current journal (5/24/2004)
FRIDAY - June 4, 2004 - It's 4 o'clock. Can you believe that?! I've been taking it fairly easy today because I have no choice. I put a little bit of weight on my foot and sometimes it's okay and other times it hurts a bit. But I'm definitely NOT overdoing it at all. I was surprised this morning when the doorbell rang and Lily of the Valley flower shop in Geneva delivered some GORGEOUS flowers for me from Uncle Ron & Aunt Liz and Sophie & Duke. Here they are:
Real live flowers from Uncle Ron & Aunt Liz and I could say thank you because they're cut flowers!
Now, I'm going to go upstairs and put my foot up for a while, plus it needs some ice or frozen peas put on it. I've been sitting outside in the sun. I notice as it gets warmer, the wasps start coming around. Oh, wait a minute, I took a picture of Jarrett's white pine tree. It is doing SO WELL, I can't believe it. Here it is:
Jarrett's pine tree from 3rd grade. It's almost as tall as I am.
All righty. I'm out of here. It's 74 degrees. Almost a heat wave!!! see ya later, djb
later this same day (6/3) - Lindsay, Sammie and Brett came over this morning and Lindsay offered to take me to the Orthopedic Clinic. So, that's what we did. I found out that I've been using my crutches the WRONG WAY! That's good because they were really hurting my arm pits!!! I'm not kidding. Anyway, we checked in and I got in a wheel chair. Thank God for wheel chairs. We waited for an hour because there are so many people with so many broken and hurt body parts. It's just amazing. While we waiting, Doug's mom, Ellen, came by to visit with us (she works there!). Lindsay knows her daughter, Stephanie, so they had a good chat about everyone they know in common. Lindsay took a picture of Sammie and me with Ellen:
Sammie in pink, Donna in wheelchair, Ellen looking professional yet casual. I'm wearing Jarrett's shorts and Andrew's shirt!
I finally went into an examining room in the back and met David, the PA. He poked at my foot and determined that yes, I did have a broken bone and some other things that he knew were wrong but I have no idea what they are. I just know that it hurts. So, Dr. Lemke came in and she poked me, too. She was very, very nice and David was very, very nice, too. Here they are looking professional yet friendly:
David and Dr. Lemke smiling for the wacky lady with the camera. Who brings a camera to the doctor??? Answer: ME!
All I can say is Thank God I didn't have to have one of those plaster casts on my foot. What I have is an orthopedic type of sandal that helps my foot feel better and cushions it from the pavement and floor. One of these days, I'll be able to walk on it. My watchwords are: Let pain be my guide. That's good advice. Okay, you want to know what the sandal looks like.....? Here it is:
My left foot. Notice the sausage-like toes, plus the bruising below the 2nd, 3rd and 4th toes. Yikes!
That's my story for today. A lot of other things happened, but I only have so much time to write and only so many pictures to put in here. So, I'm going to crawl up stairs and then crawl up the other stairs. This is so much fun. see ya later. night night ya'll, djb
THURSDAY - June 3, 2004 - BROKEN FOOT - Well, actually it's the base of the 5th metacarpal bone. Yesterday afternoon, I took my nap and while I was napping, I had the foot elevated so it didn't hurt. But when I got up and started moving around, it hurt A LOT! Plus, it was bruised and swollen. It would've been worse if I hadn't had so many platelets. The doorbell rang at 4 o'clock and it was Lindsay and Samantha coming to visit. When Lindsay saw me on crutches, she immediately insisted on taking me to the ER. I said Okay. So the three of us girls went to the hospital. I got to get in a wheelchair, so that was pretty fun. Those crutches poke my arms. ouch. I signed in and then Kelly came to take me for an X-ray. Megan did the X-ray and here's a picture of them:
Kelly and Megan smiling for my camera in the X-ray room. They were SO nice!
We were taken to a room and Ed came in first to tell me that a bone was broken and it was the base of the fifth metacarpal. He touched my toes, they were okay and then he touched my foot and I screamed. All righty then. Leave my foot alone!! haha In this picture, you can see he's holding the X-rays:
Ed with the X-rays of my left foot.
Eventually, Carlos came in and put the cast on my foot. It's like a soft cast. The inside is hard but the outside is an Ace bandage. I guess I have to wait for the swelling to go down before they put the hard cast on at the ortho surgeon. Here's a picture of my leg and foot getting wrapped up:
Carlos wrapping up business on my left leg.
Then we came home. It doesn't hurt that much because I'm not walking on it. As long as I take Advil or Tylenol, I'm okay. I realize that it happened because I've been rushing around like a crazed lunatic. (Yesterday was the full moon.) So, I'm going to sign off for now. I'll be in touch. Of course, I'll have to take a picture when I get the new hard cast. That should be a fun time, eh? see ya later, djb P.S. My advice is: S-L-O-W D-O-W-N
later this same day (6/2/04) - (about 1:30 pm) I did go into Dr. Cohen's and I have good news and bad news. Good news: I have 369,000 platelets (woohoo!!) Bad news: I think I broke my foot. It was raining, I was running, my shoes stopped, my foot crunched. ouch! Now, I'm trying to decide if I should take a nap or go to the ER. It's a good thing that it's my left foot because, after all, I am right-footed, you know! Here's another picture I took this morning. It's the peachy foxglove. I just love this flower. Isn't it gorgeous?
Peachy foxglove - very, very pretty digitalis.
All right. I'll see ya later. If my foot is broken, I'll take a picture of the cast and put it on here. Maybe they don't do casts any more. I don't know. The last time I broke something I was in third grade. bye, djb
WEDNESDAY - June 2, 2004 - This morning I went out early to take some pictures before it rains again! For the past few days, I've wanted to get a shot of Jarrett's evergreen tree so you can see the new growth. I'm SO excited that it's finally perking up. The poor little tree looked so sad when I brought it back home. Now look at it:
Jarrett's tree with new growth - looking good (plus Hobbes is in the background looking for birdies!!!).
I'm finally going to see Dr. Cohen today, so I'll find out how many platelets I have. Personally, I think I have a lot because the last time I cut myself, I didn't drip blood. No, I didn't cut myself ON PURPOSE. Since I spend so much time in the yard, I'm always getting a scrape here or there. This last bruise and abrasion happened while I was digging out some grass near a tree when I whacked my hand right into the bark. You can still see the scar on my hand. Ouch. That hurt a lot. In case you don't remember, I have an immune disorder called ITP. It means that sometimes I don't have any platelets. You really do need those little squiggly guys to keep from bleeding to death. So, that's my story for today. Must go get ready for my big adventure. See ya later, djb
TUESDAY - JUNE 1, 2004 - It's the beginning of meteorological summer!! woohoo! At this time, it's 55 degrees, so that's a lot better than 33 degrees! I'm going to get organized - this time for real! For some reason, I think I have a slight case of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). Maybe it's because I saved every single paper Andrew and Jarrett brought home from school for years and years. Can't be that. A few years ago, I did go through their stuff and just kept things they wanted me to save. Of course, this past year wasn't a good year for getting rid of things. Now, I'm getting annoyed at all the stuff I have in piles that seems to be an extension of my cluttered mind. Although, I could argue that creative geniuses aren't particularly concerned with the minor details of filing and/or organizing (there's THAT word again!). This morning, I heard that tomorrow we will a full moon. That means that I have to plant all my seeds today or they'll never sprout. I'll put that on my list of "Things to Do." Mostly, I'm glad I was able to plant the Mammy hosta yesterday for Andrew and Jarrett. Here's a picture of them with their great-grandma:
Jarrett, Mammy, Andrew. I have NO idea what I told them to say. It's pretty funny because they're all doing the same thing.
It's time for me to check on Hobbes. He's outside stalking critters. Last night, I was outside, and he leaped (or is that leapt) off the deck like a jaguar. It was hilarious. Apparently, something caught his attention. When I went to see what it was, he was just sitting in the grass looking dazed and confused!! He's a hoot. see ya later, djb
MONDAY - May 31, 2004 - Memorial Day. It's hard to believe that's it's almost June! We had a little more than two and half inches of rain yesterday. Last night, the wind was blowing like crazy. I think I heard that the gusts were 50 or 60 miles an hour at Aurora's Airport which is near us. Yikes!! We did batten down our hatches, though. I don't think anything blew away. There's a bird nest in the yard. Quite exciting. I talked to the Bergs in Florida and they were telling me that tomorrow is the beginning of the hurricane season. Remember: hurricanes can spawn tornadoes! Get your helmets ready. Jarrett's yellow skating helmet is hanging on a hook in the kitchen - so I'm prepared at all times. Well, since we've talked about Bergs in Florida this morning, here's a picture from 1989 most likely. It seems as though Jarrett is only 1 and Andrew is 3. I could be wrong but I don't think so!!
Jarrett & Grandpa, Andrew & Aunt Diane, Granny & bunny in Florida (I still have those white shoes that Jarrett's wearing!) They were originally Andrew's first pair of shoes.
I think the newspapers are here now, so I'd better go out and get them before ANOTHER storm comes our way and gets them all soggy. Plus, I'd better check the radar and see how much time I have before the rains come again. see ya later, djb
SUNDAY - May 30, 2004 - Right now, we're watching for tornadoes and listening to the thunder. It's very, very dark outside and rain's coming down quite heavily. It looks like it's raining buckets - whatever that means. I was watching the radar but it's too scary, so I got out of there! *I stopped writing a while ago when I heard the lightning strike very close. Finally, the rain has stopped. We got about 1-1/2 inches. Now the grass is going to GROW again!!! that's funny. I have a picture of Andrew and Jarrett with Ron and Liz at the Eby picnic in Elburn many years ago. It was already in my file so I didn't have to scan anything. The electricity went out once, so I didn't want to start scanning and then have it stop in the middle. That's not so good. Okay, here's the picnic bunch:
Uncle Ron, Aunt Liz, Andrew and Jarrett in Elburn at Lion's Park for the Eby picnic.
It's time to go outside and check for floods. I guess with just an inch, it shouldn't be too bad. see ya later, djb
SATURDAY - May 29, 2004 - Hey, isn't it Jackie Kennedy Onassis' birthday today? It seems like it is or is JFK? This date rings a bell. Bob and I went to the nuptials for Lisa Berg and Joe Mayer last night up in Harvard. We had a very nice time. It was a very sweet wedding. I ended up taking 226 pictures. I thought I took more. haha! I'm going to put them all together on a DVD for Joe and Lisa. It'll be fun to do that because I have a new Roxio program that I haven't used yet. I could work on the Roxio program all day because it's so much fun. My only problem occurs when I try to add music. hmmm I'll have to read the help information one of these days. Might help. It's a very cold, damp and cloudy day here today. Nice holiday, eh? yuk to the weather. Okay, here's Lisa and Joe:
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Mayer married on May 28, 2004 in Harvard, Illinois
Now it's time to check on my chicken that's cooking in the oven. The only reason I say that is because I can smell it! bye for now. See ya later, djb
FRIDAY - May 28, 2004 - Last night Bob and I went to the Senior Honor's Night for the Kaneland High School class of 2004. It was a hoot! We really enjoyed ourselves. This is Andrew's original class - the one he started in before he got bumped up to the class of 2003. The amazing thing is to see how the kids have changed over the years. I wrote a speech, but threw it away because I'm basically an extemporaneous speaker. It's almost impossible for me to read something because I never stick to it anyway. The plaque looks great. We hadn't seen it before last night. Earlier this spring, I brought in the pictures of the boys that are on the Casa (Home) and now they're ON there for good! Let me see what I've got for a picture this morning:
A very YOUNG Nick Britz (front left) across the table from Jarrett (front right). Andrew is in the back giving Brandon bunny ears.
All righty. I'm out of here. Must be going now. see ya later. Have a nice time. bye, djb
THURSDAY - May 27, 2004 - Today is Zoe's 5th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZOE. Zoe is my great niece, and Andrew and Jarrett's first cousin once removed. Yes, I do know genealogical relationships. Her mom is my niece. Her grandpa is my brother. Her great grandpa is my dad. As a matter of fact, I DO have a picture of Zoe and great grandpa. Here it is:
Great Grandpa and Zoe in Florida at Christmas 2003
I'm still not organized (what a surprise!) but I have a vague idea of where various items are filed. I found this great picture of Zoe which proves that she's related to me! (haha). I always enjoy seeing photos taken by the youngsters because their perspective is so different than ours. We don't realize it until we see the final result. Her she is:
Zoe snapping a picture. Following in the footsteps of Aunt Donna the Great.
It's time to boogie out of here. The sun is nowhere to be found. The temperature is cold & the sky is cloudy. bye, dj
WEDNESDAY - May 26, 2004 - While I was typing the date, I realized that it's seven months until Uncle Ron's birthday. Of course, I remember when he was born. My dad said that they were naming him "Oscar Ole" after their favorite sardine brand. As I recall, I wrote my mom a letter (they kept the moms and babies in the hospital for a week in the olden days) telling her that I was glad I had a new brother and I didn't mind if his name was Oscar Ole. Here's a picture of Oscar, I mean, Uncle Ron with the boys:
Jarrett (4 months old), Uncle Ron (ageless), Andrew (2 years old) in April 1988
Even though I got up early this morning, I didn't start on my journal until later than usual because I was outside planting perennials. It's still perfect perennial planting weather. I decided to dig up a hosta that came from Andrew and Jarrett's great-grandmother. She was quite the gardener. Bob especially liked her meatloaf baked inside squash! NOT!!! haha For some reason (I've never known why), Bob's family called their grandparents, Mammy and Pappy. It might have been because they spent a lot of time in the south. I really don't know! Regardless of the reason, I remember a day when Mammy and Pappy came to visit us when Jarrett was around 6 months old. They sat in the living room and played with him and talked to him for an hour or so. It was almost like they were re-living their experience of having their own little munchkin. It was so cute. Here's a picture I caught of the three of them.
Pappy, Mammy, Jarrett (6 months old wearing only a diaper)
While I was digging through the pictures, I found another one with the Bergs holding the boys. They had come up to Illinois from Florida for their annual tour of the north. It looks like the boys have never seen me before in this picture. That's funny because by that time, I had probably taken 300 pictures of each of them!
Grandpa Berg, Andrew, Grandma Berg, Jarrett in May 1988
Now, it's time for me to go outside and check on the pump that's pumping water off the top of the winter cover on the swimming pool. One of these days, I'm going to put in some of my favorite swimming pool pictures! Boy! Do I ever have some great shots of KrissyKaren and the boys. So cute. see ya later. bye, djb
TUESDAY - May 25, 2004 - I found this picture taken in the fall of 2002 with the golf team. I can't remember what the occasion was since I wasn't there. Andrew always had a way of "forgetting" to tell us about various events until the very last minute then we'd be unable to attend.
Kaneland golfers
I just saw a stray dog in our yard! It's a reddish-chocolate colored lab type. I didn't see a color on him. Thankfully, Hobbes came in the house because it's too cold outside. He's such a baby. On Thursday, we give out our Andrew & Jarrett Memorial Scholarships at Honors Night. I'm supposed to give a speech, ya know. Maybe I'll defer to Bob on this one. It makes me nervous just thinking about it. Okay, deep breath. I can do it. I'm going to leave now and write my speech. Good luck to me. Hasta la vista, djb
MONDAY - May 24, 2004 - Now instead of tornado warnings, we have W~I~N~D - lots of wind! The temperature is double nickels, so you know that's colder than yesterday. Last evening, Bob returned from his travels and reportedly had a lot of fun - FUN that I MISSED!!! However, I got to stay here and work! duh. What's wrong with this picture? I really didn't want to go. Except for that dinner they had Friday night on the beach on the Gulf of Mexico at snobby and swanky Naples, FL. Did I mention that they had a BEAUTIFUL sunset? Yeah, I was here with my portable radio, portable phone, and Jarrett's yellow break-dancing helmet ready to go into the basement at a moment's notice because of the TORNADO WARNING! All right, we're now officially finished with TORNADOES. Thank you. Please send them far, far away into outer space. We desperately need some warm weather and sunshine. Here's a sunset:
SUNSET
Time to go. I have lots to do and miles to walk before I sleep. bye see ya later, djb