Nothing exciting to report today. We went to Pat's eye doctor yesterday and his eye continues to improve (well, I'm glad something does). We took two cars so I could go to Shop-Rite after and Pat to the bay. Bought a ham slice and we had most for dinner, but I reserved some for pea soup I want to make in the crockpot.
Today, swimming with Alison and Mike (they joined a fitness center at Mercer Community College). Nothing scheduled for tomorrow, but next week is filling in--and I have jury duty in October, too. Not sure whether to call and asked to be excused because I'm a caregiver or not. Think I'd really like to participate, but it may not be good for me to be away if I'm chosen. Well, I'll go the first day, anyway.

The beef stew was superb--even Pat mentioned how good it was. Not sure about dinner tonight, but I may just go with casual--either frozen dinners, soup and sandwiches, or scrambled eggs. On the other hand, I feel like chicken. Pat has an eye doctor appointment in Manahawkin at 1:15, so I may suggest we take two cars, then I'll go to Shop-Rite.
Swimming with Alison and Mike tomorrow should be fun. Hope I can take them to dinner and maybe J., J., and J., too.
I'm looking forward to dinner with Vivian on Monday; John said he would visit Monday, too, but I assume earlier.
Tuesday I'm scheduled for a perm and after, want to get down to St. James again. Will return the photos I accidentally took with me last time, plus try to spruce up the archive list.
Overcast and rainy, but not too bad weather.

I'm now leaning toward going to the St. James gala after all. Brother Frank forwarded an e-mail to me from his classmate, Margaret Mary F., plus one from Elizabeth H., etc. I called MM and talked to her sister, Irene, plus brother Eugene. All four of the F.'s are going to the affair; they also have a brother Tom.
Called Betty, but couldn't reach her; wish she could go.
Went to Drama Club yesterday--not much went on, as our show won't be until the middle of May.
In another half hour or so, we're going to Egg Harbor for Pat's second vein test. Will pick up another bird cage after. (Well, that's just too long and involved to go into.)
Tomorrow the eye doctor and Saturday, swimming with Alison and Mike. Don't know why, but Joely can't go now--darn!
There's homemade beef stew simmering in the crockpot, so I have dinner covered.

Enjoyed lunch and the Bass River hundreth anniversary lecture with Leslie on Monday afternoon. We went to Perkins House in the Holiday Inn, then to the Mill Creek Community Center for the talk. Dennis had been a mail carrier and Les met somebody at the talk (sponsored by an "active and retired mail carriers" association) who knew him from up north.
Yesterday, we had a lovely visit with Bill and Regina. The more I see Regina, the more I like her, although we couldn't be more opposite in our political, social, and religious views. R. is very conservative, not to say reactionary. A few years ago, I invariably reacted with high indignation and came out swinging when people expressed what I saw as mindless prejudice. Now, though, I seem to have mellowed and I try (and usually, although not always, succeed) to look past such differences and see what I appreciate in the person. R. and I were able to laugh together about our opposing beliefs and enjoy each other and the day.
I insisted on bringing lunch (last time, they served up the meal), and used the attractive straw picnic basket I had brought at a yard sale last year. I made ham and cheese, roast beef, and turkey breast sandwiches on sourdough and rye bread, a big green salad, and my crystal pickles, with the chocolate "pirouette" (?--I'm too lazy to go in the pantry and look at the tin) cookies Mary Ann V. had brought as a hostess gift last week. Lunch turned out to be pretty good, but even better, of course, was the talking and laughter we shared.
When we drove up at home about 4:00, Ray and Barb were coming down the street, having just gotten back from Rhode Island to see son John, and we chatted with them in the driveway. Frank came over, then Dennis and Bill, and we all stood around catching up on each other's doings.
Today is the first meeting of the Sunrise Bay Players, with our directors' meeting a half hour before. I have one skit partly done and another I'm mulling over in my head--hope Marge, Dennis, or Amy have more material to contribute.

I did indeed generally veg out yesterday, but also carried on several battles with the medical establishment (may they all develop jungle rot and stew in their own juices). Horizon Medicare Blue still hadn't allowed Rite-Aid to fill my Cerebrex prescription, so I'll go back today to see what's happening. I was able to use the three-capsule sample Mary Ann gave me and alternatives are to a.) order a few days worth and pay it myself to tide me over until approval comes; b.) stop at the doctor's office and ask for samples, if they have any; c.) or simply hope the pain and stiffness stays away until the damn thing is "approved"--if ever.
Also called Apria again because the regulator for Pat's portable oxygen tank didn't come Saturday, as we were promised. The guy--"Tom"--I talked to in the Lakewood branch said, "You're not going to believe this..." and I'm not so sure I do, although I guess I should be more trusting--ha! He said he called UPS to track the package (which he assured me he had put on the truck "with my own hands") and they said it was delayed because of bad weather in KENTUCKY! Yes, it started out 40 miles from here, but had to be routed several hundred away, then sent back...idiots, morons, and nincompoops! Anyway, I was interrupted in typing this by the UPS guy delivering the package. Poor Pat, of course, has been stuck inside since Thursday, so he's the only one who really had to suffer.
Good old Tom also said he was also sending a regulator with the usual delivery today, so we'll have to give the other one to the guy to take back, and blah, blah, blah...
My other current dealing with Apria came with two phone calls I had to make to straighten out the mess consisting of bills that we don't owe, a refund check we got last month, and secondary insurance AARP tossed in the mix.
How did life get so complicated?!?

The weather cleared and we had a terrific time at the baseball game last night. Leslie and Dennis, Frank and Barbara, and I cheered on the Atlantic City Surf, helping them win 12 to 4. Had a hot dog and beer--absolutely mandatory in a ball park--and we all greatly enjoyed the fireworks that followed. We didn't get home until 11, unbelievably late for me, and I even stayed up for a while. Unfortunately, I ate peanut butter and crackers and strawberry wafers--a big mistake, as I feel bloated and uncomfortable this morning.
Luckily, the Cerebrex helped my leg enormously. I was able to walk up the many and long flights of stairs at the ballpark and my knee felt only slightly stiff and barely sore. I HOPE the damn insurance company (may they drown in a vat of cough syrup) allows me to get the prescription filled tomorrow.
Nothing at all scheduled for today, I'm happy to say. This coming week, though, is filled every day, with two doctors' appointments for Pat, and other, but more enjoyable events. Think I'll just veg out and tidy up the house, plus plan something good for dinner.

Nice lunch and pleasant visit with the Van O's yesterday; however, the rest was all downhill. (Or is it "uphill," meaning hard to navigate? On the other hand, "downhill" suggests "downward," that is, low and depressed. Hmmm...I've never been sure about that, but "downhill" sounds more descriptive. What weightly topics one can find on my blog!)
Again, back to the narrative: I dropped off my prescription for Celebrex at Rite-Aid on Thursday and when I went back in two hours, was told my doctor had to call my insurance company, Horizon Medicare Blue, to justify the prescription!
What?!? Yes, this is a new wrinkle by the monstous sons of bitches so they can keep every dime possible of the $2500 a year I pay them! I had to call and give the doctor's office the number to call, then call Horizon to chew them out, and was then blandly told it might take 72 hours for this "prior authorization"!! In the meantime, I'm in pain. I went back this morning before my x-ray (on the knee) and of course, they hadn't authorized it and now it surely won't be okayed until Monday.
When I told this to Mary Ann Van O. yesterday, she was kind enough to offer me three Celebrex capsules (samples) her doctor had given her and she hadn't used. I took two a few minutes ago, although I'm spooked by the dire warnings on it that it could cause heart attack, stroke (and who knows, maybe insanity), that could lead to death.
Yoicks, this modern life! Anyway, I'm going to the Atlantic City Surf baseball game at 5:00 today with Leslie and Dennis, so I gotta be able to climb those steps. Wouldn't you know, it's drizzling a bit; it was postponed the last time because of water on the field, and I hope this won't be a repeat.

The Van O's are coming for lunch today, so I have to neaten up a little. It's nice to have the house all clean and shiny--especially when it's done by other people.
As a lingering ghost to the theme of my past blog, I'll list what I'm serving: a green salad, cold cuts, a variety of breads (rye, sourdough, multi-grain), fruit salad, the "crystal pickles" I made a few weeks ago, and iced tea. I don't have anything for dessert unless I use the fruit salad for that--dunno.
Tomorrow, I'm going to an Atlantic Surf baseball game with Leslie, Dennis, and their church group. It's Leslie's birthday, too, so I'll send her a card.
Next week is shaping up as a busy one; we have something scheduled each day, unless I skip the Bass River lecture. I'll see if anyone else is going.

Well, today was kind of a downer. My knee started bothering me yesterday--not when I'm sitting or lying down, but when I walk or move it much. I got an appointment with the doctor right away and she believes it's arthritis. I have to get an x-ray and she prescribed Cerebrex. I took the "script," as medical people call it, to the drug store and will pick it up in a few minutes.
In the meantime, the cleaners were here this morning and the place looks pretty good. I did a LARGE number of washes--I always wash the throw rugs in both bathrooms and the laundry room, plus the lid covers, before they get here. That way, they can clean more easily and the rugs get washed at least twice a month.
Little Suzy Homemaker, that's me!

Went back to St. James yesterday to tidy up the archives and meet Celeste. I did, she's a nice young woman, but the whole deal with the anniversary year seems so disorganized, I'm leaning toward skipping the gala. Anyway, I also visited the Ventnor Historical Society and was pleased to see it was open and that its president, Dr. M. was there. I contributed some of the items we had used for Pat's birthday--hope they can use them.
Got home to find Pat gone to the bay. Had lunch, then settled down on the couch to read, but took a nap. I was awakened by a phone call from Sonya D. and was delighted to hear from her. She said it was fine to use her and her parents' real names in the other blog I maintain--"Uncle Frank's Farm," my uncle's memoirs.
Saw Mc Greevey on T.V. and was mildly interested. Geez, Jersey is getting to be Bizarro State, what with the former gov's doings, shutting down operation because of the budget dispute, and so on.
To paraphrase John Wilkes B., "'Twas ever thus" in good old Joisey, I guess.

Had a terrific day yesterday. Barb H. and I went on the Bucks County bus trip and enjoyed a train ride to Lahaska, lunch at the Cock 'n' Bull in Peddler's Village, then a mule barge ride down the canal in New Hope. This is my old stompin' grounds, as we lived only a few miles from New Hope across the river.
The weather was absolutely perfect: sunny, with clear blue skies, and warm, but not hot, with a nice breeze. We left at 8 am and got back a little after 6.
Today, I'm going back to St. James and hope to meet Celeste, with whom I've been in touch via e-mail. I just have (I keep saying this!) a few little things to do, then I hope to be finished.
Can't wait to see our former governor, McGreevy, on "Oprah" this afternoon, so I plan to be home for that.

Muckie met me at St. James and had a great time looking over the pictures. She didn't go to St. J., but knew a number of people--those who went on to Holy Spirit. I introduced her to Sister J., who had known Muckie's cousin, Sister Josette, who worked at St. J. until she died last year. Muckie was pleased to hear that the school planted a tree in Sister Josette's honor and will have a dedication with a plaque. Muckie asked to be invited to the ceremony, and Sister will call her.
We had lunch at the little luncheonette down Portland Avenue that used to be "Nick's" in my grammar school days. Went over to the historical society, but it was closed.
Nice day, but when I got home, Pat was fuming at the Eagles game. I sat down to watch with him, but they lost. Bad, but there's always next week.
Today, Barb H. and I go to the Bucks County bus trip--should be great fun.

Pretty nice day. I decided not to go to St. James until tomorrow because Celeste e-mailed she'll be there and I thought I might as well go then and meet. her. Went to Shop-Rite after the morning chores and had to detour, as the back road was still flooded.
Went through the artifacts from Pat's box and took some clippings about "the Ventnor Pirates" to Staples; copied several and enlarged some. There's a priceless picture of coach Pat Conover and four Ventnor guys on the team, including Pat's brother, John.
Will now revise the photo archives list, so I can take it to St. James tomorrow.

Had a very pleasant lunch with Mary Ann V. yesterday. We went to Doyle's and I had a delectable hamburger and a beer. (I like my burgers very rare and I just read about an outbreak of e-coli--a dangerous illness--that can be caused by undercooked meat. Well, I'm just a daredevil, that's all.)
Mary Ann invited me back to her place for coffee and cookies and she, Bart, and I had an enjoyable chat. I asked them for lunch next Friday and they accepted.
Good news: We were delighted to get a call from brother Larry yesterday telling us that the doctor in Jacksonville was not as concerned as the Miami doctor about the growth under Helen's eye. It's been removed, and alth0ugh they may need to go back in with a laser or something, it seems to be not quite as serious as was thought before.
Called Pinelands Regional and it turns out we can specify particulars for the winner of our scholarship award. Sent e-mail to Susan and Barb H., my fellow committee members, and we'll discuss.
Going to St. James again today to almost finish up--this should be the penultimate visit. E-mailed dear niece Joan asking her to check her Mom's 60th reunion program for addresses of '38 grads. Will then pass on to Celeste to put on the invitation list for the gala. I'm trying to persuade sister Betty to go--not sure if I will if she doesn't.
Raining a lot today, so I guess Susan's and my walk is a no-go. Well, we've been faithful with it almost every day, so I'm okay with skipping once in a while.

As it turned out, Pat's "vein test" for yesterday was postponed to next Wednesday. Confusion reigns at this vascular surgeon's office, as he had the second test scheduled for then. Oh, the hell with it, we'll just go; it's an ultra-sound, so shouldn't be too big a deal.
Slow day yesterday. Talked to Betty in the morning, then took a blanket and bedspread to the Laundromat--they're king-sized and I think may be too big for our washer--and they came out great. I put them in the cedar chest, as I have a quilt on the bed now.
E-mailed back and forth to Celeste at St. James. Think I'll go in to "finish up" (I keep saying that and there always seems to be something else to "finish") tomorrow and Saturday.
After Pat went to the bay, I just puttered around, then fell sound asleep on the couch until he came in and woke me at 5:20. I had hot dogs and beans in the crockpot, so just served him at 6:00, as I had had a late lunch and indulged in cookies, so wasn't hungry. Took a shower while Pat ate.
Today, I'm meeting Mary Ann V. for lunch. Her husband has emphysema, also and it will be satisfying to compare notes. However, Bart doesn't have the host of other ailments Pat does.

Lunched with Lily M. yesterday at the Tuckerton Grille. She gave me several items, including an excellent duplicate of the '49 St. James graduation class which we hadn't had and, interestingly, a copy of the program for the graduation. This properly belongs in an archive of printed and written material, but is a real find. I don't remember having a program when I graduated the next year, but I may have had.
Talked to Betty yesterday, also to Muckie. On impulse, I called Alice E. and had a nice chat. Also called Larry; Helen and he are going to Jacksonville to have her growth removed. I'll call Sister J. today to ask if I can go back on Saturday; Muckie said she'd like to meet me there. I'm going to ask Sister if she would have any objection to my placing a classified in The Press of Atlantic City and possibly elsewhere, asking for donations of pictures and other memorabilia. I also want to ask about any printed material she might have, so I can start an archive for that.
We go for the first of Pat's two "vein tests" today--this one's in Manahawkin--to what purpose I'm not sure, but Pat wants to do it, so we will.

Yesterday was an okay day. Larry called in the morning to thank me for the copy of his St. James graduating class. Also told us about Helen's surgery of today to remove a growth from under her eye. I got her a card and will send today.
Went to the Women's Club meeting with Barb H.; talk on scrapbooking was pretty good, but not riveting. Made meatloaf for dinner. Got Sunday call from darling daughter Ellen; today's her birthday, so I'll call her later today, too. She got our gifts--wind chimes and a musical cutting board. No, the board doesn't play music, it just has a Chopin work on it.
I'm in touch with Lily M. about the St. James archives. She has some good stuff she's willing to duplicate and donate. I suggested we meet for lunch to talk over archives, gala, etc.
Today, will just run a few errands and generally do what I please. Always appreciate the days I don't have anything on the agenda...

As it turned out, a rep from Meticulous Lawn Service came yesterday and, after taking a picture of the damage, readily agreed their lawnmower had run over our sprinkler head, and they'll fix it. The cleaning service people were here, too, and did a nice job.
Yesterday, I called my dear niece, California Carolyn, and had a nice chat. I then compiled the names I knew for the St. James database and e-mailed them to Celeste at the school. Not sure if I'm going to the gala, unless sister Betty does. She called this morning and we talked mostly about the kiddies--not our children, but our grandchildren and great-grand. Went to the grocery, had beef tips for dinner, and the day was good.
Today, Alison came to cut Pat's hair. She and Mike are running a half-marathon tomorrow in Harrisburg, so will stay overnight there. I asked how little Joel had done at pre-school and she said he cried when he went in (and Jen almost cried, too), but after, ran up to the car and said, "I had fun!" What a relief. He'll go to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the mornings; Joel and Jen could extend his attendance later.
After lunch, I went to St. James to try to finish up--well actually, I've got another day to put in. Today I recorded information about the pictures so there's a way to keep track of what they have. I'll type the list on the computer, and will also make up a kind of "borrowed sheet " so people will write in what they took, their name, and the date. This will be left in the front of the file; if something isn't returned, they'll know who (or is it "whom?"--I used to know that!) to contact.
Making ham and scalloped potatoes for dinner. Will add a vegetable and we'll be set.
Tomorrow is the Women's Club meeting. The speaker will present something on scrapbooking, in which I'm not interested, but I'll attend. I told Susan (co-president) that I'll be the speaker in March and will do a presentation on the Dionne Quintuplets.

Had a pleasant day yesterday aside from an annoying incident that's probably too trivial to mention.
What the hell, this is my blog and I'm going to mention it before I get to the earth-shaking stuff like what we had for dinner. The lawn service person broke one of our sprinkler heads and I called and they were supposed to come yesterday and I stayed in and they didn't come. Okay, it's off my chest--back to the important stuff:
Jack B. stopped in while I was making crystal pickles and slicing and sugaring peaches. Pat had already gone down the bay so, after we chatted awhile, Jack went down to see him there.
We had baked chicken for dinner, then I did a wild, radical thing: I drove to Shop-Rite in Manahawkin to get the items I had intended to get in the daytime. Got home well after seven o'clock and didn't get to bed until 9:05.
Well, that kind of frantic, non-stop behavior caused me to sleep until SIX am and what's more, because Susan couldn't walk today, I didn't either!!
Am now waiting for the cleaning people, also the lawn service person, who has to inspect the damage.
Got an e-mail from friend Karen and invited her down for a weekend a few weeks from now. She doesn't drive, so I'll go up to get her in Trenton and bring her home.
Note for St. Jamesers: I was able to provide to Celeste G., who's working on the "Gala" for the reunion, a number of names and addresses of grads so they can get invites to the "Gala." Also called Muckie and she gave me some leads. Called Holy Spirit to see if they can tell me any info on H.S.H.S. grads who went to St. J. I'm getting sucked into this thing, I tell you--or I'm sucking myself in.

Sent Ellen's birthday present off, then had lunch with Marge yesterday--very enjoyable, as ever. We stopped down the bay on the way home, just to say hello to Pat. After I dropped Marge off, Barb H. came over and asked me in, then she, Ray, and I chatted for an hour over ice water. Puttered around, ran a few errands, and just hung out the rest of the day. Nothing special, but a comfortable day.
Pat has no other doctor appointments until next Wednesday--the first of the scheduled "vein tests"--and I'm going to talk to him about refusing them. As his primary said, we already know what's causing the edema and don't want surgery, so what's the point except to enrich the doctor's coffers? (Well, of course, the primary didn't add the last--I did.)

After 3 more hours at St. James yesterday, I'm just about finished up. I put pictures in the frames I brought, and they look great, especially the large ones of the classes of the 30's. I do want to go back once more to add some notations to the folders in the large file. School starts today, so I certainly don't want to go now, but will see if I can go in over the weekend.
It was tedious to get all the recent pictures in some kind of order, and not easy, considering there were all sizes and configurations--some stapled to scrapbook pages, a few matted, most just loose and every which way. Incredibly, some of the "official" ones--First Communions and graduations--weren't dated or identified in any way. Most of the multitude of casuals and snapshots had no indication of year, event, class, and so on; I bought a box and simply labelled them "random shots--undated." That part was frustrating to some extent.
However, the reward was coming across the fascinating older--I labeled them "historic"--photos that included cornerstone-laying in 1931, First Communion classes of the 30's and 40's, graduation classes from those years, and so on. I picked up one 18" by 22" composite picture and felt a happy shock of recognition to see my dear older sister, Gene--Helen--along with Pat's brother, John in the class of '38. Of course, I came across my brothers' and my twin sister and my graduation pictures, too. I didn't have time to check the First Communion pictures, but will try to figure out when my sibs and Pat's made theirs. Anyway, it was fun to do, if time-consuming and fairly expensive.
Getting still further involved, I called the woman who's coordinating the "gala" for October 14. She said she has 400 or so names and addresses to send invitations to, and I told her I'd provide the ones I know.
I'm not sure if I want to expend much more effort on this event, especially as I doubt if I'm going, but we'll see. It sounds as if the affair at House of Blues will be better organized and executed than the Maynard fiasco--well, it could hardly be worse--but at this point, I'm not sure about who's going, how much it costs, and other particulars.

Yesterday, I talked to my dear twin, Betty, in the morning, then picked up good friend Leslie and we went to the cemetery. I brought some pink roses and carnations, putting one on Pat's sister's grave across from Jay. It was sad, of course--it's been two years--but the sun shone and the skies were blue. Besides the sadness, there was a strong feeling of sweet peace there.
Later, we went to Alison's for a cookout and had great fun. Joel, Jen, and Joely were there, as well as Mike's son, Rob, his wife, Lisa, and their 2- and 3-year-olds, Lindsay and Lucas. We had buffalo and beef burgers, several salads, sun iced tea, and the rest of Donna's cheesecake for dessert. We always have a wonderful time at Alison's.
Today, I went back to St. James to continue the photo project. What a job! I've gotten most of it done reasonably well, but want to put some of the older pictures (graduation, etc.) in frames, as I think they should be put in the halls; Sister agreed. Went to Michael's (craft store) and got poster frames for some of the bigger ones, then to the dollar store for frames for the others. I've now spent $72 on this, which naturally, I'll donate to the school, but hey! I have to call a halt soon.

Pat's niece, Donna, came over for lunch today and we had a good time. She's a darling young woman, very pretty and smart, too. I served leftovers (mostly) from the League's lunch and it was good. I was annoyed with myself because I had put potato salad, ham salad, and cole slaw in the 3-section dish and forgot to put it out.
The rain and wind were incredible today--limbs, leave, and debris all over the streets. It stopped now, though, and I hope it'll be mild tomorrow. I'll pick Leslie up at 12:30 and we'll go to the cemetery, then we have the cookout at Alison's at 5:00.

Picked up Muckie for lunch yesterday and we went again to the Crab Trap. I can't walk in that place without feeling a powerful presence of Mom--she loved it. I had flounder, Muckie shrimp, and we enjoyed talking over old times and new. After, she showed me the plant stand that had been my mother's. I was a little reluctant to take it, as it's not in the greatest of shape, but finally did. I'll have to paint it and who knows when I'll get to that? Right now, it's in the garage covered with a sheet.
Last night, Dennis came over to discuss the office we want to put in the closet alcove in the study. I need to come up with what a want and I'm not really sure at this point.
After the morning walk with Susan today, I zipped home, made breakfast, then took off for St. James. I had offered to categorize the "box of pictures" Sister Joanmary had told me about and she took me up on it enthusiastically. Spent several hours putting things in order (but I'm not finished), then had to leave to get Pat to the eye doctor. His eye is improving, but she wants him to continue with the warm compresses, ointment, and pills.
I had asked Pat if we could take separate cars to Manahawkin and we did. He took his to the garage where they put in a new battery (to the tune of $113, which I think is outrageous). I went to Home Depot to look at components for the new office-in-a-closet (didn't find anything I liked), then went to Staples and got a plastic filing box, and legal-sized hanging files, and folders for the St. James archives. I told Sister I'd go back on Monday to finish the job.
It's rainy, cool, and extremely windy, but so what? We're snug in our Little Egg home.