Monday, July 26th and the start of the last week of July 2021

 TERRY

As I write it is 7:35 and Terry is still sleeping.  I would say she is holding her own but yes there are concerns as always.  At this time my two biggest concerns are theses.  She now seems content to stay in the bedroom.  I would say she has not ventured out into the living room for 5 or 6 days.  When I suggest it she just says she is fine.  The second is I probably need to insist that we get to the hospital today for that chest x ray.  I have concluded that IF I do not insist she will be fine just not going.  I think it is important as she often has this congested cough during the day and I want to be sure there is nothing in her lungs.  She says it is just in her throat but!

So here I am sitting at the computer with a full cup of (my all time favorite cup from the Delta Junction, Alaska) FP and actually I have very little to do OR to say today.  But here goes not much of anything.

I can not believe myself but I am about finished with my 2022 calendar.  I will not send them out for some time but it is 99% finished.  Well I say that but I am sure from time to time I will open it on Shutterfly and make a few changes.  The big thing that I may do as time goes on is add more pictures.  I like to put a picture of the person on the date of their birthday and I have several left to do.  I also need to check to be sure I have ALL the birthdays that I intend to put on.  What I do is put family that includes siblings and their children.  Well of course I have to have MY grandchildren on it.  I guess there are a few others as well.  I am surprised as I started this calendar with the idea in mind that if family knew when my birthday was I would get this flood of Happy Birthday cards!  Well that idea did not work is as I think this year I got a couple, maybe!!!  Don't be upset as what I just wrote is NOT true, that is about the idea but it is true about the cards!!!  

Making the calendars is a labor of fun, love and emotions.  I enjoy doing it but the hours looking for just the right pictures is not all that fun.  The emotions come to the surface once in a while as I find pictures that have a story behind that may be great but may be sad as well.  I guess what I like the most is looking at the calendar each day and remembering something that a picture brings to mind.  An example is this as the month of July 2021 has pictures of loved ones who are no longer with us:

• Oh my I could go on and on about memories of Ronald.  One of the best is when I gave him ALL my money ($10) and he brought home a baseball glove for me.  I still have it in the closet upstairs.
• Then there is Charlie.  We visited Charlie and Glorine in Strawberry Point Iowa and had a fun time.  Also Charlie was always fun to talk to.
• Then there is Mike.  Gail and I visited Helen and Mike at least once on AR.  I still remember our drive so that Mike could watch his grandchildren for a few days.  He brought almost the entire house with him for the visit!
• In the lower left of the July calendar is Dave.  I could fill a book about Dave and I and most would be GOOD.  It is here that I tend to pause and have a tear or two.
• Then there is Roxanne.  She and hubby came to visit the MN State Fair and we lent them our pickup so they would drive around.  I have a picture of them standing in the driveway.
• Well in the lower left is Gail.  I would say we had a wonderful marriage and life together.  But often when I see that picture and smile I think of her 9 months struggle with cancer.  At that point I may need a Kleenex or maybe even a paper towel!
• Lastly on the middle left is Janet.  So many memories.  I wish I still had the fuzzy sweater she knit for me.  I didn't wear it much as it was kind if itchy!
• That is it for July and one may note that I did not include Mom and Dad.  No reason, just put pictures of siblings I guess.

So after saying all that I ALMOST am ready to rethink my 2022 as each of my siblings gets a month.  I am hoping that I am not sad for the three months of Ronald, Janet and Dave!  For sure when the month of Helen comes up I will think of kind of a wild person!  AND Joan, I may think of a task master when we were alone on the farm at times Mom and Dad were gone.  She ALWAYS made us do dishes which of course was very nice of her but at the time I hated it!

SOME PICTURES FOR THE DAY 

This may be my all time favorite family picture.  I would say it is a darn good looking family.  It looks like Helen loves her Daddy.  Had to be either Christmas of 1950 or Easter of 1951

I think this was taken 30 years later??  Not sure when!

And taken 70 years after picture #1
You get the drift, then there were three!

That is it for the day.  The FP is all consumed and I have the entire day ahead.  I HAVE to get Terry in for the x ray today and will drop off two samples at the lab that the doctor wanted me to do.  Actually that sounds like a busy day for an old guy like me.  I am wondering if anyone can tell who is the oldest and who is the youngest by looking at that picture???  When I look at it I now understand why when I went to Costco and they were letting people in an hour early who were over 60 years of age they just waved me on in!!!

Time to sign off as I am excited about my first job today.  I am going to make corn bread in the cast iron skillet.  I will just have to remember to use a hot pad when I take it out of the oven!  My problem is when it is done, and if it's good, I do not have any Karo syrup to put on it.  Maybe maple will do!