Oregon Living 2024 – Blog #361/2 –  The Rest of the Story...

                       I didn’t want to wait a whole week so I have decided to split it up……

Sunday, September 8^th., 2024……  Here is the rest of the story from the ER….

I was up early this morning, expecting a call from Cat saying they were transporting her. I got Rylee walked and fed before she called. I had time because they would need to get her situated in a room there before I could go in, so I made coffee and ate a couple of breakfast croissants before heading over. They had her in her room and I got in with no problems. The doctor (cardiac Fellow) was there saying that she didn’t know if the team was in today but if they are, they might want to do the procedure today. But it possibly might be tomorrow. It will be a line/catheter run into an artery (either through the wrist or the groin) and they would use a contrast to check for blockage. Once in, they said it would be one of three levels: 1) no blockage, 2) one or two blockages, in which case they would put stents in for those, and 3) more than a few blocked arteries, in which case they would have to do open heart surgery for.  One of the surgeons came and said, “Let’s do it today!”. About 40 minutes later, they wheeled her out. They estimated 2 hours total for option 2, so I went down and had a sandwich in the cafeteria and then went back to the waiting room on her floor for her to return. I think it was a little over an hour when I went back to the room to get a phone charger, when I saw her bed was back!  She was still out of it, but muttered that they didn’t find any blockages and didn’t put any stents in.  It took 30-40 minutes for her to come out of it. The nurses came in and confirmed that there were no blockages. After a bit, we discussed things. We are happy, sad, and confused!  Happy her heart is healthy, but sad because we are back to square one because she will still have the same condition as when she went in. The hospitalist came in and said they were giving her some meds to help with issues. They think it may be chest/esophageal spasms, caused by her blood pressure meds. They want her to do a follow-up with her own doctor in a week. They also said she could go home later today. They went in through her wrist so she will have to wear a brace for 12 hours and not lift anything for a week and try not to bend the wrist to make it bleed. I think it was a little after 4:00pm before she got released. We stopped on the way home and got Jama from Misty and Lona and went home to relax from the day. Neither of us was hungry so Cathye snacked and I made a couple of cheese quesadillas. We watched our own programs for a few hours, then I came in so we could finish the Barbie movie before bed.

Monday, September 9^th., 2024…… No gym for her this morning. I was planning on going and she said she would do walking stuff, but we got a call from my sister about her plans today. Her friends, Bill and Debbie from SoCal, are passing through and stayed with her last night. They were going to Kevin’s for breakfast -  so we decided to forego the gym and go eat with them. After the meal, Cat headed off to Walmart and I rode back to our house so Bill and Debbie could see the deck and things done since they were last up here. Cathye got a text that her new prescription was ready but when she got there, they said it would be another 15 minutes, so we will need to go back later. After everyone left, I settled in to get the blog done and posted and then it was about time for me to head over to Corvallis – yes, back to the same hospital we left yesterday – for my CT scan. I left Cat home to rest. I checked in at the main desk and went to the Imaging room and waited a few minutes before they called me in. The whole process took only about 15 minutes!  They injected me with a dye for contrast and did a test run with the table sliding under the halo cylinder around me. Then they released the dye. They said it would be warm from my neck to my bladder. Warm is not the word! It felt like I was sunburned and was under a heat lamp! But that only lasted about 15 seconds and then was completely gone. Weird!  I was out of there and got back home in just over an hour and a half. We spent time watching tv and for a bit then went out to the front garden area and did some weeding. We had started this last week and spent another hour or so working there today. 

No hurry. Cathye did well because she can sit out there and work.

Tuesday, September 10^th., 2024……  More work today on the garden this morning. I think we only need about 30 minutes more and we will be done. Maybe tomorrow...  After cleaning up and changing clothes, we headed off to Costco for a few things (yes, still over $200.00!). I went to class later while Cat took it easy. She has been making calls yesterday and today to her primary as well as the original cardiologist, describing her symptoms as of late, and asking for next steps. The cardiology team got back to her and asked some more questions. They asked for a running record of bp and pulse ox which she has been keeping. They added an appointment for her for cardiology and she has one got her gp. Later, we had dinner and made plans for tomorrow. I have the morning open so I made an appointment to get the motorhome in for front tires. After that, I will take it to the front end shop for work there. We had Costco chicken and mashed potatoes and green beans and fresh peach slices for dinner. Tv and bed. Oh yeah, Cat watched the debate front start to finish. I could only watch about 10 minutes before I quit! Why don’t they call it what it is – sniping at its finest!  I didn’t see either of them addressing too much of the issues (which would have at least made it watchable). They just backstabbed and backstabbed. Kind of a joke! Regular tv and spa and then bedtime.  

Oregon Living 2024 – Blog #36 – An Exciting Week!

 

 

Sunday, September 1^st., 2024……  Cathye woke up feeling pretty good. She had some time to wake up then took her covid test. It was negative! Yaay!  I showered and walked the dogs while Cat took her shower. We made plans for the day. Our Club is out on their Labor Day Campout and today is the board meeting, silo dance, and potluck. So, we decided to go out around noon for the afternoon. I just got some new camp chairs and loaded them in the Buick. We were going to take the dogs because they said they had plenty of room to run and play, but decided to leave them because it was hot. There were a lot of campers there, spread out in Frank’s grassy lawn area. We enjoyed the visiting and the lunch. Then we had the board meeting, and then the silo dance. Shaun climbed to the top of the largest silo with his wireless mike and called for the crowd down on the grass. I guess this has been a Club tradition for many years, but it Shaun’s first time! It was fun to dance and see him up there!

 

Later, Cathye got very tired so we packed up and headed home. We would miss the pizza dinner so I went out later and got us KFC. We relaxed for the rest of the evening. 

Monday, September 2^nd., 2024…… HAPPY LABOR DAY! We decided to brave the crowds this morning and went to The Point for breakfast. It was slammed but we got lucky and got seats on the patio and even had Becky as our server. I decided to try the PMS omelet!  That would be prime rib, mushrooms, and Swiss. Cat had her favorite French toast, with cinnamon crunch coating. Fun morning!

We came back and kicked back for the day. Temps would only get to the high 70s so it was nice all day. I caught up on my races, while Cat headed off to Pioneer Park in Brownsville for the girl’s picnic. She made her Lemon Lasagna (layered lemon dessert) and managed to bring back a bit for me, along with a plate of dinner.  I made cheese quesadillas earlier so I didn’t want any of that today. Maybe for lunch tomorrow!  Tv until bedtime.    

Tuesday, September 3^rd., 2024……  Cat is feeling ok from the bout of covid, but still feels wonky in the mornings. Her pulse goes up and she feels weak, so she sits down and rests until it’s back to normal. She says she sure can’t wait until the 23^rd to get it fixed! I walked the dogs and fixed breakfast then worked on my bills for a bit. Then I went out to the shop. A couple of folks in the Club have expressed interest in the badge hangers I have made. So, I turned out a couple more to give them today at our workshop. Here’s one I made for Lynn a few months ago…

Since she was feeling better, after class, Cathye met up at home with a young mother she found on FB who makes catered meals for delivery. Cathye thinks it would be easier for us these days to not have to cook. So, she wants to get a week’s supply. And I think she also doesn’t want me cooking for her!  Plus, this person is a young girl entrepreneur, who is doing this in a startup mode. So, we are helping her get established. We’ll see how the food is. Later Cathye called Marianne and asked if we could come out to their place later today to pick some blackberries since we missed out last week at the party weekend. She said sure, let’s go to dinner since we’ll be in town, then we can go out together. So, we met up with them and Cheryl and Mike at 1847, for a nice meal. After that, we all caravaned to the farm and all six of us half-filled a large bucket with nice ripe blackberries. Yes, we have some on our property, but they aren’t very accessible plus Frank and Marianne have tons of them and most will go to waste. Tv and spa and then off to bed.

Wednesday, September 4^th., 2024…… HAPPY BIRTHDAY  JAMA!  She still looks pretty good for 11!  

Cat is back to normal (?) today and back to just dealing with her fatigue and pulse rates. Later in the day, after we had dinner, Breann brought the first batch of food over. Everything was nicely packaged and labeled. Here's one example...

 

We will start on that tomorrow.  

Thursday, September 5^th., 2024……  An exciting morning!... We leave the bedroom slider open these nights because it gives Rylee some cool air right on her bed there. I say that because this morning I heard a loud noise around 7:30 as I was waking up. I immediately thought it was a piece of machinery being off-loaded from its trailer at the end of our street. But, about 5-6 minutes later I heard sirens, so I was figuring an accident. About that time I got a text from Rich and Linda, our neighbors to the west.  He said a pickup truck went off the road and through our property and then went into his fence. He send me pics….

  The field on the west side of our property. Bottom right to left is where the truck went through.

                                                          Looking west from the house

I immediately got dressed and headed out in my truckster. Wow, was it a mess!  The lady driving must have been distracted (according to what we heard the police say later) and drove right over the embankment into our field. No skid marks at all from down the street. It looked like it flipped a few times and landed on Rich and Linda’s fence. Linda said that one person was taken off to the hospital and another person was seen walking around the accident area. They loaded up the truck and the officer said they will give Rich a police report later in the week. No damage to our property. I feel bad for Rich and Linda. This is the second time someone has knocked down their fence. The fence was custom built before they moved in. When we had a fence guy give us an estimate for fencing for us, he said it was a special job and probably cost $40k back in 2004!  So, they have to now file a claim and see if they can get the insurance to pay for it to be repaired. I went back and got Cathye so she could ride out to see too. We will need to come out later and pick up around the area. There is broken glass, truck parts, and misc. items strewn all around our field.

Later, we headed off to breakfast at Kristi’s and then stopped at Walmart to get some things so Cathye can make her blackberry jelly. After we got home and rested a bit, she got working on it. Penny had seen Cat’s Facebook post and came by to check things out. Later in the day, we saw a post on The Buzz here from a lady thanking the first responders for helping her daughter after her accident. She was asked if that was on So. Main, so we assume that was the same person. Not sure now who all was in the truck but she said the seatbelt saved her daughter and she is ok now. That’s good to hear. Cat had already removed the FB post after a few hours because she wasn’t sure it was appropriate given we didn’t know about the condition of those involved. Just glad everyone is ok.  Later, we brought out one of Breann’s packaged meals and heated it up. Tonight we chose the stuffed pasta shells. Wow, was it good!  We polished off everything and now we are looking forward to the next one tomorrow!  Tv, spa and bed.         

Friday, September 6^th., 2024…… This morning we both headed off to our scheduled appointments. Cat’s doctor has asked her to do a sleep study and she needed to go get the kit and instructions. For me, it was a pulmonary test that my doctor has ordered. When Cat got her call, they noticed I had an appointment in the same section for respiratory therapy so they said she could go in with me at the same time for both appointments. We checked in and they put us in the same room. I got put into a capsule-like device and they had me do  series of breathing tests. Of course, Cathye snapped a pic...

                      This one was before I had to tuck in my legs and they closed the door!

While I was doing a 7-min. albuterol inhalation, Kim gave the sleep kit to Cat and briefed her on its operation and use. Pretty simple – it’s like the one I did with a watch strapped on your wrist and a pulse ox finger thingy and you just turn it on at bedtime. Once I was finished (test results later showed normal for all), we went to the hospital cafeteria for breakfast. The Lebanon Community Hospital has always had a great reputation for the food in the cafeteria. They even have a steady following of town folk who eat here on a regular basic. The food is reasonably priced and the breakfast was very good.  Today we spent most of the day today on the phone. I had several calls to make so I started while we were at breakfast. I had to return a call from a referral from my doctor for an appointment with an ENT specialist. She wanted them to take a look at me to see if they help with my lack of smell these days. I have an appointment in a few weeks. When we got home, I called Osprey Point and changed our rv reservation there. When I booked it, I didn’t know the new Club goes in to the park on Mondays and leaves on Fridays. I had us leaving on Saturday so they changed it for me. Next up was the Spinreel Dune Buggy rental place. They said when I called last month that I would need to wait until Sept. to make a reservation for Oct. I took care of that and got us set up with a day and time. Next up was trying to resolve a ticket issue for Wicked tickets that Cathye got for us and Josh in Portland in December. I needed to contact Ticketmaster and BoxOfficeTickets.com to get our tickets resent. Cat didn’t recognize the third party that sent the link to the online tickets and deleted it by mistake. It took me 3 phone calls and a lot of time online with their site(s) to get something done. Hopefully, we will see something happening in the next day or so if/when they reroute the order to us. What a mess!  While I was doing all these calls, Cathye spent some time working on a new recipe for a blackberry cobbler she had found. She had blackberries leftover from our pick this week and needed to use them before they went bad. It turned out looking good!

We had another Breann item for dinner tonight – homemade bean soup and hot French bread!  For me, it was delicious!  Cathye does not like beans that much so I got most of hers. She had invited both Frank and Marianne and Cheryl and Mike over for dessert and cards tonight.  We ate 90% of the blackberry casserole and cool whip dish in one sitting!  It was very good!  We played 2500 for a few hours before calling it a night. While we were playing, we did get treated to a rare thunder and lightning storm that briefly passed through. Rylee and Jama did not like that!

Later, after everyone left, we headed off to bed. Cat hooked up her sleep watch and we went to sleep.    

Saturday, September 7^th., 2024…… We slept in this morning. Cathye said she slept well but was late in getting out of bed. I helped her with the paperwork for the device and will return it later this morning. But first up, today is Derby Day. Oops, make that Debris Day! Once we got up and going, we loaded up the truckster and headed out to the crash area and started raking up and picking up debris from the accident. As mentioned, there was a lot of broken glass. Luckily, it was safety glass and ended up in a small area so it could be raked up easily.

But we did pick up an antenna, headlight and taillight plastic, gum wrappers, and more. It only took a few minutes, but Cat was worn out. We came back in and she rested and I threw everything away and cleaned up and parked the truckster. We settled in for the rest of the morning and afternoon. I did take a break and took back the sleep kit back to the hospital and turned it in. She will get results in a few days after they get the info into their system. Tonight

I brought Beef Stroganoff out to defrost for the meal later. Mostly tv for both of us after that. I stopped by the hardware store today and bought sponge brushes and a tack cloth for the bartop, but just didn’t have the desire to go work on it today!  Later, we ate the excellent meal and settled in together to watch tv. Still trying to get stuff watched before we call Directv to get the equipment exchanged/upgraded. Maybe in a few weeks after we get our surgeries done.  Tonight we chose the Barbie movie. I really wasn’t too excited but Cathye heard it was pretty good. We were into it about 20 minutes and Cathye said she wasn’t feeling well today and things were scaring her. She had tightness in her chest that has not gone away. So, we headed off to the ER. We chose Lebanon hospital and got right in. They ran some tests and they said it showed some stress. They took her back to the beds and the doctor came in later and explained his diagnosis. Since she presented with heart conditions and was already scheduled for an angiogram on the 23^rd, he said he thinks she shouldn’t wait two weeks for that. So, he arranged to have her transferred to Corvallis to get it done sooner – maybe immediately. Problem was they didn’t have transportation available for non-life threatening issues and she is stable. They would take her at 7:00am tomorrow morning. So, she had to spends the night in the ER. Bummer, because the bed is really a large gurney. I went home and met Misty and Lona, who were picking up Jama for the night and tomorrow. Cherrelyn will be coming tomorrow after I leave for the day, to take care of Butthead. More on this tomorrow.        

Oregon Living 2024 – Blog #35 – A New Car for Sis & Covid for Cat!

 

Sunday, August 25^th., 2024……  We were up early to get Josh off to meet his 8:26am departure. We had time to stop at McDonald’s so he could get some breakfast to take on the train. It was sure nice to have him here not only to see family but he was a big help to me getting things setup and taken down.  After we said our goodbyes, we stopped in at Elmer’s and had breakfast. Once we got home, I texted my sister asking if she got her car yet? She did and would be by later to show it to us. A bit later, we headed off to church. I was able to unload 22 of the chairs that I had in the truck. We stayed for the meal afterwards and then made our way out and got back home. When we got back, I loaded the remaining 22 chairs which we will take back on Wednesday, when Robin will be at the church. I got the truckster out and brought the tarp bags and bungees out to the tarps. When Penny got here, Cathye and I were unclipping the tarps from the frame. Penny pitched in and gave Cat a break and we got everything packed and I took them back to stow them away. I can’t count the number of times I’ve used this tarp. Yes, it’s old and some of the pipes are bent and will need replaced eventually, but it still works well and will probably outlast all of us! We stopped midway and checked out the car. It’s really nice!  All the bells and whistles. The only thing she’s sad about was letting her trusty Lexus go in on trade. She kept her plates as souvenirs. But she said she did that because she didn’t want to spot it on the road with someone else!  “With new plates, maybe I won’t notice it!” 

 After we got everything checked out and Penny left, we settled in for the day. We are beat and Cathye is especially tired. Tv and an early bedtime. Next up tomorrow is her first consult with a cardiologist. Finally!   

Monday, August 26^th., 2024…… Cat’s appointment isn’t until 11:30am so we were in no hurry to get up early! We ate then headed off to Corvallis. She is in the same cardiology clinic that I am, so we knew where to go! But getting the appointment kicked up a month, meant she would see another resident there. Dr. Dimitri Greschner, who has 21 years in the field. He was very clear and concise and explained everything and answered all of our questions. He says she has arterial blockage and will need ‘coronary angiogram intervention’. During that procedure, they will check for blockages and put in a stint(s) - unless the blockages are too numerous. That would mean heart surgery. He said her blood flow (and lack of leg swelling, numbness, tingling, etc.) and blood pressure are both good, which indicates there probably are only 1 or 2 culprits causing her issues, and she should be good to go after the procedure!  The other good news was, when I mentioned the horrendous scheduling process we have to get through, he ducked out for a minute, and said, “the scheduler is here today and would be in in 5 minutes”!  We got a date (9/23) for the procedure before we even left the office!  Yaay!  Since we both knew that she would need surgery, we felt better and left with peace of mind and I could see the relief in her eyes. We will get through this! Tv and conversation in the spa before bed.        

Tuesday, August 27^th., 2024……  HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMIE!  We had plans for lunch with him and friends at his favorite pizza parlor today. But Lona and Misty had family issues and wouldn’t be able to go. I went to the square dance workshop and Cat took him there and had a one on one lunch and had a good day. When they got back, I got leftover pizza so I was good. Cat wasn’t feeling well. She said she had a headache and some sinus discomfort. She used her nettie pot and went to bed early. During the night, she started coughing and went into the other room so she wouldn’t disturb me. Guess I didn’t hear any of that but when I woke up later to go to the bathroom, I saw she had left.    

Wednesday, August 28^th., 2024…… This morning was no better for Cat. I was up early because I had a follow up appointment with my gp. I had to leave early to make my 7:15am check in time. When I got back, she was just getting up. I made coffee and brought back breakfast. She managed to shower and eat, but was wiped out. The plan today was to take the rest of the chairs back to the church and then work on getting the trailer out and start packing for our weekend trip to Frank and Marianne’s Labor Day weekend at their farm. Well, that wasn’t going to happen! She tested positive for covid! So, the weekend was now set. I took the chairs over and met Robin, while Cat stayed home.  No fever, but she feels terrible. She called her doctor to see if she could get that early-covid shot. He is not in today but will most likely call in a prescription for her tomorrow morning. The nurse told her that the covid variant going around now here feels more like a light flu and doesn’t last too long. They recommend only 5 days of quarantine. But that doesn’t mean she will be going to the farm this weekend – unless she tests negative in a few days!  Lynn had plans to cook one of her Italian meals for Cat and Judy. When she heard the news, she decided to just pack and bring a meal over for her (and me)! I met her outside and got a full course meal enough to feed us for days! What a sweet lady! Thank you and love you Lynn!  We ate separately and watched tv separately and went to bed separately!  Jama left me last night and found Cat. Tonight, she started out following Cat to bed so I only had a 1-dog night with Rylee!       

Thursday, August 29^th., 2024……  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAIT!!  Cat was out of it yesterday so much that she came in and said, “Let’s call Tait! It’s her birthday today” We called and got her voicemail and sang to her.  Well, she missed it by one day! Oh well!  For Cat, the rest of today was spent in bed. She got a prescription for Paxlovid called in from her doctor and I went to pick it up. No charge with our insurance - but the pharmacist said the normal cost for the 5-day supply was $900.00! Yaay insurance! This drug is supposed to help reduce the effects of covid so she needs to take it twice a day for the full 5 days.  Of course we called and texted friends and family. Among them were Frank and Marianne who were hosting their annual Silo dance weekend. We were planning on going over with the Shasta on Friday (staying thru Sunday) but that isn’t going to happen now. I was thinking about going over by myself to make an appearance but, after thinking it over, I don’t want to make everyone there uncomfortable because I am in the same house with a person with covid! 

Today we had two appointments. Groomers for the girls and massages for us. I took Princess and the Butthead and dropped them off for their spa day. Later, I went in for my massage. Cathye, of course, had to cancel.  I brought teriyaki home afterward. We still have plenty of the Italian food from Lynn for lunches and dinners for the next few days.

Later, I went out and watered Cat’s flowers and then came back in for the day. The weather is turning hot here again so it was nice to get back to the ac.  TV and separate beds again tonight.

Friday, August 30^th., 2024…… Not much change for Cat. She still feels terrible. Her voice is a little better and the congestion is lifting a bit, but is still tired and has a headache.  More bed rest later today, but she did manage coffee and breakfast on the back deck.

The warm fresh air helped and a shower did as well.

Later in the day, she said she felt much better. She called and talked to her son and daughter and then Corey, who said he also has covid. He was calling friends and family and my sister told me he told her that they found out the culprit was a baby or child who was at the wedding!

Saturday, August 31^st., 2024…… A much better morning for Cat! She has her voice back again and sounds and feels better!  Of course she wants to go to the party now!  I told her not today – maybe tomorrow – if she tests negative in the morning. I have been walking and feeding the dogs and fixing m own breakfast, and for the most part, leaving her to rest and relax.  She did feel well enough this morning to make an egg sandwich for herself. So, that’s good! Appetite is back! For the rest of day, we hung around the house. Cat spent some more time outside soaking in the nice warm day on the lounge out there. Later, we ate leftovers and watched tv until bedtime.  

Oregon Living 2024 – Blog #34 – Prep Work Continues & then a Big Wedding!

 

 

Sunday, August 18^th., 2024…… Today is the anniversary of Jim’s passing. Cathye went out to the cemetery to lay flowers on his grave and spend some time with him.

Today was also Charlotte’s Picnic and Bridge Dance! She is our caller and has retired now but always has hosted a picnic at her lovely home out in the boonies. There is a bridge just down the street and it’s tradition to have a ‘bridge dance’ there each year. This time Shaun called and we had three squares going through the motions. It was fun!

After we left and went home, it was time to get into our wedding frame of mind. We still have a lot to do before Saturday!

Monday, August 19^th., 2024…… First up for me today was a dental appointment. Just a cleaning so I was in and out in no time!  Since it was an early appointment, I stopped and got us breakfast and coffee on the way home. Plans today are to clean up some of the flower beds and pull weeds from the gravel drive – again!  Corey will be here later to do all of that. We did have a communication problem about the time. So, it turned out that they got here in time for Corey to work, the kids to play (and help a little), and Vikki to work on her table arrangements. She has colors chosen for the wedding and brought them all to arrange today while out on the patio deck.  She also spent some time working on her nails. But the weather was nice so she could sit outside for that too!  Before that got here, I sorted out the chairs we had and got all of the tarps and poles and popups out and staged in the garages for later in the week. Later, I bbq’d hot dogs and hamburgers and we had a nice easy meal and talked about the final layout and he said they upped the numbers. There are now 69 folks on her list! I will have to rethink the parking! Tv and spa after they left.     

Tuesday, August 20^th., 2024……  Nothing on the agenda today. We moved Rylee’s pool out of line of sight for any wedding pics. In the afternoon, we headed off to our workshop. Charlotte always uses cards for her choreography and today she found some we have never seen! It’s fun and satisfying to go through a series of calls to get back to your partner! Cathye sat out most of the afternoon but did one later in the day. She has been doing ok managing her heart rate. When she gets winded or tired doing anything, she stops! Nothing much for the rest of the day. So I worked on getting the trailer lights working on the little utility trailer that Corey will be borrowing to bring Vikki’s mom’s wheelchair here this weekend. After that, we hung around the house and relaxed for the day and evening.     

Wednesday, August 21^st., 2024…… I was up and out again early this morning. I left Cat and the girls to sleep and left for my labs. I have a follow up with my doctor next week and she wanted them done beforehand. Later in the morning, we left with our little trailer and went off to Cat’s church to pick up chairs for the wedding. Robin met us there (with the keys) and she took 10 for her birthday party this weekend. We ended up with 44 chairs and got them home and the trailer parked.

Thursday, August 22^nd., 2024……  We wanted to set up everything today but the kids didn’t so we will wait for their help. Besides, Josh is coming in (by train) from Portland for the wedding and will be here to help later. But I did get everything down and ready. We have two big swap meet-type tarps, plus three popups. I wanted them out and sorted just off the lawn where they would eventually go. I want to try and mow tomorrow so I need to leave room for now.  I worked this morning on the ramp that Vikki’s mom requires to get in and out of the house for the restroom. I already had one and knew it would work and just had to get it out and re-install it on the front porch. I added some more support for the wheelchair weight and it was good to go.

Later, we had dinner and then headed off to meet Josh’s 8:50pm train in Albany. It’s way easier for him to travel by train. He recently bought a motorcycle and we expect he will be brave enough soon to ride it down and back. We’re not thrilled with that, but it’s his choice. We did spend the drive home asking him about it. He has never ridden before and just completed a training course. He needs to get his license first. Plus he needs to get some safety equipment for the bike (helmet, riding gear, crash bars, etc.) before he gets it out on the road. We got home and settled in for the night. Tomorrow the work starts.  

Friday, August 23^rd., 2024…… The kids were supposed to show up at 9:00am but were running late, so Josh and I got started after breakfast and coffee. I think we had all of the items up except the large canopy, which we needed final layout approval from Vikki, to complete. But all was good and once we got all of the chairs out and staged, and all of the deck furniture under the smaller of the canopies, my job was pretty much done. Corey worked some more on the yard and they went home.  We took Josh and went out to the Le Cirque Café and Confectionary. This is a rather new place here in downtown Lebanon, and is based 

  on a ‘Harry Potter’ theme.

They even have butterbeer on their menu! Josh had brisket mac and cheese and both Cathye and I had the soup flight. We each got three samplers of their soup of the day and liked them. I did swap out my chicken mushroom with Cathye for her chili, which she said was a little too spicy for her taste. Later, it was tv and dinner before calling it a night.

Saturday, August 24^th., 2024…… WEDDING DAY! The wedding is set for 2:00pm. Corey and Vikki and family, plus their attendants got here around 10:30am. Penny got here early to help as well. She has been working on getting a new car and they told her it was in and ready for pickup today. So, she will be leaving after the wedding to go get it. She’s excited for Corey and Vikki, but also for her new ride! Corey and his guys did the draperies and the girls did Vikki’s nails and set up the tablecloths and flowers. The guests arrived for the scheduled start time, but they had to wait. Vikki wouldn’t be ready to come out until well after 3:00pm. But, everything went well and Cat did an excellent job officiating the services. The kids chose the ‘humorous’ option for their script and Cat had fun with that!  And they are now hitched! Here are pics from the day.

 

 

                        CONGRATULATIONS Mr. and Mrs. Corey Elliott-Pierson!

 

The five chairs in the front are for those from their lives who have passed….

 

After the food and cake and music, everything winded down and the guests left. A few of the guys stayed and helped stack chairs and take down the tables and popups and canopies. That was great for me!  I will put the parts and pieces of the canopies back in their bags tomorrow because I need to do some work on them before I store them. We came in and rested from the hectic day. As I said, Cat did a great job as minister and as host, and as requested by me, took it nice and slow for the day. But she was pooped after the long day and we went to bed earlier than usual!