It has been another busy morning around our house. I had a call at 0730 from a contractor telling me that his crew was on the way to build my new gate to my back yard. That was all good because we were up any way preparing to go to the Deaconess Mid-town hospital for Kate to do a bunch of tests prior to her surgery. They were supposed to be done three weeks prior to surgery and we are right on schedule for that.  The crew got here about 0745 and I went over the work that was to be done. 

Kate and I left for Deaconess. I asked her if she had her phone; I was going to drop her off and go find a place to park and wait. She said she should be about an hour at least, depending on waiting times at each of the clinics. So, I dropped her off. I could easily see that there were no places to park in the main lot. There were already four or five cars playing “circle the wagons” to try to find a spot. So, I knew I could go over to the parking garage and find a spot, even if I had to go up to the roof. But, as I pulled on to the second floor, I saw that there were several spots available so I drove on around to close to the door and sure enough, there was a spot right by the doors. I pulled in, got out my little tray table that attaches to my steering wheel, got my iPad to I could write my blog while I wait, but —— I had forgotten MY phone. I instantly realized that not only did I not have my phone to use as a “hot-spot” for the internet, —- Ms. Kate couldn’t call me and let me know when she was ready for pick up. So, I put my stuff away, left my perfectly great parking spot and drove the 5.5 miles back home and picked up my phone, and drove back to the hospital. However, —- this time I was able to find a spot may 100 ft. From the front door of the hospital. I wasn’t parked but maybe five minutes and Kate called me and said that she was walking to the front door and ready to go. 

From there we went to the Cross-Eyed Cricket for a great breakfast and then swung by the cemetery to see how bad the flowers on the graves looked. They definitely need replacing. That may be tomorrow’s job.

Got home and the fence builders were hard at work and they should be done in the next half hour. While they were working out their with their air compressor, I asked them if they could air up the rear tire on my little John Deere. It will save me the trouble of having to carry my compressor and hose, and extension cord all around there. They had no problem with me asking them to do that. 

So now we are home for the day and I still need to get myself down to the office and finish the sermon that I’m working on and another couple. But I want to wait until the fence crew leaves. 

That’s it for today. Peace

 I really should be downstairs sitting at my desk working away on my keyboard. But, instead, I’m watching birds at the Buffet, eating the breakfast Ms. Kate fixed, and farting around on my iPad and wasting the morning away. But —- I had a full day yesterday as I told you I would have, so I’m relaxing for a bit this morning before I get started. I did get a lot of stuff done yesterday but I’m running out of time on my self appointed timeline. I want it all done before we head out for North Carolina so I don’t have to squeeze stuff in at the last moment. We are adding appointments to the calendar for Kate’s surgery and that will throw my schedule off a lot. 

It is a cloudy and “cool” morning and will be staying that way all day. I guess it is a good thing that I am going to stay inside and write isn’t it. I wonder what I’ll do with all of my extra time once I retire. I tell myself that I’m going to read and in fact have ordered a new Stephen King novel that has not even been released yet. It comes in September, I think, or maybe it is October. But, Amazon had a good “pre-release” price on it and I knew eventually I would buy it anyway. So why not get the good deal. 

It is amazing what a person can get on Amazon. I have been trying to get my new refrigerator water filter for a little while and and the place to get them was out and said he has more ordered but it would be maybe two weeks. So I went to Amazon and found them and I got it this morning, free delivery and had it in two days. Not only that, I was able to set up an automatic shipment every six months. That’s how often you are suppose to change them. The best part is that I got it $20 cheaper that the parts place had them. 

Speaking of internet shopping; the ear cushions on both pair of my Bose headphones have completely worn out. I thought I was going to have to buy another set and was waiting until we go to NC. There is a Bose outlet close to y daughter’s house. Well I got on the Bose website last checking prices and found out that I could just order new ear cushions. Who knew!!!! So I ordered a set. They should be here on Monday and we’ll see if I have wasted $45 or saved myself $300. If they are what I need, I’lll order a second set for my other pair. 

Time to quit jabbering and get on with the day. It is now officially “after-noon”. Have a blessed day. Peace. 

 It’s a cloudy Wednesday and early spring/late winter conditions have returned. I even heard a forecast of snow showers in the northern part of our television viewing area. I’m glad we don’t have that. Today though we’ll see a high of 46 which is in fact quite seasonal. It is the low of 31 that I’m not crazy about. I just unplugged the bird bath yesterday so I don’t want any ice forming on them. 

Yesterday afternoon I filled all of the bird feeders again. I need to stop by Pet Smart and pick up some more black oil sunflower seed. I hope the price has started to go back down. Last time it was double what I have been used to. Generally for a 40# bag I pay somewhere between $17 & $22. Last time I paid almost a dollar a pound or $40 dollars for a bag. I had enough to fill the appropriate feeders wit it this time and may have enough to do another round, but I can’t put it off too much longer. The store folks said that the harvest has been bad for it in I guess South America. I’m not sure where they get it. Certainly there is no harvesting of sunflower seeds in North America this time of year. Amazing that a global economy even affects the bird seed purchases. 

Kari, our cleaning lady is here this morning so she is having to work around us too we are having to work round her, I’m not sure which. We really like her and the job she does. She spends about three and a half to four hours here every other Wednesday and when she leaves the place looks great. She mainly dusts and vacuums and scrubs the non carpeted floors. Kate and I could still do it all but it is hard for us to do it. There are things that just would not get touched if we were to continue doing it all. And there’s no use in saving all of our money to pass on to the kids when we die. And besides, they all have cleaning ladies too long before we did. 

Today being Wednesday mean that my afternoon and evening is full. I have to go run the bulletins at church. I think I will run this weeks and next weeks today. Then next week I’ll be ready (hopefully) to run my Palm Sunday. Maundy Thursday, Easter Sunrise, and Easter late service bulletins. We have our NC vacation coming up very shortly and I need to get everything done prior to going. The Monday after we get back, Kate has her breast surgery so I suspect there will be other things I will need to be doing, in addition to the extra services. I just have to keep the calendar in mind and do what I need to do when I can. I have always worked from the position  of Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. 

Well, that’s it for today. I have work to do and I’m going to be in Kari’s way shortly. Have yourself a very blessed day. It’s HUMP DAAAAAAY!!  Take your camel for a walk. Peace. 

 Tuesday Morning and a rather chit one at that. It’s 45 degrees out side at the moment and isn’t going to improve much today. Maybe another 10 degrees is about it. Yesterday was such a beautiful day and it fools a person into thank that maybe Spring has actually arrived. 

Yesterday was a busy day for us. First thing yesterday we had to go to Dr. Jackson’s cliic for a blood draw for Kate. This had noting to do with her cancer, it was just her routine - every six - week thing that she haas to do. But the place as a zoo yesterday. The parking lot was full. I don’t know what was going on but I do think it was a day that the Evansville Fire Department had to go in for some kind of screening. There was truck with a full crew there when we arrived. They came out and another truck pulled up with another crew and they all went in. Together to the lab area where Kate was. So, it took awhile for Kate, I watched a lot of folks come in and out of that area. 

From there we went to the Evansville Appliance Center to get a new filter for our refrigerator. Unfortunately they were closed because their internet was down. I don’t know why they couldn’t be open but it does show just how dependent we are on the internet doesn’t it. So much for the days where the “clerk” could just go and pull a part off of the shelves. It made me think of the old hardware store on Franklin Street called Heldt and Voelker. I loved that store. It was a large hardware store that seemed to have anything that you needed. One wall was a bank of drawers full of seeds for planting everything from beans to tulips. The place had a “smell” to it that was just “welcoming”. Now that place is a German Restaurant called the Gerst Haus. We go there occasionally and the food is wonderful. Anyway —- since I couldn’t get my filter we decided to go get some lunch. There is a local ice-cream shop right close to where we went and they have a good deal on Sundaes on Sunday and Monday so we went there and had a sandwich, chips and a sundae. We had “crab-melt” sandwiches. It was the first time I have ever had one of those and it was really good. 

Yesterday afternoon I spent out in the yard picking up limbs and twigs for couple of hours. It was almost 80 degrees and sunny and it was a pleasure to be out there. I use my “stick picker-upper” to grab them so I don’t have to bend over, then I break them into small pieces and put them in the trash can. By the time I finished it was almost dark and supper time. I was totally beat; I think from all of the outside air. Oh, and in between lll of that we stripped the bed and washed the bed clothes and did a couple of other loads of laundry. We just exhume excitement round here, don’t we?   

This morning we have been busy with doctor’s calls and appointment scheduling. Kate is now scheduled to have her surgery on April 3rd. That is the Monday after Palm Sunday. Her radiation should be starting on the 24th. We are really hoping that it will take care of the problem and that chemo will not be required. But —- what ever it takes is what we will do. I need my lady healthy. 

That’s it for today. I pray your day is blessed. Peace. 

 Well — a blessed good morning on this beautiful Saturday morning. What a blessing that the storms are over here. I feel for those still in its path. I don’t think I have seen a set of weather quite like that one in a very long time; —- perhaps since the last time we were in a hurricane in the Philippines. Ms. Kate and I had no damage other than some dead limbs off of the trees that I will have to pick up as soon as the yard dries out enough to walk around in it. And — of course, we lost cable and internet for I guess about 18 hours. We eventually figured out that we could use our iPhones as hot-spots to give us internet capability on our iPads, so we were connected that way to the world. But our area took quite a hit, and that’s nothing compared to what has happened around the entire nation. I recall reading that this was going to be a really bad year for snow and that February/March was going to be especially bad. It would appear that the long-range forecasters actually hit it on the nose this time. 

So, I was typing on my blog yesterday and didn’t realize that I had no internet until I saw a notice that it had not updated. So. I quit writing until we figured out that we could use the “hot-spots”. Even then, I wasn’t sure that what little I had would actually publish. But, I lost probably a half page. 

So, to resume my yesterday story; —— we had Ms. Kate’s visit with the surgical team yesterday. We like her surgeon. He plans a lumpectomy followed by radiation. The teams oncologist came in talking about her doing chemo in addition to the radiology but we are going to use her as our oncologist. We already have seen our recommended oncologist and trust him because Kate has been to him before and he is the one recommended by our family doctor. Kate did let them do a blood draw yesterday for the geneticist. That will tell us if there is anything for our girls to worry about as far s cancer is concerned. We don’t have a surgery date as of yet. However, our surgeon was sensitive to our need to be in North Carolina yet this month. So, I suspect we will be doing surgery in April and that is just fine for both of us. 

Time to grab a couple of donuts and refill the coffee cup. ave a blessed weekend. Peace. 

 Is this not the craziest weather you have seen? Generally the storms tend to go around us but this time we’re got a front row seat. Well, actually the show was big enough for everyone to have a front row seat. I’ve been seeing reports of damage all across the area on Facebook. One of the biggest I’ve seen so far is the entire roof was blown off of St. Joe Catholic Church. That church has been around a long time. I’m sure they will fix it but they certainly can’t worship in it any time soon. 

My sister-in-law Karen had some major roof damage and lost power. She has a generator that kicks on but —- she ran out of gas. I just had a headline come across by screen that said that Evansville has about 15,000 people without power, On the other side of the river in KY they have about 21,000 people without power. Our power went out just long enough for our whole-house generator to kick on and then the commercial power kicked back in. And the wind is still horrendous. 

Today we spent the morning at the Chancellor Cancer Center meeting with the different members of the their Surgeon’s team. We really like the surgeon and have heard nothing but good things about him.               

 March 1st! Wow. It’s another beautiful morning. The sun is shining and the wind is calm for a change. It is only 0945 and already 63 degrees. So hold on —- there is a storm a-comin’. And I think it is supposed to rain on on and off for the next three days. What is it they say about March? —- In like a lion and out like a lamb; and vice versa. 

So yesterday we had Ms. Kate’s oncologist appointment and we got probably the best report we cold get. The cancer is small, doesn’t appear to have spread, and doesn’t appear to be in the lymph nodes. Maybe can be treated with a Lumpectomy and radiation. That would be the answer to our prayers. Friday morning bright and early we go to see the surgeon’s team. He will lay out the options for us and hopefully a timeline for everything. I’m not the most patient guy in the world as you know and that’s a whole 48 hours away. 

The only thing on my calendar today is choir practice this evening. But, I have sermons to write and other stuff to get done. The Easter season is creeping up on me quickly and I have stuff to plan for that. But first we have a wedding to do in North Carolina, and Kate’s health issues, so I need to take advantage of every free minute to do my work. So, having said all of that, I’m off of here today. I pray your day is blessed. Peace.