view may be not the same as others as I feel I have felt death more than some people.  Brother Ronald when I was 17, sister Janet when I was 19, Mom and Dad as they died in the 90s and Gail when I was 62.  My take on life is this: Rich or poor, successful or a failure, happy or sad, upbeat or downtrodden the sun comes up each day and we are responsible to make the most of it as God created us to be a light to the world.

My FP today was delicious and got me off on the right path.

In Denali National Park 2014--Terry and I--I thought my Stormy Kromer hat is pretty GREAT!  No need in Naples!

A sunny warm day in Naples.  It is hard to believe what kind of weather MN is getting.  I do not remember that kind of snow in April.  AND the temps are supposed to remain cold for several days.

I thought I may have over done it yesterday but then today my legs feel pretty good.  I went for a small, 3.7 miles, bike ride, had a swim, hit the tennis ball for about 20 minutes with our pro and then had PT before I had another appt.  Today I feel fine so I did NOT over do it.  

Terry and I will go over to our neighbors this afternoon as he is leaving tomorrow for Canada.  His house here has been on the market all winter with no sales.  I asked the realtor what was stopping the sales and she said the first thing people say when they enter the house is the dark dark floors.  John and Diane put in new flooring about 2 years ago and it is very nice BUT it is dark.  Anyway it has not sold and we are not sure if we will see much of John next year if it sells over the summer.

I enjoyed my FP this morning before I did a bike ride and some time watching at the courts.

Onward

I MAY be that close to being able to hit the tennis ball again.  I did not say PLAY, I said hit.

Terry and I had a nice Easter.  John, Betty and Carmen joined us for a delicious meal and good conversation.  They came at about 1:00 and stayed until 4:00.  Before and after I was able to get in 3 sessions in the pool which I think helps my leg.  Now the dilemma is how to not waste the left over food and still not gain any more weight.  Terry made a killer "hummingbird" cake and half now sits in the kitchen.  Temping as it may be those calories just can not attach themselves to this body.

It is Liam Lee's birthday today.  He is now officially a teenager.  He is quite the kid.  Mary said after going to a farm as part of his home schooling he wants to be a goat farmer when he grows up!  I think goat cheese is kind of expensive.

Terry and I have appointments today with Dr. Joyner.  She for her foot and me for that darn left leg.  I actually know the story on my leg.  With a proximal hamstring avulsion the story is the hamstring will be strongly attached to the bone in 12 weeks.  Well 12 weeks comes tomorrow so it seems I should be set free to do more things, right?  I am going over to the courts this morning, tennis that is, and I think I will walk.  I have not done that since early January.

I also have to get in some time with my new commitment but I can not say what it is because if I fail nobody needs to know!!!  At this time I think it is a 50/50 deal.  Even if I fail I have to admit I will have had some fun.

I really like our pool heater.  We are keeping the water at around 90 and that makes it very nice for my PT sessions in the water.  I know, 90 is really wimpy but what the heck when one is over 70 there is not need to be macho any more so I just jump in and enjoy.

Oh my the weather around the country is not so great.  Here we have been lucky but north, spring seems to be in rebellion for sure.

I just poured the last cup of FP and that will take me through getting dressed and out the door to the courts.  Then at 1:30 Terry and I will be breathlessly waiting for LuLu to say Dr. Joyner can see us!!!

Happy birthday Liam

Liam in 2009

Liam turns 13, a teenager.  He is a great kid.  One of the most helpful and kind kids ever.  I should add that he is also a young man of many talents.  Have a great day Liam and may this coming year be filled with good things!  We love you
Grandpa and Grandma Terry

HAPPY EASTER

I wish family and friends a very happy Easter and may our Lord shine his grace and blessings on you in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.

I just have to think about a friend, Don, who died a few years ago.  His birthday was today, April 1st. I had breakfast with him about a month before he died and it was evident that his days were numbered BUT he said, "I really want to live to April 1, 2018 because my birthday will be on Easter Sunday!"

I am enjoying a bit of Baileys in my FP this morning so will close with another Happy Easter.

Remember???

I am wondering if any siblings remember this from growing up?  I just had to buy a bottle today for old tiimes sake but actually I don't know if we ever tasted it when were were growing up but I do know Dad had a bottle in the house.

Two days until Easter Monday!!!

We are looking forward to celebrating our risen savior today and will have 3 people come over to enjoy the day and eat Mom Lee's cream pototoes along with ham and other goodies.  It should be a fun time but for sure I will eat too much but then tomorrow maybe we will start a new leaf with eating less and losing weight!  Remember I say maybe.