Michael

A year ago Kate’s partner Michael fell at home and couldn’t get up. At the hospital they diagnosed kidney failure, and he started dialysis three times a week. Looking back, I can see that was the beginning of his marked decline. Like everyone, he had good days and bad days. I didn’t see him, but Kate talked about him. After seeing a number of doctors, he was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease that was attacking his organs. Not good! A few weeks ago he went back to the hospital, and x-rays showed he had a broken hip. Days later he was in the rehab facility where he had the same roommate he’d had a year ago! Increased breathing difficulties sent him back to the hospital where they found he had pneumonia and COVID. That was too much to overcome, and he died on pi day, 3/14.

It was marvelous that several of Michael’s relatives went with Kate to the funeral home to make the arrangements. Viewing hours were from 4:00 to 8:00 with a short service in the middle. She called me the day after that and sent me a photo of Michael in the casket. I looked at it, and a sudden feeling of peace came over me. I said to his picture, “You have REALLY gone home!” It was accompanied by music in my head – Going Home by Dvorak.

Small Family Party

Niece Kathie, a teacher, was on spring break and suggested we get together. Grandson Nathaniel and Sarah were stopping by to see Lise and me. Time for a small party! Kathie offered to bring lunch, and the rest of us gladly ate it. What fun we had!

After eating Kathie’s lovely lunch, Lise persuaded the group to move a heavy dresser into the yellow guest room.

They dismantled it, cleaned it, and put it back together.

They found two old papers under a drawer. Kathie and Nathaniel were able to read them, and Lise put them under a heavy book to flatten them. I will try to scan them in a few days.

Well before dark, Kathie headed back to Charlotte, and the young couple continued to Tennessee for a short vacation.

Thunderstorm!

Daughter Lise adores thunderstorms, and one day before she was to leave, she woke twice in the night, seeing light through her eyelids. An hour later I woke, looked at the weather radar, and texted her to expect activity soon. I woke for that round. It was super!

Penguin Mom

Daughter Lise noticed something different about my walking and called it to my attention. She said, “When you start walking, you put your hands and arms slightly behind you, making you look like a penguin.”

I laughed and caught myself doing it. There is no telling when it started, but I’m trying to be conscious of it now. Lise remembered that the surveillance cam in the kitchen had probably caught it and went through the video clips to show me. Yes, it was there for me to see, as plain as day. We had a good laugh at the various times I had forged ahead like a penguin.

As she went through the clips, Lise found a different one where I had done something silly. We began to giggle, which turned into uncontrollable laughter. That happens every time we are together for a while. It’s not only fun, but laughing like that makes us feel rejuvenated. Surely it’s a health benefit! We sounded demented and hoped none of the neighbors could hear us through the walls of the house. It would have taken a while to live that down.

Time is Flying

Daughter Lise and I have stayed at home all day for only one or two days of her three-week visit. It is so much fun to see people, run errands, take the garbage to the dump, and shop. She has taken me to a doctor’s appointment and dropped off eyeglasses to have changes made. The weather has veered from our having to keep pipes from freezing to being able to wear sandals outside. We’ve eaten Mexican food, sushi, hamburgers, barbecue sandwiches, and Southern food. So far we’ve visited with neighbors Shawn, Joyce, and Cindy, as well as former neighbors Connie and Marla.

Taking a used car for a drive was also an exciting event. My car should be replaced, though not during this visit. I was concerned that the car would not fit in the garage, so the two salesmen said we should drive it home and try it. Lise put it in the garage, and then I took a turn. That was enough for one day. They showed me another vehicle that had just been taken in, and that one had more promise, being a little smaller than the first one. We’ll look again during Lise’s summer visit.

The latest food photo shows our sharing a dish of rum-cherry ice cream at Jukebox Junction.

While wandering in Walmart, we spotted a small battery-powered lamp that is recharged with a USB cable. Remembering how much I’ve enjoyed a small fan with that setup, I bought one. We found others on line, and I bought one for the computer table in the living room. It is inexpensive and totally portable, not needing to be recharged very often.

While Lise had a meeting with people from Norway and Denmark, I noticed that it was snowing. Lise wouldn’t want to miss that and would be able to swivel her chair to look out the window. I wrote a four-letter note and quietly opened the door to slip it on the table for her. At that moment, she said she had just hung up and could go outside to see the snow. Timing is everything!

Enjoying David

Our lunch destination was the barbecue joint closest to my house. On the porch was a giant chair that David had to test, and I had to photograph (family imperatives).

The younger set chose a giant cookie to share and were willing to pose with it.

After dark we spent time on the front porch. David was totally at ease on the railing, which Lise had to record. I would not have done that, even when I was ten years old.

David was very willing to move furniture with Lise. Both worked really hard to dismantle the bunk bed that had come from my parents’ house years ago. My brother had it first as his childhood bed, then my parents used it as twin beds. After Dad’s death, it came to my house, was moved to NC, and was David’s bed for several years. I’m not ready to let it go yet.

We are many steps closer to having the two guest rooms sorted. Lise still plans to move dressers and bookcases so that the woods of the furniture will match. I will stand back in amazement as she gets everything in place.

Nathaniel and Sarah

Grandson Nathaniel and wife Sarah came for the day to visit Lise and me. We were very pleased that they could take a day off together. She is a manager in a hotel, and he is the kitchen manager for a Mexican restaurant. Lise presented Nate with a St. Patrick’s Day hat we found for him. The shamrocks glow in the dark.

Nathaniel said they had looked at restaurants in Waynesville and picked out one they would like to try. Lise said we had done the same thing.

Nate said, “You go first.”

Lise replied, “No, you go.”

Nate conceded and said, “The Red Fox Tavern.”

Lise and I burst out laughing as we did a high five. That was the same one we had chosen. Nathaniel treated us to a most delicious meal. We had the dining room to ourselves, and Lise persuaded the waitress to turn down the loud music.

On the way home, we stopped at the Cheesecake Moose to take home individual treats.

Before they left, the group cleaned up the headboard Lise was bringing back in the house.

After Lise set up the bed, she laughed at the way the cord holding my glasses flipped over my head.

We appreciated their taking a day to be with us and enjoyed our memories of the day.

Computer Removal

Daughter Lise is in the process of getting the study updated. The first item was unplugging John’s computer. All the wires were tangled behind the small computer desk, so I crawled behind it to unplug each wire Lise jiggled.

I had to lie down to use both hands.

Lise suggested a victory photo after everything was unplugged.

This time I had no trouble getting up, knowing I had to take the phone out of my pocket and remove my sneakers. The hard drive will have to be wiped clean before we can give the computer away, but that can wait.

Barbecue and Wild Turkeys

Lise and I enjoyed being with David at Haywood Smokehouse, the barbecue place with my favorite sauce, Raspberry Chipotle. Lise’s exclamation was that she couldn’t believe she was here for over a week before having her first meal of barbecue. I’m sure she thought it was worth waiting for. We’ve already planned to go to the nearest BBQ place next week.

After having our fill of wonderful meat with the sauce of our choice, we had dessert. Lise chose peach cobbler, while David opted for chocolate pecan bourbon pie. They let me have a taste of each, which was all I wanted.

Lise spotted wild turkeys, perhaps 10 of them, on the way home from walking to the stop sign. We were too far away to see them clearly, but she took a quick photo. This shows them marching down the road, heading back into the woods.

Outing with Friends

Former neighbor Connie and I were on the demure side of the table.

Our daughters had planned our outing. We had serious talk amid lighthearted banter, but they ended our lunch in a fun and silly mood. Just in case they don’t want strangers to know their names, I won’t put them here.

You all know how wonderful it is to renew friendships. We enjoyed catching up on news, just enjoying being together.