Yesterday!!!!

Whew what a day! I woke up fairly early for me and got up at 8:00 and made my bed, straightened up the house a little and as usual, before all that, I said my Morning Prayers, which consist of the Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Offering ( to give my whole day to God, every thought, word, and action!) Anyway, I fixed my breakfast and brought in my morning paper, (piece of junk!) And then waited for Steve's call to come over and take me for groceries and to Mass last night which we had prearranged on Friday night! Steve came earlier than I expected but I was in the process of having my shower and cleaning up for my grocery jaunt! We went first to Staples to get some new ink for my printer and Steve said he was hungry and so we went to Coco's and had lunch!!! It was already that time. After lunch we went to the store for my groceries! Good thing! If I had to wait another day or so I would have really been out of things!!! I got so tired pushing the cart, (mainly for balance, I had left my cane in the car!) I was getting out of breath! We got home at about 2:50 P.M. and I told Steve, "I am going to let you just put anything that will melt or spoil in the fridge or freezer and I am going to sit down and get my feet up or I'll never make it to Church tonight!!! " I'm going to have to learn, if I get groceries, that is what I will do that one day and all the rest on other days. We got good news last night about our "new" pastor. The Bishop had made Fr. Brandon the Administrator of the Parish and that means he will be, as I think, his training period to becoming our Pastor!! He is really a fine young man and someone that was really needed here for a long time. Since Fr. Hayes passed away, he has been "acting Pastor" until now!!! He really got a standing ovation!!!! I had to laugh because as he was leaving the Altar I saw him wink at someone and give them a grin, and it dawned on me that it was Steve! Steve told me when I got in the car that he had given Fr. a "thumbs up!" and that is when he looked over our way with that special little look that he does for, what I think is , when he wants to acknowledge them! Steve said that every now and then if he is in the area he goes to Mass at St. Anne's and if Fr. Brandon happens to be the one saying the Mass that night or morning, they have some good "talks?" When he came here the first time to hear my Confession, he looked at the family picture of Steve and Marilyn and he told me "Hey, I know that guy! He comes to Church here a lot!" So I told him that was my son, and that he was working for a couple of weeks at the U-Hall across the street from here, (or practically across the street!) So a few times when Steve and I have been to Church together, he stands and talks to us afterwards!!! He's the Priest, for any of you that came to my Birthday Bash and attended the Mass at 10:30, who had me stand up and he came down and gave me a "special" Blessing!

Now to get back to "My Day" (thanks to Eleanor Roosevelt for the title!) I was really so tired when I got home from Church, I wanted to have my supper but there was a call on my message machine from Bob, ( in fact, two of them!) so I called him and then fixed my supper, which consisted of 1/2 of the Burger I had brought home with me from Coco's and a couple of cookies that I bought at the store! I still had all my evening prayers to say, etc. and I was so beat at about 11:30 P.M. I could hardly breathe, so I decided to give up and go to bed! My arms and shoulders were hurting from pushing the grocery cart. It was so heavy but still I needed the cart for my balance!! I don't think I even watched any T.V. I turned it on in my bedroom but didn't even turn up the sound!!! I had taken my Rosary to bed with me and I said most of it I think, because when I woke up this morning, I still had it in my hand and only had one decade to go!!!!! Thanks Steve for a nice day with you but let's next time try and figure out something else! I may have to get hold of Sue, Barbara's daughter and find out which day she is off during the week to pick up my groceries! She has offered me several times but I like to go and pick up a few things myself! ( That's the wrong thing to do because I really spend more when I do my own shopping!) She has a different day off every week now and never knows until she goes to work on Monday morning!!! Ho-Hum!!!! Think I'll go and sit down again with my feet up!!!

Forgiveness....

All is forgiven even if that old "devil" tried to make me feel otherwise!!!! And I was going to write you and tell you how things in a "child's" eye are different than they are in an adults eye. I had a great day yesterday. To start out with, my friend, Anne, came over at 7:00 and took me to get the blood test that I have been putting off too long. Not really, my Dr. appt. is week after next. Anyway, we left the Lab and we had already decided that if we got out of there early enough we would stop by for Mass. So, even if we were a bit late, (Fr. Joe was giving the homily and must have just started because it was pretty long.) So we were technically "on time"! That being the case and after visiting with a couple of old friends (outside the Church) Anne asked me if I was hungry and I told her yes "but let me take you to breakfast!"She would hear none of that and we went to that place on Lodi Ave. and School St. The name escapes me but the waitress told us that it had been "bought out" by another outfit and the name was changing! We had a great talk about Anne's recent retreat to Peru and how beautiful it is down there! She brought me home and then I had a visit from my friend Thelma! I had seen her at Mass and she said she just wanted to drop in on both Rose and I and say hello! They stayed about a half hour which meant it was time for my "noon" prayers. I was very tired last night because I got out of bed at 5:30 A.M. so I would have time to pray, and clean up to get ready to go with Anne. Somewhere along the line yesterday I had read or seen some thing about a picture of the Blessed Virgin called "Our Lady of the Book". Later on yesterday afternoon after "blogging", etc. I went to my bookcase and saw a picture, framed that must have been among some of my brother Bob's things when we helped him move from Lodi. Lo and behold, when looking at it, I remembered that it was "Our Lady of the Book"!!! It is really a lovely picture and why I hadn't paid that much attention to it before I'll never know!! In it Our Lady is holding the child Jesus and there is what looks like a Bible on a table, open, as though she was reading it, and the Child Jesus, like any "little one" would do, has his hand on the book, but he is looking at her and on His wrist is a small bracelet like a "crown of thorns"!!! It's kind of spooky in a way that I had never really looked at it before and in fact I was looking for something else on the bookshelf! You, Steve, will have to see it. Remind me when you get home. I also found on my bookshelf two copies, hardbound, of a small book written by Robert Moynihan. The title of the book is The Spiritual Vision of Benedict XVI, "Let God's Light Shine Forth". I have no idea where they came from but you can have one of them!!! Maybe they were among some of Barbara's things that the girls brought over after her death!!!! So I do have the picture in my living room and like I said, It's been quite a couple of days!!!

Excuse me!!!!!!!

It was my story and I am going to stick with it!!!! But as long as you kids had fun!!! I didn't remember too much about you doing too much or Bill!!!! And You might have had fish for breakfast but I didn't!!!! I'm an old bacon and eggs gal!!!! You really ruined my whole story, boo, hoo!!! Oh well, I've got another to tell you about when we went to Shaver Lake one time with Flo and Bob and the little ones they had then and Bob and Marilyn and I guess probably Tim and Brian and Mark because I definitely remember Angela's being there!!!! She talks about it yet! Bob had a rowboat that was either his or one that he borrowed for the weekend, and we had all got together and rented this BIG sort of resort house that had a loft and several bedrooms, etc. It must have been after your Dad died because I don't remember him being there at all. Bob had life-jackets for everybody or I think you could rent them! Anyway, he decided to take me and a bunch of the kids, probably the four I mentioned with him out on the Lake. We were having a great old time when some freak, (like in Tom's case!) in a speed boat kept going around and around us and trying to tip us over! He finally made it but not before all the kids grabbed Bob and me and held on for dear life!! We were all in the lake and the boat had not sunk but was trying to. Another boat came along, a cruiser, someone actually just trying to enjoy themselves out on the water. They picked us all up and took us and the boat back to shore!!! I don't remember what happened, about the speedboat, I was just too thankful to be back on shore. But Angela tells me to this day about the time Uncle Bob tried to drown her!!!! We did have a good weekend but nobody tried to go boating again. We probably lost the oars!!! I do also remember the people in the boat that picked us up saying that they had been watching that bunch of "punks" in the speedboat! So maybe they reported them. Like I said, I don't remember all that.

Goin' Campin' Part II--Tom's version

Sorry, Mom, but I just had to log on to your blog and tell the same story from a 5-year old's perspective--Tom's. When I read your entry today, it immediately reminded me of the story Tom wrote in his diary that I copied in my family remembrance titled, "The Man in the Boat". I think it is one that shows Tom's appreciation for Dad. It is an entertaining story that spotlights Tom's respect for Dad, and some of the "tricks" Dad used to teach us more than we could ever learn from books.

"WHO NEEDS A FISHING POLE?"
One time we went camping as a family-- (I think it was the only time)—and to me it seemed like it took an eternity to get there. So far, this "jives" with your story, Mom.
My dad had inherited an old Lincoln Continental from the next-door neighbor who had died. He had fixed all the power windows, radio and engine "stuff", and gave me my first experience in what it was like to wax a car.

-----Anyway, back to the story-------
We drove and drove and drove through winding roads until we reached an area that appeared to be little more than a turnout in the road. I remember it was called "Strawberry Creek." Well, he was close. "Peppermint", "Strawberry"--to a kid it's all the same.
We had to carry all our stuff along some trails for about a mile. Again, as a kid it probably seemed like a mile. We made camp just where a creek trembled out of a mountain crevasse, twisted and turned around evergreen stands and fern, and ended in a small pond. The total distance from the crevasse to the pond was about one hundred yards. Then, the first creek was joined by a few others at the pond and became a decent stream or brook.

We set up camp along the creek (about 25 feet away) and we kids were turned loose to explore. Personally, I was determined (as always) to have one hell of a good time. That night, I think Dad made tacos. How he remembered tacos instead of hot dogs is a mystery to me. I'm sure it was hot dogs, because I wasn't much into ANY Mexican food. Of course we had a marshmallow roast after dinner. Funny, I don't remember talking much that night.

Early the next morning, we got up to go fishing. Off I marched behind my father and brother, with my hand-me-down pole from my brother along with a small paper sack containing hooks, sinkers, and a can of whole-kernel corn.

My pole was a type commonly known as a "bait-casting" reel outfit. This was a fishing pole designed to catch fish using live baits such as minnows, frogs, and the like. To the trained fisherman, this outfit can deliver the lure or bait to a spot within one foot of his target. To a five-year-old, this was like an open bobbin of thread on a pencil with a rock tied to the end. As I cast, the bobbin spun faster than the line went out, causing what is commonly known as a "bird's nest."

It was quite a catastrophe for a five-year-old kid. I quickly learned, however, that "slow and easy" made the reel work just fine. The bigger problem was in knowing when a fish was on the line. As it was my first time fishing, I had no idea what to do or when to know that I had a fish.

Enter the "Master"!
My dad soon noticed my dilemma and came over to see if he could show me how to successfully accomplish the task at hand and "snag" one. Oddly, he seemed inept at managing the reel and was decidedly uncomfortable using the reel combo--could this be? My DAD; Righter of wrongs, fixer of things, improviser extraordinaire--boggled???

I was brought back to reality by words I had never heard before--and LOTS of 'em! He pulled and tugged, tugged and pulled and finally, in a fit of exasperation did the worst of all possible things…he got out his pocketknife. My dad was going to cut up my fishing pole! I started screaming and whining as if he were using the knife on me, when all he really did was cut the line just before the bird's nest on the reel. He quickly pulled the old line and bird's nest off the pole and then did something else I didn't expect. He set the pole aside, took me by the hand, and said he wanted to teach me an "old Indian trick"

As I followed him up the hillside away from camp, I wondered what in the world he was doing…Mom was waiting for us to bring back breakfast! He stopped abruptly in a grove of saplings and cut two sturdy pole-like lengths from the stand. "But Dad, " I explained, "we already have a fishing pole."

"I don't know what the ###//!!!???### that thing was for, but catching fish isn't one of them! C'mon, your mother's waiting on us." Down the hill we went. I didn't like the taste of dust from his boots as he slid down the shallow cliff to the creek bed. There, he took two lengths of line from my fishing pole and made us each a "Huck Finn"-type pole. "Now we'll catch some breakfast," he assured me.

I could smell the smoke from our fire as my dad baited our hooks and began to do some serious fishing. For a while I just watched HIM--his very soul focused on what I later learned was the line tension and the easily recognizable tug of a rainbow or brook trout. All of a sudden, he snapped back on the pole, as though some horrible scene had shocked him into action. To my amazement there was a fish! An honest-to-God humongous flip-floppin' trout! "Do it again, Dad!" I shouted, busting at the seams with excitement.

He looked down at me and, seeing my disbelief and wonderment, put the fish back securely on the hook and placed it back in the water. "Hold this," he said, and put the fishing line in my hand so that I could feel the snapping of the line as the fish tugged at it.

We caught a whole stringer full of fish for breakfast that morning using Dad's "old Indian trick". I remember we didn't even use a frying pan to cook the fish. Dad threw a couple of flat rocks directly into the campfire to get them hot, and we cooked the fish right on the rocks. Delicious!



In loving memory of Tom Farnsworth

Goin' campin'!

Let me tell you a story about camping and me!!!! I like being in the woods and all that and as I've said before, I love a lake or stream or even a creek for that matter! BUT! I also like a comfy bed at night and a bathroom, etc. One Memorial Day or Labor Day, I'm not sure which, the three boys that I still had at home begged their Father and I to take them camping! To show you how much camping we did, we didn't make any reservations and thought we would just drive from the San Fernando Valley to Lake Isabella to go camping. My brother Don told us he had a nice big tent and sleeping bags, etc. for camping and we were more than welcome to borrow them. So we got the "equipment" and took off on this "Holiday weekend" after Cappy got off work at 5:00 P.M.! Wrong!!!!! We ran into the most traffic I had ever seen and we lived in L.A.! We absolutely crawled behind every R.V. that was ever made and followed all the directions to Lake Isabella which turned out to be the biggest mudhole I had aver seen and of course, no place to camp! Someone told us to go on up into the Mountains a little farther and there was a "Peppermint Creek" campground and we might be able to get s place there. We got a place and that is what it was, a place to put up our tent and they did have little fire-box type things to cook on but no bathrooms or any of the amenities so we could clean up, etc.!!! It was getting late so we proceeded to put up the tent and try to fix something to eat!!! Thank heavens for hot dogs!!!. We were right along the edge of "Peppermint" creek which was sort of pretty in a "small" way. There was a small waterfall which made a wading pool for the kids and of course we saw a small fish or two sailing along in it!!! It was too late for anything except going to bed that night and I swear that they put my sleeping bag on the only fallen limbs and debris around. We could hear coyotes howling in the night and after a certain time, I had to use the "bathroom" which Cappy told me would be a log to hang my fanny over! I was scared to death that some animal would take a bite out of me to say nothing of all the mosquitoes that we had seen around the tent!!! I made Cappy go with me because I didn't know, either, if there were other campers beyond where we were! He checked it all out and told me he would stand by and make sure nothing would "eat" me! Well, I'm not sure if I slept or not all night, but the next thing I knew Tommy was up and wanted to go fishing! We had a couple of fishing poles but they were for Cappy and Bill, I don't think Steve got into the fishing thing! Cappy cut a willow "pole" and put some of his fishing line on it and a safety pin for a hook! In the meantime, I'm trying to wash up in the creek and get to finding the cereal we had brought along and of course, we did have bacon and eggs. Cappy took Tom and got him situated by the little "falls" and came back and got breakfast while I folded up the sleeping bags, etc. (Oh yes, we planned on staying another night!) I sat aroung on a camp stool most of the day etc. but one of the best parts of the day was that Tom caught a fish with his willow pole and a safety pin for a hook!! He, of course, had to have that for his breakfast! The day was not too warm, after all we were in the mountains! There was another camper or two around and I visited with some of them, etc. We had dinner, (from some of the things that we had brought to eat!!!) That night was as bad as the first night for me but I did manage to "bathrooom" before it got dark. Early the next morning, we broke up camp and started home. Everybody that lived in So. Ca. had the same idea!!! We had to follow the Kern River for a little while and what should happen but we got a flat tire!!! As Steve can tell you the road up there is not an arterial highway and we pulled over as far as we could to fix the flat and at this place, the River was "way down there!" After a lot of cussing on Cappy's part, the tire got changed and we were on our way again. Then we hit Highway 99, which was the main highway into Los Angeles in those days! Traffic was backed up all the way over the Grapevine, and we didn't get home till about 8:00 P.M. or after and we had left camp at about 9:00 that morning!!! Everybody was tired and cranky and hungry, etc. AND I VOWED AS OF THEN, THAT THERE WOULD BE NO MORE CAMPING FOR ME!!!!!! I do remember going one more time after I moved up here to the Valley going up to Silver Lake, and that, even though it was somewhat better, was IT!!!!!!!!!!

Weather and what we do about it!

It has been so hot today! I haven't looked at a thermometer but it was supposed to reach about 102 or 103! It was warm when I first got up today which was much earlier than my 9:00 or 10:00 A.M.! I, in fact opened the door, locked the screen and went in to take my shower! I decided that a "tepid" shower would work for today! Cool me off, but keep me cooler!(or so "they" say!)! We went to the 10:30 Mass and lo and behold the Church was really nice. Not too cold but nice and cool! First time since last Fall sometime that I was able to go to Church without wearing a sweater at least. Even though it's warm, the Church seems cold, cold!!! I started thinking about seeing the kids on the News last night having fun in the American River in Sacramento! When we were kids, we just turned on the "sprinkler" in the front yard and could spend hours out there! Even though we were about 2 miles from the Snake River in Washington, we never went swimming there! Some of our cousins did, in the River near where their farms were. The River was a little tamer there. I can remember my Father telling me how when he was younger, swimming across the Snake River. To me, at that time in my life,that seemed like quite a feat!!!But we did cool off on a hot day in the yard under the sprinkler. Then when we moved into Couer d'Alene, Idaho, we had the beautiful Couer d'Alene Lake. When we first went there none of us kids in the family could swim, but we still made it to the Lake and dangled our feet in the water, getting sunburned like a beet!!! Then I learned to swim! A cousin of mine, a few years older came to visit and I was sitting on the dock dangling my feet and he asked me if I could swim. I told him no and he pushed me off the dock and into the water! I sank like a lead balloon and I opened my eyes and I could see everything on the bottom of the Lake and I started to wave my arms and kick my feet and I slowly came to the surface! I was absolutely beside myself! I had enough sense to use my feet and arms to keep myself from drowning!!! Well, there was no keeping me away from the Lake all Summer long, even if I had to walk down there by myself!!! But I usually had enough brothers and sisters with me to keep me company and they all learned how to swim by just jumping off the dock and into the water! That was one of the most enjoyable times of my childhood! When we moved to California, I loved going to the Pacific Ocean and even though one didn't "swim" there, I loved jumping the waves, etc. I loved to lay flat on my stomach and float in to shore on a wave, etc. seaweed and all!! The Ocean was so restful to me to just sit on a quiet beach, (if you could find one) and just listen to the waves roll in and the seagulls squacking away. I could sit there like that for an hour or two. I found out about the Ocean, that even on cloudy days one could get quite a sunburn! But it was worth it! I have been to some of my relative's swimming pools in later years and find it extremely comforting! Wonder if it is because I am a Pisces? Or whatever that Horoscope rot is!!! I like rainy days, too, and I love looking at beautiful Falls, no matter how small or big they are!!! I guess I've rambled on enough for tonight.

Blue-jays and me????

When Cappy and I moved into Northridge, Ca., the house had a nice "garden spot" out behind the garage. Cappy loved to plant gardens and he really had a "green thumb" when it came to taking care of them. Anyway, he went out to this garden spot and had to clean it up first! Seemed that the former tenants didn't care where they threw their garbage, cans, bottles, etc. (Actually, the whole yard there was a mess when we moved in!!!) I helped Cappy clear up the trash which took a couple of days and then we hauled it to the garbage dump. So then Cappy got out his trusty shovel and began to spade up the place. There were plenty of worms being turned out of their homes because the trash, etc. made it a perfect place for them to grow. He told me one day, when he was digging up what seemed like the whole backyard, that there was a Bluejay that followed right behind him to eat the worms! He didn't seem at all afraid of Cappy, (who wouldn't have harmed a feather on him!) and every day he was out there. This went on for the few years we lived there. Every time Cappy went to the "garden" there was the Bluejay! Cappy got sick while we were there and eventually died while we lived there. I did not want to live in the house anymore and told my landlord so, and with the help of Bob and my two youngest, Steve and Tom, we moved over to Bob's till I could find an apartment or something! I was feeling so blue and alone day but I looked around at Bob's and there was a Bluejay! It was as though he was saying, "I'll be watching out for you!" Well, we did find an apartment and one of the first birds, I saw out the window was a bluejay!After a year, Steve and Tom and I decided to move up to the foothills to live. Cappy and I had been looking for property up there anyway just before he died! Barbara and Babe helped us move our things into this old house with gingerbread, etc. and so a new life began! I was pretty restless for the first few days, wondering what was going to happen to us! I was standing in the kitchen, looking out into the backyard and there was a.... you guessed it! A bluejay and he just hopped around and kept looking up at the window. I suddenly had a calmness come over me and decided that everything was going to be alright! When I moved to Lodi, (I had to go to work because the boys were not getting any Social Security anymore and therefore I wasn't getting any either!) You guessed it again, that darned Bluejay was right outside my window the first few days that I moved in. It isn't that I see those birds all the time but I don't care when or what kind of weather we have, it shows up!!! Kind of a "reassurance!" The other day, I don't know if I told Steve or not but I have been having such a time trying to be healthy, etc. I really got to feeling pretty "blue?" I didn't even think about that bird or "those" birds! But what should come flying right up to the carport and sit there and look at me but a Bluejay!!! I'm not supersticious but... I guess God has been sending me them to remind me that I am not alone and that He is there for me!!!! Before any of you get any ideas that I am losing my mind, ask some of my kids! I have told them about the birds at one time or another after I happened to see one! Well, I'll go and have something to eat now and let you all talk about "poor old Grandma! She's lost it!"

Sometimes I wonder?????

Every once in awhile when I try to sign on I get a blank to fill in and I usually have to sign in my password two or three times, and always the same, very carefully, and yet they tell me it is incorrect. I try one more time and Bingo!!!! Either I am crazy or this machine can't remember what my name is!!!! Enough of that! Anyway was thinking about yesterday and since it was Mother's Day celebrated it with my son Steve. Up to now,or rather, up to this year, I generally celebrated it with my sister Barbara and some of her family. Not that I couldn't have gone to Steve's but Marilyn has a large family and they would celebrate it at one one the other's homes or up at their cabin in the woods ( a family tradition, which is O.K. I love family and particularly family traditions!) However, since Barbara passed away last Sept. and the only close one's around are her family, (I hate being a pest, even though I have a standing invitation to any of their homes!) when Steve called and invited me to be with them in Stockton, it was great! I am still trying to get over my Birthday Bash and a couple of things that have happened since but decided I really had to get out of the house!!! The day was perfect weatherwise and to begin with Steve came over and took me to Church here at my Parish Church at 10:30 and we went directly to Stockton. My youngest little "flower" Lilliana was in great spirits and kept the family laughing at her all day!!!! I wanted so much to take her and hold her but was afraid I might drop her! That didn't deter her though, she went from one to the other grinning, giggling, and showing off that she "might" if everyone didn't watch out, say a few words or so!!!! The day couldn't have been more perfect, as I said before, but after all, it was Mother's Day and I'm sure God's Mother was making sure it was O.K. for everyone!!!!Marilyn said it was going to be a "light" lunch but when we all got there, there was plenty of goodies to gnsw on till the barbecue was ready. We "just" had hamburgers and sausages from the barbeque and there was s couple of salads, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles, etc. for the "burgers". Then Marilyn brought out dessert, or should I say desserts? We had strawberry shortcake, a mousse-like chocolate pie and a fruit pie, (looked like peach!) I had a hamburger and with mine I had a few chips, (I had been guzzling out on the snacks!) then Marilyn asked me what I wanted for dessert, and I guess I should have said "everything!" But I chose the strawberries. So Sarah, bless her heart put her plate down by me and she had some of "everything" with the admonition, "Now Grandma, just watch this, don't eat it!" The more I "watched that chocolate pie, the more it beckoned to me and so when she came back I told her, I changed my mind, I do want a piece of that Chocolate pie!! So she brought me a piece and it was yummy!!!! Any way after we took a few pictures (generation pictures with Lily) I decided I had better get into the house where I could put my feet up as they were really getting swollen. That was kind of a signal I guess, because some of them began to leave and I told Steve I thought it was time for me to go too. I had to stop and get a few? groceries. I was about out and so thought I might just as well get what I needed. I was well "beat" when I got home but thanks to you and Marilyn, it was nice to get out of the house for the day. When I got home, the message machine on the phone was loaded and so I called back the different one's and let them know I was now home!!!! By the time I got my prayers said, it was 11:00 P.M. but I got up yesterday morning at 7:00 A.M. so it was a long day for me. But I did sleep well last night, I just nibbled a few things here for my dinner but I figured I had made up for it at Steve's. Believe me, if I had been hungry, I would not have slept like I did!! Thank you all for the wonderful gifts and the phone calls, etc. That is called "Family" folks!!!

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Time and trouble....

Has it really been THAT long since my last blog? I shock myself!!!! I thought that I had typed in later than 4/22! Maybe I didn't send it after I typed it!!!! Do you suppose???? Guess I told you all about my friend and "taxi-driver" Rose falling and breaking her arm!!! I told her that little Chihuahua that some one of her family had given her was going to be the death of her yet!!! He is so hyper!!!! Well, after he pulled away from her and caught his leash on her ankle and she fell AND broke her arm, she decided too, that he was too much for her! So she gave him back to her Grandson who gave him to her and he found another home for it!! But Rose in the meantime has been staying at her son's house and came home yesterday for the daytime but will stay nights with some of her family for awhile. It's great to have her back!!! She said that she can't wait now to get back to driving her car so she and I can at least have a way to get us to Church!! Of course right now she can't do too much. Broke her arm near the shoulder so has to use a sling. She said the Dr. told her to keep up the exercises he has given her and before she knows it she will be O.K., but for her now time, she says, seems to drag! I seemed to be doing great here and all of a sudden got a running off the bowels, and a nausea. Don't know whether it was a 24 hour thing or not. Figured out it couldn't have been anything that I ate! Well, I called Steve that evening and he brought over some Pepto-Bismol and so I did get to feeling better. He left and went home about 11:00. The next day felt O.K. and I ate kind of light all day and then on Saturday got a scare when I had my usual trip to the bathroom. Looked like my stool was black and it was!!! That scared me and so I called Steve. He said he was ready to take off from work anyway and would come and take me to the Emergency Room. After 7 hours there, they decided that I was O.K. except that they were going to gve me an antibiotic because of a Urinal infection that I apparently still had from about two weeks ago. Then I found out from my son Bob, and when I got home, and I had a call on my answering machine from a niece who is an R.N. and I had called her earlier in the day about my problem and she and Bob both told me that Pepto-Bismol will do that!!! However, both the hospital and Sue told me that I did the right thing by going to the ER! Which made me feel like not quite the fool that I was feeling like!!!! Went to the Dr. then on Monday which was a regular visit and she also told me I did the right thing!!! Quite a weekend, and with all the coming and going and doing, I feel like I have been put through a wringer!!!! started feeling a little better yesterday, (maybe it was the visit from Rose!!!! We have known each other for at least 20 years and have been neighbors for that long!) But I tend to think that it was getting all the antibiotics out of me!! Oh yes, the Dr. told me not to take anymore of those and in fact took me off all the infection medicine!!!! So I guess maybe my system is getting back to "normal?".
Read your last blog today, Steve, and I wouldn't know what to tell you about giving to the poor!! Did you say you had talked to Fr. John about the man? One never knows, does one? There is a lot of good people out there, like you, and then it's getting to the point to where you never know whether you are being "conned" or not. There are agencies like the Salvation Army, etc. that do feed the poor and don't ask any questions about it! So why is this man standing outside a Church and it seems like day after day and always or almost always a different story? Maybe if he didn't get the handouts there, he wouldn't be standing there!!! Who knows? Father Hayes told some of the guys who used to do that at St. Anne's that they should come to the Rectory and they would give them a voucher to get food and or clothing through the St. Vincent de Paul Society or the Salvation Army. I don't know why but we don't seem to have them around the Church doors any more!!! Think about it!! Thank you for all your help to me when I need it! My problem is that I'm afraid to be taking too much time of you time away from your family!!! Believe me it is appreciated! Times are so tough these days! Seems like only prayer and good works are the only answer!!Well now that I have given you my Drs. report and my advice on how you should live, I'll sign off for this time!!! All I want for Mother's Day is prayers and I know that I have that from my family, but a little better health would be a plus!!!