Wednesday, November 03, 2004
JULY AND AUGUST....1982
John flew back to St. Louis on July 1st to participate in a friend’s wedding. Debbie, the daughter of Bob and Donna Ross, was being married the following Saturday. Bob picked John up at the airport and brought him home; then picked him up the next afternoon for the rehearsal and dinner.
Debbie’s wedding was nicely done. She made a beautiful bride and John’s part of the service was original and creative….easy to do when you know someone well. The Ross’ have been long standing friends and are John’s ‘other family.’ After the ceremony we were invited to their home for dinner and Donna had a wonderful array of food, served up with love. Bob and Donna are masters at hospitality.
The next morning, Bob and Donna came to breakfast with us and then drove John to St. Louis to catch his flight back to New Orleans. The week-end came and went quickly…..the day was very quiet for a Fourth of July. American flags are put out on both sides of Main Street which looked festive…..and later we watched the fireworks on TV as they flashed the event from city to city. The pyrotechnic art continues to amaze crowds and gets better every year.
Mom had cataract surgery on the 7th and was admitted to the hospital due to her large amount of medications and her fragile health. I had to work but Warren drove her to Springfield and went back each day to check on her. She was released on Saturday and I was then able to go along…I wanted to find out how to put the drops in her eye because I would have to do it. Mom was waiting when we arrived and was amazed how well she could see out of her eye without her glasses. In 1982 the technology was beginning to change the stereotype cataract surgery and although advanced as it was at the time….it is now archaic. It makes me realize the strides medical capabilities have taken.
Later in the month, friends brought me several bags of green beans at different times and mom helped me stem them for canning. I had a total of 50-quarts after they were worked up. We took Hank and Becky 17-quarts; Becky and Jennifer helped stem them once and we thought it would be nice for them to have some. I later canned 7-more quarts.
On Sunday, July 25th, we had a phone call from John but we were disconnected somehow and when I called his number at the seminary, I was referred to another number. It turned out to be a Mississippi number belonging to Barbara’s parents. Barbara’s mother was suddenly taken very ill and was in the hospital…..John was in Vicksburg with Barbara. They were very concerned because there was no diagnosis and the doctors were frankly puzzled. He was to keep us posted on her condition as they were running a lot of tests and nothing had been confirmed.
Aunt Beulah came to visit mom in late July and I noticed she was looking more frail than usual. Her hearing also seemed to be worse. Mom and aunt Beulah both had a bad year. They were the same age….only 2-weeks apart, by birth, and they had been as close as sisters their whole life through. Marrying two brothers brought them into each others lives….aunt Beulah was always a favorite of mine.
Jennifer had her 10th birthday on August 3rd. She was away at church camp so we planned to celebrate when she came home. George arrived so he could be here for her birthday and had an adorable White West Highland Terrier pup with him. He named him “Mac” after Admiral McNamara because he was born on the anniversary of the U.S. Navy. George spent a tour in the Navy so Mac was a significant name for him as far as George was concerned. Jake didn’t have the same affection for Mac that the rest of us did and jumped at him to protect his territory. Mac, being a more aggressive breed, promptly bit Jake on the foot which earned him the name of “alligator mouth.”
We had our party for Jennifer, George had to leave on Sunday of that week-end and we continued to monitor Barbara’s mother’s progress through John. There was still no clear diagnosis and the family was understandably concerned. Aunt Inabelle and uncle Tom arrived at mom’s for their yearly visit and Warren had been to Fort Leonard Wood to have some stitches taken out of his arm. On the way back he stopped to look at some new mobile homes and had seen one that took his eye. He wanted me to go see it with him on Saturday…..it was indeed, a beauty. So now….decisions, decisions, decisions……….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
Debbie’s wedding was nicely done. She made a beautiful bride and John’s part of the service was original and creative….easy to do when you know someone well. The Ross’ have been long standing friends and are John’s ‘other family.’ After the ceremony we were invited to their home for dinner and Donna had a wonderful array of food, served up with love. Bob and Donna are masters at hospitality.
The next morning, Bob and Donna came to breakfast with us and then drove John to St. Louis to catch his flight back to New Orleans. The week-end came and went quickly…..the day was very quiet for a Fourth of July. American flags are put out on both sides of Main Street which looked festive…..and later we watched the fireworks on TV as they flashed the event from city to city. The pyrotechnic art continues to amaze crowds and gets better every year.
Mom had cataract surgery on the 7th and was admitted to the hospital due to her large amount of medications and her fragile health. I had to work but Warren drove her to Springfield and went back each day to check on her. She was released on Saturday and I was then able to go along…I wanted to find out how to put the drops in her eye because I would have to do it. Mom was waiting when we arrived and was amazed how well she could see out of her eye without her glasses. In 1982 the technology was beginning to change the stereotype cataract surgery and although advanced as it was at the time….it is now archaic. It makes me realize the strides medical capabilities have taken.
Later in the month, friends brought me several bags of green beans at different times and mom helped me stem them for canning. I had a total of 50-quarts after they were worked up. We took Hank and Becky 17-quarts; Becky and Jennifer helped stem them once and we thought it would be nice for them to have some. I later canned 7-more quarts.
On Sunday, July 25th, we had a phone call from John but we were disconnected somehow and when I called his number at the seminary, I was referred to another number. It turned out to be a Mississippi number belonging to Barbara’s parents. Barbara’s mother was suddenly taken very ill and was in the hospital…..John was in Vicksburg with Barbara. They were very concerned because there was no diagnosis and the doctors were frankly puzzled. He was to keep us posted on her condition as they were running a lot of tests and nothing had been confirmed.
Aunt Beulah came to visit mom in late July and I noticed she was looking more frail than usual. Her hearing also seemed to be worse. Mom and aunt Beulah both had a bad year. They were the same age….only 2-weeks apart, by birth, and they had been as close as sisters their whole life through. Marrying two brothers brought them into each others lives….aunt Beulah was always a favorite of mine.
Jennifer had her 10th birthday on August 3rd. She was away at church camp so we planned to celebrate when she came home. George arrived so he could be here for her birthday and had an adorable White West Highland Terrier pup with him. He named him “Mac” after Admiral McNamara because he was born on the anniversary of the U.S. Navy. George spent a tour in the Navy so Mac was a significant name for him as far as George was concerned. Jake didn’t have the same affection for Mac that the rest of us did and jumped at him to protect his territory. Mac, being a more aggressive breed, promptly bit Jake on the foot which earned him the name of “alligator mouth.”
We had our party for Jennifer, George had to leave on Sunday of that week-end and we continued to monitor Barbara’s mother’s progress through John. There was still no clear diagnosis and the family was understandably concerned. Aunt Inabelle and uncle Tom arrived at mom’s for their yearly visit and Warren had been to Fort Leonard Wood to have some stitches taken out of his arm. On the way back he stopped to look at some new mobile homes and had seen one that took his eye. He wanted me to go see it with him on Saturday…..it was indeed, a beauty. So now….decisions, decisions, decisions……….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
