Memorial Day Weekend

 We don't have any special plans for this weekend. One of my neighbors was sitting outside fixing up flower urns to place on her parents' graves. That got me thinking that it has been many years since we stopped by my husband's parents' graves at Oakwood Cemetery. I think we may try to go tomorrow. I tried to find a grave locator online because I only dimly remember the location. I found a photo of their tombstone, but nothing noting the plot location. However, it is a fairly small cemetery, and I do know in a general way how to get to their resting place. They are not far into the row.

My back-door neighbor in the past has encouraged me to help myself to some of his peonies. I couldn't ask him this year because he is back in the hospital. His wife is with him in Fort Wayne every day and comes home only to sleep at night. This was the first bloom to open (yesterday). There are several more opening today. 

I do not do in-store shopping much anymore, but I went to Martin's to pick up a few items. They had sweet corn 5 ears for 99 cents with the digital coupon. I could see the kernels at the top of the cob were rather undeveloped, but at that price I bought them. Tonight we will eat them. I have had post-op trouble with frozen corn, but I will eat slowly and see how it goes. While in the store, I saw some patriotic cookies which I bought.

Usually, I would grill brats for Memorial Day. My only experience with sausage after my surgery was a breakfast sausage link at Bob Evans. That didn't go well. So instead, we will grill Impossible Burgers. I will only be able to eat it open-faced on the bottom of the bun, no top bun. I wish I could say my eating is completely normal, but alas it is not. I have seen some improvement though. The doctor feels that it will continue to get better.

 

Have a wonderful holiday whatever you are doing. 

Grace Village Vocal Choir Concert

 Last night the Grace Village Choir presented its annual Spring concert. It is about 50 minutes long. 

May 23rd Choir Concert

Costco Blues

 After my morning appointment in Fort Wayne with the hiatal hernia surgeon, I browsed a bit in Macy's and Penney's. I have to stop and sit fairly often or the pain in my butt and legs gets very bad from the neurogenic claudication. I bought a pair of navy slacks at Macy's. Then after lunch at Panera, I shopped in the Hallmark store near the  big mall.

My final stop was Costco. I picked up some Flonase Sensimist. I put a rotisserie chicken in my cart and a large package of mini naan (which are almost always out of stock in my grocery store online order). 

As I rolled my cart to check-out I saw some blue kitchen towels on sale. 8 towels for $13.99. I have been wanting to replace many old faded towels. Blue being my favorite color, I knew I would be pleased to own these. They are in several shades of blue, and a few are not terry but woven material. I hung two in the kitchen yesterday and so far have liked the quality of them. A fortuitous find. 

The blue and white towel I already owned. I roll my towels rather than stacking them, a Marie Kondo influence holdover. 

Yesterday I received the authorization letter from my insurance company for my June 7th laminectomy. The surgeon's scheduler called me to go over some health and medication history. The laminectomy will take place at 3:30 p.m. I didn't ask the expected length, but on the internet it says such surgery done at several levels takes 2 hours or more. I see on Fort Wayne Orthopedics portal that a second surgeon is listed. The scheduler said that since it will be late afternoon, I most likely will spend the night in the hospital. Actually, I am glad to do that as I should get some instruction and help on how to get in and out of bed. Things are lining up. 

Pink!

 The patio cheddar pinks are in full bloom.

Monday I bought two pots of geraniums that are now sitting on my front porch.

It's been a bit breezy to sit on the porch lately. Maybe tomorrow. I borrowed 2 books on spiritual formation from Hoopla. I started one. I have 20 days left to finish them. 

My insurance company pays for Mom's Meals, but it looks like only for people who have been hospitalized. I will need to check on that. We can self-pay. We might do that for the first week after my back surgery. These have a long shelf-life (well, really refrigeration life) and are microwaveable. Of course there are frozen items from the grocery store that can be microwaved. I think I should hear from the surgery scheduler by the end of next week as to insurance authorization for the surgery. Once it is authorized, I will communicate with United Healthcare to see how Mom's Meals are covered and the qualifications. Only 3 weeks away now.

Lumbar Laminectomy June 7th

 The date for my lower back surgery (lumbar laminectomy) is Wednesday June 7th. This was the surgery that originally was going to take place in November. Then all of the other health problems took over, and the back surgery was delayed. The surgery will be at the Orthopedic Hospital on the Lutheran Hospital campus in Fort Wayne. Unless I hear otherwise, it will be scheduled as outpatient day-surgery; the doctor may have me stay overnight if he feels that it is necessary.

Yesterday was the final meeting for the 2022-2023 Winona Literary Club. We always end with a luncheon. The caterer did a nice job of not only providing the food but the tablecloths and decorations.

We had chicken salad croissants, a bowtie pasta salad, fruit (grapes, blackberries, strawberries), and a variety of little cookies. The paper plates sat on gold chargers. The cookies came in a little plastic container that held a mini cream puff, a pirouette, a square of nuts baked with some kind of stuff that held them together, and a macaron. Each cookie container sat on the plate with the other items and had a flower among the cookies.

This is the container I brought home after eating the cream puff and the nut bar. 

The club is now in summer recess, but the program committee and those who work on the yearbook so it will be printed for our September restart will work over the coming weeks to complete their tasks. Next year's theme is "Getting to Know You".

As you can see from this year's booklet cover, the club will be starting its 120th year of existence in the fall. We did shut down for several months during Covid. 

This year's theme was "Imagine This ...". We meet every two weeks with a winter break and a summer recess. The program alternates between a speaker and then the next meeting music and a book review. We are not a book club. Our speakers in the past have included a beekeeper, an organization that sews special pillow cases for hospitalized children, an animal sanctuary, the mayor of adjoining Warsaw. Our constitution does not state that it is a women's club, but it did start out with female members and has stayed that way for over a century. I have belonged since September 2007.

 

Dwelling In The Present

 When I see the same message in several things I am reading, it gets my attention. Lately, several blogs and the book Safe All Along by Katie Davis Majors have emphasized dwelling in the present rather than thinking about the past or planning/worrying about the future.

 Mrs. Majors uses Psalm 91 to impress upon us that we dwell day by day in the shelter of the Most High. It is my turn to give the devotional talk at choir on Monday. I just finished writing it up a few days ago and was ending with Psalm 91:1, 4a. I was tying the imagery of God as a "Mother Hen" tucking her chicks under her wings with a lament poem by Ann Weems in her book Psalms of Lament. Weems poem is in the voice of a wounded bird calling out to God to pick her up and bring her inside His house where she can heal. 

While sorting through stuff to donate to the Grace Village swap shop, I was motivated by my husband's recent comment that we might move from our condo to an apartment in the next 3-4 years. We are thinking more like 4-5 years now, but still a future down-sizing has been on my mind recently.

This week we met with the marketing/advancement employee to find out what would be involved in a move. It will be 12 years ago in July when we became residents of Grace Village. The process, the financing, the steps involved in transitioning from the condo to an apartment were revamped about 7-8 years ago. Getting better informed of the details has led us to think of using our RMD withdrawals from our retirement accounts differently.

 It also helped me to see the square footage difference between the two types of 2-bedroom apartments. I had actually been inside the two different types without knowing how they are labeled, and I had come away with the impression that the D+ (plus) had a rather small living dining area. Too small in my picturing of how we would integrate our furnishings and lifestyle into an apartment. We were given actual floor plans with the room dimensions of the two types. Though the D+ has slightly more square footage and a walk-in pantry which some people have converted into a laundry, a D which is what my sister-in-law lived in and what I am most familiar with will suit us best I think. I also like the larger closets in the D bedrooms. Still, it will depend on what is available if we find we need to move rather than want to move.

 There are 29 2-bedroom apartments currently. I now have a "map" with the 2-bedroom units colored in. Some I would most likely not prefer because of location (in the pet hall, facing the front of Grace Village where lots of cars travel and some park). They have been combining some small apartments to make larger ones, but the GV marketing employee said they have about run out of options to do that. 

Having the information pertinent to our future, I can now file it away and get back to enjoying my condo and each day here.