Magic Jack

January 28, 2021

Today I am totally whipped after trying to get my Magic Jack to work. I hooked up the phone on Monday and called Spectrum to discontinue my service (big mistake).  When I talked to someone at MJ to arrange for my home phone to be ported over, the person said they would contact Spectrum to get that arranged.  This morning's e-mail from MJ said that the number could not be ported over since it does not exist.  I called Spectrum and was told after long waits and thanking me for my patience, that it could not be ported over. 

I was not getting a dial tone on my other phones in the house.  By some miracle I got a person on the line and got myself established with MJ, but the dial tone was not resolved.  The guy kept telling my that there is something wrong with my phone lines.  This is all in my nightgown, before taking a shower and breakfast.  I called Terry, and she suggested calling Bill Regner, who seems to know everything about MJ.  I got myself started for the day and decided to give him a call.  What a gem!  I didn't connect it correctly.  I never removed the phone line from the modem, which is supposed to go into the MJ.  Once I did that, the phones were getting a dial tone.

My next problem was getting the phone to give the caller a code number to press.  Terry and Bill's phones did that.  I had the service activated, but I never got that message when I called.  After numerous tries, it finally worked; how that happened I can't say.  But everything seems to be working.

Janice called me to my cell and she didn't think much of such a service and wondered why I just didn't use my cell as my primary phone. The thought occurred to my, but I didn't follow through.

 

Storming the Capitol

 January 6, 2021

While I ate breakfast I did a load of whites, dried and folded.  I wrote a letter to Don, Annika and packaged two chimo caps for Doug Scott.  I went to the post office to send everything off, then to Walgreens to pick up my meds, some reading glasses and greeting card for the entire year, about $60 worth.

I dropped off an infant booster seat at Terry's when Everly comes to visit and relieved her mind when I told her that I changed my mind about moving.  She was overjoyed.

Next, bought some groceries at Festival, even though I picked up groceries at Pick'n Save yesterday, but I really didn't have anything for supper.  I stopped at Consumer Liquor for wine and Boodles.  Next it was to Kohl's to return the cap and scarf set from Amazon.  I had to let others get in front of me so that I could find the item I purchased on my phone.  Once I got on the Amazon site and located it there was no problem, and it will be credited to my account.

I crossed over to 76th Street and got a battery for my watch.  When I was ready to pay for it, the man said don't bother.  I didn't think I understood him right, but he repeated and said I didn't have to pay anything.  I thanked him and wished him a Happy New Year.  Then a short way away I had my calendar bound.  The last thing on my list was to turn in my converter boxes to Spectrum.  I was sure it was on 76th Street.  I went back and forth, then called Terry and she said it was on Hwy 100 north of Greenfield.  When I finally found it, there was a sign on the door that they moved to National Ave. right around Office Max.  I started out at 11:30 am and didn't get home until 5:30 pm.  I turned on the news to see the terrorist storming the Capitol to protest the electoral vote, all motivated by Trump's refusal to concede the election.

Thinking of Movong

 December 30, 2020

Jay came on Saturday the 26th, to pick up something from Anton's car, but I think he had ulterior motives.  He wanted a glass of wine and we talked.  He was concerned about my shortness of breath.  We then discussed my living arrangements and how long I might live in my condo.  I said I was contemplating a move, and he strongly suggested that I think about moving closer to the family.  I said that would be my intention and mentioned Eastcastle Place.  Jay was aware of other homes in the area also.

Laura called me either the same day or Sunday and discussed moving again.  I said that I would give it serious thought.

https://eastcastleplace.com/

I filled out financial information online at EastCastle Place to see if I could afford living there.  I would qualify for a one-bedroom apartment.  I requested a call back for more information.  Monday morning I got a call to answer my questions: yes, they have Catholic masses on Sunday, and yes, they do allow pets.  They would send me more information on finances.

Where do I start to downsize?  I thought a good place to start would be thinning down my calendars.  I brought a box upstairs from 1972 and started reading.  What memories and memorabilia! Recital programs, plays, a letter from Laura on her Slavic trip, a letter from Mother from Germany, obituaries, news clippings.  What do I throw away?  And so many notes about Mokelkes.  I put markers on those pages to include in my next letter to Donald.  Unfortunately, nothing got tossed.

December 29, Annika's Birthday.  I called The Catholic Home to get information on what they offered.  They allow cats, but no dogs.  They will send me more detailed information.   https://www.milwaukeecatholichome.org/

I wrote Don and Masako a letter with notes about what we did together in 1972 and 1973.  I took out loose items from the calendars and tossed the books away.  I was sad reading some of the turmoil going on in my life.

I ordered cashew shrimp from Green Tree Gardens for supper, enough for two meals.

January 1, 2021

I spent most of the day in my computer room cleaning out my file drawers and shredding.  The bags are overflowing with statements and stuff I hadn't looked at in years.  I took out a folder of cards that I created and put them aside, just to surprise myself at what I created.

Saturday, January 2, 2021

I continued cleaning and sorting.  I filled a huge bag with clothes that no longer fit.  It's shameful how much weight I've gained, and every resolution to cut back gets cast by the wayside.  Such short-lived commitments.  

I lectored at the 4:00 pm mass.  The church was beautiful with the splash of poinsettias.  The Catholic Home literature was in my mailbox when I got home.  This would be possible and would fit in my budget.  Looking at the video, I'd look like a kid among those people.  But, no doubt I would fit in.

1/4/2021

I took down my Christmas decorations and set aside a box that I would want to take to senior living.

Jay and Aleksei came for a visit before he leaves for California.  We discussed my move and I seemed firm in my decision.

I sent an email to the family with details of St. Rita's, which I really liked.

https://www.capricommunities.com/locations/st-rita-square/

It was Janice's week to call and from her car asked why I sent that message.  She was furious. She mentioned Heidi's mom in Seattle, being locked down during the pandemic, losing my independence and really did not like the idea.

So I gave it second thoughts.

I am too impulsive and make these decisions too quickly.  Claude said that I need help I should get Comfort Keepers that helps people stay in their homes.

January 12, 2021

It's Laura's week to check up on me and she commented on the bombshell I dropped when I wrote to Jay that I reconsidered moving.  He included me in a letter to the Farradays about how they downsized before moving into their apartment.

Laura really wants me to reconsider moving out of Franklin and closer to them, in a place that is more manageable.

I will keep this to myself.  The more I discuss this the more confused I become with everyone's advice.

February 17, 2021

I Zoomed a downsizing program offered by EastCastle Place.  It was a refresher course of things I already learned.

 

 

 

 

 

Minoqua

 Saturday, September 5, 2020

We had our breakfast outdoors at Denny's on Hwy 100. On the road on a cloudless sky reaching 70 degrees.

2:00 p.m. Back on the road after stopping for lunch at Sara Park in Tomahawk.  We had a picnic table right by a lake with nice facilities.  It was quite breezy off the lake, which we can expect for the next few days.

Our cabin is cozy, but confusing to find, since we shared a driveway.  We unloaded, put things in place and sat on the pier. There was a lot of activity on the lake. We did major shopping at Walmart that should hold us pretty well through the week.  I had beef barley soup that I made at home thawing and it hit the spot with Texas garlic toast.  There were no hot pads, which was really strange. I played with the TV to get it working. We have to work the Roku channel.

Sunday, September 6, 2020

We went to the 10:00 a.m. mass at Holy Family. 

The parking lot was pretty full, and I was reluctant to go inside the church.  It was huge. All the ushers had pale yellow sports shirts and directed people to their pews; we sat in the last pew to the side. 

Two musicians provided the entrance hymn; there was no sung Gloria.  There was one Eucharistic minister besides the priest. The ushers directed rows to proceed to Communion with proper distancing as we processed. The ushers also directed people by rows at dismissal.  I was very impressed with the organization.

After church we picked up V8 and dish cloths and hot pads at Walmart and a newspaper at Walgreen's. We drove north to Boulder Junction and on the way back we turned into a road that said Trout Lake.  Many bikers and a few hikers were on the road hugging the lake.  We found a little turn-off where we parked near a park bench and took in the view. Reading the paper was a lost cause, because we were fighting a stiff breeze.  

I tried getting the TV to work, but to no avail. It's going to be a long week if we don't get it working. I put a couple of fish lines in the water; that was a waste of time. Worked on the TV again while the pizza was in the oven and almost ruined it if Peter didn't come to the rescue, but it was still edible. I think the oven is hotter than the setting.

Labor Day, 2020

It was a beautiful day, sunny and mild. We took a walk on our road and noticed some whimsical creations using logs and other findings. 

Peter went to the second house from ours and asked Lois if she could tell us what we were doing wrong with the TV. We really weren't doing anything wrong, but we had to make the right selections with Roku. The large remote was really useless. We sat on the pier until it got chilly.

 I made chicken breast with red potatoes, corn from the cob and a salad.  We played Dominoes, but not the entire numbers; I am winning

Tuesday,  September 8, 2020

Overcast and cool, we won't see any sunshine today. I made portabella mushrooms filled with spinach,  cherry tomatoes and eggs for breakfast.  I had an Osher Zoom at 10:a.m. on Maverick Writers. We drove into town checking out beer gardens, the Wisconsin Cheese Board, where I bought cheddar, Swiss, a spread and a small jar of jam, mailed a Birthday card to Maureen and filled the car with gas. We bought a loaf of bread before heading for home.

Wednesday, September 9

Cold and raw. Peter walked around the cabin, but not for long, reporting that it was a very bad day. I zoomed Mavericks in Cream City, read some of Aloft, and started Michael Cohen's book. I did not leave the house at all. We played dominoes in the evening. 

Thursday,  September 10

What a difference a day makes. The sun was making an effort and we took advantage of it; we were not disappointed.  We headed north, stopping at Mercer to take a picture of a giant loon, as Mercer is the loon capital of the world. 

We also picked up a couple of sandwiches and water. I never thought we'd be able to have a picnic, so we left everything in the cabin. We passed Hurley and landed at Saxton, where Peter had some acquaintances. We then went to Saxton Harbor right on Lake Superior.  We found a picnic bench right next to the water. It was perfect, hardly a breeze and a very calm lake. 

On the return, Peter stopped at a bar to inquire about the people he would like to visit. With such a small population he was able to get his information. There was no response at the first house, but we were in luck with the second. We were greeted warmly and talked a lot about the man's family and his involvement in community projects.

On our return, we drove through St. Germain and Eagle River, hitting some construction that slowed us down. We had leftover chicken salad and ham sandwiches for supper. The sunset was obscured by trees, but we sat on the pier for awhile before starting to pack for our departure tomorrow. 

 Friday, September 11, 2020

8:54 a.m. Leaving Loon's Nest. We were up at 6:30 a.m., had Cheerios, hard cooked eggs, bananas and coffee for breakfast.  We got the cabin spic and span and are leaving on a beautiful sunny day, 47 degrees and rising.

12:38 p.m. We are on our way after having lunch at a rest stop on Hwy 51. It was cool, but tolerable. 

Overcast skies and intermittent mist followed us home. We stopped at Pick 'n' Save for my stock up of groceries and fried fish, potato salad and cole slaw for our at-home dinner. We relaxed with cheese, crackers and beer/wine, then warmed up the food. We really avoided human contact this whole week.  As a whole, it was an enjoyable outing, and we took advantage of every opportunity 

Now to put things away.

A Very Sad Day

 August 24, 2020

At 1:15 pm I got a phone call with the caller ID Nathaniel L. Shorty from Flagstaff AZ.  I ignored the call; another spam.  I retrieved my calls, which I neglected to do for a long time and the last call was from Eric.  We exchanged short pleasantries, but I'm sure he would not call to find out how I am.  He was calling about his dad.  Don has stage four pancreatic cancer.  He and Masako are with Rachel and Troy.  Apparently they abandoned everything in Japan.  He got the diagnosis in Japan, then came to Wisconsin on Tuesday.  He will be getting treatments, but with the cancer spreading to his liver and lungs, the prognosis is not good.  He has maybe a year to live depending on how he responds to the treatments.  I am just heartsick.  I felt bad that he wouldn't be coming to the states this year because of the pandemic, but here he his, under the most terrible circumstances.

End of June

 Where did June go?  It seems I did nothing noteworthy; I feel so useless.  Reading, knitting watching TV mostly occupy my time.  Osher has filled some of my time, also Jean Martyn that I find very enjoyable.

I ordered groceries from Pick 'n' Save this time; they were out of Cheerios!  There must have been a special sale.  I ordered chicken breasts and got a huge family pack.  One breast was more than enough for one person.  I halved each and planned my Friday dinner for Peter and me using one chicken breast using a recipe I discovered on Facebook. The only place that I was able to find a jar of roasted red peppers was at Fresh Thyme, which I picked up after my hair; they also had Boursin garlic and herb cheese.  It's a very nice specialty store; it does not have as many items like cereal as big food chains. I put some spinach, a few strips of baked red peppers and garlic and herb cream cheese on each breast, then wrapped a bacon strip around, securing it with tooth picks.  I made salad and used the cauliflower from last week that I roasted with garlic and a bit or red pepper flakes.  Peter came while it was raining pretty hard, so he parked in the garage.  The meal was delicious; I don't know when I enjoyed cauliflower more; I wish that I had more.  We watched some prerecorded programs in the evening.

I made a fritata with spinach, garlic and peppers topped with guriere cheese, blueberries and yogurt for breakfast.  After breakfast we went to Home Depot for mulch for me, some plants for Peter.  Since we were in the neighborhood we paid a visit to Rudy.  He made coffee and we talked and he told me countless times how good I looked.  I'm glad I never bought one of those single serving coffee makers.  What an abuse of plastic, and each serving is barely a cup. 

Peter unloaded my three bags of red mulch and was on his way.

I went to 4:00 pm mass that was sparsely attended.  I had a delicious chicken breast sandwich and salad for my supper. 

Sunday, June 28th

After breakfast of a leftover fritata, I spread two bags of mulch on the garden and did a thorough watering.  Mostly relaxed the remainder of the day.

Blood Donation

 June 23, 2020

The last session of Spirituality and Justice was much better than the previous ones; I almost was not going to attend as were a lot of people, only nine in attendance.  Laurie asked Jackie about her personal involvement and that sparked a lot of Jackie's background as an activist.

The Blood Center sent an appeal for a desperate need of blood, so I thought I'd give it a try after almost two years of low iron counts.  I've been taking an iron supplement for quite a while and it really paid off.  My iron was way above the required count; the required level is 12.5, mine was 15.5!  Blood pressure was also good.  The only problem was that my right arm, which I generally use, was not cooperating, so I had to get stuck again for my left arm.  Everything went well.  I rested for the rest of the day.