May 31st, Memorial Day and last day of May 2021

 TERRY

As usual Terry is reading the paper as I blog.  She is the same but for some reason she is very congested this morning.  

Here it is almost 7:30 and I have tennis at 9:00.  It is the same four as played Friday so will see if we have the same pairings or change.  

Terry and I have nothing planned for the day.  

I should add that those darn flowers actually seem to be more beautiful today than when Terry got them on Thursday.  NEVER have I seen such beautiful flowers stay so long.  

I made reservations for Tori's wedding which takes place May 28, 2022!  Tori is Terry's granddaughter and will be the first wedding of the grandchildren.  It will take place north of Atlanta near where Tori went to college.  For me a year in advance seems like a long time.  I printed out our hotel reservations now I need to determine where to save the papers so I don't lose them!!!

There is nothing about this picture that relates to me but I saw it on the computer and thought it was spectacular as someone was in the right place at the right time.

This is one of the pictures Dave's daughter Lisa sent me.  Dave is buried in Bergen cemetery which is in SE North Dakota.  We went to Bergen Church through about 1963 or so.  MANY memories go back to that church which no longer is there.  Also many family and relatives are buried here including Mom, Dad, brother Ronald, Uncle Halvor, Aunt Alta and many more.  Aunt Bertie and Uncle Obert are buried in Palestine Church which is only about 3 miles away.  Why in the world did they build two very nice churches in the country so close?  Well the story is the churches go back to immigrants from different countries.  I am not sure if they did not get along or if they just wanted to keep mainly with people of their blood line.  The two churches were served by the same pastor!  Kind of funny as Mom and Bertie were sisters and they went to different churches.  Of course both churches have been closed for a long time.

DAKOTA ATTITUDE

"Actually, this was a pretty good size town.  Dad used to buy cream from the farmers, eggs, and all that stuff.  I used to candle eggs for him.  Help move some the cream cans around the farmers brought in.  He would open (he meaning his dad) early and get home late.  It was seven days a week.  Sunday afternoon he would open up, and if somebody wanted something he would go over and open the stor for him.  We used to go out and butcher our own hogs and cattle for the store."  "

I still have bills in the basement.  People got stuff and never did pay him.  If someone needed groceries but could pay, Dad did not turn them away."

"Martin Grube remembers his first job on the farm.  We farmed with horses.  I cultivated corn.  I suppose I was about 12.  The horses are smarter than you think.  They walk down them rows and you never have to touch the reins at all, they just keep walking."

Well here it is a little after 8:00.   Perhaps I could get some things done before I play tennis at 9:00.  Actually I have had papers on the dining room table for a LONG time so I may get to that this afternoon.  I did say "may".  For some reason the FP was extra good this morning.

Sunday of Memorial Weekend, May 30th

 TERRY

As I write Terry is reading the paper and is same same.  She is having a fun time with the flowers she received for her birthday.  They are just beyond anything she has ever seen.  Today, the third day, they are more beautiful than the first day and continue to come out more with no evidence of age except to be out MORE.  

So were we are on the second to last day of May 2021.  It does seem like this year is flying by as we actually near the midyear point.  What will the second half of 2021 bring?  Of course we do not know but it will be exciting to see!

Again NO plans for today or tomorrow.  I do have tennis tomorrow at 9:00 but that is about it.  I may go to Costco today as there are a few things we could use.  

I got distracted and did not send this yesterday, Sunday

Here we are, Memorial Day of 2021

 TERRY

Terry has read the paper this morning and is now watching Saturday TV which is always fun on a Saturday.  I would say she is doing well and feeling about the same.  We have not heard from the doctor's office that is supposed to call to give her an appointment so I will need to call them on Monday.

It was a busy day for me yesterday and I was away from home much of the day.  There was tennis from 9:00-10:30 and then golf from 11:30-5:00.  Well the golf was actually not that long.  It was a 20 minute drive to the course and we arrived 45 minutes before our tee time.  After hitting on the range for about 20 minutes we got a head start on our tee time of 12:40 as we stood on #1 about 12:15.  It was one of the most unusual golf outings I had ever had as there was nobody ahead of us and nobody behind us.  The three of us finished 18 holes in about 3 1/2 hours.  I would say the course was medium in difficulty and maybe the same in length.  There was one par 3 of just over 200 yards and the longest par 5 was about 450 yards.  Very little water but MANY sand traps and trees although the fairways were pretty wide.  That is the third time I have golfed this season and before that my golfing days numbered ONE in the last many many years.  I guess I was happy with a score of 103 but I faulted down the last three holes!  As we walked off the green at 18 Karl asked if I was open to stop in the cafe so we did that.  As we enjoyed a drink and snacks they brought around several hot snacks at no charge!  That was nice.  I arrived home shortly after 5:00 to find Terry doing fine.  I guess we will do one more golf outing next week and then both Karl and Scott head north for the summer.  I kind of think my golfing days are then over for a while!

Terry and I will go it alone for the next THREE days as I told Sonia she did not need to come on Monday as the cost is time and half on holidays.  I did NOT order any meals to be delivered next week.  It seems that we get too much food and can not eat all of it.  Well, another reason is IF I do not slim down to some degree I may be able to float in the pool just by being in it.  So we will see what the next week brings.  

We have nothing planned for the holiday weekend.  Maybe I will fire up the grill but not sure what to put on it!

That is the club we played at and the lounge we were in for a while after golf.  These golf courses here are a bit different than what Dave and I used to play on in Fargo in the 60s!

As I write Terry would like me to be with her for a while so I may add some later.

Gone most of the day

😊😕The faces are for the title.  Kind of happy and kind of sad.  I have tennis this morning from 9:00-10:30 and then will go golfing most of the afternoon.  I smile as it is good to get out, do things with friends  but I do NOT like to be away from Terry for that amount of time.  We have talked and she is OK with it but still it makes me a bit uneasy.  That darn golfing.  They have a dress code that really does not go all that well with me.  I like a cool nice looking T shirt BUT one must wear a collared shirt that is tucked into you pants and if not the bottom must be cut so that one can wear it outside of the pants.  In terms of bottom wear it is slacks or Bermuda shorts.  No "just shorts", no cargo shorts and no cut offs!  So as I looked through my extensive wear (!!) I could NOT find any Bermuda shorts so it was a quick trip to Walmart at 7:00 AM this morning!  O thought what the heck.  After going out to add to my wardrobe I still have to mortgage the house to pay the green fees!!!  Actually the cost of golf now is "summer" time fee which is considerably less than prime time in the winter BUT still a FAR cry from fees Dave and I paid in Fargo in the late 60s.  Well I admit that was a long time ago but still--fees are too high just to play a game for 4 hours.  I almost, not quite, want to go back to the farm and my one hole course--Oh that is right it is impossible as there is NO farm anymore!

TERRY

I will make sure Terry has everything she needs as I leave for golf around noon.  She had a good birthday yesterday as Nelda and Heidi came over to visit and she received cake and flowers from them, from daughter Kim and her hubby.  Below are the flowers that she received.  

from friends

from daughter Kim

from hubby

This arrangement of flowers was just very very very beautiful as I had never seen such perfect flowers.  Sometimes a person just lucks out.

Well that is about it for today.  I need to get dressed for tennis.  Today will be the first time I have played with these guys, who are the best to play with, in the last 6 weeks or so.  I have played twice in the last few days but not with these guys.  It does seem like my right foot is good now but I am glad that the golf courses all require carts so not much walking this afternoon.  

I am kind of in the writing mood today so I MAY write late today IF there is time.  As I sign off I will take the last sip of FP and then get dressed for tennis.

A big day

 

Terry had a birthday today.  Of course this picture was taken a few years ago but she remains the same cute, smart gal that she has always been.  She celebrated by having a visit with two friends and then a large bouquet of flowers from her hubby!  Terry, may the coming year bring you good health and a refreshed spirit so that you can continue to be the wonderful person that you are.  Love, Carmen

A big day

 TERRY

Terry has an 8:45 appointment with her neurologist Doctor Vickers.  I do not know If we will get any suggestions or help but I am looking forward to what he has to say.  Terry is not crazy about seeing him but I think he does a good job so we will see if we learn anything new today.  IF there is something really important I may blog later today as well.

I was scheduled to play tennis at 9:00 so I cancelled that which means no tennis today and that may be a good thing as my foot feels OK but playing 4 straight days may not do it any good.  So a day off today.

The pool guy informed us that our device on the pool that puts salt into the water is NOT working.  He gave us a price to fix it which I felt was kind of high.  So I went to the Pinch A Penny Pool store and asked for a quote.  It was about the same as our pool guy.  So that will have to be done soon.  The pool is still useable so I have been swimming twice a day.

Boy, the start to the summer has shown us how quiet it is around here.  This is the latest we have ever been in Naples and I promise it is quiet quiet.  I am not sure how many people leave for the summer but there are 46 unites in a large circle and I am guessing maybe only 7-9 units are occupied in the summer.  The units to each side of us are empty so there is NO noise of any kind.  Of course with the quietness comes the heat and humidity as well.  We have been very very dry and the temps have been in the 90-93 range so when the humidity returns, which I am sure it will ,we will then see what summer in Naples is like!!!

Terry and I had a long discussion last night about home care.  We currently have Sonia coming in 2 hours a day Monday-Friday.  She really does nothing with Terry but she is company sometimes and she does help me out.  Three days a week she makes a meal.  She also often puts a load of clothes in, makes the bed and will do other small things around the house.  I have No complains about her coming but the thing is whenever you bring someone in to the home to help they just will never do everything the way you think things should be done.  Some examples are a glass on the wrong shelf, utensils in the wrong place, clothes folded in the way you do not do it etc etc.  Now none of those things are big and perhaps they are not even important BUT for me when I seem to be ,at times, a bit on edge a tiny thing can seem BIG.  Of course there is the money issue as well.  At $30 an hour it just seems a bit steep.  Will the money put us in the poor house?  Of course not but one always thinks maybe the money could be used for something else.  Anyway, in my mind, the debate goes on If we should continue to have help or if the two of us should go it alone.  Not sure where or when that will be decided but the topic is on going.

Here it is getting close to 8:00 and we need to leave about 8:20 so will sign off for now.  I have had my FP so I should be good for the entire day!

May 24th, the start of the last full week of May 2021

 TERRY

Nothing new on Terry.  As it is almost 11:00 AM she is finished with the paper a long time ago and is in bed watching TV.  

I received a note this morning that was heart wrenching.  Rich, a very good tennis player, was on my team for several years.  He started having memory issues about 2 years ago.  He and his wife Linda then moved from here and their home near Chicago to the Dallas area where they had family as Linda knew that in time she would need help.  The note this morning said Rich was put in a memory care facility in February and he seems to be happy.  Rich is/was such a nice guy and VERY successful in the business world as well.  It is so difficult to see things in the world that we are so helpless in dealing with.  Linda said he is doing well but she misses him much.

Terry has her appointment with Dr. Vickers this Wednesday so it will be interesting to see what that tells us if anything.  

I got a call this morning at 7:40 asking if I could fill in on the tennis court as someone had not shown up.  So I played for about an hour and my right foot felt OK.  BUT after a 5/6 weeks layoff my game was less than decent.  Better days are ahead for sure!  

Not much else to say and not really in the mood for writing more so will sign off.  I may sign in later today but not sure.

May 23rd, 2021

 TERRY

There is nothing new about Terry.  She is currently reading the Sunday paper so will be busy for a while!  Starting this week is the count down to seeing Dr. Vickers which may or may not give us any answers about Terry's long term health.  I really should turn the temp up on the swimming pool as I think it would be good for Terry to swim but as of now the temp is too chilly for her.  That is all for this Sunday.

I sometimes take Sundays to sit, reflect and ponder life.  I will do that today as well.  

Life has a way of going on and on as if today is the same as tomorrow BUT then there is the morning one wakes up and wow--I am so different today than I saw myself yesterday.  Yesterday but wait, my yesterday was really several years ago.  That was a time when getting out of bed was simply swinging one leg over the edge of the bed and standing up.  BUT now swinging that one leg causes a chain reaction!  The left arm is sore, the left leg has an ache.  AND there right in front of me is a stomach that is somewhat bigger than I remember.  OH, now I get it. I am what they can a "senior citizen" and I have pretty much everything that goes with that label!

AND I do remember my golf game last Thursday.  I was amazed as I teed off on hole #1.  I hit the ball pretty darn square and it flew off the club head as if I had a great shot.  But wait, the ball came down way too soon and as I gazed out over the fairway I saw the yardage sign near the ball and it, I had to squint, had 150 yards on it.  I looked down at the club in my hand and sure enough it was my driver!  As I put my driver back in the bag I glanced at the 5 iron and thought "that was a #5 just a short time ago or so I felt!

Back home I shared my experience with Terry and she just looked at me as if I should have known that all along.  Time has a way of creeping up and then zapping you just at the time that you thought you had cheated Father Time!  So I figured I did need some exercise so I pressed the garage door opener and presto the huge garage door opened.  I thought now that is so much better than 40 years ago when I turned the handle on the garage door and then with a quick lift from my right side the door opened.  I grabbed my bike and walked down the driveway.  Without thinking I turned the bike over at a 45degree angle and mounted for the ride.  Wait I thought.  Wasn't I supposed to put my right foot on the pedal, give myself a shove and then in a carefree way just lift my left leg over the seat?  Oh my gosh I do remember the last time I did that and caught my pant leg on the seat and crashed to the pavement.  As I rode down the street I realized that I had not mounted my bike like that in some time now and then it dawned on me, age has a way of catching up.  I had a great bike ride.  I biked over to the courts, around all the high rise homes and then through many paved parking lots before I headed towards home again.  As I approached home some thoughts entered my head so I did not stop as I felt I needed to circle the homes one more time.  As I passed home and kept going my mind went back to North Dakota and back to the gravel roads that my bike traveled so many miles on.  The half mile ride up to the lake on rough gravel road BUT look Mom, no hands!  The 2 1/2 mile ride to Uncle Halvors that seemed so easy and fast and I had No problems avoiding the stones and small rocks on the road.  As I approached our home for the second time I decided to turn in and end my ride.  It was ALMOST with regret that I remembered what used to be and what was today!  Later in the day I decided to watch the golf tournament on TV.  Almost as soon as I turned on the TV my mind went back to that early summer day in 1958 when Ronald drove into the yard with this big box on the passenger side of the car.  It was a TV, our first ever on the farm.  Somehow Ronald got the antenna mounted high enough so that when the TV was turned on we got this picture even if it was a bit snowy on a hot June day!  From then on it was always a "hope" that Saturday would be a rainy day so I could watch baseball and listen to Dizzy Dean call his "frozen rope" hits.  As I came to my senses again I almost was surprised as I stared at our 65 inch, clear as can be picture, that actually hung on the wall!  My goodness how things change.  

So here it is now 8:30 Sunday and it is about time to sign off for another day.  Terry is still reading the Sunday paper and actually I am about ready to take a short bike ride.  YES, I will tilt the bike over, swing my leg over the seat and go for a ride.  One can do their best to stay fit, stay healthy, stay safe etc but one can NOT cheat Father Time!  The FP was good today.

I will end with DAKOTA ATTITUDE.

"Glen worked for Peter Kiewit Construction and in 1996 retired from Great River energy Company.  Now he does woodworking in his garage.  He also regularly goes down to the service station for coffee.  What is interesting at coffee?  You always say, It's nice out or it's gonna rain or the wind is gonna blow.  That's the main topic.  That's how you start your conversation.  Like everybody else you've gotta listen to a little gossip.  There hasn't been much going on, nothing.  I went down there this morning, and nobody had nothing today.  Pretty quiet."

"One time I asked my dad what was his version of a rich man when he was growing up in the 30's .  He thought for a minute, then said, any farm that had paint on its buildings.  It struck me as, why was that?  Dad said, The grasshoppers were so thick they would move around the buildings with the sun--they ate all the paint off.  So any farmer who could afford to paint his building every year that was a rich man."

Saturday May 22nd and for us the summer begins!

 TERRY

It is 9:30 and Terry is finished with the paper and watching TV.  She loves the Saturday morning shows that are on.  Her health is about the same so no news on that front.  

The summer begins for us---meaning our neighbors to the south AND to the north are gone for the summer so it is quiet for sure!  I am thinking that the majority of people who go north have gone by now.  Usually we would have gone as well so I am not sure but as I look up and down the street many houses are empty.  So Terry and I are looking at a summer in Florida which we have not experienced in the past.  We will see how things work out.

I did bike over to the courts this morning and played tennis for about 40 minutes with really NO issues with my right foot.  So I am thinking that I may be good to go by mid week.  Today, I played as if I had not played for several weeks which was true of course!

Not much else today so will write one or two DAKOTA ATTITUDE  and will be done for the day.

"Violet was born in 1932 in South Dakota on the Indian reservation.  She says, "My dad was at that time taking care of a bunch of horses.  I'm the second youngest of 19 children.  Gilbert said he got the prettiest one of the bunch.  I was about five years old, I think, when we moved to North Dakota.

"Hilda Lindermann Backfisch's father, John, was 21 when he emigrated from Odessa, Russia, and began working to buy the land north of Golden Valley that Hilda grew up on.  When he was 30, John decided was  time to marry.  Hilda says, My mother was a mail-order ride from Germany, and she was 21 when she came."

Here it is afternoon and I just got back to the blog to finish it.  The FP is long long gone and I need to get some work finished.

Second to last Friday of May 2021, it is the 21st

 TERRY

Terry is doing the same and again is about finished with the daily paper.  Terry called a very good friend Connie L yesterday and had a long wonderful conversation with her.  It always lights up my day when she can do something that is such a joy for her.  We now have 6 days until her Dr. appointment.  If we do not find out anything I will be disappointed.

Well I went out on the limb yesterday and was away from Terry from 11:15 to about 4:30.  She was OK when I arrived home BUT certainly glad to see me and I to see her as well.  My golf?  Well I am guessing Helen and Glorine would have loved to be playing with me as they both most likely would have won!  I say that and actually I do not know if Glorine plays any more.  Anyway all I will say is this:  I did NOT count how many water balls I had.  I did NOT count how many second T shots I had. BUT, with straight up truth, I did make 3 putts of 15-20 feet.  No comment on how many I missed from inside 3 feet!!!  The course had wide fairways, a lot of water and many sand traps.  AND I actually had three sand shots and all were pretty darn good.  All in all it was a fun outing and will do it again next Friday but at this time I am not sure if I can go 18 holes and be away from Terry for that long.  I will see as Friday comes closer.  I must admit that the clubs I have gotten are maybe not custom for ME!!!  But I will adapt and go on using them.  I mean how can you go wrong with Ping clubs even if they are the wrong size???

Not much planned for the day.  Really I need to get to work on those papers that have been on the dining room table for about a week now.  All I need to do is look, throw or keep and then file.  Sounds so easy but it is also easy to postpone!

Our neighbors to the north will be leaving for the summer today.  I noticed that they have things buttoned up on there lanai and so I am guessing the hurricane shutter will come down soon and they will hit the road.  As I sit in the den I see where the shutter in their den is not open today.  In the past they have put on covers over the windows for hurricane protection but they did not this year.  I do not remember IF they have put in hurricane windows or not.

I did an old age thing yesterday.  As I sit at the computer I have a window to my left with my calendar on the wall near the window.  The room is painted a medium dark color and with the brightness of the window the calendar is often hard to see SO I put a tiny light on my desk that can be turned on when I want to look at the calendar.  I kind of think that is a "old" persons thing!!!

Well I was derailed but am back to sign off.  The FP was VERY good today.  I did run out to get some things when Sonia is here but she is about ready to leave for the day.  I will close with something from DAKOTA ATTITUDE

"Orville Speten was born in 1919 and grew up in a house near Wilton that was crowded with children.  My dad married a widow with seven kids in 1915 and then had seven more.  We didn't have nothing by yourself with so many kids.  Sometimes we stood up at the table cause there was no room for the chair.  I think the table was 10 feet long."

I am going out on a limb today!!!

 TERRY

No news about Terry.  She remains about the same AND again as I blog she is reading the paper with the TV on as she is in bed.

My blog title today has me somewhat nervous.  I am being picked up at 11:15 this morning for 18 holes of golf.  That means I will be away from Terry for perhaps 4 1/2 hours.  I am not sure it is a good idea but we talked and she assured me it would be OK.  It may end up being a ONE time thing as I could play just 9 holes and be home much earlier.  Terry does have friends that she could call IF needed.  I am still on the fence in terms of travel.  I have told the guys to pick me up BUT am thinking just in case I maybe should drive my self.  I have another couple hours to decide.  So here I go:

I have my $5 bag from Goodwill with my new used clubs to fill it.  Actually the clubs are kind of nice but they too came from e bay and thrift stores.

I went on line to look at the course we will be playing and it has a lot of water so I may just put in MANY" of my new balls as it say they are water proof (not really) but rest assured I will take all dozen just in case!!!

I looked on line for a dress code and it says a collarless micro fabric shirt is OK BUT I called and they said a collared shirt is required!  I then went into the closet and counted the shirts hanging.  I have 15 shirts in the closet.  Thirteen are collarless and the two that have collars are NOT polo ones so I am not sure what I need to do???  I am NOT going to change my attire but for golf I will have to figure out what I have to do.

Enough for this morning.  Sonia should be here any minute.  My FP is down to the last drop so I should be good to go for the rest of the day.  No DAKOTA ATTITUDE today.

Happy BIRTHDAY Faustina, welcome to the TEEN years!

 

As Faustina STEPS into her teen years she is a gal on the go!  It could be with a baton or an art project or a baby sitting job or an over night with friends BUT whatever it is she is a gal on the go with spirit, energy, talent and more.  HAPPEY BIRTHDAY FAUSTINA AND MAY THIS DAY BE A FUN DAY AS MOM, DAD AND SIBLINGS HELP YOU CELEBRATE.  Love, Grandpa Lee and Terry

Here we are at hump day, may 19, 2021

 TERRY

It is a good thing as there is nothing new about Terry.  As I write she is reading the paper and doing well today.  

Here is the confirmation picture of my brother Ronald and on the lower front left is cousin Marvin.  I remember the paster, Rev mailing (sp) well as he was the paster during my years growing up.  Ronald was born in 1936 so I am guessing this is in 1950 or so.

I suspect this may have been Sunday school class BUT Chuckie and Gay are not in the picture so not sure if that is correct.  It does look like it was in the basement of Bergen Church.

This is about the time Bergen closed and maybe it is in Veblen, not sure.  It is fun to see these old pictures and a huge THANK YOU to Patsy T for sending them.

Well onto yesterday which was a fun day and I do admit those kind of days have been few and far between over the last weeks.  First I went out to the pool which I had power washed the day before.  I was thinking I needed one more pass around the pool but it looked great.  

This is what I saw yesterday and it looked great.  I had to go for a swim.  But the best was yet to come.  I got the mail about 12:30 and there was an envelope from LuLu, the company that published my book.  For some strange reason MANY books had sold and there was a check for $66!!!!  Way to go Carmen.  Actually my part of the sale was $86 but they do take out for taxes.  That was a pleasant surprise.  I mean I have gotten checks in the past but usually they are for $20 + or - but yesterday was FUN.  

So yesterday was a GOOD day and I am looking forward to more in the future.  I just came home from Costco as Sonia was here so I like to do those runs when she is here.  I had this long list of things to look at and ended up buying maybe a quarter of the items.  Also filled with gas at $2.79 as gas has gone up.

End of the story for today.  Of course at 11:10 the FP is history almost to the point of me not remembering it!    Well one story from DAKOTA ATTITUDE

"Charles, known as Philip, was born in 1924 and grew up in Washburn.  He graduated from high school and entered the Navy in the same month, May 1943.  Not to brag, but they thought I was pretty good material, and they sent me to the University of Minnesota for basic education and training.  Well, here's this kid from a little high school in North Dakota going to the University of Minnesota, pre-engineering class.  I flunked!"

May 18th, 2021

 TERRY

Terry is doing about the same.  So nothing new there.  Now that we have the pool fixed I need to approach the subject of her using it but as of now I have not.  I do know that it is warm BUT if she uses it I will need to crank up the temp a bit more.

I received several pictures from Pat Grove (Patsy Tosse).  She was one of the gals in church/Sunday school back in the 50s and 60s.  I love old pictures so here are a couple.

I am not sure but I am guessing this was for a Christmas program but maybe not.  My goodness for some reason I do not remember all those kids being at Bergen Church.  It looks to me that it must have been the last year we were in Bergen as I do know the church was closed about 1962.  We do have a great representation of Lees of the time with Mary, Gayle, Helen, Judy, Linda and myself.  I was amazed as I put it on Facebook and someone in the picture send a note back and said he could name 29 of the kids.  I can not name that many even though I do recognize most if not all the faces!

Not sure HOW Pat got this picture but I like it and I did not have it

In 1951 Dave would have turned 7 and I would have turned 4.  I had to have been standing on something as at that time Dave would have been taller than I.

So here it is 8:00 and time to try to get some work done.  I have had papers on the dining room table for some time and have not touched them so maybe today!  I do intend to power wash the pool deck one more time today and then it will look very nice and clean.  It is so nice to jump into the pool a couple times a day just to cool off.  

I did weigh myself yesterday with the idea of losing several pounds this week.  I felt I kind of failed yesterday but got on the scale this morning and was down some SO a good sign.  I have thought about putting a chain and lock on the fridge and giving the key to Terry (well not really) so that I could not snack but have not yet.  Maybe, just maybe, I can exercise some discipline this week.

I just poured my last cup of FP so time for work AFTER I add some of Dakota Attitude.

DAKOTA ATTITUDE

"In 1943, Mary Ann graduated from high school.  By then the boys in her class had enlisted.  She says she wanted to go in the WAVES.  My parents absolutely wouldn't think of it.  She ended up teaching.  Rural teachers were about impossible to find.  You had to take a teacher's exam.  I was only 17, and I couldn't take the exam.  The school took her anyway, with the understanding that she had "better' pass the exam at the end of the year.  She taught for seven years."

"Marvin attended a country school three miles from home.  We'd snare gophers at recess time.  We took the tails.  We had hundreds o'tails.  We got two cents a tail.  That was big money in those days."

Time to work, after I sip the last of the FP.

 

It is a Monday and I am thinking another week with no tennis!

 Terry

It is past 10:30 so Terry has been finished with the paper a long time ago.  I would say she is the same today as yesterday.  Sonia is here and Terry does enjoy her company as at times Sonia just visits with her.  Today there was No meal to make so Sonia had more time to spend with Terry.  I am thinking today will be about the same as the rest of the week.

I had not power cleaned the pool deck this year so thought I would get that done so what happens?  The power washer dies on me just as I was about to start.  I did make a trip to Home Depot to see what they had.  The cost ranged from $99-$499!  I settled for a 1900 psi which is actually stronger than the one we had so I am hoping it works well.  I will get that done today.  The pool people come and clean the pool on Mondays and they just left so I can get started.  

As I move around my right foot seems to be getting better each day so maybe in a week I can get on the court again.  I had thought about getting a round of golf in this week and that is still possible.  I do not have anyone to go with so not sure what to do.  I think it is not unusual for singles to show up and the starter puts them with a group that is not full.  With my golf skills I would rather not showcase them to strangers but!

I will share a Dakota story today and then call it a day for the blog.

DAKOTA ATTITUDE

When Evelyn was in the first grade, she could only speak German.  When the Norwegian teacher asked her name, she said, "Nama"  Teacher said, Nama!  Oh no, not another one of those Krauts.  Evelyn's dad went to school on a horse and straightened that out!"

"My first week of pay was $50.  I made money hand over fist.  After I got my check I bought all these clothes.  My mother said after so many months, You know, honey, I put you through beauty school with the egg money.  And I put you through school, and you know I think you should pay me back.  I thought, oh for gutsy.  I finally rose about it, and now she wants this money.  But Evelyn did start sending money to her mother.  I went home for Christmas, and Mom said, Evelyn would you come to my bedroom?  She was digging in the chest of drawers, and she pulled out this manila envelope.  This, she said is for you.  I said, well, we already opened our gifts.  No, this has nothing to do with that.  So I opened it and there was the. savings book, and it was all the money I had ever sent her.  She saved it for me, cause she knew I'd never save a nickel."

Here we are at 11:00 and time to sign off.  My FP was great today.

Sunday, May 16th of 2021

 TERRY

Terry is doing the same as in the last several days.  She did sleep a bit longer this morning which I think was good.  AND as usual as I write she is reading the paper and with it being Sunday that may take her a long time.

As I look at the week ahead there really is nothing planned. Terry has a doctor appointment for NEXT week on Wednesday.  I am not sure she will be excited to go as she really does not like to get out of the house much.  Dr. Vickers is her neurologist so I am hoping to get some insights into Terry's condition.  We will see but that is 10 days out so.

JUNE 27, 1965

As I rolled over in bed and checked the time on my clock radio it showed 8:30.  I lay back and gathered my thoughts.  It was a Sunday for church so I knew we would be going to 10:00 AM church in Veblen.  With that thought I had so many things churning in my mind I thought maybe I should just fake a headache to Mom and try to stay home today.  Well it did not take very long for that thought to go away as I figured IF I did that Mom would expect me to stay in bed ALL day which I did not want to do so I slowly got out of bed and got dressed.  I figured that maybe I could make a fun day of it IF I tried.

We left for church at 9:30 and I thought that was way too early but then I knew that Dad liked to get there kind of early just to visit a bit.  So on the way there and I hate to admit it but during church as well my mind wandered all over the place except where it should have been!

• So far the summer had not been a fun time at all.  I knew it was beyond both Mom and Dad to be happy most of the time as Ronald had died just 8 months ago.  But yet as an 18 year old boy I found the atmosphere of our home hard to deal with.
• And yes I had enjoyed having a special friend, girl, the last several months of high school but she was gone for the summer and of course we would be going to different colleges in the fall so that was a dead issue.  Well in hind sight that was a good thing but at the time it made life not so good.
• I was finding that being home on the farm most of the time was not a fun thing for me.  I often thought about the farm we had and for the most part I could not find many positive things about it at least for me.  
• It seemed that I was kind of my own worst enemy as I really had nobody to go out with for a fun time.  Being 25 miles from where our high school was I just never fit into the social life of some of the kids.  Well I did have my mini golf course that I had built AND there was the lake a half mile to the north and on Sundays there, at times, would be some young people but not all that often.
• Then there was the matter of Vietnam.  If a person was not going to go to college you would be drafted so I had enrolled at NDSU which gave me a deferment. BUT what was I to study?  I knew I did not want to teach and WHY I had no idea!  
• It seemed to me that it was the world and then me all alone.  Dave had left 2 years ago and was going to be married in a few months.  Helen was in Fargo helping Glorine as she went to school and needed someone to care for Roxanne.  That left Mom, Dad and I on the farm and I have to admit there were times I felt sorry for myself!  As I look back that was pretty awful but I was young and into myself I guess.
• We had celebrated Father's Day last Sunday but I had not been able to get Dad anything and all we did was talk about it over dinner after church.  Dad had gotten a couple of cards but nobody was able to get home to be with him.  Of course that made life pretty darn boring!
• Well as the summer went on there were some things that made life more interesting again but that is for another time.  

So the days dragged on and summer seemed to last forever.  It seemed that I could only play golf with myself so many times or only hunt blackbirds so many times and then life became not so interesting again.  As I look back now and even many years ago of course I realize how immature I was and yes I will take MOST of the credit for that BUT there were other factors that I had nothing to do with and they weighed heavily on my life in the summer of 65.

Little did I know at the time that I would be back on the farm for one more summer in 1966.  As I headed to Fargo in the fall of 65 for my freshman year at NDSU I had $500 in my pocket from working for the summer and I did not have a clue as to what I wanted to do with my life. BUT I was sure that farm life was a thing of the past.  Sometimes it is good that one can not see into the future.  As my freshman year unfolded it became one event after another.  Dorm life was not to my liking.  After about a month of eating in the cafeteria I longed for the simple food that Mom would make.  My social life was nil.  Janet died in February and that came into play as I agreed to go home for one more summer.  I still can remember the summer of 1966.  Mom and Dad were 19 months from Ronald's death and 4 months from Janet's death and the Lee farm was far far from a place one wanted to be.  I still had NO idea what I should be studying.  I did take an aptitude test and my # 1 job came up as "undertaker" which seemed morbid to me.  I was not a scholar in high school BUT I was on the honor roll all the time.  However in my first year of college I struggled BIG time in chemistry and algebra.  I had gotten 10 credits on my entrance exam so I was placed in chemistry II and algebra II and I was totally in over my head.  I did pass them but they did not do much for my GPA BUT the 10 free credits were good as it put me into my sophomore year in the third quarter of my freshman year!  I should add that Dad helped me buy a motorcycle before I went home for the summer of 1966.  Actually that was THE condition of going home, I needed transportation as all summer on the farm with no wheels was not an option.  My Harley Sprint turned into a FUN thing with many experiences to remember.

Here it is almost 11:30 and it may be time for a short bike ride.  The FP, for some reason, was not the best today.

DAKOTA ATTITUDE

"Discipline in Edwin Schmidt's country school was a double jeopardy affair.  In those days he says, If somebody told your folks that you had a spanking at school, you got another one at home.  Well, my classmate got a spanking one day in school.. Must have been about fifth grade.  We were having spelling words on the black board.  And one of the words was "ship".  Well, he happened to write it wrong: sh-t.  He said it wasn't intentional but I think it was.  The teacher didn't say nothing.  She took him across her knee and let him have it.  Just like at home.  And when he got home, his dad give him a spanking with a stick.  One of his brother told."

Oh my how we as a people have changed and for the better???

Here we are half way through May of 2021

TERRY

Terry is pretty much the same and I am guessing things will stay this way for some time.  She continues to be able to do pretty much whatever she wants in the house as far as moving around BUT I would say the kitchen is one place she does not venture into.  She has already finished todays paper and is watching Saturday TV which is one of her favorite times to watch.

Well I am back to the days of swimming twice a day.  I actually like the water with NO salt but I know one needs chlorine or salt so that will change as the pool people come Monday and the salt will be put in.  I think the guy who fixed the pool did a nice job.  It will be interesting to see how the pool holds up as it now has been fixed three times.  I do not know but I suspect it is happening because we changed to salt BUT that is only a guess.  IF part of the finish starts to come away from the wall again I think it may be time to have the entire pool redone.  As for now I am hoping it holds for several years.

Terry and I have no plans for the weekend.  Sonia, who comes in to help two hours a day does not come on the weekends so the food is all mine for a couple of days.  I may be able to manage with my famous tuna sandwich, my pasta hot dish (Yes, Terry is my real hot dish!) and then maybe every couple of hours some homemade fudge and that may do it for the weekend!!!

I will NOT be on the tennis courts this weekend and I may just decide to not try to play again until a week from this coming Monday.  It does seem each day my foot feels somewhat better but then there are times when I just step a certain way and ouch but it is usually a tiny ouch.

It is the weekend so I don't even have the fun of seeing if my $1.98 of investments goes up or down!  I did decide that I will not buy either of these two bags that I saw in the Saturday WSJ!  The blue #5 on the left is $6,500 and the Prada #6 to the right is $1,270!  Just a tad over my budget FOR SURE.

I think I will share a couple of things from Dakota Attitude and then call it a day for writing.

DAKOTA ATTITUDE

"In the wintertime, we had no heat. (kind of like the Lee upstairs)  We would get up in the morning and grab our shoes and our coats and run barefoot over to the house where Mom and Dad lived.  You took a bath by age, youngest one first.  The bathwater was quite murky for the older ones."  The bath sounds kind of like our Saturday night baths on the farm growing up.  It was get the big tub in, fill it with water, everyone took a bath one at a time and then carry the water out and dump it.  I think at our house it was youngest LAST!

"Russell grew up on the farm near Butte that his Ukrainian immigrant father homesteaded in 1901.  Russell remembers as a child, the entire family of eight children was always present at mealtime, at which time his father would recite the Lord's Prayer in Ukrainian.  At 15, Russell says, I was seeding all the crop.  But when we were eight, nine years old, we were men.  We worked like a man.  By six years old, we were milking cows already.  There was no money but plenty to eat.  One penny for a stamp."  Well I would not claim to have worked like a man at the age of 6 or 9 or whatever but I do know I was driving the Ford tractor at the age of 6 AND milking cows when were were pretty young.

That is all for this morning.  My FP is gone and it sounds like Terry would like her legs rubbed.

Here we are at May 14th, the second Friday of the month in 2021

 TERRY

Terry is the same same.  As usual as I write she is reading the paper in the bedroom.  She did wake up a bit before me so made her way into the living room to watch some TV and not wake me up.  When I woke up she walked back to the bedroom as the bed is more comfortable than the couch.  

Here I am it is now two hours later than when I started.  AND really not a whole lot to say today.  Here we are on a Friday looking at a weekend that will be pretty vanilla!  

I just took a ride over to the courts and came back depressed!  Well not sure about that BUT I do miss being with the guys, playing tennis etc which has not happened for maybe 3 weeks or so.  Maybe in a week or so--MAYBE!!!

We did get our tax work from the people who do it and the return will be welcome when it comes as with all our medical expenses we do get a good amount back but I think it may take some time before we get it in our bank account.  Terry mentioned she may want to buy a Jaguar sports car but I informed her we MAY be able to purchase wheels for it, MAYBE!!!

I really think my foot is better.  I have been having a tennis ball on my foot and rolling it on my arch as I eat or sit at the computer and that is supposed to help so we will see.

I jumped in the pool yesterday and it was glorious.  There is no salt in it but that will happen on Monday.  I was surprised that the temp was so comfortable.  I did use it twice yesterday and will do so again today.

I have been able to invest about $1.98 in the stock market and it has been fun to follow it until the last 3 days when it went down each day.  It may be down to $.50 now!!!  It does give me something to do and is a good distraction from those darn papers that are staring me in the face.  I have come to the conclusion that papers are the same as rocks in the field, no matter how hard you work at it the job is never ending!  Well I do admit I have  not worked very hard at it the last week or so!

I am out of words so will get back to 

DAKOTA ATITUDE

"Founded in 1954, the community of Mandaree was named after three tribes--Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara.  It was a home for many Native people until they were displaced by the rising backwaters of the Garrison Dam that formed lake Sakakawea.  Bill Hale is from one of those communities flooded by the dam.  The community was called Independence. He says, and that's where I grew up.  My mother was a real good mother.  We didn't have the best food, but we ate good.  There was a lot of oatmeal, cornflakes, and milk.  There was other stuff, like eggs and we had hogs.  Dad made bacon, and oh, it tasted good.  I was born and raised Catholic, and my dad went to a Congregational church.  I learned it doesn't matter what church you go to.  They all believe in the same guy up there."

"Marion, now 95 years old, has four children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Any grandmotherly wisdom to pass on?  "Live the way you were brought up to live.  They have all gone to church, but some are pretty slow in getting there."

"Donald was quick to name all of his siblings, including himself: Victor, Luella, Beula, Viola, Leonard, Eveline, Donald, Ray, Leroy, and Raymond.There were four brother in the military at the same time. Donald farmed, but ultimately moved to Watford City where he worked for Ford, John Deere, and International dealerships."

As a child, Janet attended Great Stone School, located four or five miles from their home.  In the wintertime, my dad would hitch up Midnight and Kernel.  They would take us to school and go back home by themselves."

I did bike over to the courts for a short while today.   I came home kind of sad.  It has been so long, it seems, since I played tennis and then other things entered my mine and I got kind of misty eyed but this too shall pass.  Here it is 10:35 and pretty much time to sign off.  AND yes, the FP is long gone.  AND I do know I actually repeated myself!!!

Thursday of May 13th and I am waiting!!!

 TERRY

It is another day for Terry and she is the same.  As I write she is reading the paper.  Nothing new for today and I am guessing it will be that way at least until we see Dr. Vickers in two weeks.  BUT I will still write daily to keep up with her health.

This morning is the first time I have been able to look out at the pool and see this.  I am guessing it has been down for three weeks or so.  It finished filling yesterday early afternoon and then I turned on the heater and pool pump.  The pool people come on Mondays so I will have to wait until then for the salt to be added. Terry converted it to a salt pool maybe 7 or so years ago and it is so much nicer than chlorine.  It will be so nice to once again be able to jump in and cool off.  I am thinking as things get back to normal I need to power wash the deck as it is in need big time.

As has been the "norm" lately there is really nothing planned for the day.  Yes, I will again do some work on the filing of papers but I really can not work on that none stop so it may take a few more days.  

I have started rolling a ball on the arch of my foot as I sit at the desk as that is supposed to help that darn foot heal.  We will see.  When I stepped out into the yard yesterday to see the settings on the pool I could feel a slight pain in the foot SO I know it is not near healed for golf yet.  But what the heck, I really have NO golf buddies that I would golf with on a regular bases so what is one to do?  I may make a call to a small course a few miles north of here and see what the cost is for a round.  I am guessing that by the first of June the price will be down and the courses will not be all that busy.  I THINK I could get out early, pay not too much and get a round in by the time 10:00 comes up on the clock.  Wow, that almost brings me back to the late 60s as I went to college at NDSU.  Sometimes in the summer I would be up before the sun would come up and with my golf bag and clubs of driver, 5, 7, 9 and putter I would head to the 9 hole golf course south of Moorhead on highway 75.  There I could get in several holes of golf BEFORE they opened and then head to work.  As I look back that was not so good as I did not pay BUT.

My title today refers to the mail today.  We received a note from our tax people yesterday that we will get our tax return papers today.  That will mean we just need to sign them and send them in.  What I really want to know is do we "pay' or do we get a "refund".  We are expecting a refund and perhaps a nice one as we had a LOT of medical expenses last year but I am not sure what counted and what did not.  Well I will find out today.  I am also expecting a Ping #3 wood to come.  That will mean I will have ALL the clubs I need/want.  I will have gotten all of them on Ebay or thrift store.  The clubs I will have are G15 so I googled to find out if they were actually made in MY life time!  It looks like Ping is now in maybe the third generation of clubs and the G15 were in the second generation.  So they are old but not as old as dirt!  I am thinking that with the G15 driver 10.5 degree I may be able to drive 200 yards!!!  Well not sure about that and even if I can/do there is no promise that the ball would go straight!  Enough of that but it is kind of fun to think about.

DAKOTA ATTITUDE

Ellinor was born in 1929 on her mother's homestead near Keene.  She married Elmo Sorenson; they have four children---Gary, Larry, Curtis and Julie.  Eleanor attended a rural school.  We went to school by horses and a bus--it was called 'the bus" and it was a little cart with rubber tires.  Winter, we had sleds, a sleigh.  We would take rocks, put them in the cookstove at night, in the oven, so they would be warm to take for our feet when we left for school in the morning.  Also we would take our sleds along, tie them on the back of the sleigh."

This story is very much like chapter 45 in my book, "Tractor Taxi".  After a snow storm over the weekend we were sure we would have Ronald at home for some extra days as he had come home from Lidgerwood for the weekend.  He was going to school there.  Dad had different ideas.  Dad put a barrel on the back of the Ford tractor and hay in the bottom of the barrel.  Dad brought several rocks in the house and Mom heated them up in the cook stove.  When it was time to leave the rocks went into the barrel and helped keep Ronald warm as Dad drove the Ford tractor all the way to Geneseo, which was about 7 miles away, and there Dad flagged down a car on the main road so Ronald could get to school for Monday morning.  I would say the mentality back in the early 50s was a bit different than now BUT then maybe Dad just wanted to do it for a challenge and a thrill!

Enough for now.  The FP is almost finished and it is time to get some work done.  

Wednesday, May 12th

 TERRY

I would say Terry is the same.  Again, as I blog she is in bed reading the paper and is in good spirits.  So that is it for the day.

Here is the progress on the pool.

From this on Monday morning

To this on Tuesday about 11:00 AM

To this at about 4:00 PM

And this morning at 8:00 we have this.  I am guessing it will take another 3 hours or so to fill.  Then when the pool service comes on Monday it will be turned on and salt will be added.  It should be ready for use by next Tuesday.

I may bike over to the courts this morning.  I have not been over there for maybe a couple weeks or so.  I keep thinking that I should be able to play soon but then I might just step a bit sideways on my right foot and I can feel it is not healed yet.  Maybe in a week???

I did get a good start on redoing all our papers yesterday.  It is about time that I make some changes so that things are somewhat more organized.  

DAKOTA ATTITUDE

"Ida Harmon recalls how her family once lived in a shack.  We were squatting.  The girls had a bed and the boys had a bed and Mom and Dad had a bed.  When we were small, all five girls slept side  by side crossways in the bed.  There was a little squabbling, like get on your side, but most generally if one turned over, the next one turned over and everyone would have to turn over at one time.  Then when Ida was 12, the family moved to Charbonneau where her father built a house."

That is all for today.  I am going to bike over to the courts for a short time and then get back here to work on papers.  I have my timer on for the pool so I do not forget about it.  Should be full about 11:00.  I actually have half a pot of FP left so will reheat that when I get back and enjoy it while I do paper work.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

 

There they are 21 years ago!  They look like they are pretty darn happy!  Here is hoping the next 21 years are as good or better than these last 21!!!  Happy anniversary Amy and Aaron and be sure to make the day SPECIAL.    Love, Dad and Terry

You say a cool down!!---it will only be 88 today!

 TERRY

Terry is the same as she reads the paper as I write.  Really nothing new to write about.  Yesterday she did NOT walk into the living room but that happens some days.  Like I say, we will take it one day at a time.

picture #1

picture #2

picture #3

It is very easy to see WHY the pool needs repair!  It was drained yesterday and they will come today to repair it.  I am hoping they do not have to chip away too much of the inside lining.  It looks that it only goes down a couple of feet or so BUT we will see as they start to repair.  Maybe it will be ready for use by Thursday or Friday.  I think it would help this right foot that is hurt.  

There is nothing planned today.  Sonia will arrive at 9:00 and be here for two hours so a meal will be made.  I am thinking Terry will be finished with the paper in a little while and then it will be TV.  I will encourage her to walk a bit more today.  

I may venture over to the tennis courts this morning for a time.  I have not been over there for a long time, I would say maybe 3 weeks.  Of course it is no fun to be watching as that is not in my DNA.  As I look at the court schedule now they are no always busy.  There are 6 courts and three times in the morning so that means there could be 18 matches but for the most part now there are maybe 12 or so each morning.  It seems that 9:00 is still usually filled but 7:30 and 10:30 usually have 2 or 3 courts open.  I almost think I could go over there and practice my serve BUT really I do not want to chance hurting my foot again so will hold off on that.

As I sit here in almost mid May I recall what happened in May in the early 50s on the farm.  So here goes, the story of the chickens!

It all started in the back seat of Fritz, the mailman's, car.  As he would drive into the yard we would all run out with excitement as we knew the baby chicks

were arriving in a big box of 100.  At the time they were so cut but as we all know they grow and then mess up the yard but end up on the table in a delicious meal.  We would have their home all ready for them.  It was in the granary.  It would be set up in the SW corner room which was perhaps the One room that did not have a leaky roof. 

In that SW room would be a tent like heater to keep them warm.

Ours was not so fancy but pretty much like this.

Of course they had to have water all the time.

and feed all the time.

This would all take place in May.  Then later in the summer there would be a time to butcher all of them and we could have "spring chicken" as we called it.  Mom always froze some so we could have a special treat like this picture on January 27th.

You can see that Dad loves it, Larry and I are into the meal big time and Mom has this proud face on as if loves to serve a delicious meal to Dad and us.  There were times Dad allowed me to have my best friend Larry over on my birthday!  

So ends the chicken story.  From the back seat of Fritz's car to our kitchen table it was one journey that sticks in my mind as a "wonderful life".

So the FP is finished and NO Dakota Attitude today.

Here we are the second Monday of May 2021

 TERRY

Terry remains the same.  She is finished with the paper and is watching TV.  Nothing planned for the day or for that matter for the week as well.  

I really have not much to say today.  Not even sure I feel like going back in time and writing about that.  Our in home gal, Sonia, will be here today.  She took Friday off so Terry and I have been solo for the last 3 days which is fine.  Terry is into this peas in white sauce on top of a cheese covered piece of toast.  That means meals have been very easy.  I actually printed out some recipes that I thought about making but when asking Terry what she wanted she goes back to the pea sauce.  I am guessing that will get old in a short time and then it will be back to some other food.

Special days of the year are always a "what about today" kind of adventure and yesterday was no exception.  As I sat with my FP infused Baileys(it was Sunday so it was OK)  I thought back to days on the farm, days in Devils Lake, Days in St. Paul and of course days as of life today.  It was funny but I came up with good AND bad in all of the memories!!!  Something tells me that is normal life!  So the day went by pretty quickly.  In the evening Terry and I watched American Idol as there is a little cutie from Estero, just north of us, and she did make it to the final 5.  She not only is a very talented singer but a cutie as well.  That was a nice way to conclude our Sunday.  I think next week there will be two more eliminated and then maybe in two weeks there will be the final.  

I found this on line and felt that pretty much summed up what yesterday was all about!

I am waiting kind of patiently for this darn foot to heal.  It seems like it is OK and then I step a certain way and it hurts.  When I tried to play tennis several days ago that was also true.  When I turned on the foot it hurt.  It needs to get better SOON.  I know nothing is broken as it has been X rayed.  

DAKOTA ATTITUDE

"HELEN AND HER FRIENDS ALSO PLAY CARDS SEVERAL EVENINGS EACH WEEK.  WE TELL STORIES, JOKE, AND LAUGH.  SOMETIMES WE FORGET WHOSE TURN IT IS TO PLAY, SHE SAYS.  WE WIN, AND WE LOSE, AND BY THE TIME THE EVENING IS OVER WE DO NOT KNOW WHO WON OR LOST!  BUT WHO CARES?  WE ARE AROUND FRIENDS!  HELEN SAYS THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE FOUNDATION FOR HER SPIRIT, AND WE ALL CAN BUILD THEM IF WE, MAKE THE BEST OF THINGS AS THEY COME ALONG.  IT DOESN'T PAY TO BROOD ON SOMETHING YOU CANNOT CHANGE."

Well the last few sips of FP are only warm, not hot, so it is time to close the blog and maybe heat the last of the FP in the Microwave to finish it off.  One last thing.  I now have the dining room table covered with papers again.  I am in the process of redoing filing and getting everything in order so will work on that today.  Not as fun as tennis or golf but necessary.