Hello From Rockville

The fourth Thursday of the month is redecorating day down in our community room, we changed some of the fall stuff and put up some Halloween stuff. I left b4 that was done as I had promised to help count coupons at church, Box Tops for Education, Campbell's labels and Cash Wise/Coborn's Food Club coupons, we'll send them in at the end of the year.

Today we continued with Harlan's 83rd birthday. He had not eaten lunch, I ordered a meal of sliders at the Park Diner this included 2 sliders and potatoes, just in case you don't know what sliders are they are small hamburgers similar to white Castle burgers in size and shape. We each had a slider and potato bites, a seasoned potato that is deep fried, they were good and we split his malt, we were full when we left.

I still have a coupon to go to the Pizza Ranch, it's a $5.00 coupon for Harlan for his birthday, we'll do that next week.

Today was a good day, great weather and I had a good time with Harlan..........Fran

Hello From Rockville

Today was Harlan's 83rd birthday, he started his birthday celebration yesterday with a visit from his sister Shirley. I brought in a stack of cards that I got in the mail and he had fun looking them over and kept commenting I have never gotten so many cards, he did enjoy them.

I took him to lunch, we went to the Park Diner because he would get a birthday malt/shake with his meal. Well, that did not work out as we were both too full from lunch to even think of attacking a malt. Our waitress said we could come back later or tomorrow and have it, we'll try for tomorrow.

After our lunch we went to Fleet Farm to fill and wash the van. While we were wiping it down Harlan commented, "What do you expect from an 83 year old man." This is the first time he has given his age correctly since his hospital stay, he has always insisted he is over 100 and I was not able to convince him otherwise. When we got back to the VA he was even able to quote my age correctly, the mind is strange and what he can recall, tomorrow will be different.

Today was great......Fran

Hello From Rockville

I didn't write yesterday as there was not a lot to write about, when I got there Harlan was napping with out his shirt only a t-shirt and I asked him why he said he didn't want them to take his shirt when he got his bath as he had only worn it for one day and it wasn't dirty. He did put it on and we went for a treat to Wendy's, their ice cream stuff wasn't very good we won't go back there.

This AM started with a hair cut for me, when I got home from the cut I picked up the mail for our building, did some ironing and went in to spend time with Harlan.

His sister Shirley came to visit Harlan then she took us out for a treat, we went to the Park Diner, Harlan had his usual a hot fudge sundae and coffee. Shirley had a malt and coffee and I has an orange float. We had a good laugh over how Shirley ate/drank her malt, when she went to pour the remainder of her malt into her glass it missed her glass and made a mess on the table, the part that missed her glass that is, she was so embarrassed, I did the same thing when I had my first one there.

It was so good to see her, she never changes and never gets any older. She had lunch with her two St. Cloud kids and a treat with Harlan. When she left St. Cloud she headed back to Plato.

Tomorrow is Harlan's birthday and I'll take him out for dinner, until then Good Night......Fran

Hello From Rockville

Nothing as exciting as yesterday. I took Harlan to church and because there was a baptism we left early, it's just too long for him to be in church through both, a church service and a baptism, it would have been after 12:00 when we left.

After church we went back to the VA to change clothes, I change clothes too then to I-Hop for lunch or rather breakfast. We had a good breakfast then to the VA for some rest. Before going in we took a little walk around outside and checked on the peacocks and the chickens, the little peacocks are no longer little, you can tell which ones are the young ones but they are nearly as large as the other adults. We went in and watched the last inning of the Twins game and watched them loose and with nothing much on the TV I napped and I think Harlan may have squeaked in a little nap too. He sleeps every other afternoon but not on Sunday because he is always sleeping when I come in to see him during the week.

He is starting to have more depressed feelings as today he was weepy when I left and is starting to want to go home with me, I hope that feeling subsides as I think it's harder for me then him as he seemed okay when I talked to him after I got home.That's it for now........Fran

Hello From Rockville

I joined several ladies from here for lunch in Cold Spring today, we had a good time visiting and before I knew it it was 2:30 and I needed to get going in to see Harlan. Because it was late for me to to get into see Harlan I called him and suggested he take his bingo card and meet me by the elevator, it's Sat and bingo time. He was not by the elevator when I got off so I went to his room and when I opened his door I nearly had a heart attack, he was standing on his bed looking at the light on the wall over his bed. I told him to get off of the bed as I really had concerns he would fall and after he got off on to the floor, a much sturdier place to stand, I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was looking for what ever it was he was suppose to find, he really didn't know what he was after. I think he had been sleeping when I called and did not understand what I had told him, I'll not try that again. He did well in playing but did not win a single game, maybe next time.

After bingo it was treat time and McD is near by, Harlan had a hot fudge sundae and I had a cup of coffee.

He kept asking what day this is and I told him I'd check the calendar when I got and would let him know. I don't like to tell him tomorrow is Sunday as he calls me many times Sat evening worrying how he will get ready for church and what is he going to wear, I find it is better if he doesn't know, he stress over it every Sat. If he would know tomorrow is Sunday when I get there on Sunday he doesn't remember it is Sunday and does all the worrying Sat night for nothing.

We'll have a good day tomorrow......Fran

Hello From Rockville

Today was my birthday and I had a great day. The YAH's from church had an outing which was to include a pot-luck picnic in the Munsinger/Clemens Gardens park but because the weather had not cooperated we met at the Pastor's residents and had a wonder meal. After filling our tummies and having devotions we loaded into the bus and headed to the Gardens, some looked around, some shopped and some stayed in the bus. We then headed to visit a shut in that had attend our church until several months ago, today was also her birthday. After our "trip" we headed back to church and I left to see Harlan. Because it was my birthday Harlan and Denese took me out for dinner, my choice was the Park Diner, you get a shake/malt on your birthday with a meal. For the third time today I was serenaded with Happy Birthday this was from the help at the Park Diner and I was served some delicious little warm sweet mini rolls with a lite candle in it. And again with a very satisfied tummy we took Harlan back to the VA and Denese took me to shop at the new Sam's and Walmart stores, oh are they big you either need a map or a guide and neither one were available but we had a good time and found lots of goodies.

Tomorrow will back to normal and I'll be back down off of cloud nine. I have received oh so many cards, thanks everyone for making my birthday so special..........Fran

Hello From Rockville

Today was our rainy day, my rain gauge showed 2" + which isn't a lot compared to what other areas of Minnesota received.

I'm doing the mail for our building the rest of September, tried to walk between the rain drops when I got the mail and decided I needed to loose wight if I was going to do that.

We were getting quit a shower when it was time for me to go in to spend time with Harlan that I had hard time making myself go and I know rain won't make me melt. I decided that it wouldn't be a good thing to take Harlan out, on the way in I stopped at McD for coffee and McD cookies. Harlan likes McD cookies, they are animal crackers with a hint of lemon. He did check the rain situation through the window several times and was satisfied to stay in. I was tired (I think rainy days are tiring) so had a nap then after his meds I went home and did drive in rain but not a hard rain so maybe it's coming to an end.

We'll "talk" again tomorrow.......Fran