Things I Forgot About 2009
A New Car and H&R Block
A March Snow
Confirmation and New Milford
A Busy April
April
The Berry Patch
August
A Specail Invite and A Friends Illness
A Normal October
A Sad November
Connie’s Best Christmas Ever
2011
January and February — 2011
A Sad March
A Busy April
May and June 2011
Gold and Silver
Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons
Cracker Barrel
Connie’s 2nd Best Christmas Ever
2012
More From 2011
January-March
Cruise Planning
Cruise and 42nd Anniversary
Eyes Getting Worse
A Busy October
The Rest Of 2012
2013
Eye Problems
First Cataract Surgery
Second Cataract Surgery
May A Busy Month
So Much Going on In June
New Wood Floors and A trip To Austin
A Surprise Birthday
The Rest Of 2013
2014
Some Things I Forget About the Year 2009
Let me revisit a couple of things that happened toward the end of 2009. As I mention I took the H&R Block course and finished it just before Thanksgiving. I was hoping I would be offered a job with them but I was not. A few days after Thanksgiving Connie was in Jo Ann’s Fabrics and I was waiting in the car for her when I got a call from one of the H&R offices to offer me a job. I turned them down as they only wanted me to answer the phone. A couple of weeks later, I got another call and they want me to do taxes. I went on an interview late afternoon on a Thursday and then came back to Christmas dinner at the club with Connie and some of our neighbors.
I ook the job but only after negotiating that I would only work part-time Monday through Friday from 4 to 8 pm. I was not willing to work weekends. Connie was not too happy that I took that job.
The other thing that happened in December of 2009 was that we bought a WII game. They were very popular at the time and hard to find but we found one at Target on sale. It turned out to be a great gift as we played it for several years.
During this year Connie kept doing Meals On Wheels with Lizzie on the first Tuesday of each month. The insurance cost for Cinnie and me this year was still extremely high almost $17,000.
H&R Block, The House, and a New Car
I was supposed to start work on January 4th at H&R Block in McKinney but I had a doctor’s appointment with Dr. Flieschann that afternoon so, I ended up starting the next day on the 5th. I had just started working for H&R block on Tuesday when Wednesday night our heating unit stopped working and it was very cold that night and the next few days. I called Tempco to come out and take a look at it but to get them out there that day, I had to join their maintenance club and then I would get priority treatment. I did and have been a member ever since. It has been well worth it as they come out in the spring and fall of each year to check on the cooling and heating system. Connie even found a guy she really liked and his name was Mike and she always requested him.
We had our normal things that month such as couples bunco at Mary Lou’s, and Connie’s ladies bunco at Anita’s. I do not know if I ever mentioned it before but Connie and I were block captains. I am not sure we did a great job of it but we did it. We had a block captain meeting on the 12th. On the 14th, while I was seeing the dentists and dermatologist Connie was having lunch with Lizzie. Connie had lunch with Lizzie on the 22nd also. On the 23rd, we remembered it was the first anniversary of Peaches death.
There were two major events that month. The first was I took enough money out of our investments to pay off the house. I did this to help us with our monthly cash flow. The 2nd was that we bought a new Chevrolet Equinox for Connie that month. We picked it up on the 20th. I had traded a 2001 Chevrolet Impala that had over 180,000 miles for it. We got less than $1,000 for it. Looking back on it brings me some regrets. Connie had decided she wanted a White car but they did not have any. Rather than wait, she took a red one as we had already had several red cars. We said the next car we got would be white. It was white the only problem was Connie was not here to enjoy it.
Even into February, last Christmas of Connie not hearing from her niece ad nephew was still bothering her. On the 5th we joined Costco and I remembered this because we bought an electric grill as Connie wanted to get rid of the gas one we had. It was February and Connie found this frill on sale at Costco and with its price being so much lower than other places it almost paid for the membership.
I only had a six-month assignment at H&R Block, so I finished around mid-February. I could have continued but I chose not to. There was a sad event the last week I was there as the lady n charge of the office (who was always nice to me), the husband passed away unexpectedly. He had gone in for a stint which had become quite a normal procedure but something went wrong. Even though I had only known her for a few weeks it was still extremely sad.
I saw my primary care physician on the 9th. Connie and I had our couples bunco on the 21stst and Connie had her ladies bunco on the 10th. One of the things I had not mentioned was that we started a genealogy club here at Heritage Ranch and I served as the secretary for the first three years.
A March Snow
I tried to stay in touch with people that I had worked with especially during my 32 years at EDS. On March 3rd, I got to gather with a bunch of them for lunch at Fuddruckers. Since several of them were still working, we met at a place more convenient for them. I would continue to do the lunches 3 or 4 times a year. It has slowed up since COVID and I have not had a chance to get together with them since my surgery in September of 2021. Most of the month was filled with our regular activities, Meals-On-Wheels, Bunco, Genealogy meeting, Dentist visits, etc. It was during my yearly eye exam that they found that the pressure in my eye pressure was increasing and started monitoring that regularly. Click to enlarge the pictures.
I was also the sponsor for Nathan Lietier as he made his confirmation in the Catholic Church and attend a meeting with him on the 28th. Connie and I also had lunch with Gary and Carol that month.
A Busy April
April was a busy month. I am not sure what we had Jay do that month but it must have been a lot as we paid him $540. Connie had slowed down on doing Pilates but she did go a few times this month We had our normal bunco and I had my genealogy meeting. I was still attending meetings with Nathan for his confirmation and we had a meeting on the 14th. We had dinner with Mimi and Russ on the 15th and then had dinner with Bob and Fayle later that month.
I cannot remember if it was Aprile 17th or 24th but on one of those Saturday nights, H&R Block had a party for all the people that had worked during tax season at South Fork Ranch. The one made famous in the TV show Dallas. It was a casino night and Connie and I enjoyed it.
We met with Mr. Rapier late in the month to discuss changes to our wills. I purchased airline tickets to visit Connie’s mother in New Milford Connecticut for a visit in May. The price had gone up as this time I paid $477 for each of our tickets. I; purchased them on the 22nd the day before Connie’s birthday. I saw Dr. Fliechamnn on the 26th, and we had dinner with Tom and Sonja on the 29th. On the evening of the 30th, I attended a rehearsal with Nathan for his confirmation the next day.
Confirmation and New Milford
May started with Nathan’s confirmation, it was on Saturday, May 1st. I had to be at the church at noon and I think the service started at 2 with the bishop presiding. Afterward, Debbie Nathan’s mother took Connie and me along with his grandparent to an early dinner at Brio’s and we took some nice pictures outside. We finished up our will with Mr. Raiper early that month.
On the 11th, we flew to Bew Milford Connecuit to visit Connie’s mother. We did not know that would be the last visit. I can remember, her standing at the window as we drove away to head to the airport. I know we did not stay too long as we did attend couples bunco on the 16th.
I received a bonus check from H&R block toward the end of May for $426.21. We were paid a flat salary which I think was about $10 an hour. I am not sure what the bonus was based on but I think it was based on the number of tax returns and the complexity of them that we did at that office.
I do not remember what we did on many of our anniversaries but I remember this one. It was our 40th, anniversary and at the time I did not realize we had so few left. We went to a Mexican restaurant called Cyclone Anaya’s. It was named after a Mexican wrestler. It had not been open too long and we went with our pals Dave and Lizzie. The reason I remember it was that it was the first time I had some Mexican food that was served for breakfast and it contained eggs. Not sure what it was. We went around 2 in the afternoon and then Lizzie surprise us by asking us back to their place for a dessert she had made for us. What a wonderful anniversary it was.
The Berry Patch
It seemed like June was filled with Doctor’s appointments. We both saw the dentist that month. I saw my primary care doctor and one of us had a colonoscopy, I am just not sure if it was me or Connie. The month seemed to be filled with our normal activities such as bunco, genealogy, etc. One thing that I was doing starting back in 2009 was something called Career Alliance. It was a program that the church started to assist people out of work to find jobs. They met monthly and they would have professionals come to help with resumes, interviewing skills, using the new tools on the internet, etc. I took care of setting up the area, making tea and coffee, and just helping out in general.
Connie rode our exercise bike quite a bit but she started writing down on the calendar how much she rode each day, She rode over 54 miles in 6 days this month.
During this month, Lindsey and Lizzie painted our wrought iron fence. Lindsey had just graduated high school in May and had a part-time job but was wanting to earn extra money for a trip to Disneyland with her Aunt Lolli, Uncle Matt, and their kids. It took them all day. If I remember they started before 8 that morning and did not finish until after 5. They were both completely exhausted. Connie and I did provide them with lunch and some treats during the day. That was so nice of Lizzie to help her daughter Lindsey earn some money for the summer trip to Disneyland.
Toward the end of the month, on Thursday, June 24th, Connie, Lizzie, and I went to a berry patch called Bailey’s Berry Patch. If I remember correctly it was a disappointment and we ended up not picking any berries. Since we had some extra time, we took a long drive to a small town that was known for its German Heritage called Muenster. It was founded in 1889 by families of German Heritage and the Catholic faith. It was a good hour’s drive over there. We visited some of the shops and bought some strudel, Their strudel was excellent as Connie and I had attended a German festival there before. On the way home, we stopped at a Mexican restaurant and had a good Mexican meal.
July was a typical month for us with our bunco, genealogy, etc. Connie was still riding the bike and recording her miles. I was surprised as I do not have us meeting anyone for lunch or dinner that month. One thing we did do that week for hire a friend’s son to paint a Muriel on a wall in our study. If I remember it took him a little over a week and he worked from a postcard we gave him. We were delighted with the outcome and the wonderful job he did.
August
August was also another typical month with buncos genealogy. I did have a doctor’s visit with my RA doctor and a dental visit that month. We did adoration for Lizzie on the 5th of the month. We had dinner with Mike and Brenda on the 10th of the month and dinner with Tom and Sonja on the 12th. The big news for that month was that Lizzie’s youngest child Lindsey was headed off to the University of Houston and they took her to set up her dorm room ad get her settled. Connie and I knew it would be hard for her not to have any kids at home anymore so we tried to keep her busy. The Monday after they dropped Lindsey off was a hard day for Lizzie. The Monday after dave and Lizzie had dropped Lindsey off was a hard day for her. So Connie and I called her early that day and she was more down than we thought she would be. Lizzie and Dave had spent Sunday getting Lindsey moved into her dorm. Lindsey had to go a couple of weeks earlier because she was going to be in the band. After they had gotten home that Sunday night they got a call and they had moved Lindsey into the wrong room so she had to move everything to the new room. Lizzie felt terrible about that and it really bothered her. She can laugh about it now. Lizzie thank you for letting me share that story. One Sunday night a couple of weeks later we met her around 5 PM and we all went to Posado a Mexican restaurant in Frisco. Dave had a trip to Histon that weekend so he was going to get to see Lindsey and we knew Lizzie would wish she was there also.
A Specail Invitaation and a Friend Illness
A Special Invitation and a Friend Illness
September started with a big surprise. Lizzie’s birthday was on Labor Day, Monday the 6th, so she and Dave went to Houston that weekend to see Lindsey. What Lizzie did not know was that her parents were driving in from Albuquerque on Sunday to surprise them. I am not sure if they had a key to the house or what but they were waiting to surprise them when they got home. We went over later that evening to celebrate Lizzie’s birthday with her and her family. The previous night we had attended a party at Jackie’s.
We had our normal schedule of events for the month. I had lunch with a bunch of people that I used to work with from EDS on the 9th. I attended a building fun event at the church on the 17th. Connie had a mammogram on the 20th, and I saw the eye doctor about my eye pressure on the 23rd.
There were two significant events that month, one was sad and one was happy. The sad one first. Brett his wife Valerie and I met every Sunday after the 8 PM at McDonald’s. Every now and then other couples would join us. It was either the 12th or 19th, we sat there and watched Valerie and Brett walk to their car. It was the last time we would see Valerie, as she went into the hospital the following Tuesday and was there until she transitioned in November. It was at this time I was so grateful that Connie did not listen to me and had the surprise birthday party for Valerie the previous September as her birthday was on the 28th.
The good event was that Connie, Lizzie, her parent(Lawrence and Beanie) and I were having lunch at a place called Dodie. I still remember that beanie and I order the chicken alfredo but not sure what the other had. Connie had a terrible Christmas in 2009 and they surprised us by asking us to come to Albuquerque at Christmas that year. We told them we had to think about it but once we got in the car we were on cloud 9 as we were both really excited to go. I cannot believe how happy they made Connie and for that, I will forever be grateful.
A Normal October
October was a fairly normal month with Connie seeing her primary care doctor, Dr. Kellum on the 1st and I saw my primary care physician on the 12th. Other than our normal activities, such as bunco and genealogy, the biggest event that month was a wedding. On the 16th, we attend Mac and Shanon’s wedding. Ee had known Marc since he was a young child as I worked with his father Gary. Gary and Carol became good friends of ours and we saw them often.
A Sad November
November was an extremely sad month for us, as our good friend Valerie transitioned on the 12th of the month. I remember Connie and me saying a prayer for her on that Friday at 3 PM the hour of Divine Mercy. We had been praying extremely hard for her since September when we last saw her at McDonald’s. We found out the next day she transitioned a little after 3 on Friday. It hit us pretty hard. The funeral was held the next Thursday, November 18th. We were so saddened by this. Our good friends Lizzie and Dave step up big time and invited Brett to spend Thanksgiving with them, we had been attending Thanksgiving dinner with them for several years. I know it was hard on Brett as he and Valerie always spent Thanksgiving together. They traveled a lot as they had a timeshare. I remember them going to Hawaii, Mexico, San Antonio among a few places.
Connie was so worried about him that she thought about canceling our trip to New Mexico so he would not have to be alone. It turned out he decided to go visit his daughter for Christmas. We still miss you, Valerie.
During November, we had dinner with Gary and Carol on the 5th. The second annual trivia night at St. Jude was on Saturday the 13th, it was sad because Brett and Valerie had played with us the year before.
On Monday the 15th, we had dinner with Russ, Mimi, Tom, and Paulette at Cheddars. We were supposed to go to a museum with the senior group from St. Jude on the 18th but we cancel that trip because that was the day of Valerie’s funeral. Other than that it was our normal stuff, genealogy, bunco doctor’s visits. I was still seeing my eye doctor about my eye pressure as he was keeping a close watch on it.
Thanksgiving this year was wonderful. Lizzie’s two children were home. Her younger sister, Lolli, her husband Matt their two children Jacob and Maddie were there as they came every year. As I mentioned before Brett was there also. We played our normal Thanksgiving Trivia and Connie and I had a lot of fun talking to Lolli and Matt about our upcoming visit to Albuquerque.
We had never done Christmas shopping during the Black Friday events but we decided to try it this year. The stores were still not opening on Thanksssgvin fay but a bunch of them were opening at midnight. Connie and I were so excited about Christmas, we decided to go to the outlet mall at midnight and start buying some Christmas presents for the people in Albuquerque. That was a mistake, the outlet mall is less than 10 minutes from the house and we left the house a little after 11 to get there and get a parking place. That was not going to happen as people were parking on the other side of the expressway and walking over to the outlet mall. Parking was crazy. It took almost an hour to get to the mall and there was no parking so we kept going and came home a different way. What should have been there in less than 15 minutes even in traffic but it took over an hour and a half and we did not even get out of the car.
The next day we did go shopping it was the first and last time we went on Black Friday. We made it to the outlet mall and went to a store that sold Harry and David’s products. Our excitement about going to Albuquerque was building every day.
The other big thing was our friends Gary and Carol have a home business called CMBS, where they do medical billing. They had gotten a new computer and paid me to help them set it up and to help with some software for their business. They paid me very well.
Connie’s Best Christmas Ever
December of this year, I will never forget and it will always be a special time in my heart. I will tell you below. First, for some reason, I took a significant amount of money from our investments and I am not sure why. but I think it was to shore up our bank accounts to make sure we had enough cash in case of an emergency. We had a meeting with our financial planner on the 8th and I withdrew the money on the 10th, so I think it may have been his suggestion. Other than that it was a fairly normal month with our bunco’s and genealogy meetings. I had did have a major expense on our older Blazer SUV,
Now the special thing that happened that month, was visiting Albuquerque for Christmas. I told you back in December, that Lizzie’s parents (Lawrence and Beanie) had invited us for Christmas.
There was a log of excitement building up to Christmas and Connie and I found ourselves getting more excited each day. Early in the month, Lizzie came over and we made candy to take to her parents. She always took this candy when she went and we made the same. It was so much fun cooking and learning to make the candy. Matt who is Lizzie’s brother-in-law is on the 24th, and they always celebrated it on the 23rd, so we had fun shopping for a birthday present for him. I remeber this is being such a fun and happy day for both of us. I think this was the first time Connie had made candy since she set our kitchen on fire at Thanksgving 1972 trying to make candy. Click on a picture to open up the gallery
Lizzie’s whole family help us. First, when we pick a hotel Maddie who is Lizzie’s niece would have her parents drive by and check it out. That really helped because the first few we picked out she called back and said she did not think it was a good place to stay. We finally decide to stay at the Sheraton near where her parents lived. Her brother-in-law who was married to Lizzie’s other sister Laura, help us get a good rate. He was in the hotel business.
We spent a lot of time planning what to take and making sure we were organized for the trip. Finally, the day we were going to leave came on December 22nd. We had packed the car the previous evening. We got up about 5 that morning and probably left around 6 or so. We stopped by McDonald’s for a coffee and sandwich and then we were on the road. We were so excited and having so much fun, we were singing in the car even though I cannot sing. What was funny about 9:30 or so is we pulled up behind this car and it was Lizzie and Dave. So we called them on the cell phone. About 10:15 Dave pulled over to fill up his car in Childress and we did the same. We then followed them into Amarillo where we stop at a Schlotzky for lunch. Lizzie and Dave always stopped there as they had made the trip many times.
After lunch, we were going to follow them to the next stop a Dairy queen between Amarillo and Albuquerque. But as soon as we were getting in the car I realized I could not find my iPhone, It was the first one I had ever bought and I had it for only about a month. There was no time to worry about that as we needed to get on the road. We were less than 30 minutes from lunch when I needed to stop and go to the bathroom. Luckily there was a Stuckey’s just off the highway bit that put us pretty far behind Dave and Lizzie but we knew what the exit we needed to take for the Dairy Queen. We had almost caught up with them by the time they got to the Dairy Queen. When we got out of the car I went to look for something in the backseat (not sure what) and there was my iPhone. We filled up with gas again and followed them into Albuquerque. We were really happy with the hotel as it was a very nice one. We got in around 4 pm their time and went over to Lizzie’s parents for dinner that evening.
The next morning we were going to hook up with Lizzie and Dave but Lizzie was not feeling well, so Connie and I went over to a restaurant place for breakfast. I can not remember the name of it now but it was a national chain and we were disappointed. We decided to go down to Old Town as that was the original plan. Afterward, we came back to a shopping mall near the hotel and did some window shopping. That evening we went back over to Lizzie’s parents and followed all of them to Matt and Lolli’s for his birthday party, where we had the best time. It was several people there and we sing Christmas songs. I think everyone was ready to stop but not Connie as she wanted to keep going. Connie really enjoyed herself.
On Friday Dave Lizzie her parents and Connie and I went to this restaurant that we had heard so much about from Lizzie. They had a sopapilla burger and we were not disappointed as it was as good as she had told us. That night we joined Lizzie and her whole family for Christmas Eve mass. Afterward, is etched in my memory forever. We went back to Lizzie’s parent’s house for a Christmas dinner. I do remember they served posole, which was a Christmas tradition for them. Afterward, they started handing out presents. Connie I think was the happiest one there. She was happier than the kids. They were very generous and Connie and I got a lot of presents. I can remember the car ride home that evening and Connie’s happiness, it brought tears to my eyes that night and the memories still do.
Saturday morning we had breakfast at an IHOP near the hotel, Around lunchtime Dave and Lizzie treat us to a ride on the Tramway to the top of the Sandia Mountains. There was a restaurant up there where Lizzie used to work at when she was in high school. She was telling us stories about riding on top of the tramway when they would leave at night. Believe me, you have to be brave to do that. Connie was always scared of heights and Dave was teasing her that she left an indent in the steel polls with her fingers as she was squeezing them so tight That evening of Christmas day we attend a dinner for everyone at Lizzie’s sister Laura. The next day Sunday we messed up. We attended mass with Lizzie, Dave her kids, and her parents. Afterward, we went to McDonald’s and then back to the hotel. They call almost as soon as we got back to the hotel wondering where we were. We thought they were going to call us when they were ready to leave for Santa Fe and they thought we were comn=ing over after McDonald’s. It sure opens my eyes to how hard it is to co-ordinate a big group. We took two cars with several people to Santa Fe. It was a very interesting and fulfilling day as they took us to the Loretto Chapel, which is famous for its staircase. If you do not know anything about it, I think you would find it interesting to read about it. Connie and I bought some souvenirs in the gift shop. Afterward, they took us to a place I had never heard of called Chimayo. again it is another interesting story and one I think you would like to read about with its sacred crucifix, holy dirt, and the pilgrimage on Good Friday. Click on a pictire should open up the gallery for better viewing.
What a wonderful time we had, Lizzie and Dave made it very special for us with everything they did for us that weekend. The next day Monday morning we took off for home. We left at about 6:30 and then stop at a McDonald’s on the other side of the highway on top of a small hill. I remember it well because it was so visible sitting over there. Then about 3 that afternoon we stop in a small town in Texas called Vernon. We stopped at a Dairy Queen and were so disappointed. The service was terrible. It was a very small town and I am sure it was the only place kids could find a job, They were enjoying their Christmas break as everything was so slow.
The rest of the year was ok but then on New Year’s Eve, we went over to Lizzie’s and Dave’s to play some games. Their daughter Lindsey was still home and she was a real competitor and loved beating us.
I will always remember this as one of the happiest times of Connie’s life. Thank You, Lizzie, Dave, and all of your family.
2011
January and February
This year is probably going to be much shorter than most years. The reason is there is hardly anything written in Connie’s calendar. My google calendar has very little in it either. I looked at next year’s calendar and it seems to be just fine with a lot written in it. Since Connie used a calendar from Keynote Speacites every year since the late 90s. They were calendars that showed different shelties for each month. There were a few times when she ordered an extra calendar because she want to cut out some of the pictures. I am wondering if that was one of those years and we had two calendars and the wrong one got thrown out.
I am pretty sure we had the normal things going on during the year. Connie, doing Meals-On-Wheels on the first Tuesday of the month with Lizzie and I would join them for lunch afterward. I kept going to my genealogy meetings at the club and also attending the investment club meetings. They both me once a month. I also continue my volunteer work at the food pantry. This may also be the year that we switched from playing bunco with people in the neighborhood to playing with people from church.
So the only things I had on the calendar for January and February are doctor and dentist appointments.
I do remember that in February a neighbor who lives around the corner (Wayne) and I went one morning to Fort Worth to do genealogy research. We went to the National Archives there. We went most of the day doing research and then had a late lunch and left to come back home around 3 in the afternoon, so we could beat the afternoon traffic.
I am not sure but I believe it was in February of this year that we had a big snow and ice storm in the area. If I remember correctly our friend Lizzie’s grandmother had transitioned. They had to go to New Mexico and had to travel quite a distance to get past all the ice and snow. We were couped in for several days as I remember our next-door neighbors Tim and Carolyn took us on a Thursday night to Cotton Patch cafe and that was the first time we had been out n about 5 days.
A Sad March
March was an extremely sad month for Connie and me as her mother transitioned on St. Patrick’s day the 17th of March. I was at the eye doctor that morning when I got a call around 9:30 from Connie’s brother telling me that she had transitioned early that morning. I came home and bought airline tickets for us to fly to Hartford and then we were going t drive to Sparkill NY for the funeral. When I talked to American Airlines about a bereavement fare, they found me a cheap fare that was better than the bereave=ment fare. We left on Saturday the 19th, as the funeral was going to be on Monday the 21st.
A friend of Connie’s had called a couple of weeks earlier that she had not seen since college. Her name was Pat. She was visiting her sister in a town about 40 miles from here and we had planned on getting together with her on Sunday the 20th. As we were driving from the airport to New York she called to firm up the plans and we told her what had happened and that we would be unable to make it. Since she was leaving on Monday she and Connie never connected.
One of the things I remember was us stopping at a diner in Connecticut before we crossed over into New York. We stayed at a Comfort Inn near Sparkill and close to where the funeral home was where there was viewing on Sunday evening. The funeral the next day (Monday the 21st,) was at 10 or 10:30 in the chapel at Thorpe village where Connie’s mother lived in retirement and enjoyed so much. The deacon for the funeral was Connie’s mother’s cousin. She was buried next to her husband.
Afterward, I took all the family that wanted to go out to eat at a nice restaurant. Connie’s mother had me set aside $1,000 to take everyone out to a nice meal after the funeral and any money left over was to go to St. Anthony Bread Line in New York. I am not sure how many of us went but I know the bill was $555.45, and we ate at a restaurant called Pines. Later I sent $500 to the bread line as her mother had requested.
It had snowed the evening of the 20th, so Connie’s cousin Christine and Ernie let us ride with them so I was not driving in the snow. They also let me borrow a coat as it had turned very cold. On the 22nd we left the hotel to head back to the Hartford airport, Once we arrived I realized that I did not have y cane and I knew what had happened to it. As we were loading the car I had set the cane on the top and drove off with it on the top of the car.
We arrived nack in Dallas at about 8 pm that night and were in for a big surprise. The parking was about $100 but when we left the airport they said we did not owe anything, Connie and I thought wow, her mother is still looking out for us. A couple of weeks later, I found out why the airport parking had been charged to my tool tags automatically when I exited the airport.
March 22nd, of that year, would be the last time I would fly and I hope to never have t take an airplane again.
A Busy April
By April. I guess we had switched to playing bunco with a group from the church by now as I saw we played bunco at Keith and Jukies on April 9th. They were not our regular church bunco group but we sub for one of the couples in that group. Connie and I always enjoyed subbing for someone in that group as they were a lot of fun. Tempo came out to check out the air conditioner on April 11th and I had a couple of doctor’s appointments that month.
April was an extremely busy month for me as Connie’s mother asked me to distribute the money she had left to her children and grandchildren. I am not sure why she asked me but I knew she trusted me to do what she wanted. So I was busy all month dealing with financials. There were some stocks for some of her grandchildren, there was other money in her retirement. It took a while and I had to maneuver things around. A major portion of the money was in Connie’s name as she needed it to be that way. She trusted Connie not to spend it and to give it back to her if she ever needed it. There were reasons she did it this way and it made sense based on her circumstance. The problem was that since the money was in Connie’s name and not her mother’s a good portion of it was taxable whereas if it had been in her mother’s name it would not have been. Anyway, it was a long and complicated process that took me into May to make all the distribution. I found dealing with family members over money can be challenging. But I made it through and all were satisfied with the results after I provided them all with a lengthy explanation of how much money was given, how much it grew, and the investments that were made.
There was something Connie did during this time, that made me extremely proud of her. Someday I will write about it. It just re-affirmed what a wonderful person I had marred.
The one thing I will remember about April of 2011, was that Easter was on the 24th that year, which is almost the last possible date for easter which is the 25th. The reason I remember Easter that year was that Connie and I gave up all carbonated drinks and I think that was the hardest time I ever had giving up something. We met Lizzie and Dave at 3 that afternoon for an Easter dinner at a restaurant and I think they made have given up carbonation also, not sure. Anyway, the first thing out of our mouths was could we have a diet coke, please.
The other thing that I will remember about this month is that month Lizzie came over and was helping Connie, make cookies. I cannot remember how many things we bought for the kitchen just because Lizzie had them I am not sure Connie used everything she bought and probably did not know what some of them were for. But I do remember this time Connie, had bought a cookie sheet for making cookies because Lizzie had one and had recommended it. The cookie turned out great and Connie became a pretty good cookie maker and made a lot of cookies after that. I am very thanbkfuk for that!!!! Click on a picture will open the gallery to larger pictures.
In April we had the first of many masses said for her mother.
May and June
May and June were fairly typical months for us, as we were playing bunco once a month with a group from church. The only difference was the one in the neighborhood was on Sunday nights and the church group played on Saturday nights. I was still attending the genealogy and investment club meetings. I was also seeing my eye doctor every month as my eye pressure was high and he was checking it regularly. The big thing for Connie was the church had a trinket exchange. People brought bracelets, necklaces, etc., things that did not wear anymore and they would be given a coupon for each item. Then on the 18th of May, all the trinkets were laid out and they could exchange their coupon for something they saw that they liked. The church has done that a few more times.
Heritage Ranch had medical speakers come every month and Connie loved to attend them so we attended a lot. This month they had a surgeon come that did hips and knees. He had served in Iraq and Connie liked him. Since my original surgeon had retired a couple of years before, I started seeing him. Eventually, I decided to have someone else do surgery on my knee when it came time to have it replaced.
Connie had nothing written on the calendar for June but I know we met with the financial advisor on the 8th. I attended a Food Pantry Board meeting on the 2nd. I bought new tires from discount tires on the 7th. During the summer at the food pantry, we made up special bags of food for the kids, that contained items, especially for them. On Sundays, during the summer one of the members of the food pantry board was responsible for putting the schoolbags together for the coming week. The last Sunday in June was my turn and Connie came with me and help put them together. We usually had to do about 30 to 40 bags a week.
In July the only thing written on the calendar is having a mass said for Connie’s mother on the 10th and I bought tickets for a show at the Winstar Casino for us and Gary and Carol, more about that later when we went to the show. In September.
Gold and Silver
During August there were a lot of medical appointments, and I went to see the orthopedic surgeon that had made a presentation at the ranch earlier in the year on the 1st. I would continue seeing him until 2019. There was a Food Pantry Board meeting on the 2nd. I visited with our State Farm agent on the 4th to see about taking out medical insurance for long-term care. I was not eligible because of my RA but Connie was. We decided not to buy it and to set aside money to self-fund it ourselves.
On the 15th of August, we sold some gold and most of my coin collection for almost $2500. I had been collecting coins since 1985 and I had all the silver eagle dollar coins ever made But Connie said she would not know what to do with them if something happened to me and since I never looked at them anymore, we decided to sell them. It was a good time because the price of gold and silver was very high at the time.
We had dinner with Mike and Brenda on the 17th, We had two chairs in the TV room that Connie and used when watching TV. Connie decided to have them reupholstered. Back in the 90s, we had some furniture reupholster by a company in Dallas called Childress and were very happy with the results. They had opened a place much near to us in Frisco, so we went there where Connie picked out the fabric and they then came and picked up the chairs. On the 28th, Connie and I went to the Food Pantry to make up school bags for the kids.
Frankie Valli and the Four SZeasons
Frankie Valli and the Four Season
September was a fun time. Connie, Gary, Carol and I went to the Winstar casino for a show. I had bought the tickets back in July. We had seats directly in front of the stage in row 5. The show we saw was frankly Valli and the Four Season. Connie loved their music. We picked up Gary and Carol around 3 in the afternoon and drove up to the casino in Oklahoma. We had to book two rooms so we could stay late and not have to drive home in the middle of the night. The next morning we had a nice buffet breakfast and headed home listening to a CD of Frank Valli songs. That is why chose the song “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” for the blog page called “The Beginning”
Connie had a mammogram on the 22nd and had to repeat it on the 29th I do not know how many times Connie was called back to repeat a mammogram but it was a lot and every time everything turned out to be ok.
Cracker Barrel
Connie had not written anything on the calendar for the month of October. I know I had a dental appointment with Dr. Bass on the 20th, and I gathered with a bunch of my friends from when I used to work at EDS at a place called Lil Gus for a lunch.
November was nothing special going on. We had Tempo out to check our heating on the 4th. Connie, Lizzie, and I would go out to breakfast sometimes and we started trying to hit all the Cracker Barrell around us. The picture I have included here were the ones we took at the Crackerbarrel near Grapevine Mills mall which is near the airport. I am not sure it was this month but I am sure the pictures were taken in 2011 but ic ould have been April instead of November. We celebrate Thanksgiving at Dave and Lizzie, where we played our traditional Thanksgiving Trivia. Clicking on a picture in the gallery will open it up to a bigger view.
Connie’s 2nd Best Christmas
In December Connie and I met with Todd our financial planner and later that month Connie had an appointment with her OBY/GN. The best thing about this month was that Lizzie’s parents ask us back out to Albuquerque to celebrate Christmas with Lizzie and her family again.
I will have to say this again was a wonderful trip and it made me happy to see Connie so happy. I remember so well this time we met the Briers at a local restaurant called Zoe’s and we were going to follow them all the way. We got separated but it was no big deal as we were going to stop at a McDonald’s for a quick bite to eat and so we thought we would catch up with them there. But I messed up as I went to the wrong Mcdonald’s and finally we connected with them but we went to the wrong McDonald’s after reaching them on the cell phone they came at met us at the one we had stopped at. opped they came and met us there. What I did not realize was that they were expecting snow and Dave was trying to get us there before they closed the road around the mountains. Anyways we made smooth sailing to Amarillo where we stopped at a gas station. I remember it was so cold their son Matthew got out and pump the gas for us. We then stopped where they always stopped in Amarillo for lunch which was at a Scholotozky’s. I had bought lottery tickets for everyone and handed them out at lunch but no one won anything, Afterwards, Lizzie drove our car as it was beginning to snow. That was so kind and generous of her. I do not remember if we stopped at the Dairy Queen this time or not as I know we were trying to beat the snow. We made it and stopped so Lizzie could get back in their car. Connie and I head to the hotel, it was the Sheraton that we had stayed at the last time. After we got to the hotel we heard that the roads had closed at the mountain pass about an hour or two after we went through there. It was not too bad in the city of Albuquerque yet so Connie and I went out to a Whataburger for a quick burger.
On Friday, I think we went to lunch with Dave, Lizzie, and her parents. That evening we celebrated Matt’s birthday, but everyone gathered at his house and sang Christmas carols.n Saturday Christmas eve, I am not sure what we did but I do know we attend mass around 5 pm, then came back to Lizzie’s mother’s house for her traditional pozole soup and had exchange presents. Again it will be one of the happier times in my life as I could see how happy Connie was to participate in all the fun. The next morning Christmas day, Connie and I ate at the restaurant in the hotel, we were surprised to find it was open. We took a long drive along Interstate 40 west to see what was out there and there was not much, I do remember seeing a coup;e of casinos. That night we all went to Lizzie’s sister Laura’s inlaws. It was a fun evening but Lindsey had gotten sick and Lizzie had to stay home with her.
The next morning Dave, Lizzie, her parents, Connie, and I all met for breakfast at one of her parent’s favorite places. We were riding with Dave and Lizzie, I think because I remember stopping at a Walgreen so that Lizzie could pick up some medicine for Lindsey. Dave then took us to visit someplace and we headed back o the hotel as we were leaving the next day. We did buy some gift cards from Sizzler restaurant for Lizzie’s parents for having is out there again.
One of the things I remember about both of our visits to Albuquerque at Christmas was a place called the Sweet Tomato. It was a restaurant with a gigantic salad bar, they also had some hot soups, pizzas, and all kinds of desserts. We ate there two or three times each time we went.
On Tuesday we headed back home. It was cold that morning and I had a hard time seeing as the window kept fogging up really bad. So we went extremely slow for the first couple of hours. Finally, the fogging of the windows got better and we stop at a Mcdonald’s for a quick bite to eat. We then stop in Amarillo to fill up with gas and grab a soda. Around two we stop in Childress at McDonald’s for lunch as we definitely then want to pass it up and end up eating at the Dairy Queen,
My eyes were getting really blurry and I was having a hard time seeing I missed a turn-off in Decatur. I finally pull over and let Connie drive the rest way. The next morning my eyes were fine. A few later I would learn what cause my eyes to get blurry. It and eyelid diseases call blepharitis. It has bothered me a few times since then.
Again on New Year’s Eve, we played games at Dave and Lizzie’s. That was always fun.
Dave and Lizzie, I will always remeber these Christmas as they made Connie so happy. I can never thank you enough for that. Remebering the joy on her face during those two Christmases always makes me very happy. Thank you!!!!!!
2012
Menories that I missed in 2011
Some Memories that I missed in 2011
First a couple of things that I may have missed about 2011. I had written in December of 2011 when we were heading to Albuquerque, that we had smooth sailing to Amarillo. That was not true, but I just remembered it when looking at the calendar for 2012. Somewhere between Childress and Amarillo, we had to pull over to the side of the road because Connie had a bad coughing spell. It was really bad, and I got her out of the car and hit her on the back a few times. I know it was bad because she was tearing up.
This reminded me of Connie coughing spells. It started in 1992 after she had a fibroid tumor removed. About 1997 she started having some coughing spells. At first, they were not too bad but by about 2005 they were getting worse. We tried so many ways to get the coughing to stop. Even some crazy ones such as sticking her head in the freezer when they started. It got to where I was worried about them. There would be times when I would call her on my way home from work and she would not answer. If she did not call me back in a few minutes, I would start saying a rosary. The neighbors even suggest I buy her one of those life-alert pendants. She was always worn out after one of those spells. The one in 2011 was pretty bad and it scared me as a few others did over the years.
The reason this finally came to mind in 2011 she started writing down on the calendar when she would have throat spasms. It started after she had a fibroid tumor removed in 1992. It was a big one about 5 lbs. It was not bad until the early 2000s, but it was noticeable.
January — March
In January, Connie had a dental appointment, and, on the 11th, she wrote down she had a throat spasm. I had my normal genealogy meeting on the 11th also. I had a meeting with a guy I had worked with at EDS on the 18th. They had started a group called Blue Loop and it was to help people after a loved one had transitioned. They were doing it through a website. I do not remember much about it but since I had been working on an access database, so I hooked up with him and his wife to see if we had similar interests. I did but it never worked out. We must have had major problems with our spas as I spent $343 that month. I remember it well because we had not had the guy out in a few years, and he had lost a lot of weight. It turned out his wife had transitioned about a year before, and he was still struggling. We had dinner with Tom and Paulette on the 24th and attend Tom and Ernestine’s 50th wedding anniversary on the 27th.
Connie wrote down that she had another throat spasm on February 1st. We had dinner with Carolyn and Tim our next-door neighbors on the 1st, and with Andy and Margaret on the 2nd. On the 7th Connie got a B12 shot. Connie and Lizzie did meals on wheels that day. It was either this year or last year that Lizzie had tire problems. I always took Connie and dropped her off and then I would meet them afterward for lunch. It was 11:30 and Lizzie had not shown up which was unusual as she was usually there by 11:15. Anyway she called, and she was at Auto Zone, and I think they put her spare on for her. After meals on wheels, we followed her to discount tires where she got a couple of new tires. While they did that, we went to get a bite to eat.
She had throat spasms again on the 8th and Lizzie and Dave had us over for a valentine’s dinner on the 14th. The pressure in my eyes was getting high so I saw Dr. Scharf on the 11th, and the 23rd as he wanted to monitor it more closely. Connie also got another B12 shot on the 23rd.
We started March by having dinner, with Gary and Carol on the 1st. Connie documented that on the 2nd, she had a throat spasm. Connie saw the dentist on the 7th. I think this was the year that she had some dental work done. She went to see our regular dentist and needed a crown but before that he sent her to see a specialist to have a root canal done. Anyway, there was a major expense this month for dental work. We also met up with Tom and Paulette that night for dinner. We had lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 12th. Connie saw her OBY/GN on the 16th. Since my retirement, I always took her, and either ran errands or waited in the car and then we always went someplace special for lunch.
We played bunco on the 17th. On the 19th, I took some money from the annuity that Connie’s mother had left her. I had used some of our own money last year to distribute the money her mother had left to her children and grandchildren. I did it to save all of us some income tax and now was replenishing our funds. Connie had her mammogram on the 29th and got a haircut on the 30th.
Cruise Planning
The main thing that happened in April was planning for a cruise. Connie and I went to a lady from our church who was a cruise planner and may arrangements for us and our friends Gary and Carol. I also bought a new camera to take on the cruise for pictures. I remember buying it at Office Max and got a good discount on it. We also paid Rodenbaugs $225, but I am not sure what it was for as I do not remember us buying any appliance during this period of time. We had had our golf cart for almost 8 years and needed some work done on it plus new batteries. There was a gentleman who worked on all the golf carts for the golf course and who also worked on personal golf carts on the side. Anyway, we ended up spending almost $900 to get it all fixed up.
Connie documented that she had a throat spasm on the 21st and we also played bunco that night. Tempo had come to do our spring inspection the day before. Connie’s birthday was on Monday, and I remember Lizzie coming by to surprise her at lunch and we all then went to Whataburger. I remember Connie enjoyed that birthday.
On the 24th, we went out with Andy and Margaret to celebrate a birthday. I had a Food Pantry Board meeting on the 26th. Other than that, just our normal things in April such as Meals on Wheel, Genealogy, doctor’s appointments, etc.
Cruise and a Nice Day for our 42nd Anniversary
We were on and off members of Sam’s Club, but we joined it again this May. On the 2nd we met with our financial planner Todd. He usually tried to talk Connie into selling her Starbuck stock that she had bought back in the early 2000s. He did not think it would go any higher, but Connie believed in it. It more than double in the next 3 or 4 years.
On the 3rd, Connie and I took a cruise with Gary and Carol. We traveled to Galveston and took a five-day cruise to Cozumel. On the 10th, we dis Adoration for Lizzie as she was in Albuquerque. The next day we drove down to Love Field around 4 in the afternoon to pick Lizzie up. Her husband Dave had gone to Houston to pick up Lindsey from college. We then stayed at their house for a couple of hours and enjoyed pizza with them. We had dinner with Carolyn and Tim on the 20th and lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 25th.
I remember May 30th that year so well as we were celebrating our 42nd anniversary. We picked up Lizzie early that morning as we were going to go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. I thought we were going to go to one in Garland, but I got us completely loss which is normal for me. Somehow, we ended up at one in Mesquite. I have a lot of pictures of us at different Cracker Barrels as we tried to hit all of them in the area until they open one here in town in 2013. I remember Lizzie giving us the funniest anniversary card that year. For our anniversary we were going just north of Terrell Texas to a place called Hams Orchard. They grew peaches and had all different kinds. It was a remarkably interesting place. They had a big outside grill and were selling hamburgers. Since we had just had a big breakfast, we were not hungry but said if we came back, we would not eat beforehand, so we could try their hamburgers. On the way home, we stopped at a Russell Stover outlet store and bought a lot of chocolate. We all had such a fun day, and it was a wonderful way to celebrate our anniversary. It seemed we were always finding an adventure to take with Lizzie.
Eyes Start Getting Worse
June was a fairly normal month except, I had a couple of issues come up. I went for a massage on June 8th and after the massage, I had a real tough time turning my neck and it bothered me for several weeks. On June 30th we were to play bunco at Tom and Sonja. I had gone into the spa right before we were getting ready to go. When I started driving over there that evening, I had a tough time with my eyes and Connie had to drive home. I had this happen back in 2011 on our return trip from Albuquerque. I did not know what it was, but it would later be diagnosed as blepharitis. It is the inflammation of the eyelid. My eyes were very blurry. Other than that, the month was fairly normal with genealogy meetings, making up kid’s bags for the food pantry, etc. Connie had marked on the calendar that she had a throat spasm on the 22nd.
On July 1st, a Sunday, my eyes were still bad, so Connie drove us to church, to breakfast, and then back home. I had a class starting on how to use Photoshop Elements that was scheduled to go for the next 6 Sundays. It was from 2-4in the afternoon. Once I was halfway there, I realized I should not be driving. I did make it home ok. I do remember Connie decided we would go out to eat but I could not drive so she did. We went all the way to Wylie, but the place we wanted to go was close, so we came back to Allen and had dinner at the Cotton Patch. I remember I had a hamburger steak because it was so hot, and my throat was so sore it was hard to swallow. I attended another Photoshop Elements class on the 8th but then decided it was too dangerous for me to be driving that far, so I quit the class.
My eyes kept on bothering me. I was seeing my eye doctor almost twice a month because the eye pressure kept getting higher and higher. Because I had rubbed my eyes so hard, I had scratched the corneas. Starting on the 12th, I started seeing him every week as the eye pressure kept going higher and the scratch corneas were affecting my vision.
We did have dinner with Carolyn and Tim on the 6th and with Gary and Carol on the 18th. Connie was called for jury duty on the 17th but did not get selected, which she was incredibly happy about. She also documented that she had another throat spasm on the 10th. We finished up Connie’s dental work this month.
August-September
August was a fairly normal month except I had a lot of doctor’s visits. I saw my eye doctor three times that month and my eye pressure was not coming down and he was trying several things to help with the cornea. I was there a few times when he called a cornea specialist and talked to him. I also saw the dentist and my regular doctor that month. Connie and I do adoration for Lizzie on the 23rd and we met friends at Papa Lopez on the 27th for lunch. We had our regular genealogy meeting, meals on wheels, and bunco and on the 10th, Connie and I created kid’s bags for the food pantry.
September was a month that I saw the eye doctor several times. Instead of seeing him weekly, I saw him 6times that month. Connie also had an eye appointment on the 6th. She did not care for my eye doctor whom she had used before, so she was seeing a different doctor. Because Connie was busy with the eye doctor on the 6th, we celebrated Lizzie’s birthday on the 7th. We drove to Denton to go to another Cracker Barrel for her birthday. I think we had now gone to almost all of the Cracker barrels that were within driving distance of us except for the one in Denton. The next year they wuld open a Cracker Barrel on our town,so this was the last long trip we made to grow to a Cracker Barrel. Here are a few picture from us celebrating Lizzie’s b irthday at the Cracker barrel in Sherman.
I had a Food Pantry Board meeting on the 4th. If I remember correctly when I came home Connie was not at home. It was around 8:30 in the evening, and I had no idea where she was. I called the neighbors, with no luck, and then took the golf cart out to look for her. I was getting very worried when after about 4o minutes, I saw her walking toward the house. We have a lot of walking trails around her, and she had gone for a walk. She went for a really long walk she told me, and I was surprised as she usually did not like to be out after it got dark
On the 13th, we celebrated my birthday and pick up a new pair of glasses for Connie. We had more problems with our spa as we had to spend another $200 on our spas. Connie had another mammogram on the 28th.
A Busy October
This October, I got my first Social Security check as I had turned 66 in September. I only saw my eye doctor twice this month and both times were before the 8th of the month. He had gotten me in to see a cornea specialist in Dallas. The appointment was on the 11th which was a Thursday and I remember it so well because it was a late appointment at about 3:30 and Connie and I did not want to be in all the traffic leaving downtown Dallas. But the real problem came in getting to the appointment. The major highway US75 (Central Expressway) had work being done on it, so I ended up getting in the wrong lane and ended up on LBJ Freeway which was a mess as they were doing a lot of work on it. By the time I was able to take some back roads, we were running late, and I miss the place the first time and had to turn around and go back. Connie did not like to be in heavy traffic, so her stress spilled over to me. The place was called the Eye Institute and they had all kinds of different eye specialists there. They had Cornea specialties, Glaucoma specialists, a Retina specialist, and others each different specialty had about 8 to 10 doctors just for that specialty. The doctor I saw was genuinely nice and gave me a prescription that I had to take to a compound pharmacy to have made up.
We had our Tempo inspection on the 18th. To make sure the furnace was ready for winter.
I also had been having terrible problems with my ankles as I could only stand a little over 5 minutes before they started going numb. I had seen a doctor who gave me steroid shots in both ankles. He asked me if I want to try that. He was not confident it would work but thought we should try it. It did not work, so he sent me to a specialist that makes equipment for disabled people especially those that have lost a limb, but he thought there was something he could do for me. We went to see him on the 23rd as the doctor had prescribed a special brace. He was located right behind where Connie got her mammograms. They used a computer program to create a visual representation of my feet and ankles.
We went to Mass on Saturday the 13th, as we were picking Dave and Lizzie up on the 14th, to take them to St. Jude’s to board a bus for a trip to Rome, and other places. We picked them up at 5:30 in the morning as they had to be at the church by 6. There were a lot of people from our parish going on the trip and it was being led by Fr. Tim. They came back on the 26th. We had a mass said for her mother on the 28th.
We had all of our regular events, in October such as Meals on Wheels. Genealogy, Dentist, and doctor’s appointment.
The Rest of 2012
November was filled with our normal activities. We had another mass said for Connie’s mother on the 4th, and we met with our financial planner on the 8th. Connie had another mammogram on the 12th, and I am trying to figure out what was going on because she has had 3 this year but I cannot remember. We bought a new smart TV on the 18th for our bedroom.
Sometimes in early November, Connie and I went to the compounding pharmacy in Plano to have my eye prescription refilled. We saw near there a Cardinal store. Since Lizzie’s family our big cardinal fans we thought we could pick up something for them for Christmas there. But it did not work out as it was a Cardinal store but not for the Cardinal baseball team. They had nothing in there for the St. Louis Cardinals but plenty of things for the cardinal bird.
I saw my regular eye doctor on the 15th, as I just needed an eye pressure check and the specialist said I did not need to drive into Dallas for that. On the 16th, I went to pick up the braces that had been customed made for my feet and legs. They worked well but Connie had to help me put them on and take them off. I had to buy new shoes that were two sizes bigger so my feet would fit into them with the new braces. The braces started just below my toes and went up about 3 quarters of my calf. They seemed to help but getting them on was an ordeal for both Connie and me.
We spent Thanksgiving with the Brier’s which was a tradition.
We had lunch with Andy and Margaret on the 26th. I saw the cornea specialist on the 28th, and he gave me the ok to see the glaucoma specialist for my eye pressure as the corneas were now ok. I saw the orthopedic surgeon for my ankles who had prescribed the braces on the 30th, as he wanted to see how well they were working. Connie had a throat spasm on the 28th and 30th.
December, I am not sure what this means but Connie had marked on the calendar that she (we) started coffee beans. We also had a mass said for Nanny on the 2nd. I saw my regular eye doctor again on the 6th and the 13th. as they were doing eye pressure checks. I had a scheduled appointment in early January for a glaucoma specialist. Connie had another throat spasm on the 11th. We had some electrical problems and had Accurate Electric out on the 12th.
Connie and I had a mass said for our good friend Valerie who had transitioned in November of 2010.
On Saturday, the 22nd Connie and I went to the Gaylord Texan Resort because they decorate it beautifully for Christmas. We had a tough time finding a parking place, but it was as worth it. It was decorated beautifully, and we really enjoyed the time we spent walking around there.
We had our Christmas day meal at Humperdinck’s right of US75. There were some concerns that day, as we went to mass that morning but by noon it had started snowing. Our Christmas brunch was scheduled for 2:30. I called and could not get an answer, so Connie I left the house at about 1 and headed there which was only a 20-minute drive. They were able to seat us immediately and we were able to get home before the roads got bad. The major highways were still ok after we left but the neighborhood roads were starting to get bad.
Our friends Mike and Brenda were driving back from Austin that afternoon, so we called them and let them know about the snow.
New Year’s Eve was great as usual as we spent it with Dave, Lizzie, and Lindsey playing games.
2013
January was a very busy month for us. On the 9th, I had a doctor’s appointment, a genealogy meeting, and Connie I also attended the travel club here at Heritage Ranch. I saw the dentist on the 10th. Connie was still having throat spasms. She and Lizzie had lunch on the 14th. And she saw the orthodontist on the 15th.
Eye Problems
The 16th was a long day. Now that I had my cornea straightened out, I had an appointment with a glaucoma specialist, to see what they could do about the eye pressure. My appointment was scheduled for about 1:00 PM but we got there about 45 minutes early because this was a hard doctor to get in to see. We did not leave from that appointment till almost 6 PM as they ran all kinds of tests. In the end, he decided it was time to do cataract surgery and he thought in doing it he could help with the eye pressure.
I had heard this doctor was one of the best for glaucoma. That turned out to be true people would drive from over 100 miles away to see him, He was highly regarded by all the other eye doctors I talked to and they told me he was the best. Anyway, we left that day with a date to do one on my cataracts.
Connie, got her haircut the next day and I had a colonoscopy on the 23rd. The good thing about that was I did not have to come back for another one for 5 years. Connie and I both had doctor’s appointments on the 29th, and we had lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 30th.
First Cataract Surgery
Connie had her normal Meals on wheels with Lizzie on Tuesday the 5th. The local high school Allen ISD has a food program and they run a little restaurant at the school. It is called Blu’s and we thoroughly enjoyed the food when we went on the 7th. then we met Margaret and Andy on the 8th for lunch.
I had my first cataract surgery on the 14th. Connie and Lizzie took me. It went well but I was surprised. I had fallen asleep in the bed waiting to go in for the surgery. When I woke up I said is it over and they said no, that they had not even started. They then rolled me in for the procedure and I was in shock as I did not know I would be awake for it. That was a real shock for me. Afterward, I was feeling fine, so Connie, Lizzie, and I stopped at the Black Eye Pea for a late lunch. The Black Eye Pea was one of Connie’s favorite places. My eye was bandaged so we had to go back to the doctor the next day so they could remove the bandage and look at the eye. I could not see a thing, The doctor informed me that there was blood in my eye and in a few days it would dissipate soon and I would then be able to see. He was right by Sunday most of it had dissipated and I was seeing pretty good out of the eye they did the cataract surgery on. I had another visit to the eye doctor on the 20th.
Connie and I both got our haircuts on the 21st. We had started trying to schedule them back to back as I used the same lady to cut my hair as Connie did. Toward the end of the month, I had lab work done for my primary care physician.
Kidney Stones
I have had problems with a kidney stone for quite a while. Anyway, I think this was the year that I had one on Sunday night and Connie took me to the emergency room. We did not get discharged until around 2 AM. Connie then had to drive us to an all-night pharmacy in McKinney. I think I saw the doctor the next day or maybe it was a week later on the 4th of March and I had X-Rays done. It was still bothering me but he thought I would pass it.
Connie did MOW on the 5th and on the 6th we were back to see Dr. Fellman my eye doctor for my glaucoma and cataracts. We also had dinner with Andy and Margaret on the 6th.
I was scheduled to have, kidney stone surgery on Monday morning the 11th, but I passed it on Sunday night, but I still had to show up at the hospital at 6 AM. I showed the stones to the nurse but they still set me up for surgery anyway because they did not know if I had passed it all. The doctor came in at about 6:30 looked at it and decided that he did not need to do surgery. They unhooked me and Connie and I took off to have breakfast at IHOP. We were there before 7 AM.
We played bunco with our regular group at Cheryl’s on the 16th, and then we sub for another group that we liked at Bev’s on the 23rd. We both had dental appointments this month and we both got our haircuts on the 28th.
Second Cataract Surgery
I met with my urologist on the 1st. The eye doctor wanted to be sure all the problems with the kidney stone had passed before he would do the cataract surgery on the 2nd eye. As usual, Connie did MOW on the 2nd and we met Doug and Flo for dinner at Mex-Go, which was one of their favorite restaurants. They had moved to Atlanta and it was so good to see them again. We had a lot of dental appointments this month. They were on the 5th, 10th, 15th, and 17th. Tempo came out at did the spring inspection on the air conditioner on the 9th.
I had a meeting with Dr. Fellman on the 11th to schedule my 2nd cataract surgery. Awe went back to Blu’s restaurant at the High school for lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 17th. On the 24th, we met with our financial advisor.
On the 25th, I had my 2nd cataract eye surgery. Connie and Lizzie took me and this time I knew what was going to happen so I was ok with it. Again we went to the Black Eye Pea afterward for a late lunch. I returned on the 26th to have the bandage removed and this time I could see oi tot the eye immediately. Thank goodness that was now behind me.
The first couple of weeks of May were very busy. On the 1st, Connie attended a coffee at our next-door neighbor Cookie, and I saw my RA doctor. We had dinner with Margaret and Andy on the 2nd and then we both got haircuts. I also attended a volunteer luncheon at Reed Elementary. I was tutoring 3rd and 4th graders in reading. I had started the previous year in September of 2012. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In mid-April, we made another trip with Lizzie to Cracker Barrel and this time it was New Mexico Day. We all wore our New Mexico t-shirts, sunglasses, and cups. Lizzie’s parents had given us the sunglasses when we were last in New Mexico. They had a little battery in them and had flashing lights around them when you turned them on. I remember once the 3 of us went to a sporting goods store where her daughter was working and she acted like she did not know us. Cliking or double cliking on a picture will open it up larger.
May A Busy Month
I had an appointment with Dr. Fellman on the 3rd of May and I was hoping to post a picture but I have been unable to find one. When they did my eye exam, they were so excited and brought 5 other doctors in to look at my eyes. Then they filmed it with a special camera. Evidently, they created a little hole so the fluid could flow out of my eye better and it would decrease the pressure. They were all so excited about it. Connie and I were thrilled because everyone was so happy about how the procedure turned out. It must have been great because I have not had to take any medicine for my glaucoma and the pressure has been outstanding since then.
We had our regular scheduled events, MOW, Genealogy, and Connie had a couple of dental appointments. We had started having a game night with Gary and Carol about a year ago, and on the 9th, we played games at their house. We had lunch with Margaret and Andy again on the 15th.
We spent Sunday, the day before Memorial Day and Memorial Day at Dave and Lizzie’s. Some of the pictures are of her sister Lolli and her family. Clisking on a picture will open them up larger.
The rest of the month was filled with doctor’s appointments. I saw Dr. Fellman again on our anniversary on May 30th.
So Much Going On In June
I am confused about a few things that happened in June. The beginning of the month was fairly normal. Connie and Lizzie doing MOW. I really enjoyed those first Tuesdays of the month because they always picked a good place to eat. We were getting good at timing out haircuts on the same day and time as we both got them cut on the 6th. I met with a bunch of people I use to work with (EDSer) for a going-away party for one of them (Kevin) who had taken a job in Las Vegas on the 10th.
Connie had a colonoscopy scheduled for the 12th. The confusing part is I am not sure which one of us did our which month. I think mine was in January and Connie’s was in June. There is a bother confusing part as on the calendar they are both scheduled for a Wednesday but I do not believe that to be true. Whenever Connie was (January or June) I am sure it was on a Monday as I remember so clearly going to Which-Which a sandwich shop on a Saturday night around 8 pm to get her a roast beef sandwich since she could not eat on Sunday and had to prepare for her colonoscopy.
The 14th was a great day as that Friday, Connie, Lizzie and I took off to Ham Orchard to look at the peaches again as we had done last year. This time we decide we were not going to eat before we went as we wanted to try their outdoor grill where they were cooking hamburgers and hot dogs last year. We stopped at Mcdonald’s and Connie and Lizzie got an iced coffee. Connie had come to love iced coffees. The pictures below will show you how much fun we were having. The problem was when we went to eat they were not doing hamburgers and hotdogs. I am not sure what they were doing. We decide to head back into the town and find a place to eat. We decided on a Mexican restaurant.
I love these pictures Lizzie’s took of us at Ham Orchard sitting undedr the Honey Sign. Clicking on a picture will open them up larger.
Lizzie was a great cupcake maker and luckily Connie and I got to taste them and give out opinions about them. By the way, they were all great. She had written a book with all her recipes in it and had some made copies of the book made for her family She showed us the book while we were at the Mexican restaurant and wow did she do a great job. Afterward, we went over to the Russell Stover outlet store to pick up a few things.
To this day Lizzie still makes cupcakes for the funeral receptions we have at St. Jude and they are always a big hit.
Besides our regular bunco, we sub for a coupe for bunco at Ruth’s on the 22nd. While we were not regulars in that group but we really enjoyed that group. I had a couple of eye appointments that month and we had lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 28th.
New Wood Floors and A Trip To Austin
New Wood Floors and a Trip to Austin
July was a busy month for us. I replaced the shower filter on the 1st. On the 3rd, they dropped off wood for the wood floor we were having done in the living area. When I saw that on the calendar, I remember how much fun Connie and I had when we went to look for wood floors. We spent two months and visited several places so we could decide on the one that we liked. I did not know it at the time but they wanted the wood to sit in the house a couple of days before they installed it.
They showed up early on the 5th and begin the installation. It took most of the day Friday, to take out the old carpet and prepare the floor for the wood. They started Saturday morning laying the wood floor and finished about 8:30 pm Saturday. But we were excited and so happy to have them. Cone and I never wore shoes in the house because of the carpet catching everything and we thought it affected her coughing. In fact, we always asked visitors to take off their shoes.
We had dinner with Mike and Brenda on the 18th. We had our normal doctor visit and activities for that month with bunco being on the 20th.
We decided to go to Austin on the 25th just for a couple of nights. We went to Lake Travis which is a big lake in that city. We left late in the morning and did not get there till about 3 pm. We stayed at a hotel right on the lake and the balcony for our room overlooked the lake. That night we went to a Mexican restaurant that we thoroughly enjoyed. Thursday we spent most of the day exploring Austin and its suburbs as Connie and I really like getting in the car and taking off with no destination in mind. That night we saw a lot of deer as we sat on the balcony and played a card game. The next morning again we left late in the morning to start back home. We made a stop in West Texas West is deeply rooted in its Czech culture and is famous for its kolaches. We bought some and brought them home.
August was a very light month for Connie and me. We had our regular activities, MOW, Genealogy, Bunco, etc. On the 5th, I saw a new doctor. I was really struggling with pain so I saw a pain doctor. I saw him a couple of times after that but he did not help me that much.
We started the month by having lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 1st, and 23rd and ended it by having lunch with them again on the 29th. We had dinner with Carolyn and Tim on the 14th and had dinner with Mike and Brenda on the 21st. on the calendar, Connie had a brunch with Catherine listed but I have no idea who that was and if it really happened.
A Surprise Birthday
In September, Lizzie and Dave made my birthday special. They had a surprise birthday for me on my birthday which was Friday the 13th, that year. She decorated her house with symbols of bad luck. She and her parents gave me a Tennessee Vols Jacket for my birthday. It was one of the best birthdays if not the best I have ever had. Now I know why Connie insisted on me getting my haircut on the day before my birthday. On Tuesday after my surprise birthday, Connie, Lizzie, and I had breakfast at the local Cracker Barrel where we re-lived that wonderful night. The heme of the party was the minions and bad luck since it was Friday the 13th.Below are some picture of the best birthday ever. Thank you Lizzie and Dave for the best birthday ever.
I saw a new orthopedic surgeon on the 9th of the month. He had been one of the medical speakers here at Heritage Ranch. I saw him for several years but change to a new surgeon after I knew several of his patients who had complications after their surgeries.
Another picture of Lizzie parent on thier visit from Albuquerque.
The rest of the month was filled with medical appointments, bunco on the 21st, and we closed out the month by having lunch with Andy and Margaret on the 30th.
The Rest Of The Year
October was a fairly normal month with all our normal activities and doctor’s visits. We did attend the wedding of one of our friend’s (Mike Carathuer) son on the 26th of the month. We met with our financial planner on the 24th and closed out the month again by having lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 28th.
We also met some friend in the Colony at a mexican resutrant called Angelia’s as they were moving back to Salt Lake city area. Sue and Don are their names.
Alos in October Lizzie had made so many differnt tyoes of cupcakes, she tried her hand at donuts. They were great alng with the wondeful hot chocalate. Click on any picture to open them up larger.
In November we played bunco at Terry on the 2nd. It was not our normal bunco group but it was one we really enjoyed sub in, Our regular bunco was on the 16th. As usual, we had our normal things this month. Connie had a mammogram on the 12th and I had lunch with a bunch of people I used to work with on the 14th. We had dinner with Carolyn and Tim on the 20th and Gary and Carol on the 22nd.
Thanksgiving was on the 28th, and like every year since I can remember we spent at Lizzie and Dave and some of their extended family. I am not sure how many years we had been doing Thanksgiving with them but I think it was around 2004 or earlier. I have pictures of a lot of Thanksgiving we spent with them and will post some of them here. Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving. Click on any picture to make it larger.
Not much happened during December. Connie and I did adoration for Lizzie on the 5th and I saw the pain doctor again on the 10th. We both got haircuts on the 19th, just in time for Christmas.
On the 8th, a Sunday we had snow. Dave and Lizze came over to clear our driveway.Thank you guys. Click on a piture to enlarge them.
On the 19th, Connie and I went with Margaret and Andy to Dunkin Donuts which we did a few times a year. We all really liked their coffee, and we had Christmas dinner with Brett and Diana, Brett had lost his first wife Valerie in 2010 and we were all good friends.
On New Year’s Eve, we spent with Dave, Lizzie, and Lindsey playing games as we had so many years before. It had been raining a lot and I remember backing out and putting a big rut in Dave’s yard. He was very gracious about it. I may be wrong on the year as it could have been 2014 but I think it was this year because we had a lot of rain during Christmas and we drove by to check on their house to make sure it was ok.
2014
A Busy January
This year started like any of our other years. We had lunch with Magnet and Andy on the 6th. As usual, Connie and Lizzie did their Meals on Wheels (MOW on the first Tuesday of each month which was the 7th of this month. I saw the pain doctor on the 9th and Connie saw her primary care physician on the 13th. Connie was now on Medicare but her primary care doctor did not take Medicare. He did give us a break on what he charged and since Connie only saw him once a year, she continued to see him.
We played bunco on the 18th, and Connie had breakfast with Lizzie and her neighbor on the 21st. I do remember it was a long breakfast well over three hours.
Our friend Brett who had lost his wife Valerie in 2010 had remarried a lady named Diana. Connie and I took them to the airport on the 23rd. Brett had a timeshare and they were going to use it at a hotel in Hawaii.
Connie got a haircut on the 23rd, had lunch with Lizzie on the 24th, and then we played trivia at the church on the 25th. We had dinner with Carolyn and Tim who use to be our next-door neighbors on the 29th and closed out the month by having a game night with Gary and Carol on the 31st.
Mentoring
In February Connie did her MOW with Lizzie on the 4th and we had Nadine floors come back out to replace a panel in our wood floors they had done last July. E had lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 14th and with Tom and Sonja on the 16th. I had a meeting with the local Social Security office on the 19th but I am not sure what that was about.
I was mentoring students in reading and math at Reed elementary and had been doing it for a few years now. I will write about that sometime. I had X-rays on the 27th and saw my urologist on the 28th.
Trip at the end of March
In March we had lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 10th and saw a couple of doctors on the 11th. Our good friend Brenda had colon surgery around the 20th and we went to visit her in the hospital on the 23rd. we played bunco twice this month, with our regular group on the 15th and sub with another group we really like on the 22nd.
I saw both my dermatologist and glaucoma specialist during the last week of the month. I also started Physical Therapy for my back and knees and went on the 24th, and 27th.
On the 28th, we took off for a trip to San Antonio and stayed there until the 31st. You can read more about it in the Trip section of this blog.
April another busy month
April was a fairly normal month for us. Tempo came out to inspect the air conditioner on the 3rd, and I continue with my PT and work at the Reed elementary school this month. We had dinner with Margaret and Andy on the 5th, and lunch with them on the 7th.
Here at the Ranch, we are organized into blocks, and Cookie our next-door neighbor had a party for all of us in our block on the 9th. We meet with our financial planner on the 16th, and Connie had to remind him that since he had told her she should sell her Starbuck shares they had doubled in value. There was no way Connie was going to sell those shares.
We played bunco at Sonja on the 19th and celebrated Connie’s birthday on the 23rd. I am not sure what we did but I know it probably included Lize as she was always there to celebrate Connie’s birthday with her.
I am not sure but I think we attended a play in Mckinney with Margaret and Andy on the 25th. If that was the date I do know we went to Hutchinson BBQ before the play. I went and had lunch with a bunch of people I used to work with at EDS on the 30th and we had a guy out to do repairs on our spa that day also.
May
On the first of May Connie and I had lunch at LaFinca Mexican restaurant. They used to be in Allen but had close and they had recently opened in a smaller location. It was still good but the atmosphere was not the same. That evening we had dinner with Mike ad Brenda.
I finished up my tutoring at Reed elementary school this month and I was still joining Connie and Lizzie for lunch on the first Tuesday of the month after they finished their Meals on Wheels.
Connie and I dd adoration for Lizzie on the 8th and we both got our haircuts on the 9th. We did our regular bunco on the 17th and then I finished out the month with three doctor visits.
A Trip to Branson
June and July were typical summer months for us. We had all of our regular activities such as Meals on Wheels., genealogy, bunco, etc. We also did Adoration for Lizzie on the 3rd, of June. We had lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 6th, and then Connie and Margaret got together on the 16th in the afternoon. I saw a couple of doctors on the 25th and had lunch with a bunch of people I used to work with on the 26th. We had the repairmen out to fix our blinds on the 27th. The only things I have down for July are that I took ad iPhone photo class on the 2nd, and we had lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 9th. A mass was said for Connie’s parents on the 20th.
The best thing about this June is that we took a trip to Branson. We left on the 9th and came back on the 12th. You can read about it in the trips section of this blog.
A Fun August
August was another pretty normal month with a lot of doctor appointments. I think I had 6 this month. We had breakfast with Andy and Margaret on the 11th. Now when I say breakfast, I may be talking dunking donuts as we all liked that place, especially their coffee and we went there several times over the years. Awe did adoration for Lizzie on the 14th. We also played trivia at the club the night of the 14th. Connie loved playing trivia and we played 4 to 6 times a year. It was something she really enjoyed and we hardly ever missed. The teams were made of 8 people at a table. The club always served dinner before the trivia started. It was always a fun night especially when we won and we did win several times. One of the guys (Andy) at the table was very good and Connie was pretty good herself. The other 6 of us just tried to get one question right so we felt that we contributed. We had a mass said for Connie’s parents on the 31st.
One of the fun things we did during August was that we took pictures of Lizzie for a book we were creating for her birthday. Connie and Lizzie not only have lunch on Tuesday after MOW but they did it almost every Tuesday so we had pictures from a lot of places, and she ask why we were taking so many pictures and I do not remember what excuse we came up with but we did come up with one.
The Birthday Book
I started off September by having a stress test for my heart and it came out one ok. That was on the 3rd and then on the 4th Connie and I had lunch with Andy and Margaret.
We were very busy that first week of September as we were finishing up Lizzie’s birthday present. Connie and I had been working on it for over a month. We presented it to her on Friday the 5th as her birthday was on Saturday this year.
Connie and Margaret got together on the 10th, and I saw Dr. Fellman on the 29th.
Lizzie’s birthday present was a book of her and Garth Brooks as she was such a huge fan of his. Connie and I enjoyed so much putting together the book. You can see some samples below. These are not real pictues but some I made by combing different photos. I hope to add mre pictures in the future. I posteed an image of the letter Connie use for the opening of the book. She was very creative and chnage it to Lizzie name and address and chnage the wording that how excited Garth was going to be to meet his number one fan. We also include a Garthg album. The book was about 15 pages and so much fun to do.
The 1st day of October was a very busy day for me as I saw a doctor, got a haircut and that night Connie and I played Trivia. We had our regular activites of MOW, Genealogy Club, Photo Club, and Bunco.
We met with our financial planner on the 16th, and had Tempo come out and checked the firnce for the winter on the 17th. We then had lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 25th.
We had a mass said on the 26th for Connie’parents. Wesaw the dentist lon the 28th and 29th before us both getting our haircuts on the 30th.
New Gargage Floor and Cabinets
November saw Connie and Lizzie doing MOW on the 4th. We had lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 10th. I saw my RA doctor on the 12th and attend the HR Photo Meeting and Genealogy Meeting that month.
Connie and Lizzie dd their mammograms on the 17th and then we went to the EGG and I for breakfast. I always felt a little uncomfortable sitting in the waiting room waiting for them but it was worth it since we all went to breakfast afterwards.
The 18th was a specail day for us as we had the garage floor epoxyed and cabinets put in. Beside having the wood floors putin the year before this was on of the better things Connie and I did to improve the house.
On the 20th we did adoration for Lizzie and lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 23rd, Than ksgiving was on the 27th this year and as always we spent it with the Briers and their family. Her sister (Lolli), and her husband (Matt) and their two chioldre came ion form New Mexico as the did every thanksgiving.
December
During December we attended sevral little gettoghethes. I had a genealogy Christmas party on the 10th and we had our Christmas blocj party on the 17th. We also attended a bunco Christmas party on the 19th. Connie had an appointment with her OBY/GN on the 11th and we were feeling pretty good about it as they gave her a clean bill of health. Lizzie I had taken her to the appointment and I met them at Papa Lopez a Mexican resturant afterward. I did not know how much Connie was worried untlu afterwards.
We had lunch with Margaret and Andy on the 15th. Rodenbaugs’s came out andfixed our refrigerator on the 17th and then we had to have the new water heater we had put in inspected on the 19th. We left for San ANtoionoon the 23rd, and came back on Saturday the 27th. You can read more about that in trips. As usual we played games on New Year’s Eve with the Briers.