Mary's Journal Jan thru June 2004

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June 30, 2004

Thanks to Sharon in Newport Beach, California for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… Another month has gone and tomorrow it will be July… Yesterday it was a stormy afternoon and Dave was taking a nap and I wasn’t able to go to chat because of the weather so I walked up to see Josh and Heather. I watched a movie “Brother Bear” with Heather and Josh showed me his new project. He is building a ship out of balsa wood. It is really going to be neat I was really impressed… I feel like the luckiest grandmother in the world to be in walking distance of my grandkids… I am so looking forward to granddaughter Jamie and great grandkids Allison and Matthew’s visit on Friday. They are flying in from Mammoth Cave, Kentucky on Friday and will be here for two weeks… The Schwan man stopped by yesterday evening and I made his stop worthwhile. I spent quite a bit but we do like their food. Especially the ice cream and the fish and vegetables are good too… Dave went to Oklahoma City today to run some errands and pick up our medication at Tinker Air Force Base Pharmacy. He also made a stop in Yukon to pick up our tiller that had been worked on… I didn’t feel much like going anywhere today so I stayed home and rested… I realized when I was talking to my friend Martha on the phone why I was dragging. I am due another Vitamin B12 shot. I think I will ask my Kathy who is a nurse if she will give me my shot and give Dave a break since he dreads it so bad. I know my Kathy would love to give her Mother in law a shot. LOL… I cooked today and cleaned the kitchen and that is about it… Dave and I watched a DVD “ Secondhand Lions”… We are getting lots of rain and Kathy waded through the garden and picked us some more vegetables … To continue with my journal you will need to go above and click on July to November 2004 and then take me there... Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

June 29, 2004

Happy Birthday Lori!!! Lori is our daughter and wife of our son David in Norman, Oklahoma… Happy Birthday Tracy!!! Tracy is a DASNI friend in Missouri…

June 28, 2004

Thanks to Norma in Fullerton, California for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I am feeling much better today than I did yesterday. I had forgotten to take my bedtime medication the night before and I was a zombie yesterday. Didn’t start feeling better till late in the day… Kathy and Heather brought down their leftovers last night so I didn’t have to cook supper tonight. Thanks Kathy it was really good… I got caught up with the laundry and Dave put me up a new clothesline so now I can air out our pillows and hang out clothes when I want to… Tootsie got another bath today. Dave has been watering and planted more grass seed and Tootsie just can’t stay out of the mud. She gets so much mud between her toes she can hardly walk. LOL… We got our insurance bill in the mail today for the motor home. I didn’t like the price so I called them to change our address and by the time I finished talking to them I had the premium down almost two hundred dollars. So I am thinking I should get to go shopping… I watched Josh and Heather in the pool this afternoon and playing croquet with Kenny and Kathy tonight. Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

June 26, 2004

Josh came home to spend the week with his Dad and I have been trying to spend some time with him. Yesterday I walked up to his house to watch some videos with him. Then asked him to come to our house and he watched a movie with me… Josh and Heather both made the honor roll and we are so proud of them… Our friends Martha and Alfred came by for a visit last night. They love our new home out in the country and agree it is so peaceful out here. We sat out on the patio and visited and enjoyed a Schwan drumstick and watched all the hummingbirds… This morning I gave the dogs another bath, they do get dirty out here so have to have a bath often. I will be happy when our grass is all up. Dave cut the new sod for the first time today… Dave helped me to get the rest of my dolls put away. We are getting there but still many more boxes to go. Dave says there are still a trailer and a half load of boxes out in the hanger to bring home yet. UGH… I did laundry and tried to go to DASNI chat but couldn’t get in… The other day when we went to the mall we stopped by the Barnes and Noble bookstore and I seen the book that I was featured in. It has my web page picture in it and talks about Alzheimer’s. The book is called Internet Babylon. That is the second book that I have been mentioned in. I didn’t buy the book because it was too expensive for my budget… Dave said this morning he seen five turkeys and this evening I seen two... Kenny called the other night and wanted his Dad to come up and see a snake that was trying to get in his garage. Dave killed it but he didn’t know what kind it was. Then last night our neighbor’s dog killed a snake. I hope I never see a snake. Seeing spiders is bad enough for me… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

June 24, 2004

Thanks to Edie in Dayton, Indiana, Josh, Aralee in Schertz, Texas, Dewey in Lexington, North Carolina, Valerie in Front Royal, Virginia, Hayli in Texas, Penny in Ventura, California, Eleanor in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, Diane in Australia, Annette in Grand Folks, North Dakota, Sis in Rusk, Texas and Joanne for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book. If I have left someone out I am so sorry because I sure didn’t mean too. Thanks to all who have written me private emails also… Dave woke me up this morning with my oatmeal and coffee at 10:30. I can’t believe how well I sleep out here in the country… Dave went out side to work. He has plenty to do out here always busy doing something and he is really happy. When I see him so happy I have to be happy too… I got up and put the clothes that I washed last night in the dryer. Then I picked up around the house. Then I started to put dolls away. I often wonder why I have so many dolls. Thank goodness I have these large closets to store them in. I have offered to get rid of them but Dave doesn’t want me too… I fixed us a big salad for lunch with a cucumber in it from our garden and we sat out on the patio and ate. We have hummingbirds eating at our feeders all the time now. I have seen three at a time around the feeder. I have a feeder attached to the living room window and one is on a shepherd’s hook. We have a couple that set on the Forsythia bush and keep an eye on the feeders. It was a beautiful day, not too hot or windy… Then I swept off the front porch where there was mulch that Dave had just put around the landscaping. It really looks nice, he used red mulch. He also put it around all the trees… I went to the DASNI chat but no one showed up. I am afraid that I have stayed away for so long that people have stopped coming. I am so sorry for that… Today I received in the mail some California poppy flower seeds from my sister in California. Thanks Norita, I sure hope they come up next spring… Dave got back his report from his colon scope and everything is okay. They removed two polyps one was quite large. The doctor said these are the kind that turn into cancer. So we are relieved that he went in when he did… The plumber came today and hooked up our water softener correctly. Now we really will have soft water. The water out here is extremely hard and a water softener is badly needed… I received my first three NETFLIX dvd’s in the mail today. Tonight we are going to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding… Thank you God for a wonderful day… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

June 21, 2004

Thanks to all of you who have written saying you were happy to see me posting my journal again. It meant a lot to me… Dave had a wonderful Father’s Day. I gave him a new John Deere tractor to water the grass and a new wallet… We went to David and Lori’s for a big family cook out. David and Lori fixed a great meal for Lori’s Dad Jim and Faye, Chris and Jenni and Madison and Kerry and Erin and us. Madison is talking so well now and had us all laughing out loud… David had rented a big CAT bulldozer and Dave had a good time operating it… When we got home Kenny and Kathy came down when they got home from the Air Show and we sat outside among the stars visiting. David and Kenny made their dad feel very special. I am hoping all Father’s felt as special… We have had rain everyday now for almost a week or at least it seems like it. I would love to get in the garden but it is too wet. Kathy did wade in the mud to pick us some squash on Saturday. We have had two messes of squash already from our garden. The first planting of corn will be ready soon and the green beans are coming on… Yesterday Dave went to the hangar to pick up some more stuff and he dropped off our tiller at the lawnmower shop to be worked on. I just didn’t feel like going so I stayed home and took a nap. This is my first time to be left alone here and it didn’t bother me a bit… I think the good times on Father’s day wore me out. I am thankful for the leftovers that Lori sent home with us. I don’t even have to cook today, we even had cherry cheese cake for dessert… Kenny, Kathy, and Josh came by this evening and took us for a drive to see some of the recent tornado damage in our area… Martha brought me a book to read, it is called The Book Of God, The Bible as a Novel by Walter Wangerin Jr. I have started reading it a little each day… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

June 18, 2004

I am all moved in except for some unpacking of boxes. But Dave and I are taking a little break for awhile… Out here in the country all we have is dial up Internet service and I do not have the patience any more for it. It is just too slow after being spoiled with cable Internet in Oklahoma City. We hope to have something faster by the end of the year but until then I am spending very little time on the computer… Dave and I really like our new home. It has been very tiring for me but I am starting to slow down and enjoy it… At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like it here. There was so much red dirt, no flowers or birds. But the birds have found our feeders now and I have a few flowers and Dave put down some sod and planted 37 trees so now I am happy… We get to watch wild turkey out here too… I am going to try to post my journal once a week now… Please let me know if you are reading my journal, as I need all the encouragement I can get now… My brother and his friend Carole were here last week for a short visit. We sure did enjoy having them… Last night our good friends Alfred and Martha came to visit and had supper with us… I was so proud of the delicious meal I was able to fix for them. We had oven baked chicken, baked potatoes, and mixed vegetables. Martha brought some fresh peaches and cherries. And for dessert we had Key Lime Pie… We now have the Schwan man stop by here every two weeks and that has been a big help to me… We had a big rain last night and the dogs got in the mud so I had to bathe all three of them and then I did our laundry… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 20, 2004

Happy Birthday Sandy!!! Sandy is a friend and DASNI board member in Ohio… We left this morning to go to Piedmont. Stopped by the realtor’s office to sign some papers then we headed for our new home… Dave got the flagpole up and the flag was really flying in all this wind we are having here… I planted three more rows of corn and we got a good start on the landscaping… Dave got the water softener installed and we got the cichlids all set up over there in a temporary fish tank… The next time we go there will be to move in… I called my niece Kathy in North Carolina…. I am so tired really tired tonight. Someday we will get some rest I hope… To all my friends in chat I really miss you and I will be back soon I hope… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 19, 2004

Cindy our realtor called and it is official, we just got to go sign some papers and we can move in before closing… This afternoon I had a appointment for getting my teeth cleaned. I got a really nice dental student and when I was trying to explain to her what kind of toothbrush I used I said the one with small pretzels instead of bristles. She laughed and I did too… Then we went to the nursing home to visit my phone buddy Virginia. She was so surprised to see us. She seems to be happy there and that made me feel better. She even found a good home for her parakeet Buddy… We went by the BX and Dave got some facemasks and Home Depot to get some more mulch…. then we had supper at Cheleno’s and I brought half of mine home. I just couldn’t eat it all… It feels so good not to have to go to Piedmont tonight… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 18, 2004

I slept till almost noon… After breakfast I washed a load of clothes and soon after lunch we were on the road again to Piedmont… Cindy, the realtor called and told us to insure the house and we can move in this weekend. It is 10:45 PM and we just got home from Piedmont. Dave went over to start landscaping our yard. When we got there I was so tired I went in and laid down on Joshua’s bed to rest and read some of his new bible. This business of going every day wears me out… It looks like we really will be moving in this weekend and it is about time… Dave has made arrangements for a U Haul truck on Saturday. He wasn’t able to get a big one until 3:00. I guess we are lucky to get one at that time. It is a busy time of the year for the movers… Kathy fixed us a delicious supper and then we all went down to supervise Dave and Kenny on the landscaping work. It is really looking good… I am just as tired as I was last night. I should sleep good tonight and I am sure Dave will too… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 17, 2004

We did some more packing this morning and right after the afternoon chat we left to go pick up some eggplant plants, window blinds, and some other things Dave needed for the water softener… Then we went by the lawn mower shop to pick up a part for the tiller. From there we went to Piedmont. Dave tilled the garden and I planted eggplant plants, and cantaloupe, mint, and beet seeds and Josh planted pumpkin seeds. We are really going to have a big garden… I picked peas and greens. Kathy picked lettuce and radishes… I had phone calls from Jan/Mina and Evelyn in Peru, Indiana… We worked in the garden until almost dark. Then we went down to our new home and hung some blinds… It was really late when we got home and we were so tired we had microwave dinner and I am going to bed as soon as Dave proof reads this journal and I get it posted … Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 16, 2004

Thanks to Vicki in Granbury, Texas for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… We didn’t get the seeds planted yesterday because Kenny had just watered the garden. I did pick peas till my back was breaking and then I rested and picked some more, also I picked some greens… On the way home I shelled peas and we stopped at the store and picked up pork chops to have with the peas and greens, also had potatoes and gravy for a very tasty supper. I love pork chop gravy… Dave and I have had a restful day for the most part. I hosted chat and did a load of laundry. Dave did some more packing and the rest of the day we spent on the patio enjoying a beautiful day… We had a surprise visit from David. He had been to a mini cooper function… I called Richard in Smithville, Tennessee and Alice in Kokomo, Indiana… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 15, 2004

I slept well last night and woke up early feeling rested… I watched a good show on roses and other plant shows on OETA. I wish I could retain all I saw… I was disappointed that a few of my roses that we had dug up last fall and planted at Kenny and Kathy’s didn’t make it. I lost two yellow ones and they were my favorites… We had to turn on the heat last night. It has warmed up today and I am sure we will have the air back on soon… Since I am going to be here for another week I decided to go ahead and post my journal for another week. Besides it is good for me to keep track of what is happening in my life... We are going to Piedmont so I am posting this early. I bought some more seeds to plant. It will be late when we get home and I will be too tired to do it tonight… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 14, 2004

We found out from our realtor Cindy this morning that we won’t get to move into our new home this weekend. It looks like it will be next weekend now… We weren’t too disappointed… Dave called the phone company to prepare for the switchover for phone service and got our new phone number so I can practice learning it. They will switch our service on next Friday… Martha called and I called David, Kenny, Josh, and Virginia. When I called Virginia I didn’t get an answer and that worried me so I called her daughter and she said she had been transferred to a Nursing Home. I am feeling sad but have a good feeling at the same time about the move because I knew she had Parkinson and was very afraid of falling. She will be in good hands now and I plan on going to visit her soon since she doesn’t have a phone in her room. I will miss our phone chats…

May 13, 2004

I did laundry and went to the dental college to have a tooth filled. It went okay except for the rubber dam they put over my tooth and I hate that part. The good news was that the tooth was strong enough that I didn’t have to have a crown. That saved us some big bucks… We now have a dial up Internet service and it is so hard to get used to after having cable all these years. It is so slow… We got some much needed rain this afternoon and it turned off really cool. We went to Home Depot after my dental appointment and I thought I was going to freeze… I forgot to take my afternoon medicines. I noticed I was kind of irritable without them, and Dave was calling me Mary and my name is Honey… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



May 12, 2004

Our Cox Internet service was disconnected today, also our cable TV. That is okay because we have no time to spend on the computer or watch TV… I noticed that my hollyhocks have started to bloom. I was happy to get to see them in bloom once more. I will have to find someone with seeds so I can plant them at the new place… Dave and I shampooed our sofa, love seat and chair and ottoman tonight and they look so much brighter. It will be a long time before I am able to get new furniture so clean is the best I can do for now… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma





May 11, 2004

Thanks to Sis for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… Our buyer came today with his inspector and realtor, also my realtor was here. It made me quite nervous having them here. Our realtor took me outside on the patio and she tried to calm me down talking about flowers and about dogs. She did a pretty good job too. But I was still happy when they all left… We are waiting on the call that tells us we can move in to our new home… I received a call from Marsha King who is with the Seattle Times who is doing a story on early onset dementia and DASNI. I am looking forward to her article… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



May 10, 2004

Our deepest sympathies go out to Linda and her family in Ohio. Linda is our friend who lost her husband this morning… Thanks to Susan in Canada for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… We had a nice Mother’s day dinner with David and Lori last night at Pearls’ Oyster Bar… David and Lori brought me a beautiful card and a large planter box that sets on a stand for our porch, an apple tree, and a tomato tree plant. Thank you David and Lori… I had to get up at seven this morning and I didn’t like it. But we had the appointment with the Mortgage Company for the walk through and we had to be in Piedmont by 9:00 and it is a long ways over there… The walk thru went well. We took our lists and the man pointed out some things we had missed… We left there and went to our garden and picked fresh peas and greens for our supper tonight. It was nice to have garden fresh vegetables from our own garden… We stopped in to see Kathy and shared some hugs and tears… Kenny ran over a big bull snake when he was mowing. I hope I never see a snake out there… Then we came home and I fixed our supper and Dave cut the grass… We are both very tired tonight… This will be my last entry until we are moved in… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 9, 2004

Happy Mother’s Day!!! My Mother went to live with Jesus on February 17, 2004. I miss her so much. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her and wish I could call her. She was a wonderful Mother… David and Kenny called me to wish me Happy Mother’s day. I am so lucky to be a Mother to two wonderful sons. I am very proud of our sons… David and Lori will be by later to take me out to dinner… Congratulations to Mary Lou in Monticello, Indiana on the birth of a new grandson Noah Wayne… I will need to go to bed earlier tonight because we have to be in Piedmont early in the morning to meet with the mortgage company for a walk thru on our new home… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 8, 2004

Our deepest sympathies go out to our daughter-in-law Kathy and her family. Kathy lost her dad at 1:00 this morning. Kathy was at the hospital when he passed and is staying with her Mother helping make arrangements. She will be coming home tomorrow… Bob was a friend to us and he had Alzheimer’s… We spent the day at Piedmont looking over the garden and our house. We made a list of things that need to be taken care of before we move in. Mostly some touch up painting… We have peas now and the tomatoes have buds. Dave watered the garden… Kenny took us out to dinner to Chili’s. I had fajitas and they were great. Thank you Kenny... It is late and I am tired… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 7, 2004

I didn’t take a sleeping pill last night and slept well. Dave woke me up about 11:30. I woke up feeling really depressed. I have mixed feelings about leaving this house and going to a new home. This house is in such a mess right now. There are boxes and furniture setting around everywhere. I am a person who likes neat and this is a long ways from being neat… We had our lunch out on the patio and enjoying the birds and my flowers. The Cecile Burner rose bush is in full bloom and the Primrose has started blooming. The privacy fence is covered with New Dawn Roses, a very pretty pink… I have been crying off and on all day. I know I should be happy but I am not… Pat called and she was wishing she was moving to a new home and I am wishing I wasn’t… I know this will pass but it can’t be too soon… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 6, 2004

Happy Birthday Vicky!!! Vicky is our friend in Illinois… I slept better last night because I took a sleeping pill and I think I will for the next few nights so I won’t just lay awake worrying. I am really trying not to worry and let go and it to leave it to God. But I feel God has so many more important things to do than take care of me… I cleaned out my dresser drawers and decided to toss my clothes that no longer fit. Maybe someday I will replace them with some big clothes… Dave took Cindy to the groomers this morning and got her a nice summer cut. She looks really cool and feels quiet feisty… I made us a spaghetti supper and we ate out on the patio… I have been busy sending people in my address book my new email address. I am hoping I don't forget anyone. If I do it is mari5113@juno.com ... 86 degrees and very windy… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 5, 2004

Happy Birthday Josh!!!Josh is our grandson in Piedmont, Oklahoma and he turned 15 today… Happy Birthday Janey!!! Janey is our friend in Plainfield, Illinois… As soon as we finished lunch today we went to Piedmont. We stopped by the realtor’s office to pick up a key to our new home. We now have our very own key… We went through our home and made a list of repairs that we noticed. Mostly small ones… We had them put gas in our propane tank while we were there… I watched Josh and Heather get off the bus and when they saw our car they came running down to our house… Martha and Alfred met us at our house to see the finished product and they really liked it… We all went to Kenny’s for Josh’s birthday party… Kathy had been called to Lawton to the hospital there as her father who has Alzheimer’s had a bad fall and isn’t doing very well… Later we went to have supper at a Mexican Restaurant with Alfred and Martha… It was late when we got home and I am extra tired tonight since I didn’t sleep well last night. I had drank iced tea before going to bed and the caffeine kept me awake plus I have too much on my mind… Dave gave me my Vitamin B12 shot... Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 4, 2004

Cindy our realtor called this morning and gave us a date for our walk through with the mortgage company… She said the hardwood floors were put in yesterday and the carpet goes in today. I can’t wait to get over there and see it…. It is looking like we will be moving next week… David called and came by before he went to work to help Dave lift the top of the shrunk off so that Dave could do some repairs on it. I went through all the drawers in the shrunk and threw a bunch of stuff away. It was amazing what I found in those drawers. I found my certificate when I became a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. I am happy they can’t see me now. Because they would never believe I was once at goal weight. Also found some traffic tickets that Kenny had gotten when he was a teenager… Dave got some Bermuda grass seed and we will also get some Bermuda sod. We will have 2 ½ acres to take care of and lots of room for flowers and trees … Virginia called… I have been trying to decide on what kind of a tree I could plant in memory of my Mother. It has to be a strong tree because my Mother was the strongest lady I ever knew… I have been trying all day to get yesterday’s laundry folded I keep getting distracted… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 3, 2004

When I woke up this morning Dave told me that the mockingbirds had fallen out of the tree and our Bichon Cindy had gotten them. We were both sad about this because we were looking forward to seeing them fly away… The buyer of our house came by with his realtor and took some measurements. He is a single guy and he is tickled to death about getting our house. At least I know our home is going to a nice guy… Dave pulled out the dryer and refrigerator and vacuumed them. I cleaned the inside of the refrigerator, did laundry, gave the three dogs a bath, and fixed lunch and supper… Martha called… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 2, 2004

Happy Birthday Sharon!!! Sharon (Puffin) is our friend in Pinehurst, North Carolina… Thanks to Sandi in St. Charles, Missouri for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… Dave is still giving me breakfast in bed. I feel guilty but know it takes forever for me to come out of the fog I wake up with every morning. This way I can have my breakfast and coffee and get started on my pills while I am waking up. Shoot, I feel guilty about so many things that I can no longer do… Dave seems to be more understanding about my disease everyday and I love and appreciate him so much for that. I sure lucked out for a husband… We went to Sears checking on water softeners and ended up buying one. Since the one we wanted was on sale and they also were having a ten percent off sale for family and friends… We came home from Sears and ate lunch and I did chat then we sat out on the patio just enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The birds were busy at the bird feeder and the mocking birds were feeding their babies. Dave went up to peek in at the nest and one of the mocking birds came up and pecked him on the head. He sure did scare him, he had no idea what was happening. I don’t think I will do any peeking. They sure are noisy babies… The dawn roses are blooming along the fence and are beautiful. I notice the hollyhocks have buds and I won’t get to see them bloom again… I called Sharon in North Carolina and Norita in California… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

May 1, 2004

Happy 5th Anniversary Kenny and Kathy!!! Kenny and Kathy are our children in Piedmont, USA… Happy Birthday Martha!!! Martha is my best friend in Yukon, Oklahoma… Happy Birthday Norb!!! Norb is our friend in Illinois… Happy Birthday Diana!!! Diana is a friend in Florida… Pat called me last night and Jaunita called today… We had a good rain last night at least we didn’t get any hail here. Piedmont had golf ball size hail but it didn’t get to our part of Piedmont. The news channels were all over Piedmont last night covering the hail storm… Dave got the lawn edging stuff and grass seed to plant over at the new house as soon as the wind dies down. We were over there today but it was too windy and wet to put down grass seed… On our way home we stopped and picked up pizza for supper… I have been really missing my Mother, especially with all the talk about Mother’s Day… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 30, 2004

Another month has gone by so fast that I have no idea what happened to it… I woke up early this morning and did the laundry and waited for the appraiser to come and appraise our house. As soon as he left we loaded up the outside plants and headed for Piedmont. Kenny told me I could keep them on his porch until we moved. That took a load off my mind. I was not looking forward to having them loaded in a U-Haul… We got to get in our new home as the workers were there. It is looking so pretty. They had the gutters all up and the final leveling of the ground was done. On the inside they had the marble window sills in and the lightning fixtures and ceiling fans were all up and they were there putting up the lights in the master bath. The wallpaper I chose for the master bath was all finished and really looks pretty. I chose a rose pattern… While we were there Kathy came home from work and Josh got off the school bus. Her dad had picked up Heather at the school. It felt good to get a couple of Josh’s big hugs… Kathy and I were sitting at the kitchen table talking and watching hummingbirds at the feeder… On our way home we hit some heavy rain and we are having thunderstorms and heavy rains tonight… I fixed liver and onions for supper… Pat and David called… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 29, 2004

Happy Birthday Mayselle!!! Mayselle is our friend and Lori’s Grandmother… It felt good to stay home today and not have to go anywhere… Dave and I ate our lunch and supper out. Out on the patio which is one of our favorite places to eat… I called Mayselle and Martha and Kenny called me… I got the utility room cupboards all cleaned out and Dave got all our pictures packed. We are getting there… I continue to repeat my self. Dave has got so he will hold up two fingers when I have asked the same question the second time… The roses are so pretty now and Dave brings one into me every morning when I wake up… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



April 28, 2004

I had a night full of nightmares. I wish I knew what caused them… Dave woke up this morning with a Subconjunctival Hemorrhage in his left eye. He looks horrible and the doctor prescribed an antibiotic for him. Then tonight he had a large filling drop out of his tooth. It has not been his day. Our closing date has been moved up to May 27. One day sooner than it was before. That way Cindy, the Piedmont realtor, will be able to be there. She will be having surgery the day after our closing… We locked in our interest rate today and feel like we got a good rate… Dave and I went out to David and Lori’s this morning. Lori had called that she had bait for us. It was a pan of her delicious enchiladas. We had a delicious brisket dinner with them and I got my monthly Madison fix… We left there and I went to get a haircut, then to Kirklands looking for a picture to hang over our fireplace. We found one we liked but decided to wait until we are in our new home. Then we went to Mardels to pick up a nice Bible and have it engraved… I am tired tonight and I have a online publicity meeting tonight… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 27, 2004

Happy Birthday Helen!!! Helen is my school friend in Marietta, Georgia… Josh called me last night and he was all excited. His Dad, Kenny had let him drive for the first time. Our grandson is growing up so fast. It is hard to believe that he will soon be 15 years old… My friend Martha came by this afternoon after work to take me to Mardel’s and I picked out a really nice bible. I just have to go to Norman to pick it up tomorrow… Dave and I had our supper out on the patio. Dave fixed us western omelets and they were oh so good…. The honeysuckle in the back yard is now blooming and I love to smell honeysuckle… Virginia called and I called Helen in Georgia… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



April 26, 2004

My deepest sympathies go out to Varina in Australia on the loss of her husband Les (Gilbo). Gilbo was a member of our chat room and he was just a funny man and he was devoted to his wife. We will all miss him in our chats… I had to be at the dental college at nine this morning for a root canal. I was tortured, they kept prodding and prodding and I was there till almost 12:30. Dave brought me home and had to go right back for his appointment for a crown repair. I will have to go back for a crown next. I hope we will have some grocery money once we get these appointments all paid for… I fixed me some lunch and ate out on the patio all alone watching the mockingbirds take care of their babies and enjoying the roses that are in bloom… I fixed myself a bowl of ice cream and instead of putting the carton back in the freezer I put it in the refrigerator. At least I caught my mistake before Dave did and before it melted… I did a load of laundry, read some more of Tuesday With of Morrie, and hosted chat… I had phone calls from Ruth in Atlanta, Georgia and Martha in Yukon, Oklahoma… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 25, 2004

I woke up early this morning to a Cardinal singing… Right after breakfast and a shower we went to Piedmont. We were anxious to see what all had been done since we saw it last. Also to check on the garden… The painters were there. They were painting the outside trim and the inside painting was all finished. Also they have the sinks and counter tops in both the bathrooms. It is looking good… They have started three more homes on our street… The garden is looking good. Kathy and I went out and picked some lettuce out of the garden for our ham sandwich. It felt good to pick something out of the garden already. I was looking over the peas and found a pea pod, I was so excited… Kathy put up a couple hummingbird feeders while we were there and Dave and I saw a hummingbird fly by… We got home just in time for me to fix some taco’s and Dave to cut the grass… Now I am going to watch “Plainsong” a Hallmark Hall Of Fame movie… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 24, 2004

Happy Birthday Marie!!! Marie is our friend in Miami, Florida… Brenda called and came by this morning to bring us the signed contract. It is official now, our house is sold… My laptop computer was messed up most of the day and I had to use Dave’s for both of the DASNI chats. I was thinking it was going to have to go into the shop to be repaired. But my “Mr. Fix It” fixed it for me. What I had done was when I wiped the keys down this morning I accidentally hit the Num Lk key and that made all the letters on the right hand side show up as numbers. Dave has told me not to do that again. Now I hope I can remember not to. Thank you Dave for finding the problem and fixing it for me… I did laundry, listened to my talk radio garden show, looked through a Oklahoma Gardener’s Guide book and read some more of “Tuesday with Morrie” Dave fixed a delicious supper and we ate out on the patio… The sun finally came out and I sure was happy to see it… I called Joanne in Arkansas, Aunt Florence in Texas, Jeanne in Hawaii, and Garnette in Texas… David and Norita called me… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 23, 2004

Cindy our Piedmont realtor called this morning for some final choices of things on the house. I made the decision on one of the things and Dave had to make the decision on another one… The builder has given us permission to move into the new home before closing. I still have to pinch myself to believe after waiting over six months we are actually going to be moving into a new home… Brenda called and she will be coming by tomorrow bringing us the papers showing that our home has been sold… Dave had an appointment to see a dermatologist and when he got home he started packing and has packed up the spare bedroom, it is now empty… I did a few things around the house today but very few… The sun didn’t shine today and neither did I… I baked a Cranapple pie that should make up for the sun not shining and besides we need to celebrate… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 22, 2004

We have a couple baby mockingbirds in a nest in the Cecile Bruner rose bush. Dave has peeked in at them… I fed the flowers today and the Queen Elizabeth rose bush is blooming and I noticed a bud on the Clematis. I love this time of year, something new every day… Kathy called last night and said our peas were blooming. It won’t be long till we will have fresh peas. We should have plenty… Sally called to see if we survived the bad weather yesterday and we did… I called my friend Martha and we plan on getting together next week. She will take me shopping… Dave got groceries for us and I help bring them in and put them away. Thank you honey for all you do for me… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 21, 2004

Thanks to Lynne in Iowa Park, Texas for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I have felt much better today and even woke up earlier than usual… Brenda our realtor came and brought the offer for us to look over. We counter offered and he came back and counter offered again and we decided to go ahead and accept his offer… Now we can relax because we won’t have to show this house again. I can go back to being sloppy if I feel like it. We will start to do more packing… Our closing date will be May 28. Our builder said our house would be finished in a couple weeks. I am getting excited… After Brenda left this morning Dave told me that my shirt was on wrong side out. I looked and sure enough it was. All this time I was so proud of myself for acting normal. LOL We have had tornado warnings this afternoon and evening. Twice the tornado warning sirens went off. I had the closet all cleaned out just in case. I will be happy to be in Piedmont where we will have a safe room to go to… I had phone calls from Chip and Sharon in Florida and Sally in New Mexico… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 20, 2004

Congratulations to Mary Beth our niece in North Carolina on her new job… Thanks to Aralee in Schertz, Texas, Sandy in Ohio, Glenna and Sis in Texas, Eleanor in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, and Anita in Peru, Indiana for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I noticed this morning that my Blaze rose is in bloom. The first rose to bloom this year… I have not felt that good this afternoon. I have been having headaches on the left side of my head. They don’t last long but when they come I take notice also have been having those feeling like my insides are shaking. Not a good feeling… Brenda, our realtor called and she has a offer on our home. She wasn’t able to bring it by because her truck isn’t running right so she will be by here tomorrow for sure. We do know it is considerably less than our selling price… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 19, 2004

I had to take another break from my journal. All this house business has been keeping me exhausted and a lot has been going on at our house. Dave’s brother’s wife passed away in Smithville, Tennessee and Dave and our son David made a fast trip to Tennessee to attend the funeral. I stayed home with the dogs and I did fine. I didn’t do any falling down or burning the house down. Most of the cooking I did was in the microwave… We spent a few days out in the motor home in Piedmont. Dave got the garden all hoed and got our tomato plants and pepper plants put in the garden. We also planted some sunflower seeds; I am hoping to attract so birds with them… The wind out there was just terrible. I am beginning to think that Piedmont should be called the windy city instead of Chicago… On Saturday night we went out to dinner at the Fire Mountain with Kenny and Kathy… They have got all of the cabinets stained in our new house and all the tile work is finished. It all looks really good… It was good to get back home last night. I gave the dogs a bath and got caught up with the laundry… David and Lori came by today. It is always good to have our kids drop by… Today was the ninth anniversary of the Oklahoma Murrah bombing and the ninth anniversary of my diagnosis of Alzheimer's... Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 9, 2004

I have been busy doing laundry since I got up at noon. I am happy to say I managed to get it all done… My tooth is still hurting and I have had a headache most of the day. I finally got tired of complaining and took a couple aspirins and put in a cranberry/apple pie I am sure the both of them will make me feel better. I was helping Dave fix supper when I noticed that I had turned on the wrong burner under the broccoli. I was happy I noticed before any damage was done and also before Dave noticed… My Dianthus are blooming… Dave and I had our supper out on the patio and while we were out there we felt the cold front coming in. I had to come in and put on a sweater and fix some hot tea to warm up… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 8, 2004

Happy Birthday Howard!!! Howard is Dave’s brother in Westerville, Ohio… A gorgeous day, I have spent a big part of the day outside doing some work in the yard and watching the birds and butterflies. The birds are busy building their nests. I saw one little sparrow with a piece of paper the size of half of an envelope flying by my window. Also I was watching the mockingbird guard his nest in our rose bush. They are so entertaining to watch… I had phone calls from Virginia and Carole… I called and canceled the Merry Maids for good. Dave and I figured we could keep up the house for the rest of the time we are living here… My tooth has been bothering me. I hope it is just from all the shots they gave me… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 7, 2004

We got some much-needed rain today and it was a light steady rain, just perfect for our newly planted garden… I spent all afternoon at the dental college getting a root canal. I always tell them that I am hard to numb but no one ever listens but when they start drilling and I yell they believe me. The worst part about having a root canal is that piece of rubber they put around the tooth. I feel like I am going to suffocate. They only got a good start on the root canal today so I will have to return another day for them to finish it. One thing about going to the dental college is they are very slow but it is so much cheaper than going to my regular dentist and I know it is done correctly. Poor Dave sat in the waiting room for over three hours waiting for me. At least he had taken Larry Rose’s newest book to read… I called Jeanne in Hawaii… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 6, 2004

Dave woke me up just before noon with my oatmeal with blueberries, coffee, and a handful of pills. I sleep a long time but I have many dreams too… I hosted chat, did laundry, and helped Dave clean the house and fixed us a breakfast supper. We ate out on the patio… I took a tour around the back yard looking to see how many roses have buds and most of them do. It looks like I will get to enjoy the roses we are leaving behind one more time… Brenda was here with the other couple right on time to show our house… The people didn’t stay long because the husband was in bad health; he had to go sit in the car. We offered him a seat but he wanted to sit in his car. This couple wants to downsize. They did go on about how clean it was and said the pool would have to go. Now we just wait to see if they make an offer… We just heard from Brenda the people loved our house but not our neighborhood. That we can’t do anything about… I called Martha and Virginia and Kenny and David called me…. Tonight I am freezing with a sweater on and wrapped up in a blanket and it isn’t even cold. My legs are like ice and are aching… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 5, 2004

Happy Birthday Alice!!! Alice is our friend and DASNI member in Kokomo, Indiana… I love this day light savings time but I sure was tired before it got dark last night. I went to bed early… I picked up around the house and paid bills. The realtor let us know that instead of today she will be showing our house tomorrow… Dave cut the grass and we went to Piedmont. We made a stop at the dollar store in Piedmont so I could buy some Peters food for the flowers. I wanted to get some flowers planted before the rain starts tomorrow and while we were there Kathy and I decided we didn’t want to wait any longer to plant the vegetable seeds. We got them all planted and now we look forward to watching them all come up. We planted watermelon, corn, cucumbers, squash, green beans, and Okra… According to the weatherman we will be having rain this week… The Queen Elizabeth rose bush has a lot of buds… When Dave and I went to clean out my Mother’s room we accidentally brought home Mom’s African Violet that Martha had wanted. Dave and I did all we could to keep it alive but it died. I am sure it went to heaven to be with our Mother. Mom loved her violets… Dave gave me my Vitamin B12 shot this morning and he is getting so good at giving them that I didn’t even feel it… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 4, 2004

We are back from a few days in the country. Yes we went back to Piedmont to camp out at Kenny and Kathy’s. We had the best time. Dave and I love it out there and so do the dogs… Kathy and I spent most of Saturday running around to different garage sales while Heather was at the skating rink with her friends… Dave, Kathy, and I took our lawn chairs down to our new home and we sat on the patio and then on the front porch just to see what it was like out there and we liked it… I got caught up on the laundry and gave the dogs a bath. They were filthy. Cindy was a brown dog instead of white… Dave and I have spent most of today out on the patio. You couldn’t have asked for a prettier day… The Mockingbird is building a nest in my Cecil Bruner Rose bush… Brenda our realtor called and she has someone who wants to see our house tomorrow… Jeanne in Hawaii called and Sis in Texas. Sis said she already has hummingbirds and I am so jealous. I called Chip and Sharon in Florida… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

April 1, 2003

Congratulations to Jr. and Anita on their marriage today. Jr. is our nephew in Peru, Indiana... I am taking another break from my journal. I will be back soon. Mary





March 31, 2004

Happy Birthday Erin!!! Erin is our granddaughter in Norman, Oklahoma… Well, the people and their realtor were a no show last night. When I called our realtor to find out why, she called the realtor that was supposed to show it and found out they had some sort of excuse about day care and promised to be here today at 5:00 pm. So we agreed to give them another chance and Iam glad we did because this time they showed up… Dave gave me a half of a half of an Ambien to take before bed last night and I slept much better and felt rested this morning… I had phone calls from Joanne in Benton, Arkansas and Aunt Florence in San Antonio, Texas. I was happy to hear from them both… I called Virginia and Heather. Heather said that they had been working on our house today… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma April 1, 2004 I am going to take another break will be back soon.

March 30, 2004

Our DASNI Annual General Meeting went well last night. We did it online and had a great turnout. Members from United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada and all over the United States attended. Our President Lynn Jackson did a great job as our leader again … I had a terrible time unwinding after the meeting. I was still awake at 1:00 a.m. just tossing and turning… Dave had a dental appointment this morning and while he was gone I did a couple loads of laundry and starting getting this house ready to show tonight when the realtors come… They should have been here already. I sure hope this isn’t another no-show… I called our granddaughter Erin to wish her happy birthday only to find out that her birthday is tomorrow. But she made me feel better by telling me her father had made the same mistake I made… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 29, 2004

We have had a beautiful day and I spent some time outside getting my Vitamin D. I noticed that my roses have buds and butterflies are out and so are the robins… Dave fed the roses for me. My knees are hurting so bad and making it hard for me to get around. I hope how soon they get better so I can quit complaining… I made an apple salad and had to call on Dave to help me with it. Little things like following a recipe can get too much for me any more. It is hard to believe I used to cook big meals for my family without any help… I have been reading “Larry’s Way” by Larry Rose… Some good news the realtor just called and someone wants to see our house tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed that they buy it, please… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 28, 2004

I had another night of nightmares. Varmints were eating our dogs and snakes wrapped around my leg. I sure was happy to wake up and find out I was dreaming… I played some dominoes. After I hosted the afternoon chat Dave and I cleaned up the house and went to the hangar. We went thorough some boxes and we were in the tossing mood to get rid of some more stuff. We had a couple bags to throw away and a bag for the DAV when they call again for donations… We left the hangar and went out to check on our new home. The driveway, porch, and sidewalks look good. It was too muddy to see the back patio. But I am sure it looks good also… We wanted to get inside but it was locked up tight and it will be as long as the cabinetmaker has all of his tools in there… We went on up to Kenny’s and watched a DVD with Josh and Heather. This time we watched Tommy Boy and I laughed. The kids love it when I laugh at their movies… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 27, 2004

Thanks to Sandi in St. Charles, Missouri for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I slept much better last night and feel better today… Our first tulip is blooming and looks so pretty… We still aren’t having any luck selling our house. They haven’t even showed it all week. I am starting to get discouraged but nothing I can do about it… Our DASN International AGM will be coming up soon. I have agreed to accept being Vice President again along with Carole Mulliken… I called Stasia in Hawaii… We are under a tornado watch tonight… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 26, 2004



Our deepest sympathies go out to Maxine in Miami, Florida who lost her husband Tony this week to Alzheimer’s… We had a call last night from our niece Kathy in Seagrove, North Carolina. Kathy it is always good to hear from you… I didn’t sleep well last night because of a flare up of my tummy. I hurt so bad that I was praying I didn’t have to go to the emergency room… I am having this love hate relationship with spring. I love spring for the flowers starting to bloom and the trees are budding and the smell of fresh grass after it is mowed. But I hate what it does to my allergies. I have a runny nose, teary eyes, and a headache… I am so sorry for all the complaining I do but there is one more thing that is bothering me and that is my foot is hurting and my knees. It is supposed to rain… I did manage to get all three loads of laundry done today in between all the complaining and I even managed to wash Dave’s wallet that was left in his jeans. He now has clean money… Dave mowed and edged the lawn… Later we watched “Sea Biscuit” I called Josh and Heather… We got a call from Richard and Frances is in a coma and not expected to make it… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 25, 2004

Thanks to Janey in Plainfield, Illinois for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… Have I mentioned how beautiful the Bradford Pears and Redbuds are this year? They seems to be so many more of them this year and they are everywhere… I got a call this morning canceling my appointment for my root canal and I am rescheduled for next month. I wasn’t at all sad to get that call. I just hope I don’t have any pain between now and then… Dave went to the doctor about his blood pressure because it has been elevated here lately. The doctor is going to try him on a new medication… I called my friend Martha. When we ate with them a couple weeks ago she had made a delicious apple salad so I wanted her recipe… We had the biggest afternoon chat ever this afternoon in our DASNI chat room… When Dave got home I had started our supper and he helped me finish up… I had a phone call from Lori and I called to check on Kenny’s foot… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 24, 2004

Dave and I picked up around the house this morning and then went out to David and Lori’s. Madison was out helping Papa feed the animals when we got there. She is really talking now. I got my Madison fix. Madison says “ I love you Grandma 3” and I loved it… We left there and Dave and I went for our haircut appointment. A good haircut always makes me feel better… I have my share of appointments this week. Tomorrow I have to go for a root canal and hat is one appointment I am not looking forward too… I talked to Virginia, Josh, and Heather. Josh and Heather were busy doing their homework… Joanne a friend in Benton, Arkansas called. Ken and Joanne and Dave and I are looking forward to a visit from David and Alice from Idaho. We were all stationed in the Air Force together back in the sixties and seventies... We now have a driveway, patio, front porch, and sidewalks poured out at our new home…. Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 23, 2004

I went to bed extra early and slept good last night… This morning Dave colored my hair for me and then we went for my appointment with Dr. Morgan. My blood pressure was excellent so my b/p medications are working. I asked him if he thought I should go on the new drug Namenda along with my Aricept and he said he thought I was doing just fine where I am at. So guess I won’t be going on it as long as I continue to do as well as I am. He says he uses it for those in the later stages. I don’t have to go back now for four months…. We left the doctors and went to the commissary for our groceries. Dave would rather go without me because he has to push the wheelchair and a cart. I enjoy going once in awhile when it isn’t crowded. There was a mother there with her three children and she was teaching them how to pick out vegetables. Telling her son not to pick the wrinkled bell peppers and a daughter was picking up an onion. I thought it was a smart thing to do… I called to check on Frances and Richard said that when he visited her in the hospital tonight that there was some improvement. The doctor said she had a major stroke… Kenny called and he had an accident on his dirt bike and broke his foot so he is now on crutches. Not a good thing because he has to go up flights of stairs to get to his office… I helped Dave fix us a steak supper… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 22, 2004

Thanks to Anita in Peru, Indiana and Sis in Rusk, Texas for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I have felt cold all day and lazy too… I am missing the 80-degree weather. I could get used to it real easy… I played some dominoes and rested the rest of the day… Jenni our granddaughter called and she went to the doctor today and found out she and Chris are expecting another girl. Her name will be Macey Ann. Madison will now have a little sister and two older brothers… Please keep our sister Frances in your prayers… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



March 21, 2004

Our deepest sympathies go out to our friend Marie in Miami, Florida on the loss of her husband Bob. Bob suffered with Alzheimer’s… Our prayers go out for Frances our sister-in-law who has been admited to the hospital and is in ICU Dave and I returned home late last night. We just had to run away from home for a few days. This business of sitting around here waiting on a realtor to call and keeping this house spit shined was getting the best of us. We have our RV parked out at Kenny and Kathy’s so we just loaded up the dogs and went out there for a few days… While we were there we got a call from Cindy our realtor to go to the marble place to pick out our sinks and a few other items. So we went and got that taken care one evening and then we went by IHOP for our dinner and then to Wal-Mart to pick up Dave some overalls, a straw hat, and gloves. Kathy and Kenny were at work… The next day Dave went to the hangar to pick up his tractor and brought it out to Kenny’s. Dave had a good time on his tractor with his overalls on and straw hat. The temperature was up in the 80’s while we were out there. Don’t tell Dave but I could just hear him singing Green Acres and smiling from ear to ear… Kenny had rented a bobcat to do some dirt moving and he was busy with that… David and Lori came out later driving Lori’s new car, a Mercedes Benz. It is a beautiful car. David and Lori took Kathy and I for a ride and out to lunch at Fire Mountain. Dave and Kenny were too busy to join us… We did have a wonderful time in the country and I did see some birds out there. Also one night there was a huge raccoon on their patio eating the cat’s food… Josh and Heather’s kittens are missing. We are afraid they were eaten by something out there. We had our dogs with us and they loved it out there… I have been busy doing laundry all day and trying to get caught up on my too many emails… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 18, 2003

I am taking a few days off from my journal maybe do some fishing... Mary

March 17, 2004

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day… I didn’t sleep well last night and when I was sleeping I was having nightmares so today I have been dragging… It was a month ago today that I got that call from my brother that my Mother had passed away… My sister called this afternoon, she is still in Florida … Dave worked hard in the yard today getting it manicured and I helped a little… We had our supper out on the patio and the weather was perfect. All the birds were out there too… The bell peppers that Dave started from seed are doing really good… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



March 16, 2004

Happy Birthday Jim!!! Jim is our friend and Josh’s great grandpa… The Merry Maids came today and our house is nice and clean. Now where are all the realtors? I washed a load of towels and got them all folded and put away and played some solitaire and dominoes on pogo… I had a phone call from Tom in Dallas, Texas and David. I called Josh and Jim. Josh is enjoying his spring break… Dave and I had a spaghetti supper out on the patio. It was cool so I had my sweater on… Kenny called the other day and said our peas were coming up… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



March 15, 2004

I didn’t sleep well last night that always happens when I have such a great day. I just can’t calm down enough to fall asleep… Larry Rose and friend came by this morning for a visit and brought me his latest book “Larry’s Way” and it is signed… He also has been doing some candle making and brought me one of his candles… Dave and I hope one day to go visit Larry in the Ozarks… This afternoon I had phone calls from Laura, David, and Brenda our realtor… Laura is the founder of DASN and she and I used to co-host chats. Laura surprised us all when she joined in our afternoon chat today… We were to have a realtor show our house this evening… So Dave and I had to do some spit shinning, something I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do today since the Merry Maids are coming tomorrow. It should make it easier on the maids. This will be the first time they have been here in two months. We missed last month because of my Mother’s funeral… The realtor didn’t show and didn’t call. All this preparing for them was done for nothing. This spoiled my great day… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 14, 2004

I woke up feeling much better today. I had my oatmeal with blueberries and I was ready for the day. Sun was shinning and the birds were singing… I fed the flowers and the beautiful Azalea Topiary that Barbara and Dan sent to Mom’s funeral for me to bring home is still living and blooming… I gave the three dogs a bath, paid bills, did a load of laundry, and helped fix supper… Dave and I sat out on the patio this evening and watched the birds at the feeder and listened to the Mocking Bird singing from the Bradford Pear tree. I am going to miss all this when I move… Later Dave and I cleaned out more drawers… We had a surprise guest in chat this afternoon, Diana McGowin showed up to chat with us. Diana is the author of Living In The Labyrinth and the first book I read when I found out I had Alzheimer’s. It sure was great to chat with Diana and to know she is still going strong after all this time…. I called Aunt Florence, Chip, and Lela… Needless to say I am tired tonight but for good reason… I am wishing I could call my Mother and tell her about my day… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 13, 2004

Dave fixed a big country breakfast this morning, he did everything but the gravy and I did it… This has been one of those miserable days. Rainy and chilly and I have been wrapped up in a afghan trying to stay warm… I played dominoes and solitaire till my brain was so tired I had to lie down. I can’t believe I actually fell asleep… All I wanted for supper was a bowl of oats. I have started putting blueberries in my oatmeal because I have read that it is good for our memory… My legs and arms have been hurting and I am blaming it on the weather… I called George and he is doing fine after his surgery except for being sore. He told me Uncle Bob’s funeral will be Monday… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 12, 2004

Happy Birthday Sally!!! Sally is our friend in North Hollywood, California… Thanks to Teresa in Moyock, North Carolina for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I took a sleeping pill last night so I could get good nights sleep and woke up early this morning feeling like a new person… I washed our bedding and Dave and I got our house cleaned good in case the realtors wanted to show our home while we were at Piedmont… We met with the cabinetmakers and that went well… They have the driveway, porch, patio, and sidewalks all framed in and ready for the cement to be poured and the septic system is in... We walked out to the garden to see if our peas were coming up but they weren’t. I did notice that the Forsythia bush that we had transplanted at Kenny’s was starting to bloom… We didn’t stay long there because it was too long before the kids would get home from school… We went by the hangar and then to the BX and Commissary... I called our niece Kathy in North Carolina… George, David and Kathy called… Thank you God for giving me a better day… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 11, 2004

Thanks to Steve in Akron/Medina, Ohio for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… For the past couple nights I have been watching tapings of Billy Graham which were taped in Oklahoma City and Dallas… My brother called last night and he has to have surgery again on Friday. I hope and pray this will be his last surgery… Thanks to Jean in Oklahoma City for the nice card. I woke up feeling like I had been run over by a truck. Even though the sun was shining today, I have had a cloudy day and when I have a day like this I don’t like looking in a mirror because I look as bad or worse than I feel… Cindy our realtor in Piedmont called and we have an appointment to meet with the cabinetmaker tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow will be a better day… I just received a call that there has been another death in my family. My Uncle Bob in Louisville, Kentucky passed away tonight. Uncle Bob was my daddy’s and Aunt Florence’s youngest brother. Uncle Bob had Alzheimer’s… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 10, 2004

Congratulations to Ben and Bethel in Irving, Texas on the birth of their granddaughter Alexis Anne… I went to bed very early last night, I was so tired and my legs were hurting… I woke up this morning and still not feeling that great. Dave brought my oatmeal and coffee to me in bed. He is so good to me and spoils me… I called David and Virginia. Our realtor called and had another realtor who wanted to show our home on a short notice as the buyers were in our neighborhood. I was fixing our supper and Dave was out working in the yard. I told her to give me twenty minutes and they could show it… They came and went and said it was a pretty house. Now we wait to see if they make and offer. The realtor did say that the people who looked at it yesterday really like it and wouldn’t be surprised if they give us a offer… Kenny got him a seat to fly on the B-17 Flying Fortress which will be here in Oklahoma City April 8 to 12… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 9, 2004

We are still receiving many beautiful sympathy cards. Thank you all for sending them… Last night I called Faye, Lori’s stepmother who has become a good friend of ours to thank her for the beautiful card she had sent and just visit with her for awhile and I also called Lori and Kathy. They are my beautiful daughters- in- law. Our sons did such a great job in picking their wives… I got up early this morning to get the house spit shined before the realtor came. Dave left to go to get his six-month cleaning at the dentist so I was home alone. I seldom get time alone any more. The doorbell rang while Dave was away and that always frightens me when I am not expecting anyone. I looked through our peephole and saw it was our neighbor Rev. Fisher, he came over to visit with Dave and to invite him out to dinner. I thought that was nice. I hope Dave will take him up on it. Our niece Andrea in West Virginia called. It is always nice to get a call from her… Well the appointment for 11:00 was postponed till 4:00; I can make a big mess in that amount of time. LOL They showed up at 4:00 and I think that they liked it; I wasn’t able to really tell much about them. We will just wait to see if they give us an offer… I got a card from Martha today; she and Donnie are vacationing in Florida… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 8, 2004

Thanks to Peter in Warrington, England for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I slept till noon and I have been tired all day. I hope I will never push myself to go three days in a row like that again… I have taken care of the houseplants, dusted, and did two loads of laundry. Dave worked outside in the yard… David called to let us know that Lori is coming by later to bring us some enchiladas that she has made for us… Tomorrow the realtor was scheduled to bring a caravan of realtors to tour our home… The realtor just called me and instead of a caravan coming tomorrow they are showing our home to a prospective buyer. Please keep your fingers crossed for us… It was up in the 70’s today. We had our lunch and supper out on the patio… Jan/Mina called… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 7, 2004

Today Dave went to help Kenny put up a storage building on his property and on the way to Piedmont he dropped me off at Alfred and Martha’s so I could visit with Martha. This was the third day in a row for me to go someplace and I knew I was pushing it but I wanted to see Martha… Later on in the day after Alfred had finished putting up a new fence and Martha and I had finished working in the yard we all went to Piedmont so they could see our house. We love showing our new home. Alfred and Martha really liked it… Alfred and Martha gave us beautiful Clematis in memory of Mom… It is late and I am really tired. My legs hurt so bad that Dave has to help me out of my chair… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 6, 2004

I had a terrible nightmare last night. I dreamed that Dave had gotten a divorce from me without telling me. How weird is that? He told me he was tired of being a caregiver… When I told him about my dream this morning he just shook his head and laughed at me. The dream seemed so real. I am glad I woke up. LOL…. I had a phone call from Chip this morning. He told me he had just received Larry Rose’s latest book. The name of it is Larry’s Way. He highly recommends it. Larry Rose should be here to visit Dave and me and he is bringing me a signed copy of his book. I feel so lucky to have met Chip and Larry in person… Lori called the other night to invite Dave and me to a Birthday dinner for Chris tonight. So after I did chat and Dave got groceries we got ready to go out to David and Lori’s. Lori had fixed a delicious meal which included Brisket, Scalloped Potatoes, Baked Beans, Corn on the cob, and Birthday Cake plus Blackberry cobbler. Chris, Jenni, Jake, Trevor, and Madison were there as were Kerry and Erin. It was good to spend time with them again. Madison and the boys served me a make believe dinner after the meal. They are the cutest great grandkids a grandparent could ask for…. Chris is a real comedian and he had me laughing out loud tonight. Something I needed so badly. Needless to say I am all wound up tonight. Lori sent us home with a box full of leftovers. David and Lori, thanks for having us out for a wonderful evening… David sent a movie home with us of Sea Biscuit. I have wanted to see that movie… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 5, 2004

Dave gave me a Vitamin B12 injection last night. He does this every month and it tickles me to see how it hurts him worse than it does me… We had to go to Piedmont today for an appointment with our builder. Since we still haven’t sold this house we had to sign an extension on that house. Now our date to move in will be May 15 instead of April 1… With all the flooding in the area we figured that the peas that we planted may have washed away but looks like they will be okay… We visited with Josh until Teryl, his Mother came to pick him up. Then we went by Wal-Mart to get some starter cups so we can try our luck at starting bell peppers from seed… Then we went to Catfish Cabin in Midwest City for dinner. I am sure glad we went there because we ran into George and Brenda; a couple that I used to baby-sit for. It was so good to see them. I have great memories of keeping their baby Parish and seeing their other two children come in to my home everyday. Parish is now eighteen years old and a college student. Where does the time go? Brenda and I would walk at six o’clock every morning with a couple other girls in the neighborhood. It sure was good visiting with them and we also enjoyed our meal… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 4, 2004

Happy Birthday Phyllis!!! Phyllis is our friend in Alabama… Happy Birthday Chris!!! Chris is our granddaughter Jenni’s husband in Moore, Oklahoma… Thanks to Sis in Rusk, Texas for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I was so upset last night over my computer not working that I went to bed at 8:00 and I forgot to mention in my journal about my phone call from my school friend Helen in Marietta, Georgia. I also heard from my phone buddy Virginia… We have been under a tornado watch most of today. I am not looking forward to all the tornado watch’s and warnings we will have coming up… I set out a couple containers to catch some rainwater for the houseplants… My friend Martha called today and we got caught up and I received a letter from a school friend Lynn in South Dakota… We had leftovers for supper and another Apple/Cranberry pie. I love that pie. I could eat a half one with no problem. But I am using what little will power I have… I played dominoes and solitaire on pogo… Thank you Honey for spending half of the night working on my computer to make it work right again… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 3, 2004

Happy Birthday Jamie!!! Jamie is our granddaughter in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky… Today would have been my Mother’s 89th birthday… I have been keeping busy doing laundry and I cooked a chicken and Dave helped me fix Tortilla soup for supper… I know my Mother is having a big party for her birthday up in heaven with Daddy, my brothers and sister and other relatives and friends… My computer isn’t working and that is always stressful for me… I am able to receive emails but am not able to send any in fact I can’t even type with it. I have to use Dave’s computer for doing my journal… So if I owe you an email I will get to it when my computer is fixed… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 2, 2004

Thanks to Barbara in Kokomo, Indiana for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I woke up feeling miserable this morning and all shaking on the inside. I pushed myself to get ready to go to Piedmont to see the house and get a grandkid fix… On the way out we stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up some peas to plant out in the garden out there. We are sharing a big garden with Kenny and Kathy. We also picked up pizzas to take for supper. I am glad tonight I went because it helped me. Dave got all the peas planted and we looked at our house. It is sure a pretty house… I watched a movie with Josh and we visited for a while before coming home. We had messages from George and Lori when we got home. Lori’s grandpa went home from the hospital today and Lori said that her grandmother’s Holstein cow gave birth to a calf on the day of Mom’s death and she named it Girtie after Mom… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

March 1, 2004

I had to be at the dental college at 8:30 this morning for an urgent care appointment that screened me for a root canal. They had to be sure that my tooth was abscessed before I could get in. Now I will wait for a dental student to call me. It was almost twelve before I got back home. Just in time to fix us a bowl of soup and host chat… I washed a load of clothes and fixed supper… After supper I was so tired I laid down and took a two-hour nap. That is very unusual for me… I called Kathy. She said they were working on our house today… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 29, 2004

Thanks to Eleanor in Nova Scotia, Canada and Mary Lou in Monticello, Indiana for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I didn’t get out of bed till noon today, it was a good morning to sleep in as it was pouring down rain… The sun came out this afternoon and it turned out to be a nice warm but windy day up in the sixties… I have been doing a lot of crying today. I miss my Mother… I know it is going to get better but for now I am hurting… Lori called… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



February 28, 2004

Happy 10th Birthday Wyatt!!! Wyatt is one of my former babies when I ran my day care for infants. He was in my care when my doctor told me that I had to give up my job… Rev. Gough, the same minister that married Dave and I almost 44 years ago, was co-minister with a long time friend Rev. Canus Sparks that did my Mother’s funeral. It was so hard to watch Rev. Gough tear up at Mom’s funeral. He and Mom were friends for many years. He often would visit Mom in the Nursing Home. Rev. Sparks was the minister that had services at the Nursing Home each Tuesday evening. When Dave and I would go visit Mom we always would try to be there on a Tuesday night so we could attend church services with Mom. Some of my best memories of Mom was when she would take us all to church… One of the good things that came out of going to the funeral was that Dave and I were able to get the address of a long time friend who we used to double date with. We found out that Wayne lives here in Oklahoma now only a hundred miles from us. We hope to get together with Wayne and his new wife Beverly soon. Wayne’s former wife Faye passed away several years ago with cancer… Dave and I went to an estate sale here in our neighborhood and then went to visit Perry in the hospital. We went to Sears and to the meat market to stock up on some meat… I called a school friend Lynn in Lennox, South Dakota … I am watching the Gaither’s and crying while they sing “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again” and wishing I could call her and remind her to watch Lawrence Welk tonight… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 27, 2004

Happy Birthday Louise!!! Louise is a friend and Kathy’s Mother in Lawton, Oklahoma… On Wednesday we went to Piedmont to see our new home and to visit Kenny, Kathy, Josh and Heather and I got my needed grandkid hugs. Kathy had fixed a big pot of beef stew for us and it was so good. We came home with leftovers for our lunch the next day. I was going to watch a movie with Josh and Heather but I just wasn’t able to concentrate on anything. So I promised them I would be in better condition the next I came to visit and would watch a movie with them. It seems to mean so much to them when Grandma watches a video with them. They spent time outside jumping on their trampoline and I was able to watch them having a good time… Our home was about half bricked and they had some of the stone up. It is going to be very pretty. We did a good job on picking out the brick… It looks like it may be the end of April now before we get in our home. But we aren’t in a big hurry since we still haven’t sold this home we are living in and I will get to spend some of my spring here on the patio watching the birds… In the mail today I got the cutest beanie baby from my niece Karen in Huntington, West Virginia. It is a white angel bear and her name is Blessed. Thank you so much Karen, I love you! My friend Pat called and David called. Poor David went to a funeral yesterday for a co- workers wife who died of breast cancer and she was only in her thirties. Today he got a call that a friend of his had died of a heart attack and he was David’s age. David is taking all of this so hard… I called Josh… I am ashamed to say I haven’t gotten anything accomplished today… Dave thank you for being so understanding and giving me the hugs when you know I need them… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 26, 2004

Happy Belated Birthday to Becky, a friend in California, Ernie a cousin in Kentucky, Kathy our niece in North Carolina, Glenna a friend in Canada… Happy Birthday Jan/Mina!!! Jan is our friend and DASNI member in Oklahoma… Thanks to Eleanor in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Susan in Canada, Norma in Canada, Jeanne in Honolulu, Hawaii, Angela in Oak Harbor, Washington, Barbara in Kokomo, Indiana, and Martha in Peru, Indiana for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… We got back home late Sunday night from Peru, Indiana… I just haven’t wanted to write anything in my journal. Today I have made myself try to get back into a normal routine… I have lost many family members, my Father, three brothers, a sister and a great grandbaby but losing my Mother was the hardest… Mom looked very nice, she looked like she was sleeping peacefully. David, Lori, and Jennifer drove down for the funeral and so did Kenny. Kathy wasn’t able to get off work… We had a lot of problems with the motor home. There were times when we couldn’t get up to a speed of twenty miles an hour, which was very stressful. We were late getting to the funeral home. We had hoped to get there in time for the family viewing but didn’t make it… We found out on the way home that replacing the fuel filter was the cure… I got to visit with many of our relatives and friends I hadn’t seen in a long time… I would like to thank everyone who came to the funeral, sent flowers, broght food, phone calls, cards, prayers, and just thought of me during this hard time… I called Jan/Mina and Carolyn in Florida… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 17, 2004

Martha called from the hospital this morning. The Doctor told her all they could do now for Mom was to keep her comfortable. They are finally able to keep her pain under control… I have been trying to find someone to cut my hair. Wouldn’t you know I am in bad need of a hair cut and I may have to wait till I get to Peru. We are going to leave tomorrow afternoon right after Dave’s appointment and should be in Peru sometime late Friday night… My school friend Janice called to let me know she was thinking of me. She knows what we are going through because Janice lost her Mother nine months ago… Virginia, David, Lori, Kenny my friend Martha and Aunt Florence called. I called Martha at the hospital and she held the phone to Mom’s ear so I could tell her I love her. All Mom could do was groan. She isn’t able to talk anymore… The nurses told Martha that they couldn’t believe she is still hanging on. Maybe she is waiting on me to come home… This will be my last entry in my journal until I return… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

PS. Mom is gone, she died at 7:10 PM EST.

February 16, 2004

Thanks to Sandi in St. Charles, Missouri for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… Thanks to friends Sally in California, Janey in Illinois and Marie in Florida for calling to check on me…I woke up much earlier than usual this morning to the birds singing. They sounded so pretty… I am feeling kind of numb and have a headache. I am waiting on that call that my Mother is no longer living… I don’t know what to do. Dave and I are getting everything ready if we are called home… Dave has an appointment on Wednesday and we both need to get some medication… Last night I wasn’t able to sleep. I was upset about something in our house. I could not get it out of my mind so first thing I did this morning was to call the builder and let him know. He is taking care of the problem and now I feel much better… I did laundry and hung some out to dry. I took care of the houseplants, the dogs have had their baths, and we are getting the motor home ready to go… I called Ruth Ann, a cousin in Logansport, Indiana. She had been to visit Mom but said Mom was sleeping and she didn’t disturb her… David and Kenny called and my sister called. Martha was in Las Vegas waiting on a flight to Indianapolis she should be in Indiana around midnight… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 15, 2004

Today our youngest dog Tootsie is six years old. It is hard to believe she is that old already. Our dogs grow old as fast as our kids did… George called this morning and he seems to think Mom is improving. But when Martha called the nurse this afternoon they were giving Mom morphine for pain so it is still a wait and see situation. I made a pot of vegetable soup out of the left over pot roast and baked another Cranberry/Apple pie… I am hoping the kids will come by and help us eat it… Sunshine and temperatures in the 40’s today… I ordered a Tai Chi video for seniors and I hope I can learn it. My Psychiatrist recommends it… David just called and he and Lori are on their way here. We had coffee and pie with David and Lori… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 14, 2004

Happy Valentines Day!!! Happy Birthday Amanda!!! Amanda is our grandniece in Seagrove, North Carolina… Happy Anniversary Morris and Andrea!!! Morris and Andrea are DASNI friends in Houston… Thanks to Sue in Canada for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… Dave gave me chocolates; fixed me an omelet for breakfast and spit shined the house. I fixed him a nice rump roast supper and gave him new bedroom slippers… I am so happy to say I was able to talk to my Mother this morning. Thanks to George who arranged to hold the phone for her. When I asked how she was she said not very good. She told me that the flowers we sent were beautiful and we told each other I Love You… We didn’t talk for long, I didn’t want to wear her out. But it feels so good to have spoken to her for just a few minutes… George said he spoke to Mom’s doctor this morning and he said that Mom has had a major heart attack and wasn’t out of the woods yet and she would be in the hospital for awhile yet… Martha and George called… I called Aunt Florence… Today feels like Sunday to me and I don’t know why… I am going to watch the Gaither’s on TV… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 13, 2004

Thanks to Eleanor in Nova Scotia, Canada for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… Thanks to all of you who have sent me emails about my Mother… When I got up this morning I called the hospital to talk to Mom’s nurse and she told me that Mom has had a major heart attack and they were doing everything they could to make her comfortable. She said she was in critical condition. I asked her if she told Mom that I loved her if she would understand and she told me that she might and she said she would tell Mom… I got busy doing laundry and got it all done and paid the bills. I know at anytime I could get that call… George called this afternoon and he plans on spending the night in Mom’s room tonight and said he would keep me informed on any changes… George just called back and because of his cold they will not allow him to spend the night in Mom’s room. I know my Mother has been ready to go home for a long time. I am preparing myself for this and know that it is what my Mother wants… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 12, 2004

Last night just as we were going to bed I got a call from my sister that Mom had a heart attack and her oxygen was 58 and that they had transported Mom from the Nursing Home to the hospital. I had a call from my brother that had driven from Louisville, Kentucky this morning to Peru, Indiana to be with Mom. Martha my sister and her husband are vacationing right now in Tucson, Arizona for the winter… I didn’t sleep well last night worrying about my Mother and wishing I could be there with her… Mom’s Valentine flowers that we had sent were delivered today. I was happy for that… We showed our house this morning to a lady. She liked it but would have to sell her home… This afternoon a realtor from Keller/Williams came and we really like this lady. So we signed the needed paperwork for her to list our home and we feel really good about Brenda… David, George, and Kenny called… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 11, 2004

Kenny had collected more packing boxes for us and we brought them home with us last night. We will be doing more packing soon… We had two calls on the house today and they may come this weekend to see it… Tomorrow we are going to list it with a realtor. This time we are going with a different realtor. Hoping we will have better luck… I have taken it easy today after my big day yesterday… I didn’t even have to fix supper, thanks to Kathy for sending us home with the leftover Hamburger Pie… I did get caught up on my emails and took care of the house plants… I never want a day to go by when I don’t accomplish something… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 10, 2004

We got a lot accomplished today. We met the decorator at Andrews Lightning Gallery and I am so thankful that we had Jen to help us out. I never have seen so many lights in my life. We got all the lights, fans, door knobs, and door pulls picked out and Jen made it easy for us to make decisions. When we got ready to leave I gave Jen a big hug for all her help… We left there and went to see our house. They had just finished the tape and bedding when we got there. I figure the next step will be to do the cabinets. When they do that they lock the house up so not even we can get in to see it. This is because they do all the cabinet making inside the house and don’t want any one walking off with their equipment…. While we were in the house we watched Josh and Heather get off the school bus then we headed up to their house. Kathy was home too so we got to catch up with her. Then she fixed a delicious Hamburger Pie dinner for all of us and we ate when Kenny got home from work… Josh did his homework and Heather chatted with her friends on the computer. When they finished we all watched Josh’s video of Bruce Almighty… We didn’t get home till ten o’clock… I am really tired but feel good about getting my Grandkid fix tonight… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 9, 2004

Happy Birthday Ben!!! Ben is our friend and a member of DASN International in Irving, Texas… We got woke up early this morning by Cindy, our realtor in Piedmont, wanting to know about our wallpaper. I don’t know why she always calls so early in the morning… We have cleaned out some more cabinets and did some more packing… If we have company now we will be short on a bunch of stuff… This afternoon we had an appointment with the people who handle our IRA’s and everything looks okay with us… Dave fixed our supper… I just realized when Dave brought me my afternoon meds that I had forgotten them. I am only three hours late. Oh well, I hope to do better tomorrow… I ordered fresh flowers for my Mother for Valentine’s Day… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 8, 2004

Happy Birthday Joanne!!! Joanne is a DASNI friend in New Jersey… When it is nine o’clock at night it is all I can do to go brush my teeth and get ready for bed. It seems all of a sudden I get tired… I hosted chat and then watched a movie on TV… I called a friend, Joanne in Arkansas and caught up with her, called Aunt Florence in Texas, and Joanne in New Jersey… I have had another lazy day. Tomorrow I will have to get busy because I don’t do well when I get too far behind on my work… I fixed a country breakfast supper… I told Dave if he would clean the aquarium that I would tell the whole world. He cleaned it. LOL sometimes I have to bribe him… It made it up into the forties today… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 7, 2004

Dave and I really enjoyed having Alfred and Martha visit us last night. All my other friends have avoided me since my diagnosis. Martha is really a true friend. My pie was a hit with them. Martha gave me a box of Maple Walnut Fudge. She also said I could stay with them when Dave started moving to the new home and I am happy for that. We will live closer to Alfred and Martha when we move… I have read a couple more chapters in my book and played some dominoes… Mostly took it easy today… My brother called and I called my Mother and sister. Mom was ready to talk this time and I love it when we can have a good conversation… Another cold day in the thirty’s but we did have sunshine. 43 days till spring… I am going to watch the Gaither’s on TV… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 6, 2004

Thank you Diane in Australia for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I have had a busy day. I gave the three dogs a bath, washed their bedding, dusted, and went to visit Perry, Lori’s granddad in the hospital. He said the doctors are pleased with the results of the hyper baric treatments. Perry has had thirteen so far and has seven more to go. I don’t envy him having to do hyperbaric. I remember too well having to go through that a couple years ago for the radiation burns on my foot… Our friends Alfred and Martha will be here this evening for a visit. I am looking forward to their visit and have a Cranberry/Apple pie in the oven… David and Kenny called and Virginia called while I was at the hospital… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma…

February 5, 2004

Thanks to Sis in Rusk, Texas for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I couldn’t get warm last night so I went to bed at 7:00 and turned on the electric blanket and watched the Hallmark movie and didn’t get up until around 11:00 this morning… I hosted chats, paid bills, did some laundry, and read a chapter of “The Forgetting”… Tonight Dr. Mitch will be joining us in chat and his topic will be “Anger Management”… David and Kenny called… I called my friend Martha… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 4, 2004

Thanks to Eleanor in Nova Scotia, Canada and David Shenk in Brooklyn, New York for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I had to get up early this morning for my appointment with the Psychiatrist… Snow was falling and we even had freezing rain… The appointment with the psychiatrist went well then we went to Piedmont had a quick lunch and on to meet with the decorator Jen. We were able to pick out the entire tile, carpet, paint, counter tops, and even the stain for the cabinets. We will meet again next week to pick out the lightening fixtures… I was very pleased with our choices today… We went by our new house and could see from the car that the sheetrock had been put in and they had delivered the rock for the trim of the outside of the house. We didn’t get out of the car because it was too muddy and freezing cold … We decided we had better get back home before the weather got any worse… Soon after we got home Josh called to see if we were coming there. I hated to tell him no, that we thought we needed to get home before the weather got any worse. He sounded so disappointed… While we were out David came by and brought us some leftovers. I was sorry we missed his visit… I fixed Salmon with vegetables for supper. They had Salmon on sell last night at the grocery… I am freezing wrapped up in a afghan and drinking hot tea… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 3, 2004

Happy Birthday George!!! George is my brother in Louisville, Kentucky… Happy Birthay Morris!!! Morris is a DASNI friend in Houston, Texas... Thanks to Norma in North Carolina for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… We are to get bad weather tomorrow and I am afraid I will have to cancel our plans. I sure hope not… Not much accomplished today. I did fix supper and we went and got some groceries at Albertson’s. We have a new one opening up near us and today was their grand opening… I had a phone call from Tracy a DASNI friend in Missouri… I called my Mother and her eyes are still bothering her… Aunt Flo called and she needs our prayers… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 2, 2004

It is Ground Hog’s Day and the Groundhog seen his shadow here. I think that means six more weeks of winter… I put some pinto beans in to soak last night and I cooked them today with a hambone and made an iron skillet full of cornbread. This reminds me when I was a kid when my Mother would do the washing in a wringer type washing machine and cook a big pot of beans. Only she would always cook the Great Northern Beans. But since Dave likes the Pinto beans I cook the pinto beans… I did the laundry and I am thankful I don’t have to use a wringer type washer… I took care of the houseplants and they are all looking good… I called Kathy and she said the workers were out at our house this morning and she thought that they had delivered something but couldn’t see what. We will go Wednesday to see what changes have been made. That is if the weather isn’t too bad, they are talking about bad weather for Wednesday… David and Kenny called… We are waiting for some offers. We know we have one and we are hoping for two tonight… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

February 1, 2004

Thanks to Sis in Rusk, Texas for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I called my Mother and Sister last night. Just as I called Mom the nurse came in to put her to bed so she had to hang up. I meant to call her today but I forgot and now it is too late. I will try and remember to call her tomorrow… It has been a cold rainy day, not a good day for anything and I didn’t do anything either… I watched the Super Bowl Game with Dave until I got bored. I watched mostly for the commercials… Dave went out and picked up our supper at Sonic… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 31, 2004

David called last night and he was going to take Lori to stay with her Grandmother again so she don’t have to be alone… I can’t believe January is gone already. Where does the time go? The days come and go so fast it makes my head spin… We had a phone call this morning from Chip Gerber in Florida. Chip told me that in February he is going to start trying to do his journal every day again. I was happy to hear him say that. I know I have missed reading his journal. You can read Chip’s journal by going here Chip Chip and Sharon were asked to sit in on a panel for the showing of The Forgetting in I believe he said Daytona, Florida… I have been wrapped in an afghan most of the day… Just had a phone call from Jan/Mina. My lucky day for receiving calls from DASNI people. Jan/Mina joined us in our chat this afternoon. Everyone was happy to see her back. Jan/Mina and her husband are busy running a campground and usually don’t have the time to chat with us. So it was a real treat when she showed up today… I was craving something sweet this afternoon and was able to talk Dave into making some Snickerdoodle cookies while I made a salad.. Thanks Honey… Kenny called and said that they had delivered the sheetrock for our house… We had an offer on our house here and Dave turned it down… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 30, 2004

Thanks to Hendrika in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I did some picking up around the house and dusted with the feather duster. I sure do like my ostrich feather duster. It almost makes dusting fun… I hosted chat as usual and our afternoon chats are now getting almost as big as the evening chat… I called my friend Martha and we hope we can get together soon. Right now she is sick with a bad cold and I sure don’t want a cold… I have been reading more of The Forgetting trying to finish it before it needs to be returned to the library… We had some delicious Chicken Enchiladas that Lori made for us for supper. All I had to do was bake them. Thank you Lori… I am feeling extra tired tonight… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 29, 2004

I decided to take a sleeping pill last night before I went to bed. I only took one half of a five mg of an Ambien and I slept so much better… I have spent most of my day deleting emails. I wish people would find something better to do with their time than to send me these unwanted emails. I waste so much of my precious time deleting emails and my time is limited… Don’t get me wrong I love receiving emails just not all the junk mail… Hello to Eleanor in Nova Scotia, Canada who reads my journal every day… If you are a person that reads my journal I would like to hear from you… To Sally in California: thank you for the surprise package I received in the mail today… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 28, 2004

Happy Birthday Garnette!!! Garnette is our friend in Texas… Kenny called last night… Our chat with David Shenk was a big success last night. It was our biggest chat since I have been hosting in over four years. David agreed to come back and chat with us again in the spring… I guess I must have been wound up after chat or something because I was still tossing at three O’clock this morning… I did laundry and made a pot of chili… It felt so good to be able to stay home today because I am such a homebody… My friend Norma in Canada has given me permission to post this in my journal. I like it… “Don’t correct us, we are not children in need of correction, however an inconspicuous hand is always appreciated.” David called and Lori came by for a short visit and brought us some delicious leftovers…. Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 27, 2004

Today would have been Dave’s Mother’s birthday. She would have been 96 today. Hattie and I were very close… We showed the house again last night and as always they liked it but we haven’t received any offers as yet… Dave and I both had eye appointments this afternoon. Neither of us had any changes enough for new glasses. My cataracts are slowly getting worse… Dave and I fixed a delicious supper. Chicken fried steak, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy and a Salad. Later we had some CranApple Pie. No wonder we are over weight. I love it when I am able to help prepare a good meal and afterwards I am exhausted and Dave will clean up the mess. It makes me feel useful to help… I am looking forward to tonight’s DASN chat, we are having David Shenk the author of “The Forgetting” join us. Thank you Morris for arranging for special guest to attend our chat… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 26, 2004

My foot with the desmoid tumor in it has been really hurting the past two days. I am hoping it is caused by the change in the weather because I am not looking forward to amputation of my foot. Boy is it ever COLD here. We got some snow and the temperature is 20 and the chill factor is 1 degree… It was a good day to stay inside but I had to go to the dentist to get my crown put back on. $128.00 just to have it put back on but I didn’t have much of a choice. Also I got some bad news that I have an abscess on the one tooth that isn’t crowned. I now need a root canal and a crown on it and we don’t have any dental insurance… Lori called and she is back home after spending some time caring for her grandmother while her grandfather is in the hospital… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 25, 2004

Thanks to Linda in Sacramento, California and Frank in Shropshire, England for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… Kenny called last night and a realtor called wanting to show our home this afternoon… Dave and I were so busy spit shining everything and I forgot about chat until it was half over… They showed up an hour before the appointment to see the house. I am glad we were ready for them… As always they said we have a beautiful home and said it had been well cared for and the realtor said she wished more people had homes like ours to show. I take a lot of credit for it being in such condition because I am such a nag nag. I always want things fixed when they are broke. Then I give a lot of credit to Dave because he is my Mr. Fix It! I called David and my Mother and she had just had a bath. The nurse was there with her so we didn’t talk long. When Mom doesn’t want to talk she will say, “ I can’t hear you”. I have learned to tell her then that I love her and she will always say I love you too... I forgot about my tooth missing in front today when the realtor and the couple looking at our house were here and I was just a smiling. LOL… I did a load of laundry and helped Dave fix a Stir Fry supper. Now I am trying to talk myself out of ice cream. I always want something sweet after a meal… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 24, 2004

Last night after supper I was chewing some gum and all of a sudden I felt something in my mouth and I soon found out I had lost a crown on one of my front lower teeth. Wouldn’t you know this would happen when my dentist was off for the weekend? I sure do have a funny looking smile now. LOL … Dave took Cindy to Dog’s Beautiful this morning to get her groomed. She doesn’t like going but is sure a happy dog when she returns home… We showed our house this morning. The lady really liked it but I am not sure about her husband. I don’t have a lot of hope of selling it to them because they would have to sell their home first… I have been busy on the computer most of the day taking care of business for DASN and watching HGTV,,, I noticed my house plants were hanging their heads so I watered them. My African Violets are starting to bloom again… I went outside for awhile today just to hear the birds sing and get some fresh air… It is a warm day and it is looking like we may get some much-needed rain… My sister called… Thank you Dave for editing my journal and for all you do for me everyday. I know I don’t tell you enough how much I appreciate you… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 23, 2004

Thanks to Eleanor in Nova Scotia, Canada for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… By the time I got home last night and got my journal posted I was so tired that I forgot to mention how great it was to get my grandkid fix. It always gives me a lift to spend time with our grandchildren. It makes you feel so good to be greeted with their smiling faces. There is nothing like it. And when we move we will get to see Josh and Heather more often. I hope to spoil them with love… We decided to not use our realtor and put our For Sale by Owner sign back up in front of our house… It has been a beautiful day, it got up to 63 degrees… Dave washed our dirty car and I hosted chat and did laundry… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 22, 2004

Happy Birthday Norma!!! Norma is our friend in Durham, North Carolina… I had a phone call last night from Jeanne in Hawaii… Dave and I watched “The Forgetting” and thought it was okay but it could have been better… We went to Piedmont and on the way we picked up KFC… We stopped in Surrey Hills to see a decorated model home that the decorator did that we are planning to use We checked on our house and they have the heat and air all in and all the electric, telephone, and cable outlets in and a bathtub in the guest bathroom. They still don’t have the garage doors up… We took the chicken and went to Kenny and Kathy’s… Kathy was still working while we were there. After supper we all watched a video and then came home… Goodnight All… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 21, 2004

I have gotten very little accomplished today except make our bed and host chat… I have been reading more of The Forgetting book… I feel lazy on days like this when I don’t get much accomplished… I will be watching and recording the special on TV tonight on The Forgetting on PBS and attending a special Expert Chat in our chat room. To attend the special Expert chat click on the above link where you see Chat at AlzInfo.Org 2:00 & 8:00 PM CST … We hope to go to Piedmont tomorrow and check on our house. Kenny called last night and said they have the heat and air ducting in now… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 20, 2004

I woke up earlier than usual this morning, just because the phone kept ringing… Dave did some errands and picked up “The Forgetting” by David Shenk at the library for me to read again. David Shenk has agreed to be a guest in our DASN chat next week. Don’t forget to watch The Forgetting tomorrow evening on PBS… I stayed home and picked up and did laundry before the Merry Maids came to clean… I had phone calls from Virginia and Jan/Mina… My arms and legs have been hurting and it makes it hard to get around. I was hoping getting in the whirlpool last night would help but it didn’t… Lots of sunshine today… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 19, 2004

I woke up feeling much better today… I have been busy picking up around the house, doing laundry, gave three dogs a bath, took care of house plants, hosted chat, and since I forgot to put anything out for supper I fixed us a country breakfast for supper… I even got caught up on all my emails… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma





January 18, 2004

Congratulations Melenie!!! Melenie is our niece in Georgetown, Kentucky who just became a Registered Nurse… Dave said we had a little snow this morning but by the time I got up the sun had came out and melted it… I haven’t felt well today, feeling really cold and running a low-grade fever. But I looked in the mirror and decided I didn’t feel near as bad as I looked… I had phone calls from Martha, Kenny and David… I have been watching Carole Burnett on TV Land. That lady is so funny… I called my Mother and she sounded pretty good. She said she didn’t win at bingo this week… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 17, 2004

Happy Belated Birthday Jeanne!!! Jeanne is our friend and DASNI board member in Hawaii and the author of JUST LOVE ME, My Life Turned Upside-down by Alzheimer’s… Happy Anniversary Alan and Gwynneth!!! Alan is a DASN International friend in New Zealand… Thanks to Sandy in Texas and Sue in Canada for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I slept till after 12:00 and took an hour for me to come out of the fog… It is still rainy and a good day to stay in and eat. I made some Navajo Fry Bread. Something that neither of us needed but it sure was good… I did a load of laundry and hosted the DASN chat… My sister and David called and David came by for a visit and gave me hugs… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 16, 2004

Thanks to Maureen in Pembroke, New Hampshire for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book.. I slept well with my sleeping pill and on our new mattress… I was able to get up and get going this morning. We even had time to go back and return the trailer to the hangar… The builder was ready for us when we got there. We showed him where we wanted outlets for electric, cable, and telephone… We left the realtor and went to talk to an interior decorator. We liked her and are planning on setting up an appointment with her soon… On our way home we stopped and had lunch at the Fire Mountain. We have noticed many times how busy they always were and wanted to check it out. Now we know why they have such a good business. We will go back… We have had a rainy foggy day… I have been getting extra cold in the evening and once I drink a hot drink and wrap up in a afghan it helps warm me up… I cleaned out a drawer, found grade cards for David and Kenny. When I called Kenny and asked if he wanted them he said NO, discard them before Josh sees them. LOL … I called Chip Gerber in Florida. He always makes me laugh out loud… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 15, 2004

Happy Birthday Judy!!! Judy is Dave’s sister in Lexington, North Carolina… Condolences go out to Joanne and family in New Jersey on the loss of her beautiful Mother to Alzheimer’s… Thanks to David in Norman, Oklahoma and Sandy in Ohio for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I went to bed before nine last night because I was too tired to stay up any longer. I was still tossing and turning after midnight… Dave left early this morning to go pick up our bedroom bench from the upholstery shop and to the hangar to bring home the trailer so he could take our mattresses back to the store. I got up around 11 and let the dogs out and made my oatmeal and was so proud of myself… When Dave came home he asked if I had breakfast and I said yes and that I had let the dogs out then he asked if I had taken my medication and I had to say no. Well two out of three ain’t bad. LOL…. Cindy our realtor called and she said our builder wanted to meet with us at 9:30 in the morning to talk about our electric outlets. We had to do this because our builder is going out of town.... Well she might as well said be there in the middle of the night.. It takes an hour to get over there. So that means leaving here at 8:30 in the morning. I told her that I don’t even function at that time in the morning but I would give it a try. I don’t understand why I have to do everything by someone else’s schedule… I think I will take an Ambien at bedtime so I can maybe get to sleep sooner… Dave is back home with brand new mattresses for our adjustable bed. They replaced them without any hassle. I stayed home and hosted chat while he was gone in case they wanted to argue I didn’t want to get upset… I washed all of our bedding and hung most of it out to dry… We are to get rain tonight and we really need it… I am tired… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 14, 2004

Thanks to Sis in Rusk, Texas and Edie in Dayton, Indiana for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I always love it when people take time to sign my guest book or send me an email after visiting my web page. It is what helps me to keep going everyday. I also appreciate when you vote for my web page. You can vote once a day… My sister called last night, they are all settled in at the campground in Tucson…I finished up the laundry and watered my plants. I even hung my fern out for some sunshine for a while… I called David and he has been batching while Lori is staying with her grandmother in Okemah while her grandfather is still in the hospital… I called my Mother and had a nice visit with her... It has been another beautiful day with temperatures in the 60’s. I am thankful for a good day… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



January 13, 2004

We had a call early this morning on the house and we finally got to show the house this afternoon. They really liked it and said they could tell it had been taken care of. Now we will wait till they check with their bank… I have been busy hosting chat, doing laundry, balancing the checkbook, keeping this house in order, and paying bills… Dave went to visit Perry, Lori’s grandpa, in the hospital and picked up some medication for him at the pharmacy… I almost messed up on my medication and took a Premarin instead of a Remeron last night. I was so happy I caught it… I called Kenny and Kathy… We just had another call for our home. This couple liked it also. All these calls came from our For Sale Sign in our yard. The realtor called and he now has it listed on Multiple Listing and said he is getting calls on it too. I am feeling better now that we have people looking. We put the three dogs in the motor home while we show the house. Doing the dogs and people looking a big favor… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 12, 2004

Happy Anniversary Bob and Marie!!! Bob and Marie are our friends in Miami, Florida… Thanks to Eleanor in Nova Scotia, Canada for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I have taken my last Cipro for this round at least… I was tossing and turning for about three hours last night before I fell asleep. This is normal for me… I was able to climb out of bed a little earlier this morning… I picked up around the house, made lunch and made some appointments and other phone calls. I called Virginia… Dave had some errands to run and took our Honda in to be serviced. So I got some ME time. I think it is good for everyone to have some ME time whether you are the patient or are the caregiver… It isn’t even dark yet and I am freezing and wanting to go to bed… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 11, 2004

Happy Anniversary Joe and Sandy!!! Joe and Sandy are friends in Ohio… I was so tired last night and was in bed before 8:30 and I probably won’t be up much later than that tonight. It seems like I need more and more rest… The realtor came today and put a sign in our yard… Dave and I have been going through and cleaning out and packing more stuff… I called my Mother, Sister, Lori, and Aunt Florence… I helped Dave fix supper and used the feather duster to dust… Our prayers go out to Lori’s grandfather who will be having surgery tomorrow… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma


January 10, 2004

Thanks to Norma in Fullerton, California for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I slept extra late this morning and now I think I am rested up from the running we did when my sister was here. I am really missing them. It seems like the time went too fast while they were here… It has been a beautiful day up in the upper 50’s and tomorrow it is even supposed to be nicer… I took care of the house plants and made potato soup for lunch then after hosting chat I watched a Lifetime movie… Dave took our flag pole down and took all my wind chimes down… Please pray that our house sells soon because I don’t like living like this… I called Martha and they were in Santa Fe, New Mexico… I called Kathy and nothing has changed at our new house except they have delivered the bricks… I heard from a friend that another one of my gospel singers, Jake Hess, had died… My brother called from Louisville, Kentucky… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 7, 8, 9, 2004

Happy Birthday Noah!!! Happy Birthday Brenda!!! Happy Birthday Aralee!!! We had a busy week running around, shopping, and visiting while Donnie and Martha were here… I ended up losing everything on my hard drive so I now have to start all over again. I have never had this happen before… I hope everyone will send me an email so I will have your email address. I would hate to lose contact with my family and friends… Dave and I really enjoyed having Martha and Donnie here but I sure am tired… I did laundry … We had two realtors come visit us today… We have now chosen the one we want to use… My brother George called… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



January 6, 2004

Happy Birthday Mathew!!! Mathew is our great grandson in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky... Dave finally got my computer cleaned up this morning and I am able to use it again. It works so much better now… Thank You Dave for all the hard work you put into getting this ready for me… I didn’t sleep well last night and woke up with a terrible headache this morning. It was in the top half of my head… I was really late getting up and getting around this afternoon… Dave gave me my Vitamin B-12 shot and I hope it kicks in soon… Martha called around noon to say they were in Oklahoma so that meant they should be here in about four hours… I have a Cranberry Apple Pie in the oven… I am doing this journal early so I can have some extra time to visit tonight… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 5, 2004

Dave continues to clean up my computer… I have lost several emails so if you didn’t get an answer to your email that is why… I was disappointed that OU lost the game last night but the best team won… Kenny called and he started a new job today. He is doing the same work but only a different dealership… Every Honda dealership in the area wanted him to go to work for them. We are all sure that he chose the right one… I got all caught up on the laundry… I called Mom and she was waiting on a nurse to come put her to bed. She said she had turned on her light but no one was coming to put her in bed. I felt bad that I wasn’t there to help put her in bed. I know how I am when I want to go to bed… I am back on Cipro for Diverticulitis… I called Martha and she and Donnie were just this side of St. Louis

January 4, 2004

Our warm weather is gone and it is freezing here… I picked up around the house and dusted while Dave got groceries… I helped put away groceries… Dave has had to take over setting up my medication; it just got too much for me. Now if only between the two of us we can get my medication at the right times… Dave has been cleaning up my computer… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma



January 3, 2004

Happy Birthday Ashley!!! Ashley is our great niece in Seagrove, North Carolina... Thanks to Sis in Rusk, Texas for visiting Mary’s Place and signing my guest book… I woke up at noon and fixed my oatmeal and took my medication as usual. I then tried to read my email but I couldn’t concentrate because of what I was feeling. My whole inside was feeling really jittery. I wasn’t shaking on the outside but I sure was on the inside. It is such a terrible feeling and so hard to describe. Finally I decided to go back to bed. I rested for a couple hours but that was hard for me to do because the whole time I was lying there I kept thinking of what was down the road for me and I don’t like to go there… Finally the jittery feeling stopped and I got up and took care of the houseplants and took advantage of the beautiful day and hung out our comforter and some blankets to air out… I put our supper in the oven while Dave worked in the garage… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 2, 2004

Last night when I took my bedtime medication I realized that I had taken my bedtime medication in the afternoon and my afternoon medication was still there. I just took the afternoon medication and went to bed… It took me a long time to fall asleep as always. I have to do a lot of tossing and turning but once I get to sleep I sleep till noon… We had our lunch out on the patio and it was a beautiful day. Nothing like January, it was 75 degrees and I noticed when I was walking around our back yard that there were insects flying around… Later Dave and I took a load of boxes to the hangar and a trailer load of my rocks to Kenny’s. We now have all my rocks that I have collected over the years out on Kenny’s acreage until we get moved. I have collected some huge rocks and even though I can no longer remember what state or where they came from I didn’t want to leave them behind… Our house now has the roof on it and is really looking good… We came home to a refrigerator full of leftovers that David and Lori had brought by. There were black-eyed peas, cornbread, Swiss steak, Rice, and Enchiladas. Yummy… Thanks Lori… I called my sister… My computer is working again, found out it was a problem with Cox Internet server… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma

January 1, 2004

Happy New Year!!!
Dave and I watched Dick Clark last night and this morning we watched the Rose Bowl Parade… I have made my New Year’s Resolution and that is that I will continue to host chat at DASN International for people with Alzheimer’s and other Dementia. I will keep doing my daily journal and try not to gain any more weight this year… We had 67-degree temperature today and I meant for us to have lunch outside on the patio but I forgot… My computer is still giving me fits… We have had a lazy day here… I called my Mother… Goodnight all… Keeping The Faith In Oklahoma