Busy, Somewhat Emotional Week!

Wednesday, I decided not to go to Curves.  I felt like I needed some extra rest. Ken and I left at 8:45 to go to Lancaster General Hospital for Ken's heart cautherization.   His appointment was supposed to be around 9:30, but we knew it could be anytime throughout the day depending on emergencies and if many other patients needed extra procedures.  They said he was next at 11:00, but the procedure never got started until 1 - a bit of a nerve wracking time.  Jamie and Cali sat with me in the waiting area while he was in the cath lab.  I appreciated having them to "distract" me.  He was in for 1 1/4 hours so I knew they were doing something to correct some problem.  They were able to do the procedure through his wrist instead of the groin (much less risk for bleeding) and they found that one of his main arteries was 99% blocked!  He was a huge risk for a heart attack.  We were so thankful that the problem was found and treated before Ken had a major problem.  We left the hospital at 7, the amount of time needed for him to receive some necessary medicine and to be sure that there was no more bleeding at the entry sight!  He felt good enough that we stopped for dinner on the way home.

Thursday morning we met Sam and Kathy for breakfast and had such a nice time.  Then Ken and I went to Costco and were home by 12.  By then Ken was tired and ready for a nap.  I worked on jewelry.  We were so thankful for the phone calls and e-mails from so many of our friends both here at home and on the road.  We are truly blessed.

Friday I headed to Curves and Ken had breakfast with his friend, Gary.  Then Ken ran lots of errands and I cleaned the apartment and did laundry.  We took a walk in the afternoon and then headed to Jamie's.  She invited Ken and I and Lanie's family for a family get together before we leave for Florida.  We were there in time to meet Bria at the bus stop.  Jamie is such a gracious hostess and we all had a fun time.

Our 4 precious granddaughters on the stone wall at the
back of Jamie and Dane's property.  The Cocalico Creek
is behind them where they do some canoeing!

Eating outside with the light from their camping lanterns!

Today, Saturday, Ken met with some of his high school buddies for breakfast and I walked to a local elementary school to watch Dane and Bria and Cali do a charity run.  Ken joined us after his breakfast.  It was another fun time and Bria won 1st place in her run.  We went to get Waldo and Bring him to the apartment so we can start loading him to before leaving for Florida on Tuesday.  Then Ken and I did the 2 mile Artisan Porch Walk around Lititz where crafters were displaying and selling their homemade items in their yards on on their porches.  It was a great event. Then I spent several hours at Michaels and AC Moore purchasing jewelry supplies! Then we had a relaxing evening at home!

Bria and Cali at the Charity Run.  Bria got 1st and Cali placed 4th!

Ken has a follow-up appointment with his cardiologist on Monday and with his blessing (He already knows we planned to leave on Tuesday and he was alright with that) we will be on our way early Tuesday morning!  Hallelujah!  We are ready!

More Relaxing Days!

Sunday morning I got up early to get ready for Church before Bria and Cali got awake.  While I made Mickey Mouse pancakes the girls watched the last part of The Sound of Music.  The 4 of us headed to church and were back home by 11.  We packed a lunch a headed, again, to Lititz Springs Park.  More playing and feeding the ducks and then enjoying eating our packed lunch in the park.

We went back to the apartment and the girls did such a good job playing together.  They enjoy playing with some Barbie Mega block sets I have and also being creative with Grandma's rubber stamps.  Jamie and Dane picked up the girls on their return from Pittsburgh around 2.  After they left, I made some jewelry and Ken read.  I also enjoyed watching some football, but not the losses for the Steelers and the Eagles!

At 5 we went to Jamie and Dane's to have dinner together.  It was good to spend time with them.  We had to leave by 6:20 to go to our small group from Church.  They have become very special friends.  We were home by 9:15 and went to bed to read.

I was up this morning by 5:45 and got to Curves at 6:30.  So good to see my Curvette friends again.  When I got home, Ken went to have a chest x-ray and lab work for his cauterization.  Then we went to a viewing for a dear lady who babysat Lanie and Jamie when there were very young.  She kept them every Friday when we went to market at Green Dragon.  Then we headed to our rented storage area to get everything out of it, since we ended our storage agreement at the end of Sept.  We only planned to keep it for 4 months when we moved, so the time had come to make some decision of what to keep.  (We had paid for 2 months and got 2 months for free!)  We did take our bikes to Polly's house (a fellow Curvette) who will store them in her basement until we leave for Florida.  Thanks Polly!!!

Ken ran some errands while I balanced checkbooks, worked on our blog, etc.  Ken rented 2 movies from Redbox that he enjoyed watching while I was a women's card club!  The 8 of us hadn't all been together since May, so it was a fun evening.  

Fun Day with Bria and Cali!

Ken and I headed to Ephrata to pick up Cali and Bria at Sue and Dan's around 9.  We drove right to Halifax (above Harrisburg) to go to the Safari at Lake Tobias!  Briia and Cali thought it was a long drive (about 1 1/4 hrs.), but we did a lot of singing and talking.  Once there, we rode on the camouflaged painted school bus with the roof removed to drive through the area with lots of animals.  The girls wanted to sit on the inside of the seats for they were scared to be so close to the animals.  By the end of the ride, they were feeding the animals crackers and petting the buffalo - Wow!  After the safari ride, we walked around the grounds where animals were caged and enjoyed an informative show at the reptile house.  They even got to pet an alligator and a snake!  But, their favorite part was probably the petting zoo.  The loved feeding the llamas and goats and petting the large pot bellied pig.  Before we left, we enjoyed eating our picnic lunch and playing on the playground.  We spent 4 1/2 fun-filled hours there!

Riding the safari bus and seeing the deer and antelope!

Open bus surrounded by buffalo!

Bria and Cali are feeding crackers to the buffalo!

They had lions, tigers, zebras, monkeys, bears, etc!

Huge snakes!

Feeding and petting the goats!

Ken looks like he is ready to go on a safari!

We stopped at the Lititz Community Park when we got back to town and had fun playing there and feeding the ducks.  After dinner and baths, we watched The Sound of Music, one of their favorite movies.  (Grandma likes it too!)

Sisterly Love!

Lititz Springs Park is so pretty and they love feeding the ducks!

I think this past week caught up with me, for I was very happy to go to bed when they did at 9!  It was a fun day with 2 special granddaughters!

2 Medical Days!

Yesterday, Thursday, Ken and I did some errands (groceries, going to our storage shed, etc) and then by 1:00 we were on our way to the surgical center for my bladder biopsy.  Unfortunately the Dr. was running behind schedule, so even though I had a 2:30 surgery time, I only went into the OR at 4:15.  The procedure went well and the Dr. said there were "no surprises"!  We were back home by 6:15.  I had no pain and felt as if nothing had been done - hallelujah!  Didn't even feel very tired!

Today we were up by 7:30 and decided to go out for breakfast.  Yesterday was a long day without food, so I was ready for some good food.  Again we did some errands and then home for lunch.  We were at Ken's cardiologist by 3:30 - what a busy place!  Can't imagine how many folks have heart issues!  It was not a surprise - he said Ken really needs to have a heart cauterization.  So we scheduled it before we left for next Wednesday.  He needs to be at the hospital by 9:30, but they tell you to plan to spend the day.  Procedures often are more involved than planned.  Dr. Casala said that it could be a false/positive reading on the stress test, a small blockage that could be corrected with medication, or he may need a stent or so.  Any of those 3 scenarios could still have us on the road for Florida by the weekend - amazing!  So, we are hopefully that all will go well and that the problem can be easily corrected.  

We were supposed to pick-up Cali and Bria for the weekend, but since our appointment took a lot longer than planned ( we only left there at 6), Dane's parents offered to keep them until Saturday morning so we could have a relaxing evening.  We decided that would probably be the best.  So we had a quiet evening and I was in bed rather early.  The stress of the week had caught up! 

Too Many Medical Issues to Deal With!

I was up at 5:40 to get ready to go to Curves.  My friend and fellow Curvette, Polly, picked me up.  After our work-out the 7 of us went out for breakfast, since I won't be able to join them on Friday, following my surgical procedure on Thursday.

Ken picked me up and we went to our storage shed to clean it out, since we did not renew it for after Sept.  We planned to be leaving for Florida, but now Ken has to see the cardiologist and the family Dr. feels he will probably need a catherization.  Fortunately, our good friends, Dan and Jackie, offered to keep a bit of our "overflow" at their house - Christmas Decorations, weathers, suitcase, cooler, and some clothes.  So, we loaded up the things and headed to their house. After getting the things in place, Ken left for a Dentist appointment and I stayed to visit with Jackie.  We left there at 11:30 and I had a call from the Lancaster Surgical Center.  They informed me that my EKG came back abnormal and they can't do the procedure tomorrow unless they get an okay from my family physician or a cardiologist.  What is that about?  I had the EKG done a week ago and never heard a word about it and even talked with the anesthesiologist yesterday confirming my appointment.  I was in shock.  So, I will see my family Dr. at 3:20 today for another EKG and at that time it will be decided if I can have the procedure done tomorrow.  I don't think I can take much more!  I had myself prepared for tomorrow's surgery, and now I am hanging in limbo - not a good place for me to be!  Hopefully my family Dr. will give approval for the procedure.  Both of us needing to see a cardiologist would be a bit much!!!!!!!!

Good results from the EKG done by my family Dr.  She did an EKG and it was totally normal.  When they read the one I had done last week, they said it showed that I had a heart attack sometime in the past.  She said their result could not be accurate since today's showed no abnormalities.  She thinks the one section of the read out was from a place where they did not have the patch in the proper position.  So, I will have the surgery tomorrow.  I am so thankful to be able to move forward and get this procedure behind me!

We left there and went to Jamie's house to see the girls and the float they would be riding in the Ephrata Farm Show Parade tonight.  We walked down to the midway at the fair and had dinner.  Then we met with some of our friends to watch the parade.  It was a pleasant weather evening, perfect for a parade.  Home by 9! It has been quite a day!

Fun Weekend with Some Stressful Moments!

Friday evening we joined Fred, Doloris, Sam and Kathy at Ten Thousands Villages to have a light dinner and enjoy the musical group, Voxology!  It is just a man and a woman who write songs and sing with such great harmony.  He is a great guitar player and they provided a great 2 hours of entertainment.  They sing there occasionally and I would highly recommend going to see them.  You give a donation for the musicians and it is a BYOB place!  An inexpensive evening of enjoyment!

Saturday was a special day at Masonic Homes at Elizabethtown where my parents reside.  They dedicated an eternal flame monument that day to honor all veterans combined with their annual Harvest Day Celebration.  My dad was a Marine in WWII and he was thrilled to be a part of the day.  Our family dedicated a paver around the monument in his honor from his children, grandchildren, and great grandchilden.  It was a touching ceremony that ended with a jet flyover.  As part of Harvest Day, there was free food and drinks throughout the campus and special events for children.

My mom and dad at the special dedication for the
Veterans Eternal Flame Monument at Masonic Homes!

Dad with Bria and Cali!

Bria and Cali with Mom and Dad!

Dad was able to stand for Marine Hymn!

A Special Moment - Lighting the Eternal Flame!

A Special "Fly Over"!

Ken had a stress test on Friday and while we were at Masonic Homes his Dr. called with the results.  Unfortunately we missed his call and had to wait until we got home to talk to him - a bit stressful.  Ken has to see a cardiologist as the test showed some abnormalities in his heart muscle.

That evening we had couples card club at our house and it was a good diversion for us, but a late night.  We only got to bed at 1 AM, tired both physically and emotionally.

Our small group from Church (4 couples) had planned a few days at Rehobeth Beach at one of the couples beach house.  Sunday morning Ken and I debated if we were too tired and emotionally spent to go for about 30 hours.  All of the others had gone on Saturday afternoon.  But, we decided it would be a fun time with special friends, so we arrived there around 11:30 and it was definitely the right decision.  We had such a good time.  Went to Cape Henlopen to tour and visited the fishing pier.  Had a great dinner at Jake's Seafood House and then spent the evening playing games.  It was a fun time with special friends.We left there around noon on Monday.

What a group!

The ladies enjoy some laughs!

On the fishing pier!

A view of the fairly new bridge over Indian River!

Sitting at the dock in the community where Lloyd and Deb have their
beach home!  A great view!

Time for a silly photo of the group!

The ride home was rather stressful again.  Ken was supposed to call the cardiologist 1st thing in the morning, but they didn't have the necessary paperwork to make the appointment.  To make a long story short, it took the whole ride home and 6 phone calls to finally get an appointment.  By then it was 3:45 - wow!!!!  We spent the evening just trying to relax and calm down!

Today, Tuesday, was a more relaxing day.  I spent most of my time making jewelry while Ken had breakfast with his friend, Gary, and lunch with his RE partner, Kevin.  I did get a very needed haircut from my daughter, Jamie in the afternoon.  We watched The Voice which is a show we both really enjoy!

Homeward Bound!

Ken and I were up at 7:15 and got ready for our trip home.  Amazing how much time it took until we actually got on the road.  All the hoses and electrical cords were so sandy.  I finished inside including vacuuming and washing the floors.  We hooked up the CRV and were out of the CG at 10:10.  We were ready to go home to see family and friends, but we were also sad to leave the area.  We have been going to this CG in the fall the last 3 years and we also find it exciting and fun.

We made 2 stops on the way home arriving at the apartment around 2:45.  The drive went well, except for an 8 mile detour.  Then the work began.  We started unloading, unpacking, and putting everything away.  I started the washer and 3 loads later everything but the rugs were clean.  

I also went to our local hospital lab to have blood work and an EKG for my upcoming surgical procedure.  I thought if I went this afternoon, I wouldn't have to wait very long and that was definitely the case.  I was in and out in no time!!!!!

This evening we walked downtown to have supper at Jo-Bo's, a local eatery/pub/brewery that opened here in Lititz over July 4th.  We wanted to try their pulled pork.  It was good, but Ken and I still love the pulled pork sandwiches we get in Florida at Sonny's!  They have the best!!!!

Then it was time to watch the finals of America's Got Talent!  I think all 6 acts deserve to win - they are great!  I guess my 4 top picks are the magician, the acrobats, the lady singer, and Sons of Serandip, but I don't know which would be my favorite.  How can you pick when they are all so different?????  While watching we both caught up on our e-mails.

Well, so far my predictions of who will win are right.  I thought the 2 guys would be the 1st to go and bingo, I was right.  I thought Quintavious was terrific, but I couldn't see him at 12 being an act at Las Vegas.  I really would like to see the magician win.  He is such an entertaining performer besides being an unbelievable magician.  Hallelujah!  Mat Franco is the winner.  This has been an amazing season for America's Got Talent!!!

After all that excitement and anxious moments, it is time for bed.  I'm exhausted!!!!