Saturday, June 27 and the beginning of a long hot spell in MN

TERRY

I visited Terry for a half hour yesterday.  They got her in a wheel chair and we spent the time outside. She thought the sun was so wonderful.  After 20+ minutes she was exhausted and that was about the end of our 30 minutes together.  I brought some raspberries from the back yard and she really liked them.  The social worker said that the 30 day stay in acute rehab is not set in stone so we are not looking at early next week but perhaps a few days later.  I could tell that 80+ days in confinement is wearing on her.  Her tempter is kind of quick and her general personality just gives you the impression that she has had it.  AND I would add that is not good BUT who of us would be in a better place after 84 days?  I will visit her again this afternoon.

On a positive note my weight continues to go down each day.  I have a good breakfast.  I do NOT snack at all during the day.  I have an enormous salad in the afternoon and that is it.  The only other thing is Travis and I have many different drinks that are low cal or no cal at all and I do have several of those each day.  However I think I started this eating too late as Monday will be here soon and it looks like I am going to owe Travis a breakfast!  BUT I would say 6 pounds in 12 days is probably a good rate to lose weight at.  I don't know how long I am going to be disciplined for.  Yesterday my OLD habit of snacking kept nudging me to cheat.  My will power prevailed BUT today is another day and I need to not give in!!!

From this in our yard

To this in our kitchen

I have been pretty darn lazy over the last many days but I do some things.  I made rhubarb jam last night.  I had a bit left over after I filled the 9 jars so I put the last of it in the fridge.  I tasted it this morning and I would give it an A and maybe it deserves an A+ but I just do not give those out!  I think I have enough for another batch but I need to get some larger jars.  I looked in the basement and I have MANY of this size but they are pretty darn small.  IF I do another batch I may try something just a bit different.  I am thinking maybe a rhubarb/strawberry recipe.  I am thinking that if we can flood the heavens with prayers for Terry she will get well soon.  AND maybe I could bribe people with a jar of jam for a month long commitment of TERRY PRAYERS.    I don't mean 24/7 but just every day a special prayer for Terry!!!

Shoot I forgot my relay system with coffee this morning.  I sat down at the computer with my POD of coffee and forgot to turn on the pot of hot water for my FP. Now I have to do a TWO pod drink before my FP is ready.

We have not had much rain and when I look at the weather on my phone I am looking at high 80s and low 90s for the next many days so I have the sprinkler on the front lawn this morning.  Really it does not do much but it may keep it a little green.  For the next 10 days there is no relief in sight.  

Terry and I are apart of course but when I visit her this afternoon I will wish her a happy 111th anniversary!  No I am not crazy but we did get married as old people so we count months instead of years.  I take the OLD back as I wrote yesterday 73 is a relatively young age now days.

I am questioning painting today with the heat.  When I paint the window trim I need to take the window panes out for most of the day.  That may not be a good idea with sun and a temp of high 80s today.  Maybe just some of the trim where the windows do not need to come out, maybe!  It could be a good day to just not work!!!

August of 1959

Dad said he had to go to town for some camera things and Dave and I should take the truck and go over to Halvors for some grain.  We did not want to as our philosophy of "when Dad is away the boys will play" came into play often but not this day.  So Dad left in the car and Dave and I were left to do the work this day.  We knew we would have to be over at Halvors for about an hour so we calculated that we had a hour to kill before we had to work.  Dave took his rifle, the one Ronald gave him, and headed out across the rock dam below the out house to look for blackbirds in the trees across the creek.  After cousins Robert's death while hunting our rule was only ONE of us could be out with our rifle at a time.   I headed to the shop where I would find my board that I often set up so I could practice my knife throwing.  Of course I had NO reason to do the knife throwing but it was fun and I took every chance to have FUN.  I should add that I got to be pretty darn good.  Maybe not as good as some of those in James Bond movies but then I wasn't getting big buck to do it!  Finally about 10:30 it was time to get to work.  Halvors lived about 5 miles west and we headed that way.  As we drove past the lake and got to within a couple miles of their place we saw this large truck coming towards us at a fast speed.  They seemed to be almost in the middle of the road.  Dave moved over so far with the truck that I thought we may end up in the ditch and still the other truck approached way too far into our lane.  I thought to myself this may be the day we meet Jesus!  As the two trucks met the metal trim on the edge of our truck banged against the box of their truck but both of us continued on our way.  That may have been the closest I have come to seeing Jesus ever!  Our old truck that went through the fire is sitting as a rust pile in the trees of cousin Phillip's farm.  I would bet that to this day one could look at the rotted out box and see the metal that was banged that day.  Way way too close of a call and we never did understand WHY the other truck felt they had the right to drive right down the middle of the road.  One of 1000's of adventures that Dave and I had together.  

No it is probably time to get some things done but I may get on my bike first.  I have not gotten a ride in the last couple of days so time for a little exercise.  By now the FP is way over done with means it is not too hot and maybe a bit stronger than usual.