Day Five

 It has been 5 days since my lumbar transforaminal steroid injections. On Friday I felt there was less pain in my left leg. Yesterday I walked around my neighborhood. I can stand longer and walk a bit farther than before the shots. I still cannot walk the nature trails of Winona Lake or even over to the nearby pond and back. I would need to find a place to sit. I was told that the peak effect usually happens by week 2. I am hopeful there may be even more reduction in pain. Still pain is not the only problem from pinched nerves; muscle weakness also occurs when the spinal nerves are compressed. But at least the changes from the shots should inform the doctor's decisions on how to proceed. There is "data" to work with.

Last week I listened to The Boys a memoir of Ron and Clint Howard. One of my free books as a Wall Street Journal subscriber.

The listening time was about 13 hours. As I mentioned previously after listening to an audio fiction book, I can read something in at least half the time it takes to listen. But this was a good medium (audio) for a memoir. I was familiar with Ron's voice, but didn't even realize he had a little brother, Clint, who also became a child actor. They alternated narrating their memories throughout the book. I think reading rather than listening might have made the book a bit boring. It took me 4 1/2 days to listen to the entire book. I have blue-tooth headphones I use with my Samsung tablet. My hands were free so I would listen as I did household duties and projects. 

In part, the book is a tribute to the Howard parents. Rance and Jean also were aspiring actors who ended up putting their ambitions second to the careers of their two sons. Their theatrical backgrounds gave them lots of sensible advice to help the kids as they got used to participating in TV shows and learning their lines. They also tried to provide normal childhood activities and family bonding. They charged a small fee as managers (less than the trade normal), but they banked most of the kids' money for their use when they turned 18. 

Ron I knew as Opie from watching The Andy Griffith Show. I never watched Gentle Ben so knew nothing about Clint. Lots of child actors have trouble through puberty and on because they are no longer the cute kids everybody enjoyed. The parents tried to keep their sons focused on what they really wanted to do in life, not expecting or pressuring them to remain actors. Ron wanted to direct. He eventually reached that goal as well as producing movies. His curiosity and asking questions during his acting career as a child informed his choice. Clint thought about journalism, but unfortunately in his teens got caught up in drugs and drink. He was a good writer and contributed some scripts to shows. He finally accepted that once he lost his cuteness his role in movies and TV was as a character actor. 

Both of the Howard boys eventually created satisfying lives for themselves. The values of their parents and grandparents served them well as compasses. The family focused on family bonds and helping and involving themselves in each other's lives.

Since I didn't watch Happy Days I was unaware of how Henry Winkler upstaged Ron (Richie). The Fonze started to be the dominant role. This was not Winkler's aim, but the producers' decision after seeing how the audience responded to Fonzie. Ron and Henry kept the lines of communication open, and their friendship survived this challenge. In fact, Henry Winkler became the godfather of Ron's children. 

In the 1950s and 1960s I had aunts and uncles that smoked so I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised when the book talked about all the smoking on the sets. Lots of things done in those days would not be allowed as part of movie making with children today. The old adage it is not what you know but who you know played out greatly in Hollywood decisions. The Howard family built up quite a lot of connections.

Krider World's Fair Garden

 Since we have not taken a vacation away from home since last January/February, my husband decided we should drive to Middlebury, Indiana and eat lunch at Das Essenhaus restaurant. We found the food rather mediocre for the price charged. The best thing to eat there is a piece of pie. We probably won't go for lunch again, but we would stop by for a piece of pie. It is very busy during the lunch time, however. 

Not far from Das Dutchman Essenhaus is the Krider World's Fair Garden. This is now part of the Middlebury park system. Running along-side the park is the Pumpkinvine Trail, a biking and hiking paved trail that combined with two other connected trails runs from Shipshewana to Goshen (about 25 miles). Besides Krider there are several parks with restrooms and parking so you do not have to do the whole trail, but you can select segments.

Krider World's Fair Garden has an interesting history. Krider Nurseries set up a display at the 1934 Chicago World's Fair. This display was an actual garden where people could rest and enjoy the outdoors. The nursery had a guestbook to sign. About 250,000 names and addresses were recorded. Krider used this list to mail out catalogs of its plant offerings. The company became one of the biggest mail-order nurseries in the United States.

The current park is in the location of the nursery (which shut down in 1990). The park fell into disuse, but it was restored as a city park in 1995. Part of the restoration was to include replicas of features that were used in Chicago in 1934. I believe some of these 1934 features were part of the Middlebury park across the street from the nursery when Mr. Krider first established the park. A brochure will help you see the layout of the garden and its features.

This detail of the Gather sculpture interested me because the tail is made of screws.

This sculpture was added in 2022.

The garden is peaceful and shady; there was a family picnicking and a few people ambling through or sitting and enjoying the outstanding day we had yesterday.

A replica of the waterwheel in Chicago keeps the water circulating down a waterfall and into a lily pond.

A fountain constructed in 1935 still works.

Across the street is the Middlebury Historical Museum (blue awning) which we did not visit.

I was surprised to see this container of succulents. Certainly not winter-hardy.

Other artwork included Hebe (the goddess of Youth), an insect, and a Stewart Johnson figure because it turns out Krider garden has a quilt garden.

I was disappointed in the quilt garden. It is the worst one we have seen this summer. Title: Fireworks

Near the parking lot was a windmill that replicates what was used in Chicago.

I didn't get a good shot because to photograph the front meant facing directly into the sun.

We saw lots of Amish buggies, one Amish wagon, several Amish on bicycles, and one farm implement being hauled by a team of horses on a city road (supposedly to a field?). Driving lots of country roads was a slower pace, but we were not in a hurry. Next time we want to enjoy a shady park and a delicious piece of pie we will know where to go in Middlebury.

Kosciusko County Farmers Market

 We are forecast to have rain today but so far it has held off. That meant a dry time at the Kosciusko County Farmers and Artisan Market downtown in Warsaw.

I found a parking spot about a block from the booths. I did sit down twice (midway through my shopping, and on a bench near the courthouse before making the trek to the car). I wish there were more produce vendors and not so many non-food vendors. I did buy some flowers though so I was glad there were people selling them.

I bought some small yellow tomatoes. The red tomatoes in the bowl are what remain from the delicious sweet tomatoes my husband's sister gave us. I bought a large tomato to slice for our bacon and tomato sandwich.

A small package of snickerdoodle cookies for me and a few peanut butter cookies for my husband. He is not a fan of snickerdoodle, yet he chose to eat one at lunch even though I had both packets on the table. 

Yesterday I picked up from Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital (it has been renamed from Kosciusko Community Hospital) a disc containing the images from my MRI. The doctor who will be doing the nerve root blocks asked that I bring copies on film or on a disc on August 23rd. I have a list of my meds on a card I keep in my wallet, but I think I will type up a list they can keep. However, Physical Medicine Consultants do have a list as this is the place I had the electrodiagnostic testing, and meds were a part of the voluminous paperwork I had to fill out. 

There was an article in the local newspaper about the arrests of two people wanted on murder charges. The address where they were picked up is just about a block over from me on Wooster Road. The man and woman were fugitives from Indianapolis. Not the brightest people. They were recorded on a doorbell camera at the house where they thought there was lots of money, including the actual shooting. Then when they were in the house they discovered the elderly father of the victim. They stole his cell phone. The phone was not turned off and tracked them at several locations including where they were staying in Winona Lake. They have been returned to Indianapolis to wait in jail until all of the procedures are followed.

An easy supper tonight: leftover Southwest chicken to be microwaved. I will make a lettuce salad with yellow and red tomatoes. For dessert I will nuke the leftover blueberry sauce and serve the sauce over lemon pudding in the little glass "sherbet" cups that belonged to my mother-in-law. 

I didn't sleep too well last night. Don't know if the nap will come before or after playing Wordle. The way I feel right now I think it will be pre-Wordle.

Pleasant Days

 After a front that brought rain on Tuesday, our weather has become delightful. Low humidity and now for the next 7-8 days temperatures in the 70's. A slight chance of rain this weekend and the next.

I am ready to start a new book. I will sit on the front porch this afternoon and begin reading. 

I spent the last two days working on a jigsaw puzzle. It is 500 pieces, and I did it all by myself; my husband did not help. 

My Syracuse market bouquet held up well until yesterday. That is 5 days of beauty. I have downsized it using the few blooms that still look good.

I took advantage of the nicer weather to clean up my patio plot. I staked up and trimmed some of the Veronica (Speedwell).

 The moss roses are plentiful now. They used to close up around noon, but now they open later in the morning and close around 3 p.m. 

I have spinal injections scheduled on August 23rd. This time I am having them done in a physical medicine clinic in Fort Wayne rather than at Kosciusko Hospital. I will take a mild sedative but not have conscious sedation. I hope that being alert during and shortly after the injections, I will be able to give better feedback to the orthopedist on September 5th.

My sister-in-law gave us some sweet little tomatoes. I would like to go to the Warsaw Farmers market this Saturday. I know I will have to sit several times. I hope the light rain forecasted will not be in the morning while the market is open.

Schools in our area are starting up again this week and next. People's thoughts are turning to autumn already. It is nice that the football players won't have to practice in hot weather.

Hope you are enjoying these August days as well.

Syracuse Artisan and Farmers Market

 

I made a little outing this morning. I went to the Syracuse Artisans and Farmers Market. This is held in a city park. I knew from the photos that there was a picnic shelter with benches and tables. Also, some benches scattered around the park. I didn't need to worry about doing too much walking as there were only about 7 booths. I did sit down near the fountain once, but mostly to get my phone out so I could take pictures. The market's Facebook page shows all kinds of interesting baked goods, produce, crafts, but not much there today. I was disappointed.

This pond with a fountain bordered Highway 13, also known as Huntington. This is the main drag. I saw two Amish buggies on the road. Actually, I mostly heard horses' clip clops and quickly looked up to see the back of the buggies. No time to get my phone ready to shoot a picture. The water for the pond comes from a creek running beside the park, but it was fenced off so I couldn't get a decent photo of the creek and spillway.

Besides the memorial next to the cannon at the entrance there is near the fountain a ring of flags. They are at half-staff currently because Congressional District 2 representative Jackie Walorski was killed Wednesday in an automobile crash. 3 others also died. 

The playground and picnic shelter are in the background.

I did buy a bouquet.

It was foggy this morning and overcast in the park. The temperature was about 76 degrees, but the humidity is high today.

On Monday we saw the report on the TV announcement channel that residents in healthcare and the independent apartments were sick with Covid. There were 3 employees listed. Today there are 13 employees with Covid. This makes it very hard to meet needs because of short staffing. 10 healthcare residents and 11 apartment residents listed. I wore a mask on Wednesday when I went to the GV salon for my haircut. If we decide to get the Sunday mid-day meal from the diningroom we will probably ask for takeout. We may go to a restaurant instead, but there is an uptick of cases in the community too. We are listening to our church service on the computer now.

One of the Grace Village workers has been on leave to spend time with her daughter in a Cincinnati hospital. Addi Kubley died Tuesday. She was six years old.