I'm back in St. Louis for a couple days but still waiting for updates from our other contributors.

The activity around here is weight watching. I have to go to the lake because Rose and Shirley resent my trying to gain while they're trying to lose. They're both pretty diligent about counting their points. They count points instead of sheep at night when they're trying to go to sleep. They write down their points after each meal, but some things they don't count. If they lick a spoon, that's not enough to count. A few leftovers after lunch or dinner don't matter. Samples at the grocery store are not a point. A few bites out of a box of ice cream when they're fixing a bowl for me is just to make sure it's okay. Rose walks and does her exercises everyday. She attributes her lack of weight loss to the fact that muscles weigh more than fat. Shirley says that is the exact reason she does not exercise. They may wear out a bathroom scale, but they only weigh in the morning - when a person weighs less.

We're playing musical cars around here. Scott has my car at the lake. Chris left one of his little Hondas down there and drove Rose's Lexus back on Sunday which Goldman and I had driven down on Friday. Rose drove Scott's car at Chris's on Sunday and left it and picked up the Lexus. I'm probably going to ride down with Mike Lynch today or with Chris and Shelly in the Lexus or Scott's car tonight. Oh, and Goldman's Cadillac is here. Dear Reader, if this oonfuses you, think of what it is doing to us. We don't know how we get anywhere or anywhere we've been.

Shirley isn't having her rotator cuff (shoulder) surgery today. She has come down with a terrible allergy attack/cold and has coughed all night for the last two nights. She's not sure when the surgery will be rescheduled.

Sunday morning at the lake. It's a beautiful day here. Chris just left for a long run for his training for a marathon. Goldman is still sleeping and Maddog is outside enjoying the sunshine.

Goldman and I spent the week in Louisville with Scott and the boys. Both boys had ballgames. Brayden is in the 'home run' league'. The four year year olds automatically score whenever they get up to bat. If they field a ball they look to a coach to see what to do next. Jalen's game was a bit more competitive, but we loved seeing them both.

Our other editors haven't added much news lately. I'm sure there's more going on around the country than we've heard.

Jana, John, and Ellie had dinner with Rose and Shirley last night. This morning I mostly heard about how cute Ellie is.

Shirley is scheduled to have rotor {I think that's the way to spell it} surgery on Tuesday. The recovery is quite painful and takes quite some time. She is sure dreading it.

Sabrina and family are off to Colorado for a week's vacation later this week. She just returned from a business trip to Mexico so is probably ready for a vacation.

Rose is going to teach a class on line through St. Louis University this semester. I'm not sure what it's about but something to do with their master's program. She's working on it every chance she gets.

I'm having another IVIG on the 13th and 14th of August but before they do anything to my head I have to meet with the neurologist and have some more tests in the hospital. I'm not sure about any of that. They'll call me when they have an opening.

We're expecting more 'kids' as the week goes on. Again. let's hear more from our other sources.

Monday after a quiet weekend. Shirley returned from her family reunion in Louisiana last night. They had a big turnout. Chris and Shelly went white water rafting in Tennessee this weekend while Goldman and Maddog kept THOSE dogs. Rose and I walked over 2 miles yesterday - not very far for Rose but a long way for me.

I had the most touching note from Hope Happens - a research foundation for neurological disorders. Mark, Brick's son, had made a donation in my honor. I was so touched it took me until last night to call him without tearing up. He and Karen have been sailing 5 times in their new sailboat. Karen was getting back yesterday from sailing lessons in the Virgin Islands. Drew is at Truman and Kate is at KU. I've finally got KU and K State right.

Goldman and I are off to Louisville today to see Jalen and Brayden play baseball. Jalen emailed Goldman yesterday and is so escited about his coming but I didn't hear a word.

Joe, we liked your entry. Keep up the good work.

This is my first time in this endeavor so the only way I can go is up!

Our Missouri two "L's" , in this case, our daughter Lisa and our Grand daughter Lydia are in Costa Rica. (I think this is in Central America?) Lisa is Lydia's aunt and Lydia is the daughter of our other daugther Beth and son-ion-law David Berns. The group they are with and being chaperoned by Springfield MO Glendale High School Spanish teacher Lisa Lilley left Springfield-Branson Regional Airport on Friday, July 14th. They return from their classes, etc. on Monday Aug. 6th.

Costa Rica is in our time zone but does not observe daylight savings time so the time there is one hour different than C.D.S. time, when daylight savings is effect. Since they don't "spring forward" I would think their time is one hour earlier than our time?

Here comes my first post. Joe Felin

Jana sent me these details of the services they arranged for Cindy. Though it is really hard for all of them, Jana said she thinks Cindy is more at peace than she has been, especially the last three years. Cindy suffered such pain and discomfort during that time. Jana, Tricia, Karen, and Danny went over to Betty's last night and just sat and relaxed. Jana said Betty is always a comforting presence.

Cindy will be laid out at tonight from 7pm-10pm for family viewing and tomorrow from 1pm until 8pm for public visitation. Services will be at Prince of Peace Parish, St. Patrick's, Great Bend, KS at 10:30am Friday morning.

Memorials will go to Cindy Parr Memorial Fund for Cancer Patients
Address:
Minnis Chapel
526 E. 4th
St. John, KS 67576
621-549-3556

I just had an email from Sandy in Kansas that Cindy passed away this morning. I don't think they knew any of the arrangements yet but I will post them when I hear. Again, our thoughts and prayers back here are with all of you out there.

We received word from Sandy, Bob's daughter who is Cindy's sister-in-law and Jana, Trish and Karen's aunt that Cindy has been moved from the hospital in Hutchinson to a hospice. Jana and John went out last Thursday from here in St. Louis. I'm sure Cindy is surrounded by many loved ones in this very sad time. All of us here send our thoughts and prayers.

It was another annual girls' weekend (July 12-15) at the lake. Leslie came from Springfield on Thursday. Liz, my longtime friend from GMAC, and I drove down Thursday, too. It was the calm before the storm. The other eleven arrived in the afternoon and evening on Friday laden with food, ice, groceries, and drinks of their choice. We ate a lot that night, and then they turned up the music. We older ladies went to bed earlier than anyone else. Liz heard the last one settle down about 2:40.

Saturday dawned bright and sunshiny but the younger crowd were not bright and sunshiny. They drug around, sunbathed, floated on rafts, ate a lot, drank very little, talked very little, played no loud music, some went shopping, and in general, were a rather subdued bunch. I thought it would be an early night for them.

Much to my surprise, as the sun began to set, they began to liven up. This time they began stage shows with official introductions, one-of-a-kind costumes for each separate performance, individual choreography, and some off-color music furnished by Teresa, the next door neighbor. Teresa had also livened up as the sun had began to set.

I missed a lot of both nights but heard a lot about it the mornings after the nights before. The husbands stayed home and kept the kids and encouraged the women to let their hair down and have a good time. I think they did.

Chris and Shelly were to go out to dinner on Saturday night, but Chris ran 17 miles on Saturday and said he just wasn't able to go anywhere. He is training for a marathon in September.

Pete called as usual on Saturday morning. His grandson, Eric, had got a pickup and came out to Pete's to powerwash it. Pete had talked to Maudie last week and he said she is doing okay. Her wonderful kids have been very helpful. Pete also talked to Leslie when he called and caught up the news on the "King" family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DING!!!! WE DON'T HAVE CATRINA'S COMPUTER SAVVY OR WE WOULD PUT SOME NICE GRAPHIC UP, TOO. WORDS WILL JUST HAVE TO DO.


We have invited David, Joe's son, to be one of our blog contributors, and we are hoping someone from Donald's family will volunteer so we can add him/her as a contributor too. This blog has been a fairly easy way to keep everyone informed and even sometimes entertained.

David added a wonderful comment to one of Sue's recent entries. Please click on the "comments" icon if you want to read it. Thank you, David, and you should be able to make entries to the main page of the Blog. Let us know if you have difficulty.

Some good news from yesterday: Sue had an appointment with her neurologists at Barnes-Jewish Center for Advanced Medicine (and that is just what it is). It was an appointment for a six-month assessment of the effects of the six treatments she has had this year with immuno-globulin infusions. Her primary guy, Glen Lopate, showed us a graph of certain of Sue's muscle group strength measurements that indicate about a 15% improvement in strength--a very encouraging result. Another muscle group showed no improvement, but importantly, no deterioration. All this means that Dr. Lopate will continue these treatments, now at two rather than one-month intervals, and do another assessment late in 2007.

We have not had any word from John and Jana who left for Kansas yesterday to see Jana's mother who is so ill. When we do hear, we'll post.

Happy Birthday Ding!!!!

Chris and I went to the funeral home Monday where Mrs. Nicastro was laid out. One of my favorite stories about Vita's parents was her father, Santo, telling about working in the yard and getting hot. He would want to take his shirt off but, if he did, Mrs. Nicastro would come get it and wash it so he had to keep it on.

Vita and her sister, Ginny, look so much alike I could hardly tell them apart. Ginny is a nurse at St. Luke's Hosp. and, had I seen her in my many stays out there, I'd have thought she was Vita. She didn't know my last name and I didn't know hers and, since she works in the operating room, our paths didn't cross. Donald and Vita were eager to show off their grandchildren, rightfully so. Julie and Jennifer still called Chris 'Ding' and the three of them are still lamenting about their having to go to PSR {Parish School of Religion} some 25 years ago.

I'm off to the lake tomorrow with Liz, my friend I've known for 30 years. Leslie will be there when we get there and have one of her scrumptious dinners ready. This is 'girls' weekend so us old girls are getting there first and enjoying the peace and quiet. We go to bed early and get up early and leave the partying up to the younger ones. We'll feel better in the mornings than they will.

We haven't had any more word from Jana. We'll post it on the blog when we get any news.

We received this very sad e-mail from Jana (granddaughter of our late brother Bob) this morning. Her mother, Cindy, is Bob's late son, Bobby's, widow:

Aunt Sue and Aunt Rose,

Thank you for offering to take us to the airport on Thursday. Unfortunately, we do not think it is wise to take our vacation to NY at this time. Mom was taken to the hospital last night and her condition has worsened. She has tremendous pain in her back and her kidneys are not draining properly. The doctors have one option that they can try, otherwise, if they cannot get them to drain, it will not be good. John, Ellie and I are leaving to go to Hutchinson Hospital on Thursday morning or sooner if needed. Please keep Mom in your prayers and we should know more soon.

Also, Tricia wanted me to thank Aunt Rose and Chris again for hooking her up with a useable computer. We should still be going back to St. John towards the end of July and would be able to take it to her then. She is so thankful that she does not have to buy a new one, especially since she just needs something to last her for the next 3 years of college. (I can't believe that she will be in school a full 7 years before getting out!!! I would never have lasted that long!)

I'm not sure how long we will be back in KS but we should get together when we get back.

Thanks again for offering your help!

Love,
Jana


Jana, John, and Ellie and Jana's sister Tricia with her friend Walter were at the Lake this past week and weekend.

Please keep Cindy and this family in your prayers.

Here is the link for the obituary of Vita's mother: http://www.legacy.com/stltoday/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=90426305

I can still remember well the first time I met Lee and Santo, Vita's parents, and have very fond memories of them. We are sorry to hear of this loss.

I'll try to pick up where I left off. I came home Sunday after the celebration and Goldman took me back on Tuesday since he didn't have summer school class on the holiday. Leslie, that King boy's wife. came up from Springfield on Wednesday and was fabulous company and made some fabulous meals. She recently retired from the medical center and is loving every minute of her retirement. Goldman had to leave reluctantly that day because he had to teach on Thursday.

Jana, one of brother Bob's grandaughters, her husband John and 15 month old daughter Ellie arrived on Wednesday in time for the fireworks display, one of several that week. They live in Ellisville now but are natives of Kansas. John had to drive to Boonville on Thursday for something for his job but got back in time to take turns with Jana watching Ellie and riding the waverunner. Meanwhile, Leslie was in the kitchen cooking something that sounded inedible but was absolutely delicious. Late on Wednesday Sabrina, another of Bob's grandaughter's, her daughter Martesia and son Junior arrived. They are also Kansans. Junior is eleven and he became our official trash man. I've never seen a kid like that. We just had to clear our throats and point and off he went with the trash. His mother said it wasn't an act either.

REO Speedwagon was performing at a local lakeside bar on Thursday night and John was lamenting the fact that he couldn't attend. Rose did not have the same thought about the group's performance. She arrived very late that night and couldn't imagine why the traffic was so bad at that hour. The performance had just ended and everyone was leaving.

Rose and I got up very early Friday to say goodby to Leslie. Rose wanted to visit with her a bit before she headed out. Actually Rose and I got up very early every morning because we didn't want to miss anything.

The younger folks (they were all younger than Rose and me) spent the day swimming at the pool and/or in the lake and riding the waverunner. John filled the kiddie pool for Ellie and she was a little bathing beauty. Junior kept the trash cans emptied.

Jana's sister, Tricia who is another of Bob's grandaughters, and her boyfriend Walter arrived on Friday evening. They are both students at K State. They, too, enjoyed the waverunner. Walter will graduate in December as a mechanical engineer and Tricia is studying the effects of exercise on certain medical conditions. I wrote down what the name her degree will be but I can't find the paper this morning. I asked her about my condition and physical therapy, acupuncture, healing touch, etc. and all the other things I've tried and her quick reply was that any and everything helps. I liked her response very much.

Chris and Shelly arrived Saturday late morning. Goldman was keeping THOSE dogs for them in their absence. Shelly brought pineapple upside cake for dessert and of course it was scrumptious.

Sally Jackson and two of her grandaughters, Hailey and Stephanie, arrived on Saturday morning. They also live in Kansas but in a different part. Sally is a distant cousin and she and Joe discovered each other when they were tracing our roots in their geneology studies. She is such an interesting woman in her own right without going back any generations. She's doing that, too, and is working on writing a book. We just didn't have enough time to visit with her. Her grandaughters swam and also rode the waverunner. Once we thought they were lost so Chris went out in the boat to look for them. We were afraid the girls didn't know where to find their way back to the lake house or how to call us. If they knew my name is Boaz, the phone is still in the Spreitler name. The girls came back and hadn't been lost. Then we got worried about Chris. He wasn't lost either but we weren't sure. We needed walkie talkies. Cell phones sometimes don't work too well on the lake.

Joe, David, and MarEllen arrived on Saturday, too. David was glad they didn't bring THAT dog. Joe and Sally brought their geneology books and compared notes on our ancestry. They haven't discovered any one famous in our lineage but they've found some women of "ill repute" and these women's brother shot one of their customers and only did two years in prison for the crime. I guess it was justifiable homicide.

We had a delicious dinner. Chris did the brisket. He claimed he taught Goldman how to make the brisket, but we must remember that Goldman is of Jewish descent and he claims that it was his Jewish grandmother's recipe. Chris isn't Jewish, just cheap. Jana did the corn in the slow cooker. We tried to pass the store bought potato salad off as Momma's but we didn't fool anyone. The green salad was a joint effort. We had Shelly's dessert. Rose's told everyone they had to eat and keep eating so we would know they were having a good time.

Things started winding down after dinner. Joe, David, and MarEllen were just ready to go out the door when David and Walter got into a deep discussion about Walter's upcoming occupation and power plants. Shelly was going to join the conversation until sh heard the word 'algorithym' and decided otherwise. (I may have mispelled that word. I don't use it every day. It isn't exactly a household word.) MarEllen was tapping her foot and clearing her throat to no avail. David and Walter had a very long conversation.

I believe the waverunner was one of my best investments ever. I think all the young folks rode it. David said he could just ride it all day long and promised that he and MarEllen would come back and do that.

On a sad note, Bernie had been so looking forward to this occasion. We sorely missed him very much. Maudie and the kids decided not to come and we were sorry we didn't get to see them but we understand why.

Rose had to go to Chicago yesterday evening so Chris and I took her to the airport and then went out to dinner. Shirley was already in Chicago so I stayed alone last night. Chris called this morning to see if I had gotten robbed or raped during the night but it was an uneventful night.

I had an email from Joe when I got back that Vita's mother, Donald's mother-in-law, Lee Nicastro, had passed away on Saturday. Mrs. Nicastro belonged to the same parish that Chris and Shelly had belonged to before they moved to St. Charles. It was the church where Donald and Vita were married. I last saw Mrs. Nicastro when she came to the funeral home when Denny died. The obituary asked that masses or donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation preferred.

This is going to be our annual girls' weekend at the lake and the 'girls' have been planning it for weeks. Us old girls usually go to bed early and sleep through the commotion downstairs. They bring lots of food so we have to eat early and often. Us old girls (Liz, Leslie, and I) plan to get there Thursday to prepare ourselves and rest up for Friday. The husbands babysit for the weekend and appreciate the wives a bit more when they get home.

Chris is coming shortly to take me to the new Starbucks for breakfast. It's right around the corner and one of his ex-students is the manager. Goldman is taking me this afternoon to pick up this device that this ortho-something took a hand mold last month and sent the mold off to Washington to make this device that hopefully will make my hand more usable. My occupational therapist will help me learn to use it. Goldman took me when they made the mold and wants to take me back this afternoon to pick up the device because the nurse was so cute. I'm not sure what the title of this ortho-something is but he said he does everything but teeth. He said he's even made noses. Goldman and I will go then to the airport to pick Shirley up and Rose will be home tomorrow.

I'm a very slow typist and this has taken me quite some time. Lucky for Chris, he's late. He's going to be 38 years old on Friday the 13th. They're going to Stef and Dan's for dinner. He better let Shelly drive. How did my baby get so old?

We celebrated the Fourth of July early at the lake this year. Since the holiday falls on Wednesday, we gathered at the lakehouse for the big bang. Scott, Sherry, Jalen, Brayden, Doug, Suzanne, Josie, Lucas, Mike Derrington, Stacy, Brighton, Maddog, Goldman, and myself were the audience from our house, but the rest of the subdivision was the rest of the audience. The fellows went to the fireworks stand Saturday morning to get the items for the display and went in Doug's Suburban. They bought so much stuff they had to hold some on thir laps on the way home. Like little boys, they sat around the rest of the day waiting for dark. It was cloudy and sprinkled some during the day but cleared up for the evening.

Rose and Shirley got to watch Ellie on Friday and the three of us watched her last night.

More later. Goldman is on his way to pick me up to go to the lake. I'll be there until after the family gathering so hurry everyone.