Wednesday, June 08, 2005
JUNE AND JULY....1992
The week back to work after our Nebraska trip was routine. The only difference was the fact that Pete had to have open heart surgery after weeks of being in and out of the hospital. Becky and I normally worked on different crews (policy) but in times of necessity we worked together. The brass would not have had a problem with us. After all, I had worked for Becky at the convenience store she managed for a long time and we worked well together. Albeit, policy is policy and it was followed most of the time. Our concern was for Pete, our supervisor and friend. Surgery was on the 4th of June and we were informed it was successful. I have mentioned before, the DE’s were family. We were greatly relieved to know Pete was going to be OK. He would be off most of the summer which meant a lot of doubling up…..but he would have done so for any of us. Period.
One evening after work, a few days later, Bear and I drove to Springfield to pick up some crutch supplies he had ordered and we went to see Pete. He was his old wise-cracking self and giving the nurses (and anyone who ventured into his room) a good laugh and a hard time. We stayed over an hour and then headed home.
Becky told us their dad was in the hospital at Tyler, TX. to have the veins in his left leg redone. His vascular system was greatly damaged from years of smoking and he had vein replacements in the leg that continued to become infected. The medical exams also showed cancer in his bladder at the same time so it was a blessing he was admitted and the cancer was found. He was in for a lengthy time of surgery and treatment ahead……….
While we were off for the Fourth of July, Becky had been painting the kitchen in mom’s mobile home (where she was living) and when we went up to see it, we were amazed at the difference. Both mom’s (and our) mobile home’s interiors were mostly paneled which made them dark. She took the drapes and curtains down and put up mini-blinds. With the light painted walls and drapes down it looked like a different place altogether. I was struck with wanting to paint ours immediately. I loved the clean, light look.
The very next night after work, we picked up the supplies we would need and Bear began filling the grooves in the paneling the next day. By the time I came home we were able to begin with the primer. As the walls became lighter, my enthusiasm mounted. We got the complete kitchen finished that evening and decided to put another coat on the next night. Bear went back to West Plains to buy more primer and came home with a large pizza. Becky came to help put on the second coat and we were done in no time. Becky is always a push-over for pizza, no matter how much of a bribe it is. I think she could eat the stuff three times a day…..and has!!!
Bear and I finished the job with two coats of our desired color…..Antique White, which was what Becky had used. Bear had been a holdout on doing it at all. He initially said it was OK if Becky painted mom’s mobile home but he didn’t want ours to look like a $10-a month “rent trailer.” Of course, he couldn’t resist my determination to update our own. When finished…..he was a believer!! When we backed off to look at our project, his first words were, “When are you doing to do the rest of the house?” My retort…..“as soon as I have time.” It was a total success. Becky was pleased and relieved when Bear decided it was a good change.
It fell to her to put up the mini-blinds and hang our new curtains, etc; and she did a nice job. We decided at the time not to paint the cupboards as it would require a lot more time and we were satisfied enough with the walls being painted. The next day I began painting the spare bedroom which had pretty cramped conditions to work in but I managed to get the primer on in one evening. And so it went. Each evening after work I primed and painted all around the house until every room was now light and liberated from the dark paneling. Our mobile home was new in 1982 and now, ten years later, it was very out-of-tune with the new ones coming out which boasted wall paper and/or painted walls. Dark woodwork was out and white was in. We had kept our home in good repair but it definitely needed the make-over.
Friday, July 24th, we packed up and left for Shawnee to stay over the weekend with George. Becky’s High School Reunion was Saturday night and we decided to take her up and visit with George. I had promised ahead that we would all help him paint if he had the paint when we arrived, so Saturday morning we were hard at it. I painted the utility room which was in bad need of freshening up. With the small room shut off from air-conditioning, the door was shut to the kitchen and by the time I finished I was sick from the fumes. Nonetheless, the next day I put the second coat on the room and by then I was much worse.
George kept our paint pans full and fixed the meals so Becky and I could keep painting. She did the kitchen while I worked on the utility room. We both finished by Sunday afternoon and loaded the car to come home. George was pleased with his new look and we were proud of the difference it made. My congestion lingered on for several days but finally left me feeling better.
The month ended on a Friday so August started with a week-end. Not a bad way to begin a new month………..
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
One evening after work, a few days later, Bear and I drove to Springfield to pick up some crutch supplies he had ordered and we went to see Pete. He was his old wise-cracking self and giving the nurses (and anyone who ventured into his room) a good laugh and a hard time. We stayed over an hour and then headed home.
Becky told us their dad was in the hospital at Tyler, TX. to have the veins in his left leg redone. His vascular system was greatly damaged from years of smoking and he had vein replacements in the leg that continued to become infected. The medical exams also showed cancer in his bladder at the same time so it was a blessing he was admitted and the cancer was found. He was in for a lengthy time of surgery and treatment ahead……….
While we were off for the Fourth of July, Becky had been painting the kitchen in mom’s mobile home (where she was living) and when we went up to see it, we were amazed at the difference. Both mom’s (and our) mobile home’s interiors were mostly paneled which made them dark. She took the drapes and curtains down and put up mini-blinds. With the light painted walls and drapes down it looked like a different place altogether. I was struck with wanting to paint ours immediately. I loved the clean, light look.
The very next night after work, we picked up the supplies we would need and Bear began filling the grooves in the paneling the next day. By the time I came home we were able to begin with the primer. As the walls became lighter, my enthusiasm mounted. We got the complete kitchen finished that evening and decided to put another coat on the next night. Bear went back to West Plains to buy more primer and came home with a large pizza. Becky came to help put on the second coat and we were done in no time. Becky is always a push-over for pizza, no matter how much of a bribe it is. I think she could eat the stuff three times a day…..and has!!!
Bear and I finished the job with two coats of our desired color…..Antique White, which was what Becky had used. Bear had been a holdout on doing it at all. He initially said it was OK if Becky painted mom’s mobile home but he didn’t want ours to look like a $10-a month “rent trailer.” Of course, he couldn’t resist my determination to update our own. When finished…..he was a believer!! When we backed off to look at our project, his first words were, “When are you doing to do the rest of the house?” My retort…..“as soon as I have time.” It was a total success. Becky was pleased and relieved when Bear decided it was a good change.
It fell to her to put up the mini-blinds and hang our new curtains, etc; and she did a nice job. We decided at the time not to paint the cupboards as it would require a lot more time and we were satisfied enough with the walls being painted. The next day I began painting the spare bedroom which had pretty cramped conditions to work in but I managed to get the primer on in one evening. And so it went. Each evening after work I primed and painted all around the house until every room was now light and liberated from the dark paneling. Our mobile home was new in 1982 and now, ten years later, it was very out-of-tune with the new ones coming out which boasted wall paper and/or painted walls. Dark woodwork was out and white was in. We had kept our home in good repair but it definitely needed the make-over.
Friday, July 24th, we packed up and left for Shawnee to stay over the weekend with George. Becky’s High School Reunion was Saturday night and we decided to take her up and visit with George. I had promised ahead that we would all help him paint if he had the paint when we arrived, so Saturday morning we were hard at it. I painted the utility room which was in bad need of freshening up. With the small room shut off from air-conditioning, the door was shut to the kitchen and by the time I finished I was sick from the fumes. Nonetheless, the next day I put the second coat on the room and by then I was much worse.
George kept our paint pans full and fixed the meals so Becky and I could keep painting. She did the kitchen while I worked on the utility room. We both finished by Sunday afternoon and loaded the car to come home. George was pleased with his new look and we were proud of the difference it made. My congestion lingered on for several days but finally left me feeling better.
The month ended on a Friday so August started with a week-end. Not a bad way to begin a new month………..
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
