FINISHED!!!!!!

We finished up with the house on Saturday. We took a few things over to store in MinnieMee, then yesterday we took the sweeper and the mop over to the storage locker. No plans to go back till today when we will set out the trash.

This morning we have my annual mammogram in Fort Wayne, then this afternoon we are meeting the house buyers at Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Tomorrow morning is the closing, then we are headed to Indianapolis for the night. Terry has his last cardiology appointment for the summer on Wednesday. Expecting nothing but good reports there. Then we have a day off and Friday we move the motorhome over to Goshen Fairgrounds for a week.

We went to Claypool yesterday to visit with Mom. She is doing well. We left right after lunch and took supper with us so we could eat with her. I think she enjoyed that. We still will be visiting her as we wrap things up here in northern Indiana. The end of the month we head down to central Indiana to see our family doctor, then we are off to Charlottesville to see the kids, then on to Florida. Back to the normal routine. Except we will probably spend more time in Florida this year looking for a more permanent place for the motorhome.

And eventually we will head to Texas. So busy, busy, busy.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Back to traveling!

A week or so ago, we closed up the house and took off in Phaeton Place for the Warsaw fairgrounds. We stayed there for a couple nights and visited with Mom and sister Nita and husband. We enjoyed a great visit. Mom is in great shape for 93 years old with no real complaints.  She is living in her own house, a park model in Nita's woods, and is as independent as she wants to be. Nita visits every day and sees to it that she has what she needs. All the same things we did for her when we would be with her in Texas for the winter. But Mom has decided she will not return to Texas anymore. Our job is to sell her place when we get there and we hope to get that done pronto.

After leaving Warsaw, we went to New Castle and set up camp at Summit Lake State Park, near our former home in Mooreland. We stay there and do the rounds of our doctors which we kept when we went fulltime and travel all over. You gotta' be somewhere for doctor's appointments, so we stick with our old providers.

We managed to have some fun at the same time by visiting with a colleague of mine. They have a Scottish Terrier, Baxter, and he and Duchess got to visit. Didn't really do much together. . . they are like two ships that pass in the night. But it was a change of scenery for Duchess and she does enjoy their back yard!

Our yearly doctor appointments went well. Terry's doctor reinforced our thinking on his medical problems, particularly his heart issues. He confirmed that Terry can build his heart back up from where it is now and perhaps get back into the same physical condition he was in prior to getting sick last winter. That illness really dragged him down and reduced his heart function, but he is already doing better. It will just take time and we are working on getting his stamina back. Walking daily has already improved that, so we are hoping to continue.

We then saw his cardiologist in Indy. He made a couple med changes which we hoped he would. One med he takes is a rhythm drug and the doctor had scaled back on it. Other doctors have tried that, but it seems they all want to give it a go. But it doesn't work for Terry. So they are increasing that again. At least we know from the tests they did this summer that the med, previously suspected of causing lung problems, has not in fact done anything to his lungs, so they were okay with increasing it again.

So we are back on the road and heading toward Virginia to see the kids. . . at least the first round! We will get into Charlottesville on Sunday and visit with Jocelyn, Tom, Ronan, Aenea and Pepper for a week! Whoo hoo! Can't wait to see them. It's been a long summer without my grandkids fix.

We are currently camped at Camp Creek, West Virginia, which is a neat little state park we found a couple years ago. We even have a full hookup site and it's paved. There are streams and waterfalls all around us and it's quite loud when we step outside. I was concerned about the level rising as these streams are raging pretty good right now what with all the rain they have had here. But they assure us the worst is over. The picture on the left and the picture on the right are the same MashFork falls, two years ago and yesterday.


We will go make a supply run today before leaving tomorrow. And do a little hiking.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Spring appointments

We drove in high winds all the way back from Virginia to Indiana. We drove the toll road, which was expensive, but the quickest way to our destination. We pulled into the drive at the storage condo and were there for a week. We made one trip to Indy for Terry's cardiology appointment. We will have to make some time for Terry to have a pulmonary assessment, but all is well.

Mom is doing well in the rehab division at Miller's in Warsaw. She is in rehab every day, usually morning and afternoon, and is trying to do everything they ask of her. She says she grows stronger every day. She can feel her strength returning and is able to do more and more by herself which is really encouraging.

Toward the end of our time there, we camped at the Warsaw fairgrounds so we could visit more. I attended her evaluation where they said she would be there one more week, then released home. We also went to her house with the PT people and Mom and they evaluated what else they specifically needed to work on to get her living again in her home. Fortunately after what we went through with Daddy, her home is now 100% handicapped accessible, so she can negotiate very well with her walker, although she will be able to ditch that soon. The people at Miller's have been wonderful to her and have kept her safe and mobile and have improved her balance and stability a lot. We are very grateful to them. They in turn have been very pleased with Mom's eagerness to help herself and are in awe of this almost 93 year old woman who refuses to be bedridden. Whoo hoo!

After our last weekend there, we headed to central Indiana and the rest of our doctor appointments. All went very well and I am pleased to say I got released by my back doctor in Indy. He is a peach and he and his staff gave me my life back and free of the pain I have endured for over 40 years. If you are having back issues and they are not resolved with the treatment you are seeking, please go to St. Vincent's (Indy) to the Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine and at least have a consultation. I used Dr. Potts, but there are several specialists and they will help you see the right one. I am eternally grateful to them.

Till next time. . .

Dale

A little "twist"er on things. . .

We left the RGV on Monday. Made it to Houston and on Wednesday put my 92-year old Mom on a plane nonstop to Indy. First time she had ever flown by herself, but she had always insisted this was what she wanted instead of having a "babysitter." I put her in a wheelchair right away and got a gate pass so I could go with her to the gate. Southwest Airlines was wonderful with her and I left her in good hands. We decided to exit Houston once her plane was off because bad storms were headed our way. Actually by the time we were pulling out of camp, my sister had already intercepted her at the Indy airport and all was well. We drove to Kinder, Louisiana, to try and escape the storm chasing us there.

Along the way my sister reported that 15 minutes after leaving my Mom at her house to "take a nap" she had fallen and they were awaiting the ambulance. Turns out she cracked her pelvis in 3 places, but thank God, who was watching, there were no broken hips. She will soon be transferred to a nursing home for rest and rehab. I know my Mom will try. Surgery was not called for because neither hip was broken and this is the standard treatment. I'm sure she will always use a walker from now on but we all thought she should have been anyway and she refused. I asked Mom if she wanted me to come to her and she said, "Heavens no. There is nothing you can do here. I'm being cared for." So we will move on and in two weeks will be back to check in on Mom once we arrive for doctor appointments as we planned. I only get to see my grandkids twice a year for one week as it is and Mom knows how important that time is.

In the meantime, we were at Coushatta Indian casino and Red Shoes campground at Kinder, Louisiana, to dodge that storm rolling through Houston and had a tornado hit our campground at about 5:15 am yesterday morning. It flipped a 30' trailer over about 100 feet from us and then passed on to the perimeter fence where it took out about 600 feet of board fence. Then it crossed a small field almost directly hitting a house, tearing the roof and twisting and downing trees around it but leaving the main house intact. Before crossing highway 165 it hit a new motel and left the metal roof in pieces strewn across the lawn and highway. Next time I vote for staying put.

Power was out in the camp till noon when we left. We heard the occupants of the trailer were okay. EMTS and workers arrived very quickly and pulled the residents out the top which was actually the side escape window since is was laying on its side. I think it would have continued to roll but it had rolled into a picnic table which seemed to hold it.

Living in the midwest all my life, I've seen enough tornadoes for a lifetime and don't need anymore. This one was so quick, almost just a microburst of wind, but the telltale twisting of the trees was there.

We are now in Zachary, Louisiana, visiting Terry's cousin and wife. We had a fish fry last night which is second to none at Gary's since his hobby for 30 years has been as captain of a fishing service off Grand Isle. Hmmmm hmmmmm good.

Take care, and stay safe out there.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Cruising along. . .

We spent the next few days cleaning up our place in Mission. I cleaned Mom's trailer inside and out and then I tackled the Texas Room. Terry got the golf cart running and then powerwashed both the Texas Room and Mom's trailer.

On Tuesday we went to the airport to meet my sister Nita and Mom. They arrived on time and had good flights all the way from Indianapolis. I had made homemade vegetable beef soup, so that was waiting for us when we got back to the park. It worked out well and Nita helped me clean up from supper. They then went back to Mom's and rested before bedtime.

There wasn't much for them to do since we had gotten everything cleaned so we visited mostly during the time Nita was here. She walked with us every morning and I took her to garage sales in Hidden, one of our neighboring parks. We didn't find anything. . . there was very little even out.

We did a little grocery shopping and made sure we had all our ingredients for our park dinner on Thanksgiving. We chose to do that instead of have to cook all day for ourselves. LOL I actually do have a turkey, though. H.E.B. had them on sale for 98 cents a pound for a Butterball, so I bought a smaller one and put it in the freezer for some later time.

We have had a couple cool days and today turned cool and windy again after having an 84* day yesterday.

Nita left early Monday morning. Terry and I took her to the airport and before we left the drive, she had already checked her bag, so we left. McAllen is a very nice, small airport which is easy to get to and easy to negotiate. It was nice to finally settle in with just Terry, Mom and I, but I do miss Nita. It's fun to have "sister" time occasionally.

Sunday Terry started getting sick with what is known down here as the "Texas Crud." He is still coughing, sneezing and gagging and not eating much. We have both been down this road before and he should be starting to feel better soon. I think he surely has had his worst day already. He probably won't be able to go to the dinner tomorrow though. I may bring him something back.

I just want to say Happy Thanksgiving to you all and may God bless you and your family.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there and particularly to my almost 92-year-old mom.

Having left our roost at the Indy KOA for good on Saturday, we traveled with Terry at the wheel to the fairgrounds in Warsaw so we could visit Mom on Sunday.

As we have done for the past several years, Jim, Nita, Terry and I and some of Nita's other family, took Mom to eat at the Honeywell Center in Warsaw. It was a good dinner and we enjoyed all the visiting we got to do.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Till next time. . .

Dale

Well here I am again. . .

It's been several weeks since I have blogged. Fortunately, Terry has taken up the pen and done the duty for me. Much like he has done everything else for the past couple months.

My back surgery was March 24. I don't know what I was expecting, but suffice to say, I got more than I wanted! Pain that is. I had multiple, I think maybe four rods placed, along with what looks like six screws and two cages. The doctor's comment was, "She's not gonna feel like doing much of anything for the first month." Truer words were never spoken. But pretty much one month after surgery I was doing well and much of the pain had subsided. Pain pills are a godsend I must say.

We started walking the week after my surgery. At first I would do 3/4 to 1 mile. We walked the Washington Square Mall. That's is very close to where we are camped and they open for mall walkers at 9 a.m. We've also walked Castleton and Greenwood Park Malls. The last two are still pretty decent malls. Washington Square is dying and it truly is a tragedy that yet another of the icons of years gone by are fading away. I suspect within a few years that mall will be gone. We are now walking two miles in the malls in the morning and in the afternoons we walk Duchess usually on two half-mile walks around the campground.

As the weeks rolled on, the pain diminished and at about five weeks the surgery pain was pretty much gone. This is the last pain to leave. . . it's the one at the base of your spine. I kid you not, every time I would move, change positions, or get up out of bed or a chair, it felt like someone took a butcher knife and stabbed me in the back. That's as close as I can come to describing the pain. And this pain was there even with pain pills. I can honestly say I was starting to get a little depressed, so we planned a few little outings to keep things interesting.

Riding in the car is a challenge. Short hops are fine; but we have made two trips up north to see family and after two hours, things start aching. I still am taking the occasional pain pill for moments like that. My legs get "restless" and my butt starts to hurt. I did buy some gel cushions for in the car and those are helping. I also wear my back brace in the car and that helps. I'm guessing it helps to stabilize my back.

It's now seven weeks post surgery and I still have the same restrictions. Basically I can't do anything. I am up though and I have driven some, if I haven't taken a pain pill. Picking things up off the floor is difficult because I can't bend. I help with dishes, but I not supposed to do things with repetitive motions. I don't do things every day, but occasionally I help set the table, etc. It feels good to be a team again and I don't overdo it. Terry keeps a watchful eye and will remind me. He's getting me back for all the times I "remind" him about stuff he's not supposed to do. LOL

Saturday we will be leaving Indy KOA and heading north. We are spending a couple nights in Warsaw as we are all taking Mom out for Mother's Day. Then we will spend a few days at the house. We hope to work on it some this summer and start cleaning it out in preparation for selling it. We use it so infrequently that it doesn't pay to keep it. We will never live there permanently because Terry can't stand the cold weather in the winter, so we need to work at getting it sold.

We are toying with the idea of heading to Mississippi for the family reunion. We are going to try to do it, but whether we succeed will be determined by my being able to withstand the travel. I'm hoping the motorhome with its air suspension will be better than riding in the car.

So that's where we stand now. Things are going very well with my back. My limp is slowing fading and my bursitis is also healing. The two conditions were related to my back problems and are starting to correct themselves as the back heals. Whoo hoo!

Till next time. . .

Dale

More family time. . .

Jocelyn and the kids left just before the 4th because they wanted to spend the 4th watching fireworks from their favorite site in Charlottesville. I got the house cleaned and ready for the next "wave" of kids to come.

After they left we were able to squeeze in a closing on another duplex! Whoo hoo! Three down, one to go. The fourth is actually under contract and we have a closing date of September 14, so life is good. We are keeping the "storage condo" for now because it provides a nice place for the kids and their families to stay when they come to visit other family.

Thursday, July 9, we picked up Brandon, Megan, and Brynlee at the Fort Wayne Airport in the evening. We had a cup of coffee while waiting for their plane and once we retrieved their luggage, we headed for Goshen. We got them all situated in the house and then we left for the campground.

We spent the next few days visiting with them and helping Brynlee celebrate her birthday. Since her birthday is later in the month and we won't be able to be there, we decided to give her our gifts so we could watch her unwrap them. I got her quite a few clothes because I found some really cute things on sale and we also got her a kids' Kindle. It is quite versatile. . . not quite a I-pad, but much cheaper and is able to hold a lot of kids' movies and books and things that they like to look at. She is also quite adept at "2" at maneuvering her way around an I-phone, so the Kindle will be a breeze. Aenea is good at that too. Brandon had made the suggestion because when they travel, Brynlee is always wanting to use their devices, so now she will have her very own. I think she really liked it. Brandon showed her how to do some things on it and it didn't take long before she was using it on her own. We enjoyed getting to see her open her gifts.

We really enjoy having the little ones in the house, but the dogs seem to enjoy the peace and quiet of the motorhome after we leave the house! In some cases, Butterscotch can be found on somebody's lap, safely out of reach of toddler hands. Most often, Duchess is hiding under the desk in the kitchen!

The kids are here because cousin Kellie married Tommy on May 8 and is having a reception on Saturday the 11th. We are taking our little motorhome down to the woods at Nita's and staying there with our dogs. The kids got a hotel room. This one picture is of Mom, Dad, Brandon and Brad. They are the only grandsons and are 10 months apart in age.

They got to spend some time with Mom and Dad before and after the event and we got some great pictures. The kids have always enjoyed spending time with Mom and Dad and my parents appreciate the time the grandkids make to visit with them.

Here are a couple of pix with Mom and Brynlee, ages 90 and 2 and Dad and Brynlee, ages almost 91 and 2.

Till next time. . .

Dale

Some of my favorites!

As I reminisce on the last week and look back over pictures, I am enjoying the love and comfort my family gives me. Surround yourselves with your loved ones while you can.

Ronan and Grandma Dale going for a ride. His one word he used multiple times to describe the ride was "AWESOME!"

My 90 year old Mom and Aenea at 3, her great grandaughter, 87 years difference in their ages.

My Dad, also 90.

Butterscotch and Duchess, both 9 years old.

 

The love of my life, Terry.

 Till next time. . .

Dale

Leaving the Rio Grande Valley. . . 2015

Today is the day we left Mom and Dad and the valley. Sure hate to go, but it was another crappy winter here in the valley, so I am ready for a change. We went with Mom and Dad yesterday out to dinner one last time. We took them to Cheddar's and had another great meal. It was the first time Terry had gone with us there and he enjoyed it as well.

We had everything ready on the motorhome, jacks up, cleaned, etc. The Texas Room was closed up on Saturday, so we were ready to go and pulled out at 9 a.m. It was a clear day and we weren't anticipating any problems. We made it to the checkpoint at Falfurrias in good time, then traveled on to Victoria. We stayed in Victoria for the night.

From there, it was on to Houston and we stopped at Lakeview, where we lived while Terry was undergoing cancer treatment. My cousin, Jim, lives in Houston and has had some health challenges in the last couple years. He is doing well. He is by himself right now, but someone comes in every day to help with some things and there is a student living in his “maid's quarters” who sees that he has food, etc., and can drive him somewhere if he needs it. He has had surgery on one leg and when it heals, he will have surgery on the other. He is using a walker to get around now instead of the wheelchair. It is a long process. He had a “heart event” during the Tour deHouston a couple years ago and he is dealing with side effects from that. His spirits remain high and he is determined to get back into diving. It is good to have passion for something. His attitude is great!

We leave Houston tomorrow for Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. It's the heart of Cajun country and we hope to learn a little history!

Till next time. . . 

Dale

Getting ready to roll again. . .

We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with Mom and Dad yesterday. I had fixed all my side dishes in disposable pans, so clean up would be quicker. We had turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, green bean casserole, dressing and rolls. Then Mom brought cranberry salad, a relish tray and deviled eggs. We didn't make big portions of anything, so we wouldn't have so many leftovers to eat, but it was still a lot of food. It was all good, except the dressing was a flop. I pretty much know why. Next time I'll try my regular recipe. After dinner, we watched TV for awhile and just visited. It was a great meal and a great time with my parents. I really cherish these times with them.

Today I decided to get the Christmas tree put up. I was worried about whether or not I had enough time to decorate since it was already 1:30. By the time I finished the tree I looked at the clock and it was 2:30. Hahahaha. So I got more decorating done inside the Texas Room, but didn't put anything outside yet.

On Saturday we are heading back to Houston because Terry has to have his incision checked for his ICD and at the followup they we check to make sure the device is continuing to deliver the proper treatment for him. We are taking Phaeton Place and stopping in Victoria on the way up for a night and then will drive on in to Houston on Sunday. We will be staying at Lakeview this time. We will head back down to Victoria on Tuesday and will stay the night there. We will be meeting up with some friends who have to be in Victoria for a doctor's appointment, so we invited them to lunch at Mumphord's BBQ. Can't wait!

Once we get back down here, things will pretty much be back to normal which means relaxing for the next couple of months. We didn't get our "bling" out yet because we knew we would be leaving to go back to Houston. So we will be doing that when we return. The weather has been pretty good since we arrived. We have some cool nights, but it is warm during the day and coats have not been required.

Till next time. . .

Dale