Read the bulletin!

Tuesday I was on time and so was everyone else. Things were going normally until I noticed the outside hose. It had been used inside and returned to the proper place but in such a tangle it took me more than 20 minutes to untangle it. I just brought a stool outside and sat there working on it. I figure if that is what they want to pay me to do, I will do it. Evelyn came and we shared a taco salad for our lunch. We came home and took a nap. We are in that habit, I guess. I must be far out of shape because working in the morning wears me out. Even though I can suck it up and play golf some days, I get tired every other day. When we wakened we decided to make some brownies to take to the potluck/Bible study tonight. I had gone to the Food Lion to buy some canola for the deep fryer and also bought two brownie mixes. I cut some steak I had grilled the other day into small bits and then Evelyn added barbecue sauce to make barbecue sandwiches for the potluck too. We went to the church and waited until 6:10 and left, upset because this was not the first time we had been “stood up”. We went to Wal-Mart and bought some EZ Off to use working on the pan with the scorched effects from the burning in June. We also bought a cooler for traveling and a better squeegee for the shower. We came home and had dinner, hoping to watch a video of Acts but could not get our VCR to work. We just watched some TV. Evelyn found Sunday’s bulletin and saw that the Bible study had been cancelled for tonight. She began working on a scrapbook for our Panama Canal cruise. I watched Amazing Grace that I had recorded last week.

back to work

Monday was back to work for only three hours because we were scheduled to work at the Open Door at 11:15. The manager still rarely speaks to me but I spoke to her. Someone over the weekend brought the 100 feet of hose inside but left it there. I told her she should tell them to take it back because I was not going to do it again. It is too heavy to carry and doesn’t belong inside anyway. She may tire of my demands and ask me to leave. This will not break my heart. Evelyn had a woman come to give her an idea of what to do with our windows. She wants to put some hanging things around, but I can’t grasp the concept. That is not a big concern. We arrived right on time, and Perry, the director, asked if I wanted to bring the message before the meal. I had nothing in mind so he did it. We go back Friday so I will have something in mind if the scheduled leader doesn’t show. We worked hard and then went to the thrift shop next door and bought a hand juicer. We also cashed my check on the way home. We rested when we came home, and I put the movies from last night on the computer. We ate dinner and then Paul and Shirley plus her daughter and husband came for a peach/blackberry cobbler. Everyone thought it was good except Evelyn who thought it was too runny. It was but still delicious. We finished watching the Cubs game until my bedtime.

Big finish to Folkmoot

Saturday was a big day. I started by going to the Men’s breakfast at church where I show a section from the DVD comparing the book of Mormon with the Bible. Several men were not in attendance because a council meeting had been scheduled for today--as if there was no other time that could have been scheduled. I came home to find Evelyn finishing the cleaning of the tile floors. We dressed and went downtown to meet Barry and Jackie. They were about half an hour late because they had gone in to Sylva to get our umbrellas from Tuesday evening. We walked up and down the street looking at all the crafts and listening to the performers. The day was called International Day and the street was blocked from automobile traffic. We had a gyro sandwich for lunch. Evelyn bought a decorative belt and some VHS tapes of the book of Acts to use at her Bible study. We had seen all we wanted by 2:30 and went to the grocery and to Goody’s where I bought a pair of Navy blue shorts and a shirt. Actually Evelyn wants these things for me. I rarely want new clothes although I would have bought a long sleeve T-shirt with the Folkmoot logo had they come in any other than white. We came home so Evelyn could lie down before ushering at Haywood again. I made some popcorn that we took along for our supper. The shows were good again although they don’t have the variety that was present last year. We left after 5 groups and came home to finish the evening. I transferred the movies I had taken of the performers onto the computer. We will try to view them on our TV monitor using the new cable Tom bought for us.

We arose and left for church as to be there in time for choir rehearsal at 10:10. We were on time and sang better than at any time before. One of the tenors was absent but all the basses were there. The worship was a blessing again, featuring a baptism of the pastor’s premature infant who had been baptized several months ago. We came home for a delicious lunch of almond crusted tilapia and a mango raita sauce for sweet potatoes and a salad. I hooked up the computer to the TV monitor, and we watched the dances from yesterday’s Folkmoot street festival. I used the cable Tom bought us. The pictures were pretty good, especially the movies that I took with our small Sony digital camera. I thought I was becoming a tech wizard until I put the computer back into the office and found that the pixels on the main screen were larger and blurry. I did some adjustments and things are better but not like they were before. So much for my hi-tech abilities. We left for the Folkmoot finale at Lake Junaluska where we took tickets. The dance teams will leave during the next week. The event finished with a big candlelight service similar to the one finishing the Olympics. I thought it somewhat pretentious, but I guess those kids have lived together for two weeks and may have bonded somewhat. Sam, my high school friend, called and said he might come to visit for a few days toward the end of the month. Everyone who worked on Folkmoot enjoyed the week but are delighted it is over for another year.

The end of the week

Thursday was routine at work. Evelyn spent much of the day studying the book of Acts for her Bible study next week. We spent the afternoon getting ready for our stint as ushers for Folkmoot at Haywood Community College. I was tired and took a nap because I knew we would not get home very early. We had to arrive about an hour and a half early, a total waste of time. The instructions took about 15 minutes and then we talked with the other ushers who we didn’t know. The people began to arrive and, as usual, there was one woman who thought it her responsibility to do all the work. It is dull enough standing there but worse if one person won’t allow any of the other volunteers do any work. We liked the performances but so long that we left at intermission. We went directly to bed and to sleep immediately.

Friday the manager was not there. We had a good time but I got finished early again. I always have to find extra things to do to keep busy. I managed until noon when we came home for lunch. When Evelyn went to start the dark laundry, she found that a large bottle of Tide with Fabreze had fallen from the top of the dryer stacked on top of the washing machine and had broken. There was laundry soap all over the floor. We worked with a flat pancake turner to scoop it up as much as possible. Evelyn had to lie down a while. The soap continued to ooze out back toward the door so I could scoop more. After resting, Evelyn accompanied me to the Iron Tree Golf Course. Seniors can play 18 and have a cart for $20. I played 14 holes before a heavy rain stopped us. I was playing too badly to care so we came home. I barbecued three eye of the round steaks seasoned with crushed peppercorns for our dinner. I thought they were tough and don’t want to have them again. We kept cleaning and Evelyn finished the dark laundry before we watched a movie about Savannah, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”. It was a good movie but not much in it will help us on our visit.

Welcomed rain at last

Wednesday was very quiet at work. It sprinkled lightly almost all morning. I did get the trash picked up between spurts. The supply truck always comes on Wednesdays, meaning another younger, stronger man comes in to put the items on the shelves and in the cooler and freezer. Again I was finished early but was able to help with some cooking. I ate lunch there because I was to meet Shirley for golf at 12:20. When I fixed myself a spicy chicken salad, Heather said everything that we eat now has to be rung up . We don’t have to pay but must have it rung up. This is curious because usually everyone just eats what is desired at almost any time. I will have to inquire as to what the new policy means. Evelyn took me to the golf course and the rain stopped when Shirley arrived. Last week was just the reverse. We got our cart and played 7 holes before the rain began. It was a pleasant gentle rain, but she just won’t play in any sprinkling. We went to the clubhouse and shared a soda until the rain stopped. When it did we finished the front nine. I shot 61, a continuation of Monday’s debacle. We played the back 9 and had no more rain until 17. Shirley wouldn’t finish that hole but did play the 18 even though it was sprinkling again. Strangely, my play improved and I shot 50 on the back 9 even though it is much harder. We finished before 5 and Evelyn came to get me. We came home and ate leftovers from Monday’s dinner before going to choir practice. We came home and I put my long pajamas on. It was too cold for shorts. We certainly thank God for the much needed rain. It was the best kind in that it was a steady rain rather than a thunderstorm that puts too much down at once. We watched the Cubs play the Cardinals and went to bed. I am beginning to tire of working each day. I hope we get some visitors so I can take some time off in August. We plan to go to Savannah in September. Evelyn spent much of the day bargain hunting and did her usual good job.

Days of meetings with friends

Monday was back to work. The manager was not there today and the person with the key was late again. This is getting to be old. Especially since I had slept half an hour later than usual and had to rush to get there on time. Evelyn left me and tried to walk around the lake but got wet and tired in the process. It rained lightly and she has not walked for more than two weeks so she didn’t make it around completely. A new young man began work today. When I asked if he smoked, he said no he was a Christian. I thank the Lord that there is another one of us, but he is too works oriented. I gave him 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 10:16-18 to read. They tell that all things are permissible but not all are beneficial. Evelyn came and we had a crunch wrap for lunch, came home, cleaned up my body and left to meet Phil Bollinger at Iron Tree to play golf. “That is all I have to say about that.”--Forest Gump. Evelyn had invited him and Noreen for dinner. They all attended Geneva High School, and the Bollingers had just returned from her 50th reunion in June. They had a long talk about old times and showed many pictures from the reunion. Phil graduated in ‘56, Noreen in ‘57 and Evelyn in ‘58. Her 50th is next year, and we will drive back to Indiana to attend, even though she is reluctant to do that. The struggle begins!

Tuesday the regular shift manager returned from vacation and was late for work! She was the one I could always count on. We had more rain (we need it) so I did not do my outside degreasing. I was tired anyway The new young man, Cody, came to work again but had not read the assigned verses. Perhaps we can talk the next time he comes in. Things were especially slow today, but I was able to look busy until 12. Evelyn took me home, and we ate a smoked turkey wrap she had made. I showered and then we went to bed. I hope I can get my strength back up. She has gained hers back but still has gastric problems. She eats almost anything but can’t form it very well. The PA had said she was the sickest person she had seen in a long time. Perhaps the Lord will reveal what this is someday soon. We arose from napping and read some of the books she had brought from the library about Savannah. We are planning a trip with the neighbors in early September and are trying to get organized. The man of the couple doesn’t work and has time to read, so we will take him some of the books so he can see what they might like to do. We drove to K-Mart to meet Paul and Shirley. They drove to Sylva for dinner so we could use a coupon we have from the Internet. I pay $5 for it and get $25 off of the meal. We have to spend at least $35, so we always take another couple with us to increase the bill. It looked rainy so I took our umbrellas and left them at the restaurant. I will try to find a way to get them to me. We had never eaten at Stoney’s Crab Shack but found it very good. We returned to our house for peach pie left from last night and played some cards. Shirley and I are scheduled for golf tomorrow right after work.

worship and folkmoot

We went to church late today, that is we missed Bible class. I think the sermon was one of the best Pastor Crume has given while I was here. We came home and had lunch of a smoked country style rib. We packaged them in twos when I made them, but we just can’t eat one apiece with any side dishes. We then went down for a nap. We were scheduled to take tickets at the Folkmoot festival at 5:30. We had two complimentary tickets but didn’t need them because we were working. I went around the neighborhood trying to give them away but no one would take them. We ate no supper but took drinks with us. We enjoyed our experiences and the performances. They weren’t all different this time but were still very entertaining. We were home by 9:30 and had a light snack before retiring.

working in the kitchen

We were up early and off to the big flea market at Lake Junaluska. We didn’t find much of what we wanted but did find a basket for bread and a couple of red candles. We came home and Evelyn worked on baking the cobblers for the grieving family. We had lunch and then worked on making pico de gallo with the tomatoes we bought last week and the onions we brought with us from Texas. I did most of the chopping of tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, etc. We know it will be delicious. We always love pico de gallo. We napped in the afternoon and watched some of the Cubs game. We walked the cobblers down to the neighbor’s and then to Rogers to see if we could ride together to Canton where the funeral home is. We did and took Anna, another neighbor. It was sad because not only was the corpse only 63 but his mother was still living. That is probably the most difficult thing--to bury a child. We then went to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. It was pretty good but not great. The price was good also. We came home by 8 and had some ice cream with peaches on top. We have many peaches to eat. We then watched a movie I had bought through Direct TV before knowing much about it. It is “Borat”. It was funny in many spots but very vulgar. We had a nice long talk with Emily too.

International parade day

Evelyn was unable to sleep through the night. She prepared sandwiches for today’s lunch at the parade. She took me to work on time but no one came with a key until 8:35. They always pay me for the time I am there but it is discouraging to get there and just sit on the concrete tables waiting for someone. I knew I had to leave an hour early today, so I walked around picking up trash without any tools. I normally won’t do any work until I clock in but knew that after waiting this long I would be paid from 8. Evelyn meantime went to the new hairdresser in Clyde to have a wash, cut, color and set. She also took our lawn chairs and lunch down to Laurie to put out for us to save a spot at the parade site. Evelyn picked me up at 11 and we went to Kathy’s to change clothes. This way we could more likely get a parking spot. We went to get our chairs and moved them to directly in front of the courthouse where the groups perform after the parade. We took an extra chair for Jim, Kathy’s husband, because they don’t have any lawn chairs. It was hot but the parade was just like other years. We could see most of the performances until the camera people began standing in front of us for long periods of time. The countries not mentioned yesterday were Philippines, Peru, Hawaii, Mexico, and Macedonia. We came home and cleaned up while watching the end of the Cubs game. Then we dressed and picked up Jim and Kathy to go to the street dance. We danced three round dances and listened to the Bluegrass music. We came home before it ended at 9 and worked on making a peach cobbler for Frieda’s family visiting for her husband’s funeral.

Folkmoot begins

The phone healed itself overnight. I went off to work and planned for Phil to come to our house after he finished his lunch at Long’s Chapel. He came and we drove separately to Iron Tree. Fortunately there were no carts available and the longer we sat waiting for one to come in, the more ominous the clouds looked. We decided to play on Monday, hoping ther would be no rain. When I returned home, Phil’s wife called to say that it was pouring down rain at their house, about a mile from the golf course. I showered and took a nap, preparing for the evening. We ate a light dinner and went to the Eaglenest for the Folkmoot USA gala. It was a good performance although two of the countries had to cancel out. The most entertaining was the troop from Russia. Next was the Puerto Rican group. The South Korean group was entirely composed of women. After the performance, there as a refreshment hour where we could mingle with the performers. I talked with the bongo drummer from Puerto Rico who made my hands hurt just watching him beat the bongo. He said his hands hurt sometime but not tonight. We left about 10:30 and filled our tank on the way home. The price was $2.83, the best we have seen since Virginia. We are still getting under 18 MPH. I went right to sleep.

Better but mixed news

We slept until the alarm wakened us at 7:30. We dressed and drove to the golf course. I was early but paid and got a cart. I loaded my clubs and looked for my golf glove but couldn’t find it until later. I went in to the bathroom and Shirley and the rain arrived at the same time. It wasn’t raining hard, but she didn’t want to play in the rain. We packed my clubs into the car, and I got a rain check. We then drove to see what Evelyn wanted to do for the day. I was with her briefly when the PA came in. The lab work wasn’t there yet, but she was impressed at Evelyn’s progress. When the report came it showed she was still low in ALT and albumin. She has to have more blood work in three weeks. We decided to go to Asheville to look for some backing for the window treatment. We decided to call Paul, meet him for lunch and then all 4 of us go. We did that and took the samples back to the store but forgot one. We tried to order the fabric we wanted but it was a discontinued pattern. What a disappointment to both us and the clerk. We went to a mall and I bought a new wine corkscrew while Evelyn and Shirley bought backing for the cornice board. We went to the Farmer’s Market and bought some peaches and tomatoes. We came home in the rain and took Paul to his car. He seemed angry about something. Perhaps I did something. Shirley had parked here so we brought her here and she went home. We ate and then I went to choir practice. I returned home and called Emily to talk about the potential cruise next summer. At least I tried. I could not get the phone to work for calling anyone, not even Cingular.

home improvement

Evelyn took me to work for the first time for nearly two weeks. She seemed to be much better. She left me and went to wait to see Kathy’s hairdresser but was unsuccessful. She left her phone number and came back to meet with Anna to discuss material for our windows. Anna was in the decorator business. They decided on the fabric that cost $59 per yard. Now we have to find a board to put the fabric on above the windows. As Evelyn slept, the man came to apply the tint to the windows. He brought his son and daughter to help him. They did a good job. I was impressed that the family worked together in the business. We cleared out some things from the shed and continued to rest until dinner time. We did not attend the potluck since we really didn’t have anything to take. We thought we might go to the Bible study but didn’t. I am concerned about my relationship with the new manager. She seems to be snubbing me. This doesn’t bother me except I am concerned that I have done something to offend her. I will wait to see what develops. We watched a movie, “Trapped in Paradise”, which was sort of funny. I also watched the Cubs lose on the computer game tracker. I decided to not go to work tomorrow because it puts too much pressure on Evelyn as she goes to the doctor.

A stronger wife

Monday I went to work while Shirley took Evelyn to Asheville for the day. They went to a fabric store and returned with 4 fabrics to select for our windows. She was gone until after 4. I thought she would be back by 2 so I didn’t go anywhere. I mailed the package to the Georges and spent the afternoon watching Law and Order. I had eaten half or a bog burrito for lunch, and Evelyn had made a chicken and rice casserole with some chicken breasts I had smoked. It was not very tasty. I had taken most of the banana hazelnut cake that Evelyn had made yesterday. It was delicious but not much of it was gone when I left. If any is left tomorrow, I will enjoy it. Evelyn was tired when she got home but the fact that she could maneuver the day is encouraging. She also got a call from the doctor that her labs came back negative for Girardia. That is good and bad because now we don’t know what happened to cause her illness. A man came to measure the windows for some tint that should block some of the afternoon heat. He will come back tomorrow to treat the windows. Jim and Kathy came over and announced that she was taking a vacation in September. They would like to go to Savannah with us. I have requested materials from Savannah. I watched some TV after they left, discovering too late that the Cubs game was on ESPN. I watched it on Gametracker.

One small step back

Sunday is worship. I was the reader of the OT and the Epistle for the day. Evelyn dressed and went with me but just before the Sacrament she began to feel nauseous and we had to leave. We came home and she went to bed for a nap. She had eaten some oatmeal but don’t think that was the cause. I ate the final hamburger, trying to press the excess grease out of it. I have decided we will not buy bargain hamburger anymore: we will eat ground chuck. We watched some of the Cubs game. I made it through the 4th inning before passing out. Fortunately when I wakened the score was the same as when I had gone to sleep. While I was sleeping, there was a strong wind/rain shower that blew into the windows and soaked the carpet in the living room. Evelyn spent some time trying to soak it up. She was finished by the time I wakened. We went to the band concert in Maggie Valley and met Paul and Shirley. We all enjoyed the event and then came home. We watched some CSI and then went to bed because I work tomorrow. She plans to go with Shirley to shop in Asheville.

Coming right along.

Saturday brought another flea market. I wanted to go to post a picture of our recumbent bicycle to sell. I did that and then saw some things I wanted to buy. I bought a tater/onion box to put on our deck and an oil change pan to take to Texas so we don’t have to haul one back and forth. I will be able to discard one of the buckets I was using. I then went off to Wal-Mart to get the medicine for Evelyn, three flavors of Gatorade and a couple of other things. On the way home I called Phil Bollinger and made a date for golf next Thursday at 1:00. He told us about a beef fund raiser for the local high school occurring tonight. I came home and cleaned up the smoker. I always leave it several days to make sure the coals are burned out. I had another hamburger while Evelyn finished the Raman noodles. We made plans with Paul and Shirley for dinner. Shirley went to her daughter’s to gather eggs and brought a dozen for us. They came and Shirley went to get the beef dinners. We had thought to go to the Shindig after eating, but Evelyn thought she should stay closer to home so we played cards here. The dinners were generous but not especially good. Perhaps it was because they were cold.

 
Olivia at Angela's horse camp.

More improvement and strength.

Friday I went to work until 9:30 when I left to get Evelyn for her appointment. She had blood drawn and then we went to the grocery for milk and other things. We brought them home because we had to wait until 11 to see the PA. The blood work showed some improvement and her blood pressure was back to 122/78. That means she can resume the Toprol 150 but not the Benicar because it contributes to her dehydration. All in all things are improving. We came home and she ate some Raman noodles left from yesterday while I ate one of the hamburger patties I had grilled weeks ago. It was still good. She also ate some applesauce and a popsicle. We rested in the afternoon but wanted to go out in the evening so we went to see “Ghost Town the Movie”. We were only slightly impressed because much of the film showed people just drinking whiskey or playing cards. Some of the acting was good for using local people and the cinematography was good. It was filmed on the location of Ghost Town in the Sky when it was closed. We recognized the area, having been there recently. We came home and ate something because we had not had dinner. We had walked over to Rogers to see if they might want to go with us, but Kathy gets tired after working all week. They did want to talk about going to Savannah during the fall which was a surprise to us. We will plan more later. I got on line when we got home and ordered some traveler materials to be sent to us here. We went to bed later than usual.

sick wife 7 but strengthening

I left quietly for work and came home at noon. Evelyn had dressed and was thinking of doing some ironing. She also had drunk a goodly amount of Gatorade. I showered and took a short nap. While I was dressing for my golf date, Linda, our sister in law, called to inquire about Evelyn’s health. I was shocked to learn that my brother reads this drivel everyday! That means there are 4 people who have too much time on their hands. At any rate they had a nice visit as I left and went to Lowe’s to get some supplies. I met Shirley at Lake Junaluska golf course and we played 18 holes. I didn’t play as well as last time but did shoot 103--a fairly good score for me. I didn’t get home until 8 to find Evelyn making some Raman noodle soup for her supper. I finished the macaroni and cheese left from the Georges’ visit last week. Evelyn had ironed some things and had washed the white laundry. This is the most she has done for exactly a week: proof she is gaining strength. We will see after the blood work tomorrow whether she is building electrolytes. She has eaten some of the applesauce Shirley brought her Tuesday.

Sick wife 6 and counting

Evelyn wakened me at 6 to drive me to work. She was somewhat delusional but went back to bed willingly. It rained several times today so I had an easy morning. I had prepared the smoker prior to going to work and seasoned the country style ribs and chicken thighs and breasts for smoking. We returned to the lab and saw the PA again. The blood work showed no improvement even though we know she is gaining strength. Her blood pressure was under 100 so Dr. McLelland took her off her BP meds until Monday. Everyone thinks the disease is Guardia, a parasite she must have contracted from some ice while having a coke in Cabo San Lucas. We still search. We came home and packaged the smoked meat. I had bought some Jello with sugar and Evelyn ate some for dinner and had a popsicle. I went to choir practice and everyone is quite concerned about Evelyn. Shirley came, bringing some applesauce to help with Evelyn’s intake of sugar. Shirley and I made plans to play golf tomorrow after 3. Evelyn is scheduled for another appointment Friday morning.

Sick wife 5

Tuesday I made Evelyn eat half a banana and drink some Gatorade before I went to work. Kara had a project of cleaning and painting some of the filters in the lobby of the restaurant. She sent me to Lowes to get some cans of spray paint and a ceiling fan brush. I was pleased to find a brush so I bought one for us as well. I cleaned the fans but got out of doing the cleaning of the filters. I did my regular work except the contracted window washer comes each Tuesday so I didn’t have that to do. I came home after eating an order of chicken taquitos and picking up some popsicles for Evelyn. I made her eat one popsicle and I heated some more rice and topped it with brown sugar. She liked it better and it should provide more energy. I also forced more Gatorade down her. We both showered because we both wanted me to be here when she took hers. She was much stronger than in the one Sunday. Her voice was also stronger. We made sure she took all her medicine. I just kept pumping things into her. During the morning the Nurse Practioner had called wanting her to come in a day early. She will have blood work tomorrow and another appointment afterward. I hope she has raised her electrolytes. We had an association meeting tonight and tried to deal with our drainage problems. We don’t personally have the problem but others in Cypress Meadows have. Afterward some of the neighbors came to see how Evelyn was. Jim Rogers and I drank a beer while Kathy, Anna and Diane talked with Evelyn in bed. We called the Beelis to wish Noah a happy birthday. We have been so involved with this disease that we haven’t got a card or any new bills to send to him. We watched a bit of the All Star Baseball game and went to sleep.

sick wife 4

Monday Evelyn was no better. I arose and went off to work. I drove by myself because Evelyn couldn’t take me. Nothing much different happened except the hose I use to spray things off was twisted together. I spent much time untangling it. I came home a bit late and made Evelyn get up and eat some rice. She has no strength. She had called and made an appointment with a nurse practitioner for 3:40. I watched some programs that had recorded called “Band of Brothers” about a paratrooper platoon from WWII. I took her and got charcoal, gas, and took some trash. She had to have bloodwork and learned she was very low in electrolytes. We stopped to get a prescription filled but I couldn’t wait for dinner. I bought some Gatorade as the doctor ordered. I brought her home and made her begin drinking it as the doctor ordered. If she doesn’t become less dehydrated, she may have to be admitted to the hospital and receive things via IV. We received several e-mails from friends telling us about Nancy. It is tough to lose friends but nice to have many remaining.

A sad shocking day.

I was up and off to church to sing with the choir. I left a bit early to drop the prescription at Wal-Mart. I was too early but an employee was kind enough to take it and the insurance information in when it opened. I went on and the choir sounded better than I thought it would. I left after the offering and went back to the Food Lion to buy Tide and some meat to smoke. I got home and had a light lunch because of the birthday party. I wanted to get Evelyn some bananas for her soft diet and went back to the craft sale where I found a woman from church who helped me choose a nice cutting board as a gift. I came home and Evelyn was able to come to the living room to watch some TV. I left for the party around 3:15 and stayed about an hour. When I came home, we received a call from the Maders with the sad shocking news that Nancy Springer had committed suicide in her garage. She started both her cars and just went to sleep. We know she is in Heaven but it was really a shock. She was always so positive and had such great faith. How tragic. I went back to the party and stayed for another hour. Everyone had a good time. I came back and we fixed our medicine containers for the week. We just lounged during the evening. I forgot that Evelyn was in the shower this morning and got so weak she couldn’t stand up. It was a blessing that I came in at just the right time and was able to guide and help her back to bed. She got stronger during the day. I don’t know whether I should go to work tomorrow or not.

 

Olivia caring for a horse at horse camp.

Rain at last or sick wife 3

Saturday was the day the family returned to GA. We slept in and I loaded the car with trash (I went over and took Steve’s too) and went to the recycle center. On the way back I went to the craft sale looking for a gift to take to Kimberly’s birthday party tomorrow. I didn’t find anything I was comfortable with. I came home and found the family helping by cleaning some of the house and dishes. The adults had a great time at the Mystery Train Ride and the kids and I had a good time last night. I made sure that everyone knew how much I liked the evening and the visit. I called the Urgent Care after learning that Evelyn had a fever of just under 100 again. The receptionist said there was a line so we decided to wait here until the nurse called back. No one called the rest of the day. The family left just before noon and went to Taco Bell for their lunch. I had the last hot dog from the grill on last Wednesday. Evelyn got up and came to the living room about 1:30. We took her temperature and found it was just above normal. I let Evelyn talk me out of going to the Urgent Care, but I made her eat some macaroni and cheese so she could regain some strength. She had eaten nothing since Thursday night and vomited that up. She immediately returned to bed and stayed there until after 5. I watched Arena football. During the game we got a long overdue thunderstorm. I took the potted plants out to get some natural watering. When she came out at 5:30, her temperature registered at 101.2 again. I dragged her to Urgent Care where the temperature was slightly above normal. We think it was because she had taken her medicine with water. She has gastroenteritis and was given two shots and a prescription. She has had nausea and headaches plus painful joints. The shots are to fight those. No pharmacies were open so we couldn’t fill the script. We came home and she went to bed while I watched the Cubs win

The sick wife 2

To our disappointment Evelyn was not much better this morning. I decided to call Kara and stay home from work. Evelyn had taken Tylenol as a fever reducer last night and it must have helped some. We wanted better results and took more in the morning. Tom and I took Olivia to camp and then stopped for breakfast at Beaver’s restaurant. We came home to find Evelyn still in bed. At around 10 all of us but Evelyn went to the horse camp to take pictures of Olivia. She looked good on the horse. We were scheduled to work at the Open Door at noon, so we went to work. I somehow got myself back into the kitchen and washed dishes. It was hotter back there, and I wasn’t very quick at the job. I had to stay longer than the others, but I did leave a bit before the job was entirely finished. We came home to find Evelyn still in bed. She had begun to separate the laundry but stopped. She was complaining about headaches and muscular aches last night but had added an upset stomach to that today. She took more Tylenol and some Pepto Bismol and went back to bed. We are praying that she gets better soon. We don’t know what caused this: she didn’t eat anything unusual and didn’t fall or anything. Stacy and Tom left for the Mystery Dinner Train Ride and the kids and I left Evelyn at home and went to the movie to see “Ratatouille”. It was clever but not too funny to me. The kids said they enjoyed it. We stopped at Pizza Hut and bought a cheese lover’s pizza and brought it home. We ate only a small portion and saved the rest. Off to bed at 10:30.

 
The finished parade Saturn.

A wonderful day for golf

Thursday was a full day at work. Tom and Peter came after me, and we had lunch there. I was able to get the meals comped to us but we didn’t eat much. We came home so I could change into golf playing clothes. We drove to Iron Tree and paid for 9 holes. We had carts and played in the hot sun. I played the best round I have played in many, many years. I shot 46 on the front nine. Tom thought Peter would be too tired to play 18. It was the first time Peter had ever played a round, and Tom gave him many pointers in the game. He played quite well for the first time on any course. We came home and I took a nap while Evelyn, Peter and Stacy went to pick up Olivia and take the kids swimming again. Tom and I hung out a while and then I went to Rogers to return the chairs they had loaned us last night. They always want me to drink a beer when I go. I spent some time talking with them and came home for a delicious spaghetti dinner Stacy had prepared. Afterward Tom and Peter went to the Kern Cafe to listen to some young guys play guitars. Evelyn came down with a fever and went to bed. I watched a movie starring Randolph Scott, one of my favorite actors. I went to bed around 11

Happy Independence Day

Tuesday at work was cooler than most days. Tom picked me up and we went to lunch at Nicos, a place near here that served Cuban sandwiches. We enjoyed one and a long talk. We have good talks. We went to the bank because today was payday. We also bought some ice cream because Ingalls had a special. Evelyn, Peter and Stacy went to lunch and shopping for a blazer for Tom to wear to the Mystery Theater on Friday. We all came home at about the same time and took naps. We had decided to take Olivia swimming after horse camp so we had dinner late. We had the country style ribs I had smoked. Afterward we watched “Seabiscuit” because they had never seen it and I had recorded it back in January. We all went to bed late.

Wednesday was Independence Day. I was not going to work but did until 10:30 when the family picked me up to go to Lake Junaluska. We decorated the Saturn for the parade as we did last year. It was fun but I did miss Olivia who was riding horses again. We all rode in the car with Beethoven the dog except Evelyn who walked. We had a great time, throwing candy to the quite large crowd lining the street. We went to the outdoor gym for barbecue sandwiches like we usually have. There is a blue grass band and some cloggers as well as a magician. Things took so long that we didn’t stay for the cloggers. We came home for naps and watched the Cubs lose for the first time in 8 games. We had hot dogs for supper at home and then went back to the lake to watch the fireworks. I was very disappointed that they didn’t begin until after 9:40 when it was dark enough to begin shortly after 9.

Natural Bridge, VA

 

Evelyn standing near the natural bridge in Virginia.

Beginning the week

Sunday we ushered at church and were blessed with Holy Communion. We came home and had sandwiches for lunch. We rested in the afternoon and watched the Cubs game until the Georges family arrived. We visited and then had pizza around 7. We watched “Searching for Bobby Fischer” until 10. I was disappointed in that I had not recorded the opening scenes. I think we all enjoyed the film. The kids slept in the living room on air mattresses. Tom came and discovered that somehow the firewall that I have had working for months suddenly blocked the access to any wireless connections we had. He was able to fix it in any case. I am thankful to God for giving us a talented caring son-in-law.

Monday I went to work while the ladies took Olivia to horse camp. Our business was very slow today so I was not too tired when I came home. I brought home some taco salad shells from work, and Evelyn made taco salads for our lunch. Tom and Peter had gone to Asheville to shop so I was able to shower before lunch. Olivia had taken her lunch. She had a very good time at camp. There were 6 other campers and were all girls which made her happy. She learned to saddle and bridle a horse and unbridle same. She didn’t get to ride in the mountains but did ride around the farm. We napped in the afternoon and then Tom and Stacy went to retrieve Olivia. We had soup for dinner and some more birthday cake. Tom connected a new cable that allowed us to show the pictures from the computer on our TV monitor. They looked very good there. We went to bed without the rain that had been forecast. Oh, yes. Stacy made some sangria for her and I to drink for lunch. It helped me sleep in the afternoon.

birthday invitation

Today was the men’s breakfast at church and I had the devotion. I showed a DVD comparing the Book of Mormon with the Bible. I only showed 11 minutes of it but a great deal of discussion followed. I was really surprised at how well it went. As we left I saw pastor who said he was going to bring up my request to be sponsored by OSLC to be a lay minister at the church council meeting. I came home and we went to the lake. Evelyn walked and I used their computer to dump e-mail. I then walked opposite from what she did and met her. We came home and had a piece of my birthday pizza for lunch. I tried to make Evelyn take a nap because she had not gone to sleep until 5 AM this morning. Instead she iced my birthday cake that she wanted to serve to the family tonight. I finally got her to lie down while I cleaned the carport and watered the new plants. I also watered our flower garden we planted last summer. We called Tom and Stacy to see when they would arrive and learned they would not be coming until tomorrow. This was just as well because we had a marriage encounter meeting for dinner. We went and had a nice meeting but one of the women talked on and on. I didn’t think things stuck to a marriage encounter format. We arrived at 5, ate at 6, and left at 8:45. When we went home we went into the house and the Rogers knocked almost immediately. We had a beer and a long conversation with them. They wanted to invite us to their daughter Kimberly’s birthday party next Sunday afternoon. When they left, I wrote this and watched the news. The week ahead looks pleasant but doesn’t contain any prediction of rain which is desperately needed.

birthday pizza and good concert

Up and back to work. Everyone was glad to see me. It may have had something to do with the “free pizza on your birthday” policy at Taco Bell. I had a good time because I enjoy working there and joking with all the young people. Evelyn came at noon and we ate a spicy chicken taquitos for lunch and came home. I immediately got my equipment out and began to stain the deck. I use a small sponge roller that works very well. I used up some of the sealer left over from last year and finished with the new can I After finishing I came in and showered. Evelyn had helped in whatever way she could but took a nap until I came in. I lay down too and was just drifting off when the landscaper came to say they would come to work on the yard tomorrow at 8. We both dressed and prepared to go to Casterline’s for dinner. Shirley had made a pork roast with new potatoes and carrots topped off with a large strawberry shortcake. We looked at our pictures from our trip to Roanoke and then played kings on the corner until 9:30. We decided to go with them to a program of music in Canton tomorrow evening after our lunch friends have left to return to Franklin.

Off to begin a whirlwind day. We had gone to sleep a bit later than usual last night so I was tired to begin the day. I learned that my birthday pizza had not been ordered yesterday. The boss ordered it today to arrive before I left at noon. The period of time I worked outside was more hot and humid than any other this season. I was sweating terribly and came it many times for water and cooling. At noon Barry came to get me while we had a much welcomed rain shower. They brought me home to shower and change for our lunch date. The landscapers were working on the lawn and were nearly finished. There are now many knock out roses and hardy gardenias around the south and west sides of our house. We left and went to a new restaurant, Creekside, for lunch. We ate and then went to several stores they wanted to visit and wandered around the streets of Waynesville. They brought us home around 5:30, and Evelyn had to immediately change for the evening. Paul and Shirley arrived on time and drove us to Canton for the evening performance at the restored Colonial Theater. It is a small but lovely theater that had been restored after the flood of 2004. It holds around 200 but only around 30 attended this show. It was sad because the performers, a quartet and a female soloist were quite good. The major surprise was that the bass singer was a man we had seen in Silver Dollar City when we were friends with the Durkins. We both knew we had seen him, but I had to ask him where he had performed during the sales intermission. Their show was similar to those in Branson--some gospel songs and a big patriotic finish. They did have a local magician/comedian we had seen in Maggie Valley some years ago. I was his volunteer for one of the opening magic tricks. I had to restrain myself from hamming it up too much. We came back here for blackberry cobbler and conversation before retiring later than usual once again. I had received birthday greetings from the Beelis. The girls always make some sort of card or gift while the rest sign a card. They are always thoughtful and the gifts are fun to receive.

Sealing the deck

I went to work and then came home, had lunch used the deck sealer I
had bought a month ago. I was so compulsive that I went right on to the front porch. We slept until 8:30 and then dressed to walk the lake. (It was too late to go to work. J Afterward I tried the computer but still with no success. I will have to ask Tom to work on repairing what the young man did in Roanoke. We came home and had lunch. It was late so I tuned into the Cubs game and dozed through it while Evelyn napped in the bed. I don’t know why we were so sleep deficient but we were. After the game Evelyn scrubbed the deck and the porch so I can treat it with water seal tomorrow after work. I cleaned the areas around the door handles and made popcorn for our dinner. We ate some and then went to choir practice. We are singing a song on the 8th that is no longer true in this country. We do not live in peace without fear as the song says. Not since 9-11. After that we drove to the location where Olivia will go to horse camp next week. We came home and watched a little TV before going to bed.

Coming home

We slept late and left for home around 10:30. I had to argue down our room bill because I was charged for two calls that I had made trying to connect to the Internet last night. The clerk was very accommodating. We left and drove the interstate back to Roanoke where we found gas for $2.689! We did not find a Kroger store so we will have to rely on the Georges to bring us bread. We decided to take the Parkway for a while and drove back up to the Roanoke star where we had lunch. We left on the Parkway and drove 80 miles to I-77. It was a beautiful day and a relaxing drive because the road was not as sharp as the portion in NC. We stopped at many rest areas and finally arrived in Asheville where we had dinner. We had a coupon for a free “tonion” appetizer with the purchase of our entree of pork chops which we shared. I joked with the waitress about my birthday being Thursday, and she gave me a free ice cream dessert. I tipped her well. We then went to the Asheville Mall and bought an “air card” that should allow me Internet access anywhere. Evelyn wanted to get me something special for my birthday. The card cost $149 but is free after rebate, and the service is $60 per month. I hope it is worth it. We came home and watched the end of the Cubs game. I had misplaced the phone charger but the Lord in His mercy helped me find it. One thing we got in the mail was a copy of the South Beach Diet Book and a cookbook. I hope we can use it to add health to our bodies. I went to bed a bit late so I may not go to work tomorrow.

Roanoke worship and Natural Bridge

Sunday we arose and fired up the GPS to lead us to church in Roanoke. We followed the directions and arrived in plenty of time. As it has happened many times, we arrived on the day of a potluck. We were blessed by the message and especially the friendliness of the congregation. We have been to many LCMS congregations and this one had all the others beat. We had a great visit with many of the people and were surprised at how many people were from the Fort Wayne area. In fact one girl had graduated from Heritage and Ball State and was the granddaughter of Bob and Jane Miller from Bethlehem Lutheran in Fort Wayne. We left there and drove to the Roanoke Hotel to get a room for the night. The cost was more than I had ever paid, but we got a free breakfast thrown in. We had trouble getting connected to the Internet and a hotel engineer and I worked on it while Evelyn napped. The wireless was supposed to work in the lobby where it was free, but, since it didn’t, he connected me to the DSL in the room which cost $10 per day. He fixed it so that we won’t be charged because of the problem in the lobby. This was a blessing because it is easier to work in the room than lug the computer down to the lobby. We took a walk to downtown Roanoke through the market area where there was a wine festival. The charge to drink wine was $25 and just to walk around was $10. We thought that was pricey so we just walked around the town and back to the hotel. We ate some of the food we had brought along because we were concerned about spoilage even though we have kept things iced down. After dinner, we drove up to the area where a huge metal star has been erected and lighted each night. We also looked out over the valley where the city lay. We came home and just relaxed until bed time.

Monday found us up and enjoying our free breakfast. Evelyn had wanted the raisin French toast but saw the fruit on the buffet and went for it. I enjoyed it also. We walked downtown hoping to get into the “Market in the Square” but found it closed on Mondays. Since there was little to do there we returned to the hotel. I walked to the side street to retrieve the car we had parked there and found it in perfect condition. We thanked our gracious Lord for His protection. I drove to the hotel where we loaded the car and drove to Natural Bridge. (pictures included) There is a hotel there and we had a coupon so we registered for the night although it was only 1:30. We had eaten a big breakfast and decided to skip lunch. We bought a ticket and walked down to the bridge which is higher than Niagara falls. We had been told that it was possible to drive across this bridge and not know it. We had done just that on our way. We walked back up and took our car to Lexington where we took a carriage ride through town. The driver/guide was very informed about the city and especially informed about Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, the Civil War and the colleges in town: Washington and Lee and VMI. We returned to the hotel around 6 and went to the Colonial dining room for dinner. We shared an appetizer of crab cakes and an entree of catfish. We still had too much to eat. I tried to get the WIFI to work without success, despite being told at check in that it would. I suspect the engineer at the Roanoke Hotel has messed my computer up. We waited until 8:45 and returned to the “holler” under the Natural Bridge. There is a light show that supposedly goes through the story of Creation. (We had laughed earlier because the information placards all told how the bridge had been formed millions of years ago. What a blend of evolution and Creation!) As the time approached for the show to begin, a huge thunder and lightning show began. The thunder really rolled through the “holler” sounding like dynamite blasts. We were told the show would be cancelled in the event that it continued. It did and a goose drowner followed. We ran for the shuttle bus and rode to the top in a torrent. The driver was very kind and took many of us to the hotel. We came inside only slightly damp, thank God. I got some ice and repacked our drink and food coolers. One cooler leaks so badly that we have to keep it in two plastic bags. We will buy another one tomorrow on our way home or to the next destination.