Shirley, Rose, and I returned to St. Louis last night. Mark Goldman called for us at the airport. We were three old bedraggled ladies by the time we got home. Quickly, though, we have settled into our regular routines.
We had a updating e-mail from Brother Joe about his doctor visit today, which we are happy to post here:
"X-ray showed completely clear, lungs & heart continue to sound good. In my analysis, things are going as good as can be expected, probably even better than expected!
I will be going back on May 2nd & 3rd, to see the heart Dr. and get going on some monitored
cardiac rehab. Probably 3 days per week.
Weight limitations will continue through June, to insure nothing is pulled loose in the chest surgery area.
He said this type operation uses up all the reserves & I will also be building them back, as
progress continues.
Love, bro Joe"
We neglected to mention to Joe that Rose and I stopped by a Chevrolet dealer in Covington, KY, to see what the Uplander (the van he is considering) looks like. I went with Joe several years ago when he purchased his current van and helped his choose it--a task I enjoyed immensely. From what we saw of the Uplander, he did very well this time without my input.
Tomorrow Rose and I will make a quick trip to the lake to make sure all the work was done to my satisfaction--this from the leaky faucet in the new bathroom that did so much damage. The new whole house water filter is in, but still the shower doors are not installed. It surely takes a act of god to have anything happen when you are 150 miles from the scene. Rose and I will go to Home Depot this time since Lowe's completely dropped the ball on my order. Lowe's even lost the order completely. After some argument with the store manager, he did refund the monies I had already paid.
Speaking of home repair, Rose and Shirley noticed some lifted shingles on the roof of their house last week. Today the Farmer's Insurance adjuster came to take a look and determined the house had $6500 of hail damage! Looks like a new roof, siding repair, and other stuff will get done here to the complete surprise of all three of us.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Monday, April 24, 2006
Yesterday Shirley, Shirley's sister, Sue, and I drove from Covington, LA, here to Lake Charles, LA. The devastation we have seen during our trip south has been awesome. You can't believe how much worse things look first-hand from the impressions you get from television.
On Friday we drove through the Lower Ninth Ward and through St. Bernard Parish. Unbelievable! After all these months there is debris everywhere, houses collapsed or heavily damaged, huge trees lying on the ground, whole areas seemingly untouched since Katrina blew through. We drove past the school where Shirley's sister, Loretta, taught for years. She pointed out how it was then because now it is a pile of rubble.
Here in Lake Charles where Rita struck the hardest conditions are better, but evidence of the storm is everywhere.
It is horrific, horrific. And we have seen only a small fraction of the horror--and that eight months past the event.
At one point Sue asked who would want to live in such a god-forsaken place, especially after god left such a mess in his wake. As it turns out, lots of people must want to live here because property values are soaring and the traffic is something to behold. There is a lot of construction in the areas north of New Orleans, especially on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain in Covington and Slidell.
Yesterday was Sue's birthday. Shirley dropped the two of us at a new and luxurious casino where we gambled for a while (lost everything), then had a grand dinner in a fabulous restaurant next door (charged everything). It was a nice way to spend this birthday. We both reminisced about this day 20 years ago when we saw "Cats" in London followed by a birthday dinner, also at a nice restaurant. The other birthdays are mostly a fog--except of course for the big 60 bash when Sue was so ill.
Now we are about to check out of this hotel and head south again. More later.
On Friday we drove through the Lower Ninth Ward and through St. Bernard Parish. Unbelievable! After all these months there is debris everywhere, houses collapsed or heavily damaged, huge trees lying on the ground, whole areas seemingly untouched since Katrina blew through. We drove past the school where Shirley's sister, Loretta, taught for years. She pointed out how it was then because now it is a pile of rubble.
Here in Lake Charles where Rita struck the hardest conditions are better, but evidence of the storm is everywhere.
It is horrific, horrific. And we have seen only a small fraction of the horror--and that eight months past the event.
At one point Sue asked who would want to live in such a god-forsaken place, especially after god left such a mess in his wake. As it turns out, lots of people must want to live here because property values are soaring and the traffic is something to behold. There is a lot of construction in the areas north of New Orleans, especially on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain in Covington and Slidell.
Yesterday was Sue's birthday. Shirley dropped the two of us at a new and luxurious casino where we gambled for a while (lost everything), then had a grand dinner in a fabulous restaurant next door (charged everything). It was a nice way to spend this birthday. We both reminisced about this day 20 years ago when we saw "Cats" in London followed by a birthday dinner, also at a nice restaurant. The other birthdays are mostly a fog--except of course for the big 60 bash when Sue was so ill.
Now we are about to check out of this hotel and head south again. More later.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Hello from Sue and Rose in Louisiana. We flew into New Orleans yesterday afternoon, rented a car, shopped at Whole Foods, then drove across Lake Ponchatrain (sp?) to Shirley's sister and brother-in-law's home here in Covington. Rose and I came here to Barnes and Noble Bookseller this morning to sign on to the internet and do a brief update.
We haven't seen a lot of Katrina damage yet, but we haven't yet visited any areas that were devastated. Last night we drove to Slidell, about 30 minutes from here, to visit Shirley's niece and her new baby. The child, Savanna, is beautiful! In Slidell we could see a whole lot of debris still along side the streets, but it was too dark to see more.
More about our trip later. We return to St. Louis on Tuesday.
Shirley saw her orthopedic specialist on Tuesday and is scheduled to see another specialist (this about her ankle) and to have an MRI of her shoulder next week. It is too soon to know the extent of injuries or the required fix. She is still in a lot of pain and favors her right shoulder by wearing a sling.
Chris and Shelly are having a big garage sale on May 6. Rose, Shirley, and I have been gathering stuff for the event. Mark Goldman, one of my favorite sons, has been helping with the loading and ferrying to the Spreitlers' house.
We had a great chat with Brother Joe on-line Monday evening. He sounded just great, but his typing is still slow. Poor guy, he had a hard time responding to our lightning fast old-secretarial skill. Joe has to see his doctor before he will be allowed to drive. The new car fever was unaffected by his hospital stay. He is thinking of buying a Chevrolet Uplander--whatever that is. Rose and I have been looking for one on the road. They must be rare.
Brayden just called his Granny to say thank you for his and Jalen's Easter Cards with money enclosed. I think his father twisted his arm to get him to talk because he sounded like he was doing the obligatory thing.
Brayden is into his bathroom-humor state. Just now he said something about 'poo poo' and laughed loudly, then repeated himself several times. God knows what he was telling me.
Dear Readers, if you think we are going on and on here, it is because we had to pay for two hours of internet access, and we are determined to get our money's worth--especially since we don't have Pete's credit card. And Pete has put a lien on Joe's.
We are awaiting word from all folk who plan to attend the family reunion JUNE 3-4 in St. Louis. Also, we need stories to help put together an informative evening. Mark Goldman has offered to gather any material into book form for us.
We haven't seen a lot of Katrina damage yet, but we haven't yet visited any areas that were devastated. Last night we drove to Slidell, about 30 minutes from here, to visit Shirley's niece and her new baby. The child, Savanna, is beautiful! In Slidell we could see a whole lot of debris still along side the streets, but it was too dark to see more.
More about our trip later. We return to St. Louis on Tuesday.
Shirley saw her orthopedic specialist on Tuesday and is scheduled to see another specialist (this about her ankle) and to have an MRI of her shoulder next week. It is too soon to know the extent of injuries or the required fix. She is still in a lot of pain and favors her right shoulder by wearing a sling.
Chris and Shelly are having a big garage sale on May 6. Rose, Shirley, and I have been gathering stuff for the event. Mark Goldman, one of my favorite sons, has been helping with the loading and ferrying to the Spreitlers' house.
We had a great chat with Brother Joe on-line Monday evening. He sounded just great, but his typing is still slow. Poor guy, he had a hard time responding to our lightning fast old-secretarial skill. Joe has to see his doctor before he will be allowed to drive. The new car fever was unaffected by his hospital stay. He is thinking of buying a Chevrolet Uplander--whatever that is. Rose and I have been looking for one on the road. They must be rare.
Brayden just called his Granny to say thank you for his and Jalen's Easter Cards with money enclosed. I think his father twisted his arm to get him to talk because he sounded like he was doing the obligatory thing.
Brayden is into his bathroom-humor state. Just now he said something about 'poo poo' and laughed loudly, then repeated himself several times. God knows what he was telling me.
Dear Readers, if you think we are going on and on here, it is because we had to pay for two hours of internet access, and we are determined to get our money's worth--especially since we don't have Pete's credit card. And Pete has put a lien on Joe's.
We are awaiting word from all folk who plan to attend the family reunion JUNE 3-4 in St. Louis. Also, we need stories to help put together an informative evening. Mark Goldman has offered to gather any material into book form for us.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
We are tracking Brother Joe's progress. He went home from the hospital on Thursday, April 7, and is progressing nicely. Pete told us he talked with Joe yesterday, and Joe is now able to walk two blocks but is not driving yet. His family is taking excellent care of him.
Pete also told us that Janet had her rotater cuff (shoulder) surgery on Tuesday and is recovering, albeit with a lot of pain. Daughter Merri, who several weeks ago had a similar surgery, has been helping out with Janet's care.
Shirley is on the mend, slowly, from the awful fall she took on our stairway two weeks ago. She is doing lots of physical therapy, wearing her right arm in a sling, and taking lots of pain killers. She will see the orthopedic specialist on Tuesday and hopefully will get good new then.
Bernie called today. He and Maudie had gone to son Mike's birthday celebration, along with most of the other family. Bernie and Maudie are making plans to come to the family reunion as is part of their family. They are going to drive and bring their mobile home.
Rose and I talked with Chris and Shelly a bit today about reunion plans. This should be a nice event. One of Chris and Scott's friends, Mark Goldman who is a writer and an English teacher, has volunteered to put together a "Family Story Book" if we provide the content. If any of our Dear Readers are so inclined, we would love to get your stories--happy, sad, historical, or otherwise. We'll hand them over to Goldman for putting into book form.
Mark and Karen had a luncheon today at their new house in Kirkwood. We got to meet some of Karen's family and had a wonderful time. Their home is stunning even though they are not nearly settled in yet.
Rose has now found that she can post video on the internet. We did a small film (art?). Should you wish to view it, simply click on the "Felin Family News" link on the upper right hand of this page. The link will take you to Podomatic where you can click on (small tab at bottom left of post) "Sue, Talking about the Recent Trip to Louisville." This first video podcast is a test. Let us know what you think. The possibilities for sharing family news are great.
Pete also told us that Janet had her rotater cuff (shoulder) surgery on Tuesday and is recovering, albeit with a lot of pain. Daughter Merri, who several weeks ago had a similar surgery, has been helping out with Janet's care.
Shirley is on the mend, slowly, from the awful fall she took on our stairway two weeks ago. She is doing lots of physical therapy, wearing her right arm in a sling, and taking lots of pain killers. She will see the orthopedic specialist on Tuesday and hopefully will get good new then.
Bernie called today. He and Maudie had gone to son Mike's birthday celebration, along with most of the other family. Bernie and Maudie are making plans to come to the family reunion as is part of their family. They are going to drive and bring their mobile home.
Rose and I talked with Chris and Shelly a bit today about reunion plans. This should be a nice event. One of Chris and Scott's friends, Mark Goldman who is a writer and an English teacher, has volunteered to put together a "Family Story Book" if we provide the content. If any of our Dear Readers are so inclined, we would love to get your stories--happy, sad, historical, or otherwise. We'll hand them over to Goldman for putting into book form.
Mark and Karen had a luncheon today at their new house in Kirkwood. We got to meet some of Karen's family and had a wonderful time. Their home is stunning even though they are not nearly settled in yet.
Rose has now found that she can post video on the internet. We did a small film (art?). Should you wish to view it, simply click on the "Felin Family News" link on the upper right hand of this page. The link will take you to Podomatic where you can click on (small tab at bottom left of post) "Sue, Talking about the Recent Trip to Louisville." This first video podcast is a test. Let us know what you think. The possibilities for sharing family news are great.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
We are happy to report that Joe is recovering nicely from his surgery. He had a four-way bypass on Friday, will be in the intensive care unit for two-three days, then in a regular room for a few days more. Margaret has been talking with Mary to get updates, and Lisa has checked in with us.Lisa told us she knew her father was fine when the nurse reported to her that she had told him to keep his covers on, that he was exposing his 'privates.' Joe responded, "You're lucky. Usually I charge a dollar for that."
On the other news front, Shirley took a terrific head-first fall on the front stairway Friday afternoon. She refused a call to 911, so Rose took her to the St. Mary's Emergency Room where she waited in the "Fast Track" for 5 1/2 hours to be examined. [God help those on the slow track!] After x-rays of her right arm, hand, and shoulder, and a cat scan of her face, the doctors determined she had no broken bones and no damage to her face or her eye. However, she has some torn ligaments. She has a very black eye and very sore arm and shoulder. The emergency room staff rigged her up with a temporary splint and sling to help relieve the pain and pressure and sent her home with instructions to see her primary care physician on Monday or Tuesday.
Jana and John had a beautiful, almost eight pound baby girl Friday evening. Jana's mother and step-father drove all night to greet this new grandchild. Her name is Ellie Lyn, and mother and daughter are doing fine. We plan to visit them this afternoon.
This is Guys' Work/Play Weekend at the Lake. Their project this year was to power wash and stain the deck. Chris called this morning to report Mission Accomplished. They worked hard and they played hard, and they ate a lot. As usual, Doug provided guidance and leadership and prodding for the project to Chris, Scott, Mark Goldman, Maddog, and Danny.
On the other news front, Shirley took a terrific head-first fall on the front stairway Friday afternoon. She refused a call to 911, so Rose took her to the St. Mary's Emergency Room where she waited in the "Fast Track" for 5 1/2 hours to be examined. [God help those on the slow track!] After x-rays of her right arm, hand, and shoulder, and a cat scan of her face, the doctors determined she had no broken bones and no damage to her face or her eye. However, she has some torn ligaments. She has a very black eye and very sore arm and shoulder. The emergency room staff rigged her up with a temporary splint and sling to help relieve the pain and pressure and sent her home with instructions to see her primary care physician on Monday or Tuesday.
Jana and John had a beautiful, almost eight pound baby girl Friday evening. Jana's mother and step-father drove all night to greet this new grandchild. Her name is Ellie Lyn, and mother and daughter are doing fine. We plan to visit them this afternoon.
This is Guys' Work/Play Weekend at the Lake. Their project this year was to power wash and stain the deck. Chris called this morning to report Mission Accomplished. They worked hard and they played hard, and they ate a lot. As usual, Doug provided guidance and leadership and prodding for the project to Chris, Scott, Mark Goldman, Maddog, and Danny.
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