Are You Ready for the Final Four?

Wow! Just a few minutes ago, UConn secured its spot in the Final Four next week in Indianapolis with an outstanding game-winning shot. Looking ahead, the upcoming matchup between Arizona and Michigan promises to be a thrilling contest—one that could ultimately determine the national champion. Both teams are strong contenders, and either could win the two games needed to claim the title.

We watched the first half of the Purdue-Arizona game last night and caught the second half this morning. It quickly became clear that Arizona was the stronger team. Purdue will be losing three seniors who have played all four years.

Last week was pretty ordinary in terms of our activities, but the weather has been unpredictable—setting monthly records for storms, highs, and lows. Now, we’re expecting some April showers.

We had visits from therapists and attended the Wednesday night Lenten supper and service. On Friday, we returned to church for game night, which meant another evening I didn’t have to prepare a meal.

One of the highlights of this past week for me was watching the movie “Rule Breakers,” which is based on the true story of a girls' team from Afghanistan competing in robotics competitions. If you get a chance, I highly recommend it—it's both inspirational and educational, offering insight into culture and robotics.

My Everyday Life - March 22-28, 2026

 Until next time, I’d like to remind you that today is the beginning of Holy Week, which culminates with Easter.

In full disclosure, I’ve been using AI to help write this blog and the little stories in My Everyday Life.

A Little Late...

I usually try to reminisce about the past week on Sunday afternoons, but yesterday I spent time watching Purdue defeat Miami before heading outside for several hours. With the temperature in the mid-80s, it was the perfect opportunity to prune the four hydrangea shrubs on the east side of our house. I was grateful not to be working in direct sunshine. Once the pruning was finished, I gathered all the trimmings—a challenge in the windy conditions. By the time I finished, it was already time to prepare our evening meal, and I didn’t have the energy to blog.

You can read all about my birthday on the 16th on "My Everyday Life" below.

The next morning, March 17, we visited our primary care doctor. I couldn’t resist taking a photo of their shamrock tree, which had gold coins scattered underneath it.

On Wednesday, we made our first social visit since Ray returned home by attending the Lenten Supper and the church service that followed. The next day we planned to play bridge in the afternoon, so that morning I baked some bars to take as a treat, since it was only a few days after my birthday. Unfortunately, the baked bars were a disappointment. I’m not sure what went wrong, as my baking efforts rarely fail. I realized there was a problem when I tried to cut them and could hardly get a knife through. On the way to the senior center, I stopped at Kroger to pick up some cookies to share with the other bridge players instead.

Burying cable in the neighborhood only took a few days and passed our house on Thursday morning. We haven't heard who is burying the cable. I suspect we'll have an offer in the mail when everything is finished and connected.

The hole and small pile of dirt is in our neighbor's yard.

During the week we had visits from the Visiting Nurse Service three times for physical and occupational therapy and one for a wellness check.

My Everyday Life - March 15-21, 2026

Until next time, I'm hoping to see a robin soon and I hope you will too.

Are You Ready for March Madness?

Some of our activities of the past week are documented in "My Everyday Life," so I won't repeat them here. We had four visits from the Visiting Nurse Service: Molly and Bill on Tuesday, Jennifer on Wednesday, and Bill again on Friday.

On Tuesday, I donated blood as part of my goal to donate four times in 2026. As a thank-you, I received a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints, given to everyone who donated. On Wednesday, I saw a retina specialist after noticing a distortion (warping) of straight lines, which my optometrist had referred me to. For now, there's no treatment planned, just continued monitoring. I'll return in three months for another evaluation. I hope you enjoy the little story for Wednesday!

We had a visit on Thursday morning from Linda and Marv, a couple from our church. Marv is a pickleball player, and they were delivering leftover food from Wednesday's Lenten supper. We enjoyed visiting with them and playing several games of dominoes.

In the afternoon, we went to the License Branch to apply for a handicapped placard. Our doctor had already filled out his part of the application. Ray waited in the car while I went into the office, and then I returned to get his signature. On our way home, we used the new placard to park in a handicapped space at the Greenwood Fieldhouse. Ray watched as I ran three miles on the upper track. Since it was late, there were no other runners, and I had the track to myself—until a couple arrived and kindly informed me I was running the wrong way! They were right; in my mind, it was Friday, so I was following the direction assigned for that day.

My Everyday Life - March 8-14, 2026

This afternoon, we watched Purdue win a thrilling game over Michigan for the Big Ten Tournament championship, then tuned in for the NCAA tournament Selection Show, which starts Tuesday. I'm hoping Purdue can make it all the way to the championship game in Indianapolis on April 6. Clark Kellogg, CBS analyst and former Pacer, even picked Purdue to win!

Until next time, enjoy a little St. Patrick’s Day revelry and rejoice—spring officially arrives next Friday!

After a Rainy Week, We Have Sunshine!

Just how rainy was it last week? We measured 4 inches—setting a new record for the first week of March.

I was a bit concerned about how Ray would adjust after nearly a month in the hospital and rehab center. With his short-term memory issues, I anticipated some challenges—but I needn’t have worried. Just a few hours after settling in, Ray remembered we had popsicles in the freezer and helped himself to one.

Ray has been home for a week now, and the Visiting Nurse Service can provide both physical and occupational therapy as long as we are considered homebound. The guidelines still allow us to attend church services, get haircuts, or go out for an occasional lunch. Since Ray is starting to look a little ragged, we’re planning a trip to Great Clips very soon! So far, our only outing has been to our primary doctor’s office for a post-op visit.

On Wednesday, we had an intake visit from the VNS, and on Thursday, a physical therapist came by. She introduced six different exercises for Ray, which we’ve been repeating together twice a day.

To help fill the hours, we watched several movies. One was Barefoot in the Park, a 1967 film starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. Last night, we watched The Barefoot Contessa (1954), starring Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner. What stands out about these older films is that the language remains clean, and intimate scenes are left to the imagination.

We’re grateful that Dustin stopped by yesterday morning to help us with a few small tasks.

My Everyday Life - March 1-7, 2026

Until next time, I hope your team plays well and is ready for Selection Sunday.

Welcome To A New Month - March 2026

I visited Ray daily this past week and found time to run my usual four miles at the Greenwood Fieldhouse on three different days. One afternoon, we played dominoes with Norma, who lives at Aspen Trace, and yesterday we played 2 hours of Yahtzee. On another afternoon, we attended a music program by a two-member band. In addition, I took the car back to Xpress Pro (see My Everyday Life) and stocked up on groceries for his return home, which came at noon today. He's using a walker and takes himself to the bathroom without any difficulty. I will learn later today if he needs any assistance getting ready for bed. I hope his appetite improves.

We'll be visiting Ray's doctor on Tuesday afternoon and are waiting for a call from Home Health Services to schedule additional therapy.

My Everyday Life - February 22-28, 2026

Until next time, may you have some reminisces that bring joy and fond memories.