Oregon Living 2024 – Blog #17 – Checking in on Jamie, a Happy Anniversary to Us, & a Trip up North to Say Goodbye to Family!

 

 

Monday, April 22^nd., 2024…… We slept in a bit this morning even though we went to bed early last night!  We went to breakfast and skipped the gym this morning so Cathye could go over to Corvallis to visit Jamie. They did surgery and he is recovering slowly. She said they will be keeping him for observation and evaluation. Since she spoke to the doctors there and explained his history, we hope that they take the next step and seriously look into his meds. When she got back, we rested and then she worked on the flower beds. The irrigation system we had upgraded last year has been off all winter and is in need of a few tweaks (especially in the flower beds where the isolators and drippers are) before we can use them. Of course we have rain forecast from Wednesday through next Tuesday but she needs to get water on those new bulbs and plants she just put in. I can turn on just those areas as needed so we’re good for now.     

Tuesday, April 23^rd., 2024…… Cat called the hospital this morning to check on Jamie. No changes. She went out to work more on her plantings while I got all three mowers out. Since this is the last dry day for a while, the plan is to mow around 11:00am. Yesterday, I had to run a battery charger on the Sears Pro tractor since we hadn’t used it yet this season. After the charge and adding some gas, it’s good to go!  Penny came over and we started in. I think it took an hour and a half. Penny left and I hosed off all three mowers while Cathye came in to clean up and change because she and Lynn and Judy were going to an afternoon tea at the senior center.  Our square dance workshop was cancelled today because they needed that room for the tea.  So, I relaxed and watched this weekend’s races that I had recorded. Cat got back home and said it was a fun afternoon. She brought back some of the ‘crumpets’ they were served for me to try. Yummy!  Later, we watched tv and rested from the day. Spa and bed.

Wednesday, April 24^th., 2024…… HAPPY 2^ND. ANNIVERSARY TO US!! We were up early and out with the dogs. Once they were fed, we headed off to recreate our first date. It was on this day three years ago that we physically met at Appletree for breakfast. She drove up in her truck and parked next to my truck. I had truck envy! But our date was wonderful and I thought let’s do it again! She was going from there directly to the hospital so we took two trucks again! We parked in the same spaces and even got the same booth!  She brought her binder with our back-and-forth texts printed out. She also brought our wedding vows that we each read again. We said our goodbyes and she headed off. I had some errands to run on the way home and took care of that. I had to take the detour around the back way to get home. They started Monday on the main street for us coming and going into town. It’s being re-paved (finally) and it will mean taking a long detour for a few weeks. We did it last year when they tore it up for new sewer and water lines. Not fun but we’re looking forward to a nice newly paved drive in a few weeks! When I got home, I saw we had visitors!...

 

Snow geese occasionally land here, these two stayed a while!  I even waited to get a pic of them when they walked by Morris the moose!!

When Cathye got home, she rested for a bit, then went out to plant the lily I gave her. Oops, I guess she changed her mind because she left it in the pot and put it in our bathroom!

While she was doing that, I headed out to Wilco to get some more pvc pipes and fittings. When the water spigot got run over last season, I just shut off that valve.  I had previously gone out and bought and glued up and installed all of the fittings last week to make the repair. Turns out when I cut the broken pipe off, I didn’t go down far enough because there was still a small crack below where I made the repair and it was really leaking. With pvc glue, you can’t just undo – you must replace everything again! I have all of the parts again, but it is raining now so I will wait on that install.

Later, we dressed and headed off to celebrate our anniversary. We went back to 1847, which is the name of the nice restaurant in the same complex where we were married.

We had reservations and got seats overlooking the Japanese gardens. The appetizer (salmon cakes)

and the entrees (pork tenderloin for Cat)

and (rockfish for me)

 

were all really delicious. With a couple of drinks each, we were stuffed! After the great meal, we walked the gardens. It was nice!  They do an excellent job maintaining all of the varieties of plants and bushes and shrubs as well as the koi pond.

 

After that, we stopped in on the Club board meeting which was just getting started. Typical square dance meeting – too much chaos and drama, too many voices and not enough order! But they have been doing it like this for many, many years so we (ok – me!) try not to intervene!  After the meeting, we came home and got in the spa and talked about the day. It was very special and enjoyable. We agreed that we could have skipped the meeting but since we are part of the upcoming Strawberry Festival planning, we knew we had to go.  

Thursday, April 25^th., 2024…… We slept in this morning. I have one item on today’s agenda – take Rylee in later today to the vet for her annual checkup and shots. It was 9:15am when I looked at my phone’s calendar. Oops, my appointment was at 9:00am! I arrived late (blamed the road closure) and they got me in within 15 minutes. Rylee is healthy – she just said she could slim down a few pounds!  We got back home and Cat went off to visit Jamie and I worked on re-installing the water spigot. Later, I tested it and no leaks! Cathye worked on her raised bed garden. I bought some topsoil and she mixed that in with her new plantings.  

Friday, April 26^th., 2024…… We were up early Jamie didn’t want visitors today so she got a rest from driving in. Nothing on the agenda today so we caught up on small chores. We had planned on going down to Eugene/Springfield for a dance, but as time got closer, neither of us really could get into it. So, we stayed home and lounged around and watched tv for the evening. Spa and then bed.  

Saturday, April 27^th., 2024…… This morning we were up and going early. We were going up to Portland this morning to load up and bring back some items from Tait’s place. She has decided to move back to New Hampshire and will leave in a few weeks. After showering and dressing and walking and feeding the dogs, Cat made us coffee and we heated up breakfast burritos and then headed out. We had loaded up bubble wrap, cardboard boxes and tarps in Cat’s truck. On the drive up, we stopped by to pick up Josh, who was helping today. It was sprinkling off and on so we decided to go out to have lunch first before loading up the truck. Her little sofa was only 64 inches and she just had a few items which we wrapped and loaded with little issues. I had to leave the tailgate open and needed to tie down and tarp the overhanging load, but it should ride just fine. We said our goodbyes to Tait and headed back home. The load did fine and we got home and unloaded before the sprinkles came our way. We came in and rested from the day. The dance tonight was in Salem, but since we drove all day, I just didn’t want to go out and drive 80 miles up and back! So, another relaxing spa night before bed.