Month: March 2023

We had an assortment of events and happenings this week. The power company is installing new posts and upgrades, Pam’s godson captained a yacht through the Panama Canal, and work was done in the upstairs guest bedroom. Federal and state taxes were completed and mailed.

Last week our power company, Alliant Energy, began replacing power poles along Main Street in Elma. New post had been laid out; then a truck, equipped with an auger and a hoist, drilled holes for the new posts, and lifted the poles into place.

The next step will be the moving of wires from the old pole to the new one. We have been advised to expect a break in service while this happens but have no time frame when this will happen.

Pam has completed painting the guest bedroom white, but I did not include photos of it as Pam is just beginning to add the ribbon trim where the walls meet the ceiling. I’ll have more in my next post.

As reported in a previous post, Nati had been moved into the guest bedroom. While I was in the room checking on Pam’s painting progress, Nati decided to jump into my lap and get some attention. I was pleased she seems to be a bit more animated and moving around more. Hair is beginning to re-grow under her neck.

One event this past week involved Pam’s godson, Zach Hayes. (Zach and Sakura visited us last summer.) Zach is a yacht captain and had the opportunity to pilot his ship through the Panama Canal. That must be something to check off your Bucket List!

Zach had let us know the approximate time he would be going into the lock from the Pacific end. He is heading to Florida, so the crossing would be from west to east. The western entrance is Miraflores Lock. Here is a screenshot of Zach’s craft; it’s the one closest to the open lock doors, in the approximate middle of the photo.

In this lock the water level has to be raised from the level of the Pacific to the level of the canal as it passes through to the Atlantic. The process takes several minutes. While waiting for Zach’s passage, we also saw the left-hand lock being used to lower a large ship down to the Pacific level. We have seen locks work before, but this was the first time we had looked at them in the Panama Canal.

There are a couple of medical updates. My physical therapy is ongoing and I am getting a bit more range of motion in my right shoulder. Pam is feeling better but still does not know if the kidney stone has passed or not. Another CT scan may be scheduled just to see what, if anything, has happened to the stone.

The summer road construction season is upon us. Beginning the first week in April, my trips for physical therapy will involve a detour as Highway 9, the main route to Cresco and the clinic where I get my therapy, will be closed for bridge replacement and road widening. The closure will last most of the year.

Three contractors responded to us this past week. 1) Bob the Builder confirmed his intent to do our upstairs bathroom remodel in the “next few weeks.” 2) A roofing contractor is scheduled to stop by the first week of April to look over/give us an estimate for the tower re-roofing and repair job. 3) The painter we contacted last year, who will be doing the “gable work” in the high peaks, confirmed we are on his 2023 job list.

We are anxious to get these projects completed this year. There are a few porch repairs to be made, including to some of the undereave areas where the plywood is deteriorating, and – of course – always painting to be done. I am hoping to have enough use of my shoulder to work on some of these tasks but it is by no means a given. We shall have to see.

As scheduled, we finished our Federal and state taxes this week. As in past years, since retirement, we tend to owe Iowa a bit of money and end up getting a small refund from the Feds. You couldn’t get a much simpler tax return than ours, but we still have to complete various worksheets, mostly State, to fill in the correct amounts. A tip for seniors out there: Look at Federal form 1040-SR, which is the 1040 form for seniors with limited income sources. This is our first year using this document. It is similar to the standard 1040 but includes the “Over 65” tax deduction tables.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

As if I don’t have enough home projects going/planned, I recently pondered the color scheme in the downstairs parlour bedroom + office, and it needs a refresh – already. Our first year at Heart House I transformed that room into “shades of pink” — mainly to counteract all the mustard yellow and hospital green paint schemes we found in the house when we moved in. Now I think I might be ready to moderate the “pink” concentration. I’ve ordered wallpaper samples with the intent of finding one that will look good on the lower half of the parlour walls. Maybe by next week’s post I’ll have the samples hung on the wall to “contemplate.”

I’ve been light-handed re: the use of wallpaper at Heart House. Generally wallpaper is a bear to remove, being so much more permanent than plain old paint. So far I’ve added a wallpaper border up the stairwell, and one wall of dog print wallpaper in the laundry room. This would be the third application of wallpaper, if I go that route.

Happy Trails.

This past week was not much fun for us. Doctor, dentist, and physical therapy appointments dominated our time. Here, in chronological order, is how the events of the week went down.

Monday.

I had an appointment with my oral surgeon (in Mason City) to check if I could proceed to the next step in getting an implant for a broken front tooth. The surgeon had removed the broken tooth a few months back, and it was a painful process, mostly because of where the novacane had to be injected. Monday’s appointment did not include any procedures, just an exam. I was cleared for the next procedure, actually implanting the “post” in my jaw. The implant appointment was scheduled for Thursday.

I combined a few other tasks during Monday’s trip. After leaving the oral surgery office I stopped at Great Clips for a haircut. The last one had been in early December so I was getting rather shaggy. A stop at the Mason City Walmart was in order to pick up some supplies. The car needed gas so I filled it up [at $3.099 per gallon], then headed home.

Tuesday.

Pam had been having some intermittent pain in her side. A trip to the Decorah clinic for a CT scan had been scheduled for Tuesday, so off we went. (Pam’s sister, Becky, came up from her home in Greene to watch the dogs and meet Nati the cat. We thank her for that.)

The CT scan revealed a kidney stone as the cause of Pam’s pain. She was prescribed a drug that will hopefully relax the duct and allow the stone to pass. Pam feels better at present, but can’t tell if the stone has actually passed. This is an ongoing situation that will require attention and follow-up.

Wednesday.

I went to my first physical therapy session in Cresco at the clinic. This first visit was to establish a baseline from which to judge improvement in my range of motion. After improving that aspect, strength improvement will be addressed.

The PT therapist indicated my arm was more “loose” than many that had spent 6 weeks in a sling. He seemed to know his stuff and moved my arm through a variety of motions to judge my current range of motion. He prescribed a few exercises I could get started on and all were passive, no lifting weights or pulling, just trying to extend my arm in different directions. Here is one of my exercises:

Thursday.

Back to the oral surgeon in Mason City; I was dreading this day, oral surgery to install the post for my implant. The extraction had been painful due to where the novacane had to be injected, above the front of my jaw and under the nose. This time it was not as bad, but still painful.

The post has a “healing cap” on it so I have to be careful not to disturb the area. The cap will be removed when the tooth is built on top of the post. Below is an internet photo of a screw in place with a tooth built on top.

I needed to stop at Walmart to pick up two prescriptions to be used during the next week, an oral rinse and some Amoxicillin. When I got home I took a couple of Ibuprofen to help ease the discomfort, and another dose on Friday so I could get some sleep.

Friday.

My second PT was scheduled for Friday. This session began a series of stretching exercises aimed at improving my range of motion. I can’t lift very high with my right arm which makes washing my hair a one-handed job, and getting stuff down from second-level shelving is a left-hand task. I hope the exercises done at home and the PT will result in better reaching capabilities.

So that was the week. Doctors every day, and none of it fun.

Pam accomplished several other tasks during the week. The storage shelves were rolled out of the guest bedroom, two coats of paint put on the walls, and Nati the cat was moved into the room and given more area to run around in and explore. Here are photos of the room and Nati.

Speaking of cats, here are a couple images of the “terrible two” – Stirling and Vienna.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

Rural healthcare in NE Iowa is a patchwork of frustration. Since we moved to Iowa in 2019-2020, Himself and I have scheduled appointments at six providers – clinics, specialists, hospitals. Their locations are anywhere from blocks away to 75+ miles away. Of the six providers, only three of them are on the same medical records system and can “communicate” with each other. The other three need to have paper copies of records FAXed back and forth. This is the real “pain,” putting responsibility for records transfer on the patient rather than the institution(s). Not to mention filling out endless forms and medical history at each location.

I was pleased the facility administering the CT scan on Tuesday was part of the medical records network. And also that pertinent medical information was actually reviewed prior to the scan. The wonders of technology.

Happy Trails.

Our week included some good news for both myself and Nati, the cat. A winter storm rolled through. A new cat video was created.

For me, the highlight of the week was a trip to the Mayo Clinic to get a 6-week inspection of my rotator cuff surgery. That went well; the doctor is pleased with the results so far. He had me do some hand exercises and movements with arm and elbow to test pain levels and strength. All seems well, and I was given the go-ahead to shed the sling and begin using my right arm for a few more tasks. (Restrictions on the weight I can lift or pull remain in effect.)

I can now eat with my right hand, brush my teeth, and get dressed without Pam’s help. I can’t raise my arm very high so washing my hair is still a one-handed affair, but I hope to see improvements over the next few weeks that allow me to do more with my right shoulder. As it is, this week was a big step forward. I am glad to be rid of the sling.

Nati the cat had a vet appointment. It has about 3 weeks since her operation and she was due for a follow-up inspection. The vet indicated that Nati is doing well and is ahead of where a “normal” cat would be at this point. Make no mistake, Nati is still something to look at with great chunks of hair missing from the side of her face and neck, but new cells are forming (red in color) and there is no evidence of infection. She continues to eat and eliminate, but has low energy levels and does not seem to be interested in what is going on around her. Only time will tell if she can fully recover and have a good life.

Due to requests, I have created another kitten video. Stirling and Vienna play with Mr. Spring, one of their favorite toys.

We received about 4 inches of snow from the latest storm, but melting is already underway and the sidewalks and paths we cleared are already melting off. I was able to run the John Deere LX 176 with the snow blade and clear off the sidewalks, but it was a bit of a chore as I had to operate the blade raise / lower lever and steer with my left hand instead of using both hands. Good thing the snow was fairly light and easy move. In addition to our walkways I clear out around two sets of mail boxes so the carrier can deliver the mail without any problems.

Note the ‘cat paths’ to the right of the above photo. We clear several of these to allow the cats access to the heated water bowls and food Pam puts out. Another series runs to the east of the garage to the alley and back to the oak tree water dish.

We had mild weather early in the week and the yard was almost bare of snow. Both of us got outside for short periods of time, enjoying the spring sun and warmer weather that – almost – felt like spring. The only drawback was mud tracked in by the dogs after their outside excursions. Pam had to trim the dogs’ footpad hairs and put some old paint cloths in the laundry room to keep mud from being tracked through the rest of the house.

We have not heard from the contractors we spoke with about this year’s projects so I will have to start calling again this next week. We would like to get the outside tasks done this year, but will have to see how that goes. In addition to the “tower project” we have some under-eave repairs that need to be done. A few spindles in the porch railings need to be replaced along with some porch floorboards. Some of that I may be able to do, but the tower and eave repairs will be beyond what I can do this year.

We have not heard from Bob the Builder who, last fall, said he would tackle the upstairs bathroom this spring. We would like to get this last major inside project done this year – it would sure be nice to have a shower upstairs.

I have a dental appointment in the upcoming week which means a trip to Mason City. This trip will include a stop at Super Cuts as my hair is getting pretty shaggy. A stop at the Mason City Walmart is on the agenda as well. It will be a busy day.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

Two robins arrived at the bird feeder this morning. Come on, Spring!

Happy Trails.

Our attention has gradually shifted to upcoming events of some note for us. Appointments for both myself and Pam are on the docket for the upcoming weeks.

Pam tried out a different medical clinic located in Decorah. This group is affiliated with the Mayo Clinic. As is the [usual] case with rural medicine, local clinics cover very basic family medicine and anything else is referred to specialists. Meaning one hour drives to different clinics.

I have a couple appointments of note. The first is this coming Monday when I have a 6-week checkup of my shoulder. I am hoping to get clearance to expand the use of my right arm. I plan to drive myself to this appointment in the truck. (I describe my method of doing this with an arm sling below.)

My second appointment concerns the implant for a broken front tooth. I need to verify I have recovered from the initial extraction of the broken tooth and can proceed to the next step, actually getting the implant post inserted in my jaw.

This week I did a few more tasks with my arm, including driving the Ford F-150 as it has an automatic transmission and found I could get around OK driving with one hand. I also took the ATV out for a short spin. It has the gear shift on the left along with brakes on the floorboards and left handlebar. Biggest problem is the right-side throttle, which I operated by crossing my left hand over to that side. Very awkward and a trial run, just a spin around the block, but it was good to get out even that bit.

I had another advancement this week. I went back to sleeping in bed as opposed to sleeping in my recliner. While I had to experiment to get a couple comfortable positions, right side and left, I am more comfortable now. It felt strange, though, the first couple nights after having slept in the recliner for almost 5 weeks.

In other respects it was a quiet week. Pam made chocolate chip cookies one day, a real treat.

Pam did some designing of a color scheme for the tower re-do. I had created a line drawing of the tower using a photo and PhotoShop Elements that she was able to use as a pattern. We hope to have the existing painted cedar shakes removed and replaced with colored architectural shingles.

If you first landed on my home page, you will have seen a “spring” cartoon where a trio of flowers bloomed early. Well, it looks like something is coming up in the Mary Lynn bed, which we consider to be too early for blooming plants. Does Mother Nature know something we don’t?

Finally, I thought I would include a photo of the cats and dogs getting their breakfast. In the following photo you can see JoJo’s and Blondie’s butts at the right. (Bru is out of sight in the laundry room.) Stirling and Vienna are at left and Elmo is under the table. KitKat does not normally participate in this routine and is not in the photo. She occasionally eats a bit of wet cat food separately.

And that is about it for this post. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

Trying to get on a contractor’s schedule to have the tower redone is a big pain. Himself needs to recontact two people he connected with in January to see if either will get us a quote and put us on their schedule. I sincerely hope those corbels along the top tower edge aren’t rotted, as I would like to reuse them in the new design. (I’d say the odds are not good re: the rot, but hope springs eternal.)

We also need to touch base with a painter who was here a YEAR AGO for confirmation he can paint the trim in the eaves this year. I want house exterior projects we cannot do ourselves to be done this year. Considering Himself’s shoulder recuperation, pretty much all projects on the house’s east side are ones we can’t do ourselves. (Again, hope springs eternal.)

Happy Trails.