Birthday Cake with Jaudons

Elaine and I had the pleasure of sharing Charley's Birthday cake him, Ruth and Chuck.  Elaine had a 2:00pm follow-up appointment with Dr. Summa who gave her a good report, and then we walked on over to the Extended Care area of the Hospital where we joined the "party". Ruth has a very pleasant room and is receiving Hospice care with Charley across the hall recuperating from a hip problem. Charley is about 8 months younger than me and we have gotten together for many years on our birthdays. During the days we were playing golf, it was often on the course where we would shoot our age as we got a bit older. He   played most of the rounds with me when I set my 91 consecutive days of playing 9 holes.

Charley and Ruth had an Auction, sold their house, and moved up to Brookdale a couple years ago. They being there, along with a few other people we knew, had something to do with our decision to move there last September 1. I remember of calling Charley when we were considering Brookdale and asking if there was anything we should know about the Unit we were considering. Happy Birthday Charley, you are joining a group of us with big numbers.

Life at Brookdale

I went along with Elaine down the hall to the Laundry room today and got this picture of her putting clothes in one of the 3 washing machines available here at no cost to residents. There are 3 dryers as well.  Elaine has been a little reluctant to start using these facilities regularly since they are shared and she was so attached to the ones down at the house. After being up here for six months, it would seem that we should be well adjusted to the change, but I too keep making adjustments. This afternoon I worked on files in a 2-drawer wooden file cabinet. It is a substitute for a 4-drawer metal file cabinet plus the 2nd 2-drawer one. I'm finally getting around to doing the reorganizing for our current lifestyle.

We enjoyed telephone conversations today with Tim and sister Janice. Elaine has had many calls and notes following her weekend TIA. I don't know of anyone (other than family) who missed her at our table more than the 94 year old retired farmer that we eat with twice a day. There hasn't been a meal since she's been back that he hasn't told her of his concern and how nice it is to see her back looking so good. He lost his wife about 6-weeks ago and we have become pretty important to him. His wife had been in the Green House facility, and he spent every afternoon with her. While he has good family and Pastor support with calls and visits, our extended Dinner and Supper eating time is important to all of us.

Paul Siebert at Brookdale

Paul Siebert entertained a very appreciative audience at Brookdale this afternoon. Paul is a great vocalist and excellent musician able to play several instruments. He followed an Irish theme today with his songs and stories in recognition of St. Patrick's Day. One of my favorites today was his rendition of "The Unicorn" which was recorded by the "Irish Rovers" some years ago. He not only sang many of the old familiar Irish songs but told the story of the song's history. He talked about the Pubs over in Ireland and how the people come together for a drink and to sing Irish songs. We had the pleasure of a Great Britain Globus tour a few years ago and can certainly confirm the popularity of the Irish Pubs. My Great Grandfather and Grandmother on my Mother's side both came from Ireland and settled in Illinois in the early 1860's. After his fighting in the Civil War with the Union army, they came to Seward, NE and built a little house which is still occupied.

He played both a regular banjo and also one custom made to compare with historic instruments from Africa. He played a 2-row button accordion that compares very closely with the one Dad had and passed on to our youngest son Jon. He has had occasion to play it many times in conjunction with Civil War re-enactments and other occasions back in Washington, D.C. were he works.

Elaine's TIA

The Good News is that the Doctors say there is no evidence of permanent damage from the TIA (mini-stroke) that Elaine suffered over the weekend. It lasted about an hour from the time the fingers on her right hand were numb, a few minutes later her speech got a bit slurred and then she was unable to write her name. With the insistence of Daughter Carolyn, we got her to the Emergency Room of the Hospital. There she went through a Cat-Scan, EKG, with a blood sample drawn and urine sample taken for later analysis. She will see our family Dr. Summa on Thursday after the analysis has been reported. Dr. Jacobs wrote a very encouraging report of the test and examination in the ER. He prescribed Plavix, a blood thinner, which she has already began taking. Hopefully that will help prevent any recurrence. We are very optimistic but it was certainly a scare.

Julie's Sledride on the Pond

I had checked out the ice for thickness and drove the tractor around the pond before giving Julie this ride on the sled, but I'm not sure it was very wise on my part. There is always a chance that a spring could open up under the ice and water and cause a soft spot. But it didn't happen and we had a great time. Maybe Julie learned something about the risk-reward equation in the process. Is it possible that not only this experience but many others on the farm, may have given her the courage and confidence to do such things such as going to New York City to work with Martha Stewart. There are some things that you learn on a farm with machinery, animals and nature that you just don't get from a book. And we are so pleased that she came back "home", married John and comes to visit quite often with our GreatGrandchildren, Sadie and Jack

Life in the Slow Lane

Following my final retirement from an 8-5:00 schedule at age 65, I continued to be involved in many activities. As time went on, there was a gradual shift in emphasis and eventually, most have been dropped as we continue to age. I have kept a Daily Diary and Daily Journal for most of my life, and they are a great source of information. I have also been an avid photographer and have utilized both sources to do considerable writing about our lives. We got our first computer in the early '90's and a digital camera about the same time. Our early (pre-computer) pictures were put in albums and later ones organized in a filing system. Many of the early 35mm slides have been converted. Some years ago, I started putting pictures and activities on CD's and DVD's. As we moved to Brookdale my activity became more sedentary. My plans are to continue writing but also to get all of our pictures organized on  DVD's. That is what we were working on in the picture, even as we watched the Nebraska basketball game.

4 - Freedoms

In his State of the Union message to Congress, January 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said: " We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way-everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want-everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear...anywhere in the world." Inspired by Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" speech to Congress on the eve of World War II, Norman Rockwell wanted to contribute to the war effort by creating paintings that depicted each one. He eventually took sketches to Washington, D.C. and visited the Office of War Information but received little interest but on his way back to Vermont, stopped in Philadelphia and discussed them with the editor of the Saturday Evening Post. They were impressed and used them for four consecutive cover pictures in 1943. A few months later the government changed its mind and used them in fund raising campaigns to help the war effort and to help people capture the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

Norman Rockwell's Granddaughter Abigail, wrote recently in the Saturday Evening Post, "We are living in chaotic and even alarming times, but here's a tremendous gift. We are compelled to go within so much outside of ourselves is beyond our control to discover what our true values are what is really important to us, for our families and our lives. Everything becomes clear in times of crisis. All of us are now urged to revisit the Four Freedoms and what they mean to us. Freedom of Speech (and the Press) is more relevant and vital than ever before; Freedom from Want - the polarity of the haves and the have-nots is starkly apparent and pressing; Freedom of Worship as everyone's faith is being tested, judged, and at times viciously condemned, and Freedom from Fear haunts all of us as we attempt to gather greater strength, courage, and renewed purpose in the face of escalating troubles around the world". The current issue of Smithsonian cover picture shows changes.