"BS" day Back surgery day :)

I got up at my regular time.  Denny stayed in bed as long as he could because he couldn't eat anyway.  I borrowed cocoa from Missy and made brownies and cream cheese coffee cake, blanched the asparagus for tomorrow night, washed the bedding, vacuumed, washed kitchen floors, we made the bed ... so we're ready for a party this weekend!   Denny had gone in and started his shower when we got a call from the Dunes.  "Could we come in early?  The Doctor is running a little ahead of schedule."  Yes!!!  We got to SC 12:30.  Mandy got here about 2 right before he was taken back to the OR.  Procedure started 2:52. Denny was out of surgery about 4:30.  When we visited with the Dr. Meyer, he said it was the worse case of stenosis that he has seen.  He brought in a co-neurosurgeon to look at it because it was so bad ... BUT Dr. Meyer said he felt like dancing a gig when he got done because it had turned out so well.  It was the fourth one he had done today and there was a lot of scar tissue and lesions.  He was so happy that it turned out.  The doctor said that Denny sure must have hurt A LOT when he walked.  "He is one tough cookie!"  He said if it had not worked for today it would have been in July that the surgery could be done.  NOW that would NOT have been good.  The plan is that Denny will get out tomorrow and he will have to do a lot of walking.  Mandy is writing a NP  view of the info from the Doctor and we will send out.

Blood work in SC

Up and devotions,  I went out to pick asparagus.  Denny and I left for SC about 9:30.  In order to vary our ride I took D54.  Wrong!! Little did I know the curvy roads would not help the way Denny was feeling.  Denny's high point ... that really made his day ,,, was when the nurse Tiffany  kept looking at him and then looking at her computer screen and then looking back at him and finally saying,"I'm sorry, I just can't believe you are 68 years old."   Now that was worth a trip to SC just to get that booster shot.  We took smooth, flat, highway 20 home.   I pulled some tiny weeds in the flower  rows, moved the manure away from the flower beds, moved Keelie's dog house back to bunk house, and sprayed chairs/table from Jensens with black paint. 
Denny has to fast from 9 pm on before his surgery tomorrow.  He wanted something good to eat, so we invited Jensens over and I fixed grilled hamburgers, asparagus and guacamole. 
As Jensens get ready to leave Iowa much of their stuff is up for grabs to the siblings.   Pictures: In a group text Karen offered her stuff, also.  Cute Country boy!!!  Pretty poppy flowers.

Multi activities

No animals in the live trap, not even a cat!  I fixed Denny breakfast before heading to the Train.  At 8:45 I headed to the high school and sat in on interviews for the home school supervisor.  I went back to help at the train until 11.  I took asparagus to Susan's.  At 12 Denny and I had haircuts by Anna.  I headed up the hill and put labels on about 12 cases of bottles.  At home I finished mowing the lawn.  Denny had Missy buy some medicine for our cat.  He had gotten medicine for Keelie, but forgot about Lily.  Denny got the info on his surgery.  Wednesday  he goes in before noon to get blood work done.  Thursday check in at 1:45 for surgery with surgery at 3:15.  Hopefully released Friday evening.  Pray that Denny will be up for pictures scheduled at Saturday 10 am with Jennifer.  It was scheduled at Christmas that the kids would come home this weekend (June 1,2,and 3) for my Christmas present.  It should make for a very low key weekend.  MN Johnsons were in Canada this weekend.  Looks like fun!

Monday Memorial Day

I slept until 6 and had devotions on the deck.  It turned hot later.  After planting all the little plants I havr around, I started to mow the lawn.  At first it didn't start, but eventually did.  When I shut it off to check the time it wouldn't start.  I went to IG for the service in the Skate palace.  Then Missy had an extra ticket, so I headed down to Denison for Anabel's last recital. 

Memorial Day

Another beautiful morning.  Thank you Lord, for those who have served in the Armed service for our country's freedom.  We are so blessed.  I took Anabel and Brooks for donuts.  I was at SS for a short time and then headed home to get Denny for church.  Jensens came over for lunch, eggs, sausage, chilled asparagus, coffee cake and OJ.  Chilled in afternoon.  With the heat pressure, I went out about 3:30 and gave most of the plants a drink.  Boy, is it hot and dry!  We watched some episodes of Tiny houses to get ideas for the Grainery.  As I drove to prayer the Jensens were at the stream culvert, so they invited me and I stayed.  It was so cute!!  The water was freezing cold, kids were jumping in and splashing.  Parents were sitting in brown plastic aderondack chairs in the culvert watching the antics of the kids.  Good times ... Iowa Summer Days ... Making your own fun ... No screens needed.  I didn't have my camera, but the sweet images will forever be in my mind.  Thank you, Jesus.  Grands came over for baths, to set the live traps for G'pa, watch some extrodinair houses,and eat a supper of corndogs.  Jensens brought the last of the red wattle pork chops and bacon to saute with asparagus.  May I continue to soak up these precious times.

Anabel's recital

It was beautiful outside this am ... but now at 12 :30, it is too hot to work outside.  But I do have the soaker hoses running.  The lizzies that were so dry yesterday are a little revived.  Still not sure what bad effect the heat will have.  Depressing.  We had the greatest lunch.   Denny made pico from fresh cilantro I picked in the garden and the 20 cent an ear sweet corn from Walmart was outstanding.   After eating I kept switching the soaker hoses to different flower rows.  Hot hot hot!!   We napped and headed to Denison about 5.  Denny spent the time sitting while we waited in line.  I sat by Sherry, Kathi's older sister, until the doors opened.  Great recital.  So fun to watch.  Sophi and Anabel are such good friends; it is cute to watch them. 

Thank you, Lord, for full days

I was outside when Missy told Denny there was a Last day of school awards assembly at 8:30. I could copy pictures off of Missy's post.    Sounds good to me. The assembly was so fun!  Both Anabel and Evan got recognition for completing AR pages.  Evan was awarded for breaking the record of AR pages, etc.  He accomplished 1059. point something, I think, breaking the previous record of 1001.  I stopped to see Maryann and Paul before going home.  At home I put together some 12x12 wire panels to protect from rabbits and watered plants. The first iris and daisies were blooming.   Uffta!!! Right before I was leaving for Mapleton I looked at my lizzies.  They were dried up.  I took the time to spray water on all of them.  Lord, help them to live.  I stopped and got plants at Green acres before going to Tira J's graduation celebration.  Then I headed to Denison.  Anabel's dress rehearsal was fun.

Beautiful day

Denny got the grill table together.  I went into the OGT at 7:30.  We straightened up the upstairs and filled boxes until I left and went to Denny's pre-operation check-up.  It is a go!!!   Just hope that is relieves Denny's pain.  After we got a new live trap for the hungry rabbit, and screen door closers. Denny headed home.  I went back to get some groceries.  On the way I saw 2 doors near the old Courier building.  I stopped before going home and Shirley VS said I could take them.  So maybe I got new doors for the Grainery.  Bible study came at 1:30.  Sharon G. Susan G. Teresa P and Jenn P.  Nice study.  Denny worked on stabilizing the grill table.  In pictures Kane got over his fear of roller coasters.

Jack Day :)

Before heading north I made beds in airbnb, read devotions, made coffee, made breakfast for Denny, and checked the rabbit trap, (which was empty ... DARN!).
Jack was up and ready to move.  He was walking on his own to get into cabinets.  Pretty cute.  We had a great day.  He took a 3 hour am nap.  We shopped after lunch.  I got cosmos, zinnias, and a lavender plant at Hy Vees.  30 minute nap and then I held Jack and he slept another hour.  So nice!   At home Jensens walked over.  Remer kids played here.  Note to self ... Maybe don't check the rabbit trap in the early morning.   Especially when the photo camera was on.  You gotta smile.  I love living in the country. 

Happy in Iowa

It was another nice am.  I headed to the Train about 7:30.  There were 12-15 of us there.  We had a lunch and napped.  I went out and transplanted some snap dragons to a different bed. Plus planted glad bulbs.  Denny and I enjoyed guacamole on the deck ... beautiful afternoon ...  we are alive ... it is so pretty out here ... so much to thank God for!
At dusk the Jensens walked over.  It was so nice.  After they left Denny went to bed and I finished putting mulch around the flowerbed and used the new tiller to till around the asparagus and lawn flower beds.  Matt's family is at Disney World.  Our family made the trip 25 years ago. 

Epcot 1993

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2018

25 years later

Happy birthday Denny!!Walk with friends

68 years old!!! I am so thankful for you.  Evan came over in the afternoon to get cocoa to make brownies for G'pas birthday.    Thanks, Denny, for the night camera to take pictures of the flower nibbler.  Now if only we could figure out how to rid my garden of them.

I was in bed until almost 8 am.  That is a long time for me.  We ate breakfast in the sun room and then took at walk to the windmill and Jensens.  Diane, Margo, and I went to IG for a walking tour on the trail, stopping at the rec center and the hospital.  We came home for lunch of sandwiches and fruit.  They left for home a little after 2.  Crippled Denny had gone down to the airbnb and started to clean, so we just had to finish making 2 beds as the new airbnbers arrived.  Great full day.

High School Friends Get together

Denny was not comfortable and so he didn't go to church.  I helped in the nursery for SS.  Cute Anna was there.  She was not as happy as the picture below, but we got along ok.   Margo and Diane got here a little after 2.  We just sat and talked in the living room.  We sat and talked in the sun room as I grilled brats and aspargus and we snacked on pico that Denny had made.  We sat and talked when Jensens came over for supper.   We sat and talked during dessert from Margo and Diane.  We worked and talked as we loaded the dishwasher and washed the dishes that didn't fit it.  We sat and talked in the bnb living room before we went to bed.  We all slept downstairs and just kept talking until after 1.  Hurrah for yearbooks and all times that we wrote we would never forget, but we have forgotten.  Nice chill visit.  Life in the elderly lane ... just got to love it!!!!

https://www.wehitpause.com/      Diane recommended these as Good blogs to read

No mamma's Perfect

The royal Wedding

It was fun to wake up and watch the wedding.  Lord, bless the couple.  To You be glory and power forever!!!!!  Power in love.   WOW!! What a sermon!   It was really good and the wedding was a platform to share Christ to the whole world.  I loved just chilling and watching the hats.  :)  I headed to IG for soccer,  Cooks came, too.  It is so fun to watch Brooks and everyone running.  Great sport.  Cooks ran the trail before heading back to Cherokee, actually Jason ran, Mandy roller bladed and Jack was along for the ride in the stroller.  I picked up the new tiller at Bomgaars.  At home Denny was still hurting from overdoing yesterday with tiller repair, tire removal, and trip to fire pit.
#overdidit  Brooks was helping him as part of a Junior Achievement project.  So cute.  Brooks helped me measure flower carpet pieces.  I went to grainery and measured.  12 1/2 feet by 26 1/2 feet. At 3 I went into Jenna H's party.  Nice day.  Pictures: fun to watch Brooks and Jensens thought it was fun to watch Jack.

Shady aunt and uncle

Friends lovin' on Jack

Full Full Day!!

The morning is beautiful!!  I waited to fix breakfast and then I planned to go out to the yard and work.   After eating, Denny started to take the tiller apart.  Uffta!! A lot of parts.  Made me kinda sad that see all the metal fragments in the drive shaft.  YUCK!!  No wonder the blades stopped turning.  About 10:30 I made it out to plant the flower plugs I got yesterday.  I got them all planted, Preened, watered,  and covered with sheer cloth to protect the baby plants  from sunburn.  I watered the rows of flowers, too.  Plus, I spread fox pee granules to keep the rabbits away.  Uffta!!! Really???  Well, I found this container of "rabbit deter-er".  Wish I would have found and used it earlier.  Denny saw orioles around our home.  So pretty; we really should get a feeder going for them.  After learning about entrepreneurship Brooks wrote Denny a card asking for employment.  So cute!  Denny and Brooks set up the night camera, so we will see if it kept the bunnies away. Denny showed me how to get the tire off the trailer so I went to IG to get tire fixed and bought a new tiller at Bomgaars.  I asked Myra about the 15% discount on it, she said yes! As I was about ready to go help at Dakota's party, Missy called; they were walking over to have a bonfire supper.  I helped at church and then came home in time to walk home with Jensens.  I love them so much!!  Denny was so happy to have them come over, start a fire, fix hot dogs and marshmallows,  and chill around the fire.   He loved to watch them play soccer. At 10 I went to church to help cut up fruit for Jenna's graduation party.  Wow, big wonderful day.