Bully

 

We ate lunch at Hacienda Restaurant today. A bright festive place on a gray damp day. Watching over us as we ate our burritos was el toro negro. 

I feel "puzzled" out after doing a 1,000-piecer last week, but probably next week I will work on the jigsaw puzzle given to me by my husband for Christmas. 

This personalized puzzle was based on a photo at Flagler Beach, Florida in 2022. This was the kind of restaurant where the facilities are marked gulls and buoys for the female and male bathrooms. Though we enjoyed my birthday lunch, we were grieving the loss of my sister-in-law four days earlier. We stayed in a rental at Palm Coast. 

I am starting to put away some of the Christmas decorations. The lighted tree and the main creche are still up though. 

Do you leave your Christmas decor up well past New Year's Day?

Have a Blessed Christmas

 

Have a Blessed Christmas

Stained Glass Gift

 

Today when my husband went to the workshop, the stained glass creator was there with a gift for us. A cardinal couple suncatcher in a cute cloth bag made by his wife. He always includes the suction cup with his gift, too. How thoughtful.

Don is doing more advanced work now. Notice the metal leaves and the incorporation of glass beads.

Today when I did my grocery pickup all but one spot was full of cars. I usually go on Thursday or Friday so maybe because of it being Saturday it was busier. But by the size of the orders being loaded into the vehicles, I suspect people were getting ready for Christmas Eve and Christmas. I know some of my grocery items are for the holiday. 

My reindeer amaryllis is now taller than the clock. Still not ready to bloom, but it is fun to see the growth.

Christmas Plants

 

I hadn't planned to buy a poinsettia this year, but near the entrance to Meijer sat a display on sale. I couldn't resist. 

 My husband went out shopping today. When he returned and came in from his pickup truck, he sort of sneaked some packages into the garage. At lunch he mentioned he had some gifts for me that were going to be tough to wrap. I replied that if he had an amaryllis bulb/plant I would be happy to receive it early and watch it grow. Problem solved.

This amaryllis bulb on a slab of wood grows without any need of watering. Then came a second bulb in a "sweater". A Christmas reindeer! When the red blooms appear (probably in January), they will cheer me up during the cold winter. I found last year that a really good place for them to sit is on the cedar chest in the den. The light seems to be just right. 

Now I have a row of Christmas plants to enjoy. How about you?

Wicked Icicles

 

We have been in the deep freeze the past few weeks. Usually, we do not have icicles and when we do they last a few days.

We have had some sun and a few days around 30 degrees. The icicles melt and refreeze. Today the ones on the backside of the house have mostly broken off. I can see the shards lying in the snow.

The ones in the front have twisted and formed daggers. The kind of icicles that "broke" Ralphie's eyeglasses in The Christmas Story movie. At least according to Ralphie.

There has been spreading of ice melt pellets on the sidewalks. Usually I see white or blue pellets. Today for the first time I saw purple pellets.

I think the reason I noticed was because they were at Everwise Credit Union whose signage and logo have purple. Coincidence? 

What things are you noticing around you?

Sculpted Patterns and an Interloper

 

As I left my neighborhood to head to Fort Wayne, I noticed patterns that had formed on the roofs sculpted by sun and wind. I wish I had taken a photo then because the sunshine made them stand out.

Down on the east end of the block, the process was just starting.

Most of the time my grocery shopping is done online with parking lot pickup. That means the store employee picks out my purchases. When I am in the store, I open the carton to check for cracks and broken eggs. Today I opened the carton at home to check my order. In at least 50 years of buying eggs, I have never seen what I did today. There among 11 white-shelled eggs sat a lone brown egg. I wonder if the bird flu is making it harder to have adequate quantities of eggs to sell or if somebody with a sense of humor did some switching. Anyway, I was sure surprised to see this interloper.

Chocolate Advent Calendar

 

After seeing some ads for chocolate Advent calendars, I thought I would like to have one this year. My family and my church that I grew up in never celebrated Advent. As an adult, I have attended churches with the Advent candles and liturgy. 

I saw on Amazon an Advent calendar with a village scene and Italian chocolates. I can't say I have ever eaten chocolates from that country, but the reviews were good. I put it under my wish list knowing that I would be ordering other things in about 10 days. Alas, the product was out of stock by the time I got back on Amazon, and it stated there would be no new stock coming in. 

Lots of chocolate Advent calendars online. Some cost hundreds of dollars and have elaborate packaging with twinkle lights. I finally ended up with this Godiva calendar. I like that brand of candy. The box opens up like a book and stands upright. 

Today is candy piece number one behind tab one. Each day for the next 24 days of Advent, I will open a tab and enjoy a piece of chocolate. Unlike some Advent calendars with the days in sequential order, these are randomly placed. It should be fun to see what shows up on a particular day. 

Voila! December 1st candy is the milk chocolate praline heart.

Fort Wayne Dining and Shopping

 

We wanted to pick up a few things at Trader Joe's at Jefferson Pointe in Fort Wayne. When the weather forecast looked nice, we decided to take the opportunity today. Starting Wednesday, we will have very cold days with some snow by the weekend. 

Near Trader Joe's is Biaggi's, an Italian restaurant. I had the butternut squash and walnut ravioli. I have ordered this before, but I had forgotten how wonderful the sauce is.

 We usually are not in Fort Wayne on a Sunday; this restaurant had its dinner menu instead of the weekday lunch menu. We were pleased to see that for the pasta dishes you can order a smaller portion. Not only were these $4 cheaper, but it turned out we had room for dessert.

The main item I wanted to find at Trader Joe's was the peppermint flat pretzels.

 I am co-hostessing the December 3rd Winona Literary Club meeting which means I and another lady will decorate the tables and provide refreshments. We hostesses will get together this Tuesday to firm up decisions. Lois has lots of nativity pieces from different countries we will use as the centerpieces. I had hoped to find some napkins with Merry Christmas in different languages, but I have struck out. 

The nuts are from Costco. I also bought some croissants for Thanksgiving sandwich snacks; and some reading glasses. In the past month the bottom frame of my glasses on the right has cracked and the lens fell out on two pairs. These Costco glasses which came in a package of 3 also are plastic; but on sale the price is about $6 a pair. 

Not much choice of color, but I usually wear my bifocals when not at home, and these plastic readers at home. I will see how they hold up.

When at Trader Joe's I bought some flowers. Now that I am home, I think maybe I should have bought the pot of narcissus. Unlike the plant I bought several years ago, this year the narcissus was in bloom (with some buds yet to open). I do not think my flowers will last as long as the narcissus would have.

When I did my grocery order this week, the chips I wanted to use on Thanksgiving were out of stock. I saw some tortilla chips at Trader Joe's and decided I would buy them instead of making a special trip to the grocery store this week. 

We will eat our main Thanksgiving meal at our retirement community dining room: turkey or ham, dressing, potatoes, 2 vegetables, cranberry salad, pumpkin or pecan pie. We are going to the 12 noon seating. 

Have a good Thanksgiving thanking God for His many blessings.

Four Bears

 

I have four little plush bears that sit on a bench in my bedroom. Three of them were gifts; the fourth I gave as a gift but "inherited".

The bear with the pink hat I gave to my mom when she had breast cancer. It was in a display of breast cancer awareness products. My mother, her mother, her sister, and one of my maternal cousins all were treated successfully for breast cancer. When my mom died, I asked if I could bring the bear home. She is the momma bear.

The bear with the red hat was a gift from my older sister. Do they still have Red Hat Societies these days? This bear is dressed to fit in. This teddy represents my older sister.

The bear with the bluish green hat represents my twin sister who gave it to me.

The pink Ty Beanie Baby was also a gift from my older sister. It is the January Birthday bear. It represents moi. 

We have Momma Bear with her 3 daughters. I reflect on my childhood days when I see them, though they came to me when I was an adult. Sometimes seeing the bear with the pink cap makes me miss my mom and I get misty-eyed. She has been gone since November of 2018.

Never too old to enjoy cute bears. 

Strange Day

 

My day started out sunny at 40 degrees with a forecast of reaching the low 60's in the afternoon.  I enjoyed a normal breakfast, and my physical therapy session went well. It was when I headed out of Winona Lake to Warsaw that unexpected events occurred. 

Since they have completely torn up Road 250 East from Wooster Road (off of which my condo is located) north to Highway 30, I drove west on Wooster past Grace College to reach the medical building in Warsaw where my blood draw was to take place. An almost hour wait, but that is not unusual these days. I stopped at Martin's, one of the few stores in our area that carries low-acid orange juice, and I picked up a few other items. Headed for Winona Lake in the reverse order. 

Only this time when I came to my left turn from Kings Highway onto Wooster, a police vehicle with whirling red and blue lights sat in the left-turn lane; a Grace College security vehicle sat in the eastbound Wooster Road lane along with a sawhorse blocking access. I was a little miffed because I was running late in getting home for lunch, but I thought OK I will keep driving straight and turn left at the next street to wind through the campus parking lots to get to my homeward route.

 What I could not see when I saw the blocked lane because the road curves was what was happening just east of campus. Firetrucks, rescue vehicles, police cars with flashing lights. No way through. So once out of the parking lot, I turned west onto Wooster, went back to Kings Highway, and followed it for a few miles to the round-about where I got on 250 East north. I made it home about 12:30. 

Knowing that Wooster Road was blocked, I did the Kings Highway route again after lunch to pick up my online order groceries at Kroger. I noticed that access to Wooster Road was still blocked. 

At Kroger, more strange happenings. The pickup location has 8 spots (4 pull-through lanes to accommodate 2 cars each), the first car to arrive requested to pull all the way through so another car can pull in behind. Except, there were only 2 pull-throughs, and the other pull-throughs had only the back spot available, the front being blocked with orange cones. Location 1 car had parked itself without pulling all the way to the front. I parked in location 4 not wanting to back up to get out when my order had been loaded. I realized that the lane next to me was being repaired. The concrete had been taken out in a neat square. Then I noticed men standing around and construction trucks parked in the adjacent parking lot. 

I use an app to order and when I arrive I tell them where I have parked. Pretty soon, a car parked behind me. When the store employee wheeled my order to my car, I noticed it seemed large. He asked for the order name. No, I am not Belinda X. Turns out it was the car behind me. Hmmm. I was here first. Then a cement truck arrived, extended its chute, and obviously was going to fill the hole. A lady brought my order, but we could hardly hear each other. Fortunately, she loaded quickly; I was concerned that the cement might splatter and hit my car. I left and Belinda who had been waiting for me to get done followed on my bumper. 

When I headed home, I saw that Wooster Road was open again.  As I passed around a single rescue vehicle blocking my lane, I saw the blackened and charred front of a two-story house on Wooster Road. What had been an inconvenience to me was a tragedy to somebody else. My attitude could have been better. 

Be Careful What You Wish For

 

It was just a few posts ago that I was lamenting that I was tired of my summer warm-weather clothes and wanted cooler weather. This morning we have not cool weather but cold weather. I am grateful I have a heavy winter coat to wear when I go to the Grace Village brunch buffet around 11 a.m. I am also wearing a warm nightgown and my winter bathrobe since yesterday. 

Winona Lake is on the edge of the so-called lake-effect snow band. Last night as I watched on TV Notre Dame and Navy play football in South Bend, the snow was falling pretty good. We had been forecasted to have snow but that it would not accumulate. As you can see in the photo, that is not true. We will get more snow tonight, and the temperatures will remain in the 30's until Wednesday. 

I have not been going outside the house much the past few weeks, but besides the Sunday brunch today, I plan to start back to my ladies' Bible study tomorrow morning and to choir practice in the afternoon.

I wish I had less pain from the incision and the bruising, but it is reducing some. If it follows the pattern of the right side, it will be around week 5 that I feel good. Two and a half weeks to go.

We are meeting some family from Michigan on Thursday at the Bluegate restaurant in Shipshewanna. They joined us last year for Thanksgiving but had poor road conditions for driving home. We could see that the roads would be good on the 13th, so we all decided to get together earlier than Thanksgiving. 

I was planning to stop using my walker on Tuesday, but I will stop a day earlier (Monday) so at least I will not have to struggle using that in Monday's snow. Today, my husband will drop me off at the main door which has a covered porte-cochere. We adapt when we can.

Through the Window

 

It has been 1 week since my second surgery, the fusion of my left sacroiliac joint. I have not been outside since October 22nd. The sunshine and blue sky looks lovely, but the temperatures and wind have not been conducive to sitting outside. So I enjoy autumn through the windows. 

I have a lot more fatigue this time around. Since I had two surgeries within the past 6 weeks that should not be too surprising. I try to listen to my body and nap pretty often. 

I know my husband is stressed out trying to prepare meals and clean up and do laundry. He is restless and bored wanting to go places and do things. I just do not feel up to that yet. It is painful to sit, and riding in the car is not a welcome thought. I will have a post-op medical appointment on November 3rd in Fort Wayne which will require an hour in the car. Hoping I will feel better in the next 5 days.

Our retirement community transitioned from its well-based system to city water Monday. There is noticeably less water pressure. Seems like water softening is also not working as it did previously. There will probably have to be some adjustments. 

I am working on my Bible study lessons, reading a book, working on a jigsaw puzzle, playing some games on my tablet. They distract from the discomfort some. Not very productive otherwise. I start physical therapy on November 7th. 

I knew getting through 2 surgeries would be a long slog. I am about half-way through. I am counting on Thanksgiving being a turning point, a time when I truly feel well again. Until then, perseverance is the name of the game. 

I Have a Date

 On October 6th, I received a phone call that my sacroiliac fusion surgery on my left side on October 14th had been cancelled. I was told the surgeon was unavailable. I could wait until mid-December or see one of the other 3 spine doctors to see if they could fit me into their case load. 

I met with a new surgeon last Thursday. I really like him. He told me that my original surgeon had been in an auto accident and sustained major injuries; he is expected to have a full recovery, but it will take time. This new surgeon said he would try to fit me into his surgery schedule within 3 weeks.

I received a phone call a short while ago. I have a date! My surgery will now take place on October 22nd. I am thanking God that this will allow me to recover sufficiently before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. 

I received a little bouquet of flowers from my cleaning lady's garden again last Thursday. It has been a blessing to have some flowers to enjoy. We did have a light frost last week so these may be the last blooms. I do like autumn but of course here in northern Indiana the growing season ends in October. I have my photos of past bouquets to peruse now during the colder months. 

Touches of Autumn and Recovery Notes

 The weekend before my surgery I got out some autumn decor. I am restricted in bending over and standing on two feet so I thought it best to put out these things while I was not limited.

The little pitcher/vase I bought in Zanesville, Ohio, in 2016 when we stayed at a B and B in Lancaster. I like pottery, and Zanesville is known for its clay soil which led to many pottery companies being established in the area. There was an "antique" store in Zanesville centered around pottery items produced in the area through the decades. 

The lady who cleans my house every two weeks brought me some more flowers. She said she does not have as much variety now, but I think they fit in the autumn color scheme nicely.

We had a few nice days with cool nights, but now we are warming up again to around 80 degrees. I am longing to wear my cool-weather wardrobe items. I have not been outside since September 17th, but I am hoping to eat at the Grace Village dining room Sunday and to attend Bible study Monday morning and choir practice Monday afternoon. Warm-weather clothing needed.

 I have a nightgown which has faded and is pilling which I plan to throw away after surgery recovery. (Don't mind if it gets stained.) I have been looking online at Kohl's and Macy's for Miss Elaine nightgowns (a brand I like and own) with short sleeves that are marked down in price. A few days ago, I found one on Kohl's and it was the last one in my size. I was about 6 dollars short of getting free shipping so I just browsed around. I ended up ordering a short sleeved top for my current hot weather LOL. The shipping was about $9 that I would be saving on and the top around $19 so I rationalized it was like getting a top for $10.

 I usually avoid sleeveless tops because I do not like the way the arm holes gape open and show my bra; but one of the reviews mentioned that there was a little inset of material sewn into the Dolman sleeves to prevent that problem. Anyway, the Nine West top arrived today. I am not sure I would have picked it out to buy in the store, but it does fit well and does not gape. It should go well with black slacks or white pants. 

I was expecting our Hello Fresh meals to arrive yesterday so I was not too surprised when a box showed up on my doorstep. It was not the meals (they did come later), but a big box of surgical dressings. I did not order these. I contacted the surgeon's office and was told they were part of my "surgical package". Except the first 3-4 days when they would have been handy was long gone. At 9 days after surgery, I have no bleeding or oozing at the incision. I was told to keep it uncovered at that point. I hope I do not get another big box after my October surgery on the left side. I won't use up what they already sent. It is nice to be prepared, but sometimes it just seems like waste. It may be that when the sutures are removed Tuesday that covering the incision a few days will be a good idea. I am trying to be optimistic about this surprise package.

Bionic Woman

 

It wasn't until after my sacroiliac fusion surgery that I learned the name of the fixation system that my surgeon used. It is the TiLink P system by SurGenTec. Modern technology is quite amazing in the orthopedic field. You can watch a video about how it works at the manufacturer's website. I am now a bionic woman. 

Getting Ready For Surgery

 I am getting ready for fusion surgery on my right sacroiliac joint on September 16th. I will return home on the same day as the operation. 

I will have to use a walker for at least 2 weeks. I bought from Amazon a tray that goes on the walker so I can carry things around. I will be doing toe-touch walking.

The tray I ordered has pockets hanging down both sides where I can put my phone or Samsung tablet or silverware. This walker has a cup holder and a small band across the front. I hope to be able to fix some cereal or a breakfast sandwich/burrito to put on top of the tray. That way I can take care of myself instead of bothering my husband. He likes to get up early and go to the Y or to do woodworking. We will try to keep a typical schedule after the first few days.

I put blue tennis balls on the back legs. I ordered them along with the tray from Amazon.

I already have a grabber and a bath bench from previous surgeries. We have a walk-in shower and a raised toilet in our condo. 

I have had to stop vitamins and supplements already. Most of my other meds I will take until the 14th and 15th. Starting on the 11th I have to put Bactroban (Mupirocin) into my nose twice a day to kill off bacteria. The night before and the morning of the surgery I will shower with Hibiclens which the surgeon's office supplied. 

I have dug out of storage a backpack I got at a grocery store promotion many years ago. When I do not have the tray which will mostly be when I leave home, I will use the backpack. The walker cannot be folded up with the tray attached. We will need to fold the walker to put it in the car. I will not be able to drive for several weeks. It is a blessing that I can do my physical therapy at Grace Village where I live. My husband can drop me off and be home in 5 minutes. 

Since I am to avoid bending and standing and holding heavy items, my husband will have to take over the meal prep/provision. My small garage freezer and the refrigerator freezer are full as I have stocked up. We can also do takeout from Grace Village dining room. I thought I could use Home Chef oven-ready meals, but it doesn't seem to offer much in the weekly choices. You have to order two at a time to use its services. I have canceled my subscription with them and have signed up with Hello Fresh. It has Ready Meals which can be microwaved as well as some meals that will require some simple prep. We will have our first delivery this Thursday to see the quality of the food. If it is OK, we will use Hello Fresh for a few meals per week for 2-3 weeks probably. With the shipping charges, it certainly is not an economical choice (neither was Home Chef). 

My housecleaner will continue to come every two weeks. I have been doing online ordering of groceries with store pickup for some time. My husband can drive to Kroger to get our groceries and toiletries after I place an order. 

Time to rest in the arms of Jesus and soon under the tender care of my husband. God will give us grace to cope with the hiccups. 

Winona Lake Farmers' Market August 30 2025

 

There were not as many vendors at the Winona Lake Farmers' Market today but lots of shoppers. After a chilly start, the sunny day warmed up under a clear blue sky. The lady who sells flowers had bouquets of zinnias and the arrangement I bought had sunflowers, some unusual like the big round one and the pinkish yellow ones.

The vendor who usually has pies was not there today. I had hoped to buy a small one. Instead, I bought some blueberry cream cheese muffins at another table. We will eat them with our chicken corn chowder at lunch.

I sat on the rocker on the front porch after starting a load of laundry. I am reading a book by Nancy Mehl on Hoopla. The setting seems sort of familiar, but I think this is another series in that town. So far, I do not remember this character. I have read some of Mehl's books set in the town of Kingdom, however.

It feels a little like fall the past few days. They say it will warm up for Labor Day. I plan to grill some brats and eat potato salad on Monday. Things will get busy on September 8th when my ladies Bible study group meets for a new year, and the Grace Village choir begins rehearsals again. Enjoy your holiday.

Sweet Breeze Boat in Fort Wayne

 

Yesterday we rode the Sweet Breeze canal-style boat on Saint Mary's River in downtown Fort Wayne. These tours are operated by the Parks and Recreation Department.

A narrator wearing a headset mic told about the bridges we went under and some history of the Miami Indians who had an important settlement called Kekionga along the banks of the river. 

I must confess I found the wooden chairs uncomfortable. There was a head (potty). Passengers were allowed to go out on the front of the boat in the fresh air. One father took his kids out there. The narration though interesting to me became a bit boring after 30 minutes. Kids' attention spans are short.

The first bridge we passed under was the Harrison Street Bridge on the east edge of Promenade Park. 

The dark "mud" you see on the overhang are actually swallow nests. 

Lots of people out on the river in kayaks and privately-owned boats. The kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards can be rented at the park. 

Headwaters Park adjoins Promenade. Once under Harrison Bridge, most of the landscape and bridges we saw are on the banks of Headwaters. I wish the narrator had talked about the Columbia Street Bridge as I would have liked to know who made the globe lights.

The Saint Mary's River joins the Saint Joseph River and then those waterways become part of the Maumee River. 

Significant buildings we passed were the water filtration plant and the replica wooden Old Fort.

Though it was not the largest settlement of the Miami tribe, Kekionga on the shore of the Saint Joseph was a central ruling village. Here important decisions were made. The Indians were involved in many wars against the white settlers (French, British, and American). Little Turtle was the admired war chief. 

William Wells who had been abducted by Indians from Kentucky as a teen ended up living among the Miami for several years. He married one of Little Turtle's daughters.  Her name was Sweet Breeze. 

Fort Wayne has done quite a bit of beautification of its bridges. The Martin Luther King bridge is pictured below.

Spy Run Bridge has been renamed or will be renamed Veterans Memorial Bridge. Current status not clear to me.

We parked on Harrison Street just south of Superior. On the weekends the metered parking is free. Across from our car was a mural on a building at the start of The Landing (a pedestrian shops/restaurants area). 

Since Kilwin's Ice Cream was about 2 blocks from our car, we indulged.

As we headed back to the car, we stopped to chat with a lady painting a picture on the cement above the storm drain. This is a project that Fort Wayne does from time to time to bring awareness to storm drain safety (not dumping stuff). The artist told us that special waterproof paint is used, then some kind of a varnish is applied so that the drawings will last at least two years. This was her first time to participate.