Things are looking up

 Butch's appointment with his cardiologist took place this afternoon and we are greatly encouraged. His throat scope has been cancelled because he cannot be taken off his blood thinners for 6 months, and that would have been required for that procedure. That one was making me nervous for that very reason.

He will be getting a new med tomorrow that should take care of the high heart rate, the sleep study tonight, and a better outlook should improve everything.

And to top it off, I went to the pharmacy to get refills, and thanks to the staff at McFarland clinic who gave me a card, I was able to get an 80% reduction in my most expensive med. Down from $247 to $59.50! Oh, Happy Day!!

Finally!

 Butch recieved word yesterday that he will be getting his sleep study done tonight in Ames Iowa. It was a perfect birthday gift. It feels like we have been waiting for ages. We have two doctor visits today, too, and fortunately, they are local visits. My cardiologist comes to Jefferson a couple of times a month, and after today, he will also be Butch's cardiologist. There are numerous reasons a person can spontaneously lose weight, and we are investigating all of them. Last week, Dr. Merchant, an oncologist, said it may be something simple, and we won't know until we check.

So, as many of you know, dancing with Doctors can be time-consuming, and we're hoping for a quickstep. Maybe by July 1st, we can say we will sit the next one out.

Leo and Keri put together a small birthday celebration for Butch's 84th birthday. Jason and Laura played cards with us all afternoon, then we all went to Casa de Oro for supper. It was a happy time, lots of fun conversation.

The Birthday Boy

Clearly!

And the beat goes on...we hope

 Little changes at our house, and that is mostly okay with us. That feels like it leaves little to write about. I generally come up with something. I can always groan on about the medical world. Butch had a preliminary sleep apnea test and he won. He has sleep apnea. That means he needs to have a more thorough test to find out how bad it is. I hear they have a number system. I predict it is a high number. To find this out, someone from the hospital is supposed to contact us and tell us when he needs to go for a sleepover at the hospital. We found this out last week, and so far, we haven't been informed. 

He was supposed to go today for a throat scope, but due to a lack of a message from that particular office, it isn't happening. The insurance company nixed that one, but no one informed us. They assumed Butch was "techy" and would see the message through his MYCHART. He didn't.

Tomorrow he has an appointment with a doctor about his unexplained weight loss. He was down to 155 pounds. He started at 180 about a year ago. There is a shred of good news. Today, he stepped on the scale and it was up two pounds.

He has an appointment with the heart doctor here the day after his 84th birthday. He will be seeing the same heart doctor I have on June 10th. I think they will get along. I just hope he has something positive to share with us.

So all of the above has been on our mind. We still seem to get things done. Butch is playing golf with Jason when the weather allows.  We both are still playing pool most days at 4:00pm. Trivia night is Thursdays and game night is Saturdays and both activities are fun. Our "pool hall" is getting used precisely as we hoped it would, a gathering place.

Both of us always have a book going.  I've just finished this one, and I would highly recommend it. I loved it!

An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America.

“Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…”Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave.

Rain, Rain go away

 I am sure the farmers like it, the ones who have their crops in. It has been cool and rainy the past two weeks and I get a bit crabby when my walks are hindered.

Oh well. There are always indoor activities we can do.

We are getting into a pattern of doctor appointments. Hopefully, we can wrap those up soon. It does seem one appointment turns into many. We have no answers yet on Butch and sleep apnea or reasons for weight loss. Maybe this week will help.

Leo, Keri, Butch, and I went north to visit with Marlene and Bernard last Friday. They are both in their 90s and doing well in most aspects. Butch has been so lucky. There were 6 Brooker siblings, and only one has passed. I went searching for a picture of Marlene and Bernard and ran across this one of Butch and Marlene taken in 2016 at Pepe's on the river in South Texas. Good grief, that was 9 years ago!

I went on a photo search and ran across this one of Bernard, also in 2016, taken at their place in South Texas. Bernard is holding a homemade cribbage board. Sadly, I do not remember the story behind it. Obviously, it was made in the days when you made something instead of buying it. 

We would get together with Marlene and Bernard often when they were still coming down for the winter. Their park was about 25 miles from the one we stayed in.

Ancestry

 I know there are a lot of people into it, and I have not been one of them. Not deeply at any rate. However, I have recently been much more informed about my father's side of the spectrum over the last year. My father was adopted at 3 months of age due to the death of his mother. His father gave him to Sam and Anna Brock, which was not at all uncommon in those days. As a result, we "Brock" grandchildren knew very little of our Vanhorn, my father's birth name, side of the family. 

My birth grandfather was Walter Vanhorn, and Walter was a twin. Wesley was his twin's name. The twins had a brother, William, as well.

A few years ago Butch and I did the Ancestry.com thing, more to find out what part of Europe we came from more than anything else. I was put in touch with some of Walter's and Wesley's families as a result of being in the large pool of ancestors.

I recently found out I have 1st cousins in Greene County. They have been here most of my life, if not all, and I was unaware. 

Ancestry.com sends out a "hint" every little bit to entice you to become a member. My interest is not that strong, so I pass. I do, however, look at what they will show me for free. This is a photo of what I received yesterday. 

From this bit of info, I found out that my great-grandparents on my dad's side had a large gap between their ages. He was 28 years older than Luvica! She lived to the ripe old age of 107, and he died at 89. If I had known of her existence, I could have visited her had the circumstances been right. My father's biological sister, Ione Beason Shafer, lived to 104, so longevity might have been a factor.

Hey, it is raining outside, and I am all caught up on many things, so you get the leftovers of my mind on days like this one.

Day and Light

 Every photographer worth their salt knows it is all about the light. My "job" each morning is to unlock the doors in the morning; All six of them...that's another story.

When I opened the door on the east side of the breezeway, I stopped in my tracks and got my camera, my best camera! Now, this may not be a big deal to many people, but it is to me.

Here are the results:

This is actually the shot that sent me for my camera. (Chives)

These are the 3rd or maybe 4th generation of cacti my son, Gary, gave me for Mother's Day in 2004. We bring them in for the winter, and our house sitters give them a drink every month or so. It is awesome how they have evolved from the tiny little cactus they were to begin with.

Tricks of the Trade

 When I am stumped about what to share with you, I have a couple of tricks I rely on. One is pictures, always an easy way out. Another is recipes. But first, a rhubarb story. When Butch and I moved to this lot in Jefferson Iowa there was a heritage rhubarb patch, but it was in the wrong location. So we moved it and it has thrived, mostly. Rhubarb does not grow in the South. You might find it in northern Missouri, but it is rare to see it in southern Missouri. It is still abundant in Iowa, but that may not always be true as our winters get warmer each year. It would also help if people would help them thrive and recognize them for the treasures they truly are.

Last summer was a dry one and the patch suffered for it. It also went to seed abundantly. It did not look healthy, so I googled it to find out what to do about all those seeds. The advice was to cut them off immediately because it will suck all the goody out of the rhubarb if you do nothing. OMG!  That was very good advice. It sure is thriving this season, as you can see.

And I ran across this recipe, I might decide to try today.

Crustless Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients

3 cups rhubarb, diced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

4 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup 2% or whole milk

A small amount of softened butter to grease the pie pan

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and prepare the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate with the softened butter. 

Clean and dice rhubarb and put it into the prepared pie plate. 

Mix the remaining ingredients in a blender until well blended. Pour over the rhubarb in the pie plate. 

Bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees F. The center will be just slightly soft when it's done and will firm up as it cools on the countertop. 

Cool completely. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

The Lever on 8-oh!

When the 80th birthday rolls around, it feels like there is a silent switch in the system. Things change. The outlook on life, future, and past takes a different tone. Don't get me wrong, it isn't a bad thing. It is a reality that isn't fully structured. Your peers are leaving this good earth, and that is a little hard to ignore. And the ones who are still near and dear sometimes are not able to join you in the same activities they did in their younger years. We are all headed in the same direction, and there is no getting around that, but after 80, it looks a lot closer. Not something you give much thought to till you are there.

When I sat down at my computer with the idea of a blog entry, I wrote "Writer's Block". And the story above is what happened when I let the writer in me take over. I know there are those who do not want to even think about it. If that is you, then you probably are not going to get this far.

There are two things I hope I never lose: JOY and a sense of humor.

Time Flies more than Crawls

 BY THE WAY! Made this for supper last night. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out every bit as good as I remembered it!

When I get a 2-mile walk in, do some yard work, play an hour's worth of pool, fix meals, buy groceries, think of and prepare meals, something gets left out. And that something tends to be computer-related, such as getting ready for Iowa trivia, reading bits and pieces of the "wonderful" happenings of our torn and battered US of A, handling text messages and emails, etc.

Today, after returning from the 2-mile walk, I got lots done. I have a guy who loves to clean windows. Shocking, I know! Not only does he clean them, he does it for a very reasonable price. We all know the people who get ready for the cleaning lady. Hey, I was one of those! It forces a person to take care of the clutter you know the cleaning person would not know what to do with or where to put it. Same story with the windows, I do the sills and leave the heavy stuff for him. Today I did my sills! So I will give him a call and move onto the next project.

I feel like I am getting more-than-normal but necessary things done this season. I am assuming it has to do with not having any major projects in the works. I am anxious to get to the point where I am looking for something to do. I do not feel like it is very far away. I have set the date for Iowa trivia, Thursday, May 15th @ 6:30 pm. Everyone is welcome.

 I have set the date for the Zimmerle Cousin Reunion on June 14th. Everyone is welcome to that too, but better to let me know you are coming on that one.

Keri and I were talking about spaghetti recipes and I sent her one of mine that has inspired me to make it soon. Here it is:

Recent Photos

 I am enjoying my view as I sit at my computer. I am not as quick as I used to be. I still enjoy the challenge of getting a good shot.

                             Out on a Limb 1

 Out on a Limb 2

                           

                         Grosbeak 1

Get this show on the road...

 Whatever day I choose for a Zimmerle Cousins Reunion is not going to work for someone, so I picked a day...and it is Saturday, June 14th! Yeah! Food will be provided, and at this point, we do not know what it might be.

We will be getting together just like when we were babies and the magnificent 7, Mae, Ray, Phil, Herold, Vivian, Jack, and Fern, gathered at Grandma Z's humble abode for Sunday dinner.  Oh, the stories that could be told!

You will not want to miss it if it is as much fun as last year.

Please let me know if you can attend.

Settled in

 We have been home for over a week and are settled in. There are a few things we need to get done, mostly outdoor things. We have had some nice days, but they seem random to me. It will all get done in good time.

This week's theme is "Doctor Appointments." There were three, and the last one is tomorrow.  They are mostly getting the medical stuff that happened in Texas in the records for Iowa, so everyone is on the same page.

I haven't started Pool Hall Trivia yet, but I plan to do so later this month. Butch and I are playing pool nearly every day at 4:00. Drop in for a visit. We can easily make it a billiards/happy hour combo.

Laura, our daughter-in-law, had knee replacement surgery yesterday, and anyone who has had that knows it is a tough row to hoe for a couple of weeks and no darn fun for longer than that. We hope it is smooth sailing and she can get back to her regular routine as soon as possible.

I want to set a date for the Zimmerle Cousins reunion, and I am leaning towards Saturday, June 7th. That was my sister Myrla's birthday, and close to the same date as last year. If I receive no opposition within the next week, we will make it official!

Iowa Homecoming

 We are tucked into our Summer home with Winter temperatures (low 40s). The trip was smooth except for an uptick in road construction. It seems they were fixing things everywhere we wanted to go!

In getting caught up on my computer, I came across this cartoon, and it was appropriate after our long drive home!

We are very happy with our T-Mobile internet connection. It served us well for our 6 months in Texas, and when I turned it on here, it found a tower immediately and hooked up with a strong connection. We also have a strong connection in the pool hall, all this with not one booster! I could have hooked up along the way if I had wanted to take the time, but I didn't.

It will take us a while to settle in, as it always does in both directions. More so as the years add up.

4 days before takeoff

 We are slowly working toward the big day when we get in the car and head North. Sunday and Monday will be the most active days for getting ready. We do have a head start. This morning I did a heavy cleaning of the bathroom. We currently have designated areas for things that are going in the car. We have done it enough in the past to have a routine of sorts. It doesn't pay to get too serious too soon.  Digging through things after packing only creates more chaos.

We are both doing okay healthwise. We have been tracking our blood pressure and recording it. Both of us are in the healthy range. We have been walking about a mile for the past couple of days. Just that has been helpful in many ways, both mental and physical. I miss Renie and our 2-mile walks, but hope to pick it back up with Keri when we get settled in Iowa.

I had no idea that low magnesium could be so important. After the IV in ER and taking a supplement each evening, many things have straightened out for me, some of which have been a bother for years. I am now only getting up once or twice through the night. Asleep two hours followed by awake two hours isn't happening so far. I am liking this new way of sleeping.

Last night we went with Bill and Sandi to the Eldorado for supper. It had been a while since we had done that, and it was really good! Butch and I shared Chicken Fajita ala Plancha and we brought home enough for supper tonight. Bill had Chicken-fried steak and raved about it. Sandi had Liver and Onions and declared it delicious as well. We always follow up with a stop at the Dairy Queen for mini blizzards, making it an all-around good time!

Miscellaneous Photos

 "Bootsie" is a cat belonging to Paul and Sally Kelleher. Bootsie is a fat cat weighing in at 18 lbs. 

She is a special friend of Butch's.

Butch and I used to go to a place above the Canada Store called "Garcias". It is now under new management, and didn't compare, so we no longer go there. But we have been to Arturo's with Marlene and Bernard years ago, and it was their favorite place to eat when in Progresso. Butch had a hankering for Panchos so we decided to try them at Arturo's. It will be our place to go in the future because their Panchos were the very best!

We have both had trouble lately with a lack of appetite and feeling full after a few bites. As you can see, we managed to eat most of the plate and they were delicious!

More flood pics.

In the midst of it...

Neighbor Sandi took a good video of the storm. I hope it works for you to see it. Her chicken looks more like a duck! Fortunately, we remained high and dry.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-wTeyDRMtjxDcAbkju4AV4kcy5g3aVtW/view?usp=sharing

 The storm

Rio Grande River plus

 In the 25 years we have been coming to the Rio Grande Valley, we have not seen the river out of its banks. We have now! Butch and I went to see Hector for the last time till next fall. The river was out of its banks and we could see the current running fast.

Another tidbit is that we have never seen the streets of Progresso so clean. They underwent a major power wash at the same time we did. We were there 2 days after the big rain, so there was only one spot that failed to drain away, and we had to watch our footing. We easily walked the mile down to Hector's pharmacy. With Butch being on several new and different medications we needed to stock up on the ones that are pricy in the U.S. As it turned out, there were only 2 that were not covered fully by our insurance. Eliquis and Farxiga. Each of those is over a hundred dollars a month if purchased in the U.S. through our insurance. And when you inquire about them on this side of the border, they behave as though that is a bargain.

Another story about meds in Mexico: Years ago, my doctor prescribed Xarelto for me, and that is when the difference between North and South was enough to knock you off your feet. So we bought them from Hector. And then after talking to a friend who was also on blood thinners, I found out that Eliquis was considerably cheaper than Xarelto. So I called my cardiologist to find out if I could switch, and he said "yes," no problem. So for several years, perhaps 10 or more, I was on Eliquis. On our last trip, Hector informed me that Xarelto is now cheaper than Eliquis, and you take one pill a day instead of two! So I called my cardiologist again to find out if I could switch back, and the answer was once again "Yes". It is great to have a Mexican 'pharmacist' who looks out for you and an Iowa cardiologist who listens. And that is only one way Hector has been a great help over many years.

We are both feeling well and adjusting to our new ways of being healthy. 

We will be on our northern trip in about 12 days, stopping in Johnson City, TX, and Thackerville, OK, before landing with the Missouri kids on the 17th.

I have my fridge pared down to almost nothing getting ready for the event.

Later...

South Texas Flood March 2025

 We were told to expect rain yesterday. Renie and I played some pool for a couple hours. The wind was very strong but that is nothing new here. It started to thunder so we decided to head for home. Shortly after I got home the rain started and then it poured and then it didn't quit. Hours passed with continued torrential rain. The thunder and lightning would come in waves but the rain would only slow down for a few minutes and then let loose again! At times it was so thick you could barely see across the street. 

Darrel and Linda Millard had went out to eat and got caught up in it. They were stranded in the H.E.B. parking lot and the intersection they needed to cross was closed due to high water, 3 feet or more, stopping their path to getting home. They had to stay the night and got home at 7:00am by taking a different route.  I have since heard stories of people having to stay on the expressway all night because the exits were flooded. This event will stay in our memories for a good long time!

This is a photo of the street we live on, taken by the people who live on the south end of it. We live on the right side of this street about 2/3rd of the way.

The photo below was taken by my hairdresser Rhonda who lives on the street facing the golf course.

My rooster fell over! His mate floated over to the neighbors and then took refuge in the oleander bush! It took me a while to find her this morning.

The view off our deck! The rain was a good 5 inches up our steps!

We were fortunate because we were home when it started and were never in danger or discomfort!

Health update: We are both doing well. Mostly back to normal! If there is such a thing as normal!

Medical news

 Overactive: It seems I have an overactive bladder. All of my tests come out with likeable results so the Doc says I am A/OK except for that overactive business. Yes, there is a med for it and yes, I am taking it.  I am having slightly good results with it so far. It upsets my gut a bit. End of story...I hope.

Today we see the cardiologist for Butch. This is a day we have been looking forward to. We have lots of questions. We hope to have answers.

Results of appt. He is doing well, and they will take him off the Brilinta 90 mg, which costs $429 a month with insurance, however, he will then be taking 3 new ones, and we do not know the cost yet. So the med thing is a bit of a deal to be figured out but all the rest of it is good. So I guess if we look at it as a way to make the next 10 years or so good years then it takes on more importance and makes it well worth the cost.

Now seems like a good time for a nap!