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Bob Murdock Colleen McKay visited us in January to celebrate Nancy's 80th birthday, on Saturday, the 14th. They went to 8 AM mass at the local Catholic church, then went across the street and attended the 10 AM service at the Episcopal church. Colleen visited us again July 7-9 and we had a rousing game of Scrabble, won by Nancy. In November, Colleen celebrated Veteran's Day by treating Bob (and Nancy) to brunch at the Breakwater Family Restaurant. On our laptop, she showed us over 400 photos stored on a tiny plug-in chip. On March 28, Nan's sister Polly arrived from New Hampshire, and our daughter Valerie arrived from California. They met in Minneapolis and flew together to the airport in Ironwood. We all had a great visit. Polly enjoyed finding recipes in our vegetarian cookbook. She went home on April 4 and Valerie departed on the 5th. Valerie came again October 10 and was able to stay for a week. She cooked some nice meals for us. My favorite was tacos. We enjoyed shopping together at the Super One grocery store. She has to read labels closely, because she is unable to eat any soy products, and all kinds of things contain soy for the protein. We ssw our first robin on March 22, and they hung around all summer until the end of October. Darrel put up a shepherd's crook outside our bedroom window, and at first it housed a humming bird feeder. They started coming the day after he installed it! Later in the summer that feeder was replaced with a seed feeder, and we had chickadees from then on. Other visitors for seeds were juncos, a goldfinch, a flock of evening grosbeaks, a cardinal, and (whoops) a squirrel! Darrel greased the pole to prevent any further mischief. This year we didn't have as many health issues. But on April 17, I got sent to the ER after a routine checkup with NP Tina Marshall showed that I had a dangerously high pulse rate. At the ER, they took tests and prescribed a beta-blocker, metoprolol. It had almost immediate effect, so they sent me home. I have been taking half a 25 mg tablet daily (metoprolol er succinate) along with my regular blood pressure medicine (lisinopril, 2.5 mg) and things seem to be back to normal. I have a blood pressure monitor at home which measures BP and pulse rate. On July 2 I saw a cardiologist, and he gave me a clean bill of health. Nancy had a bone density test on April 2. The results were not bad, but NP Tina Marshall said Nan has to continue taking Fosamax once a week. She is also taking calcium and vitamin D daily. On July 25, Nan went to the hospital for minor surgery. She had a scab on her stomach that had been acting up (no longer dry) and the surgeon, Dr. Santini, said it was malignant and had to be surgically removed. So he took care of it at the hospital and Nan has had no more problems. One night in mid-summer we had a sudden, violent windstorm about 2 AM. The next day we found a lot of shingles on the ground that had blown off the roof. One flew over to the neighbor's house and broke a window. Mary talked to the neighbor and he said "Don't worry, my insurance will cover it." He works for a construction company and recommended that we get a quotation to get our roof repaired. So we did, but the contractor would replace the entire roof, several thousand dollars. Then we got a quote from Nathan, a contractor who had repaired another part of our roof. "I can replace the missing shingles for $450.00", he said. He got our business. |
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Gene Murdock (Oct 14, 2012) Two weeks ago I was fine and dandy, coming and going as I pleased. I have been walking the native grass lands around the county and planning an approach to photograph and identify the multitude of grasses, trees and forbs (prairie flowers). One day I went to the Glenwood Lake Park (remember the one where I described a nature walk around the lake and another one where I described the small waterspouts arising from the lake?). I walked around it and then headed up to the amphitheater to circle it and climb higher to the rear portion to where some magnificent grasses were growing. The next morning I awoke with a very sore upper right leg, not too surprising, I thought. The following day I headed out to visit a farm where they were going to be demonstrating the practice of training dogs for shepherding. I went out the front door to the car and discovered I hadn’t put my car keys in my pocket. So back in I went and retrieved the keys. As I got back to the main front door I pushed the automatic door opener button, spun left on one foot towards the door, then right on the other foot as I stepped out, and BOOM, down I went. Something in the right leg had just given way and I just slumped down on top of it with my left foot underneath me. The staff was right there immediately to help me get up, because I could not move anything! I was in a little hallway with a bench so I had them sit me on the bench to recover. They did so, and followed the rules on falls by checking me out, taking my vitals and writing the event up. I went back to my room and settled in as best I could. Actually it wasn’t so bad, because my diary says I microwaved a baked sweet potato, two little ears of corn, and added about two ounces of cheese and had a FANTASTIK! meal. The nest day, a Sunday, I was very sore and shaky - all my leg muscles hurt as well as the right hip joint, but there were no bruises. ON Monday the LPN came down to examine me and talk. She said to exercise it and take Tylenol as needed. And to call the doctor if it didn’t get better. Tuesday it was only slightly better on arising, but as I walked the halls on errands I had a throbbing pain in my hip, so I called in and made an appointment for the next day, Wednesday. Dr Kent took X-rays, and said no breaks or visible damage so go on Ibuprophen and get therapy. Thursday I woke up after nine hours sleep, did my morning duties, ate breakfast, and then slept two hours more! After lunch I ran some chores - bank, library, gas up, etc. Back home I staggered down to my room and as I weaved my way past the bed towards the bathroom my right ankle gave way, and down I went again! I was able to get up and back to function by myself, but I felt like an idiot! Friday a supervisor of the therapy came in and interviewed me to determine my status and needs and to fill out the piles of paperwork - 1 ½ hours. At three p.m. a therapist came and did a preliminary physical assessment and set up a tentative schedule. So I am now on therapy exercises three half-hour sessions a week for about a month. Each day I feel differently - one day I will improve to where I think it is all better, then the next day I will wake up with excruciating pain that lasts most of the morning. But I am in good hands. The staff is all aware of my condition and treat me accordingly, the Doctor’s office keeps an eye on paperwork that crosses their counter, and the therapists are very helpful and encouraging. But one of the best developments is that grand-daughter Ashley is visiting me every Friday. Just chatting with her is like having rays of sunshine on a cloudy day. |
Photo by Darrel |
Nancy A. Murdock This was our third Halloween in the Upper Peeninsula. In 2010, we had candy ready for Trick or Treat, but nobody stopped by. "Oh, you need to have a pumpkin or Jack'o'lantern on the front doorstep," said Meredith. So in 2011 we put out a pumpkin. One family came, a lady and two daughters. We had to eat a lot of leftover Butterfinger candy. "Oh, you need to have the porch light on," said Mer. So this year we left the porch light on, and Darrel carved a magnificent Jack'o'lantern from the huge pumpkin that Mary had found. Lo and behold, about 4 PM three Trick or Treaters rang our doorbell. Then some more came, and then some more, and then some more. There must have been sixty or seventy in all! Not knowing there would be so many, we were generous with the treats at first. Whoops, they finished all the candy we had set aside. We had to go to the fridge and gather our private stock of mini Hershey bars. After those were devoured, we put out half of our private stash of wrapped dark Dove and Bliss chocolates. Sure enough, those disappeared as well. "That's it!" we said, and turned off the porch light and locked the front door. By then, it was becoming dark and nobody else came by anyhow. Live and learn! Thanks for your advice, Mer! |
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Christel M. Jones Hello my beautiful family! (Oct. 11, 2012) Things have been generally very good here. I love my job here at a workmen's comp insurance company in downtown Omaha. I have moved out of my host's home and am living in an apartment in an area called Midtown Crossing with a wonderful roomie, Veronica. I have joined a chorus called River City Mixed Chorus, and we have a Holiday concert that we're working on that's happening Dec 8th & 9th. It has been such a joy to be singing again, and they are a great group. I am also going to church at Metropolitan Community Church here, which has been just wonderful. They even asked me to sing a song for worship, which is such a surprise & very exciting. Not much else is going on in my life here, but I am verrry excited to visit San Diego for a few days at the beginning of next month (Nov 2-6) and spend time with my friends & family there! Hope all is happiness with you all! (Nov. 15, 2012) Last week, I visited San Diego, and despite a few hiccups and a bruised tailbone, I had a fantastic time! It was so good to be home and see all my friends and family who were able to make it to SD - evening my step-sister, Katie, who gave me the best greeting, EVER! I spent time at the swap meet, soaking up the sun and getting exercise. Captain Robb Murdock took us out on the water in my Grandma Hanson's boat - he was a fantastic captain, of course! And seeing San Diego after living in Omaha makes me really appreciate the beauty and wealth of activities and GOOD FOOD available even more! I am loving Omaha. It's pace is slower, and more akin to my own, and there is lots of arts here, which I look forward to getting to appreciate once I get my finances/loans settled up from being out of a job for that 6 months. I applied for a job at Target as a cashier as a part-time, supplemental job, and was offered a lead cashier position, which is just fantastic! I think I get 50c more than I would have as a regular cashier. I have started walking to work, as I have discovered it's only 1 mile, and at a turtle's pace, only about 18 minutes to get there, and then I don't have to pay ridiculous downtown parking fees! Yay! So, that is pretty much where I'm at right now. I hope this message reaches all of you well! Love you bunches! |
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Barb DiStefano (Jan. 14, 2012) Nancy, have a wonderful birthday! For your birthday I am going to send you a few memories I have of you where your life crossed mine. The first memory I have is when I went to Polly's house and you were her wonderful big sister. Kind of bossy, but she adored you, so I did too. Then I remember Bob dating you, and his little black book showed three or four girls' names each week in order of his favorites; then only three, then two, and each time you made the cut until you were his one and only. You then married at the big event you won in Worcester. Polly and I had a good time sampling from the different vendors and being in awe at all your gifts. Remember the Zarex(?) drink you got a case of? Well, guess what, it is back! Back on the New England shelves in 2010. Time passed and you would invite Polly and me to spend some time with you and Bob - first in W Brookfield and then at a couple of places down near Boston. Once Polly and I were looking up words in the dictionary that we considered "bad" words. We thought we were quiet but happened to turn around and there you were, doubled over laughing! You taught me it was ok to talk about ANYTHING. Thanks for that. Another time you let us make cookies, any color we wanted! Wow! Once when I was an awkward adolescent we were playing some game and you told me I had nice shoulders. (!) Nice shoulders! I didn't think I had nice anything at that age, so that went a long way to boost my self-image. Thanks for that. I admire your talent in writing, in quilting, and in insight. It has been my pleasure to know and love you and now wish you a very happy birthday! Love, Barb |
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