In Memory

On this beautiful November day, my dad passed away. tm and i had taken her grandson on the ferry to Grafton Illinois. we rode 3 different ferries, saw alot of motorcycles and ate lunch at

the landing. it was a beautiful fall day, one dad would have loved.

On our way home we got a phone call from the care center saying that there had been a change in dad's condition. we stopped there on the way home and decided that we should call the family. Dad passed away about 9:15 that evening with all of us there around his bedside.

Dad was the father of 6, grandfather of 14, great grandfather of 6 with 2 more to come. He was married to my mom (who passed in 2002) for 54 years. He was a veteran of World War 2 and the Korean conflict and was very proud of his service. He didn't talk too much about the war

until the past year or so. He worked 2 jobs a great part of the time, he had an 8th grade

education, but help build jet fighters, the harrier, space shuttle and Skylab. He lived in Missouri,

Maryland, Florida, California when working for Boeing.

He was a simple man who enjoyed being busy outside when the weather was good and

puttering around in his garage when it wasn't. This time last year he was riding is bicycle to

McDonald's for coffee with the guys. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in January 2008, but we now believe that he showed symptoms at least 2 years ago that we didn't realize.

He lived with his girlfriend for 3 years then when he entered the care center, was fond of

another lady that also lived at the care center. He taught all of us that you give a good day's work

for a good day's pay and as a result we all are dedicated to our jobs (even when we shouldn't be).

Dad died 22 days before his 85th birthday and 25 days before Thanksgiving which this year

was very solemn for us. Christmas will be too. There is a void in my life right now, this year my

focus was dad, every moment was thinking about dad and what needed to be done. I'm feeling a lost now!

more Ireland

new visitor's center at cliffs of moher, opened last fall

home close to Waterville

ticket office of the white lines shipping, where the titanic had the last port of call before setting off on the final voyage in the city of Cobh

hospice

dad went into hospice today. in the care centers language he is declining rapidly. he's not eating or drinking much and is refusing to take his medicine. we all met with hospice yesterday and they will start their care. this is just another layer of care that is geared to the alzheimer's disease. this is a horrible disease, in dad's case his physical body is still pretty good but his mind is not there. going to funeral home in the next couple of weeks to make his final arrangements. that is NOT going to be easy, but we would rather do it now then when we are grieving

scenes of ireland 2008

cliffs of moher, windy, rainy and cool. about 1/2 hour after this was taken fog rolled in and your couldn't see anything but grey. the cliffs were breathtaking. this is what i went to ireland to see!

sheep in field western ireland

i love thatched cottages, this one was on the way to a rest stop. our driver said that the homeowner didn't like buses to stop, but we could get a pictures if the driver drove very sloooooowly past the home

grave site of a landowner who always wanted to overlook his land

october 20

landscaped grounds of the muckross house, killarney ireland

view from b and b dining room, kilkenny, ireland

ruins next to our b and b, named castleview, kilkenny ireland

Happy labor Day

to all, hope every one had a good day and prayers to those in the hurricane area. had a bbq at t's house yesterday and dad went. i think it was too much for him as today we got a call to the care center because he was agitated. t and i went to see what was going on, he said that he had something on his mind and couldn't remember what it was and he was frustrated. after talking to him for awhile he was better. the nurse said that we should still take him out and they could deal with a bad day every once in a while. there was a new resident moving in the wing today so i'm sure that will stir things up also. only 6 days left to our trip to the emerald isle. have told the guys that they must see dad while t and i are gone, because dad is used to seeing me 4 times a week and i want to make sure that his routine stays the same. b and b had a good time in chicago, said they never walked so much in a long time, but i sounds like they had fun

august 25, 3008

in 2 weeks i'll be in dublin ireland the first day of my dream trip! i'm trying not to get excited because i don't want to jinx anything. called city hall about the kittys under the porch, i can come down and get a trap to trap them and then the animal control will pick them up. i was advised not to feed them and tonight they were ratteling the dish i put out yesterday, it breaks my heart not to feed them but i don't want them to take up residence under the porch, especially with winter coming on. talked to a friend tonight and the small group is going out to breakfast on saturday, they wanted to have breakfast before i left, and that feel good that i have friends like that, they have been my rock this year, lending their shoulders for me to cry on.

been gone for awhile

didn't realize it has almost been a month! t and i are getting ready for our trip to Ireland. We leave two weeks from today. It's been an interesting month. t cut the tendons on her index finger, left hand, had surgery and is now in a brace and sling. the surgery left a "Z" from her palm to the second knuckle. I've had an eye infection caused by wearing contacts too long and had to wear my ugly glasses for 2 weeks. went to eye doctor and have new contacts and new glasses. b cut my hair today and colored it bren wants to know why my hair was so gray he was amazed that it was gray. now at least the nurses at the care center won't think that i'm dad's wife! looked out the door this morning and discovered that i have a family of kittens living under my concrete porch. i've seen 3, black with white throat, black with white chin and chest and black with white spot on chest. i'm calling the humane society tomorrow do see if they will come and get them since winter is around the corner. i don't want them to freeze to death. the picture is from old town st charles along the side of trail head brewery, a micro brewery that has a restaurant and brews its' own berr.

saturday

went to doctor tuesday for my 60,000 mile check up, i'm good for another 10,000. got two shots one in each arm. can't remember the last time i got a shot. not much going on this week, have tyson again this weekend. his family is in iowa for a gym meet until thursday. tomorrow is breakfast with friends that just got back from san diego from vacation, looking forward to hear about their trip. saw dad today, he didn't want me to stay long, still says he can't hear. we went out for a walk to fill all the other residents bird feeders then i left, he keeps saying he knows i have other things to do. took my new medicine a few minutes ago, one of the side effects is drowzyness, so i've decided to take it at night so i won't be sleepy during the day

hottest day of the year

was today 97 degrees with heat index 105. i sat outside most of the afternoon in the back yard under the trees and read; also hung out laundry, but it doesn't smell like the outdoors like my childhood memories remember. i try to hang out the wash as much as i can to be as green as possible.

visited dad today but he fell asleep while i was there, so i left without saying goodby. he was complaining of not being able to hear today, said his ears were stopped up.

the above picture is my belly dance instructor, Nissa. She opened up her own studio and today was the grand opening. i know she will do well because she is very dedicated to her art. the other 2 pictures are of the class at the recital this year.i guess i'll start my lessons up again in the new year. couldn't take lessons this year because i had dad at my house every saturday and sunday up until the time he went into the nursing home.

saturday

been gone a few days sometimes the days aren't long enough. hoops has gone home, his family is home from their cruise and they had a wonderful time, no one got seasick or sunburned. was a relative uneventful week, haven't had one of them in a long time. saw dad yesterday and today, yesterday he was not happy couldn't find things he was looking for and today i was there early and surprised him. we were out for a walk just once around the building because he didn't want to miss lunch. as i was leaving teresa was coming in so we chatted for awhile. fence is up at dad's after a week and 2 or 3 times calling the cable company because the fence company kept cutting the cable line.

cleaned house today for theraphy, after having 2 dogs in 3 weeks the floors really needed it. swept up enought dog hair to make a small dog. the dogs are company, but i am glad to see them go home. went by an adoption fair at petsmart this morning and it would be really easy to fall in love with one of those dogs, but i keep thinking of the responsiblity and the fact a dog would be alone all day.

todd and his family at at gulf shore for a week, said he would send pictures. we sure had a good time the last time we went there. it was the first vacation that was actually a vacation, we did nothing for a week but sit on the beach and sleep and eat!

sunday

another of my granddogs, i'm watching hoops till his family comes home from a cruise to the Caribbean. he is still a pup, going to be 1 soon.
went to see dad today as well as yesterday. yesterday he seems lethargic, didn't have much to say, today he was better, he was sitting in the small room outside the tv room with v. i took both of them outside to sit by the fish pond. dad wanted to walk and v didn't so since i couldn't leave either we sat for about 10 before v wanted to go in. then v and clare came into dad's room for a conversation and visit.
today is a beautiful day not too warm, sunny and breezy. i wouldn't need the ac, but the hoops seems to need it because he is alway panting. he will be going to work with my tomorrow and i expect that he will be good as he has so far since friday

sad news

about dad's room mate, we just found out he passed recently. it was a shock we thought that he had gone into the hospital and then found out tonight he didn't. all residents were in their rooms tonight and the one that were not were agitated. dad said he didn't feel good so we didn't go for a walk. t and c are taking dad to the cemetery tomorrow, he has been wanting to go since mother's day so t is taking him. they will visit his parents and mom's plot. hope it doesn't make him upset.

just a note

went to dinner last night with the sears girls, sherry is getting out again after her surgery. it stormed again while we were out, heavy rain some lighting. just a normal day, thank goodness

only 2 months

till t and i are winging our way to ireland, can't wait, seems like it has taken forever to get this close. we are going to see dublin, guiness brewery, jerpoint abbey, kilkenny, waterford, cork, blarney castle, ring of kerry, cliffs of moher( which i know is going to be my favorite place), inis mor, dun aengus, just some of the places. i know i'll have zillions of pictures, am taking at least 2 4gb memory cards, just hope i can keep the batteries charged up!
saw dad tonight with c, dad was in good mood, v wanted to make sure we were bringing him back in after our walk around the building, it was really hot today with a high humidity, so we only walked around once then sat in the lobby. dad asked c if he has been driving the ford, i don't know if dad saw it while we were walking or if he just associates the truck with c. asked how the dogs were and said that he should be getting out soon that the "hospital" was concerned about his blood pressure.

the wedding was yesterday, they could not have asked for better weather or a prettier day. reception was at lucas school house; old building, 2 floors and outdoor patio. we sat outside most of the evening. food was great, toast by the brides sister and grooms best friends were very heart felt. i killed some brain cell and am paying for it today! dad enjoyed the ceremony, got teary eyed

Hope every one is having a good independence day! i was up early this morning, went to take some pictures of old barns. i got a few, then the batteries in the camera went dead. i'm using re chargeable batteries but they don't hold a charge every long. must get better battery before trip. went for a walk after i got home, need to get the legs moving again for the trip. stopped a lowe's for some adhesive to fix fence that i messed up last week, then went to see dad. we went for a walk around the building and filled all the bird feeders, figure we can do that at least once a week for the other residents. dad is ready for the wedding tomorrow, wants to make sure that he gets a good shave so i ask the girls at the desk to please make sure that happens. then came home and mowed the grass. t and i are going to dinner tonight, gonna have some q at bandana's. had a great thing happen yesterday. one of my customers has family in ireland and we talked at length about what to see and he is on a committee for the st pat's parade in the city and he is going to give me vip passes to the parade and party afterwards. i was really surprised! now i have 3 customers who have given me info on what to do on my trip of a lifetime.

sunny rainy day

visited with dad today, his roommate had a bad night, so i don't think either of them got much sleep. dad introduced me to v today and she gave me a big hug and kiss, didn't stay long dad and virginia wanted to watch a movie. it is so cute to see them hand and hand walk down the hall way to the tv room.
weather today has been screwy. it was muggy this morning, then rain and the temp dropped; then wind, sun, more rain. i mowed the front yard in between showers and ended up knocking a few fence post off the fence with the mower. if tyson knew how easy they would come off he would be gone in a moment. i had a extra piece of fence that i used to fill the hole until i can get some adhesive to put the post back on. i used duct tape to tape the pieces together so now the fence looks like sanford and sons yard.

saturday

went to breakfast with friends today, but it would have been a great day to sleep in, but big dog needed to make a trip outside. funny how when i told my story of taking tyson's medicine everyone said the same thing," well, you are not barking yet" even dad said that while laughing.

Dad got a room mate today at gardenview. they are both the same age, both have military experience and both have 6 kids. they should have alot to talk about. j took dad fishing the other day and they caught a lot of fish, dad really enjoyed himself, wish i had some pictures.

was a lazy day today, couldn't get movitvated to due much of anything. next weekend is a three day weekend and the fireworks have started already, much to tyson's dismay

today

was an interesting day. overslept this morning and in my hurry, accidently took tyson's medicine instead of my own. i had his by mine and went i went to give ty his medicine, his was gone. i call the poison control department and luckily they told me that i might have an upset stomach and be drowsey but nothing else. some times i wonder about my self!! but at least i wasn't out chasing cars or cats :)
another one of my old barn pictures this one is on n east of mid rivers high on a hill

hidden door

hidden door in old barn close to house had to walk back in woods to find it, after i got back there thought might be some wild critters living in the building and if there was don't know who would have been more scared me or them.
370 was closed last night because of the flood, not the water, but the deer and other animals running on to the highway. took 30 minutes to go 2 miles, but better than hitting a deer. opened up this morning. plan to take some pixs of the flood waters on saturday if possible.

Tuesday

rain is coming in, won't help the poor people whose homes have flooded due to levee breaks. the soccer fields in fountain lakes are under water, saw them work on the levee on the way home last night. the water is about 2 -3 miles from work, b called this morning to make sure we had not floated away. this area did flood in 1993.
interesting night last night, followed a pickup with a trailer on it, and the trailer came loose, luckily the driver got his truck stopped before the trailer came completely off. then dropped cell phone in dish water while trying to answer it. took it apart quickly and used a hair dryer to dry it out and left it apart all night, worked ok this morning, which is great. its funny how quickly a piece of technology can become a piece of your life. i feel naked when i don't have my phone with me.
planning to visit dad tonight have more bird seed for his feeder, hopefully the birds have found the feeder and are providing entertainment dad.
the picture is one i took close to the house. i like old rusty barns and sheds. this one is hidden in a field off of 364 and k, had to tromp thru tall grass and weeds to get it

clematis

clematis outside of dad's house

sunday afternoon

this afternoon was also a good day. we visited with dad at the care center today, t and r got him a bird feeder and put it outside his window. right after c and i got there, we were all invited to a music concert in the dining room. a group came in to entertain the residents, it was so touching to see the residents singing the songs that they knew. the group had 3 guitars, 2 flutes, drums, and singers. the residents were given shakers to join in and one of the residents got up and danced. the music lasted 1 1/2 hours and every stayed until the last minute. dad gave me his wallet to keep. this is something he does from time to time. after leaving i went to buy him some clothes for the upcoming wedding in july, but i got him the wrong size pants so its back to the store for a exchange. i also got him a suet block for the birds hopefully the birds will give dad something to watch while he is in his room.

sunday morning

today is a good day, grand dog slept until 5:00 this morning before the morning pp dance. ty is a boxer/pit mix and is a rescue dog from a humane society south of us. He is a great dog, very sociable and very smart. gave the rabbits in the yard some exercise this weekend. his family picked him up this morning and he will be coming back to grandma's on thursday, his family is goes to the kansas stampede to work with the sponsors.

first morning of summer

today looks to be a beautiful day, but they are saying storms tonight. off to breakfast with friends this morning. grand dog is spending weekend, while his family is off on a float trip, they will be back Sunday and by then he will be ready to go home, i can't compete with a house full of people!

June 20

today is the summer solstice, longest day of the year, rainy cloudy morning has turned into bright blue sky with puffy white clouds, this year every day has been a long day, but i believe that will be changing soon. all of a sudden more free time after 6 months of busy every minutes, find myself looking for things to do. will work on scanning rest of old old family pictures to computer this weekend.

first post

i've enjoyed reading others blogs, so i thought i would try one of my own