This has been a quiet day. I have stayed in the apartment all day, except for going out on our little balcony here for a while. It has been a warm day, and I was comfortable there. I didn't stay long, though. I have had all my meals in the apartment here, because I didn't feel like facing all those people. Chris stayed with me, too. We have decided quite surely, that we will move back to the house as soon as it's reasonable to do. Of course that will depend on when I feel up to it. I am taking the new medication and it should help me soon.My eyes and mouth seem to be improving, and I am not cold anymore. I already have help lined up to fix our hot meal of the day at the house, and she will be there by the 18th. So we might as well stay here until she is back. Karen is back in town, and she will drive us to the doctor appointments we already have lined up.

Almeda asked me to write her report tonight. She has had a strenuous day going to the Doctor to see if he could get her something to relieve the symptoms she was having. tonight at 4:30 she saw Dr. Garcia who gave her a lozenge that is intended to change the chemistry in her mouth and ease her discomfort. He carefully explained that her underlying symptoms suggested the possibility of a dire outcome if she did not continue massive dosage of the corticosteroid. I think that both she and I have the message. she has resumed her proper dosage and has my personal sympathy. Looking back, the day was a classical collaborative effort of Karen, Rex, Kaye to get their mother and me to do what we now know we must do. Only time will will serve the outcome, but all will know they have done what they could. This is Dad for Mom.

I haven' t done much today. I have stayed in the apartment, except for going to the dining room three times for meals. My head and eyes don't work very well, and I'm starting to sneeze. So, I think the best thing to do is go to bed and watch TV until I get sleepy. It's a good thing we have a TV in there, and I can just rest the rest of the day. My eyes are a little better than yesterday, and I think my body as a whole is getting better, too. There is nothing more to write, so I will get off to bed. We have talked to Karen and Kaye, And briefly to Rex. He was the one who put us on to the problem with my mouth. He thought it might be thrush, or maybe that was Dads guess.

Today I have still a sore mouth and eyes. I guess I will just have to wait for it to go away. But I will call Dr. Donahoe and tell him about it tomorrow, if I'm not better by then. Rex says it's Thrush, I have heard of that, but just in connection with babies' illnesses. I guess old people are just as likly to get it as babies. Chris had breakfast and lunch as take-out, so I wouldn't have to go out, just stay in the apartment. But later this afternoon we did go outside for a little walk around the grounds here. Then we went to dinner. It wasn't bad, not many of the people were there, and those that were, didn't give me a second glance. Then tonight we have watched an old James Bond movie, that we hadn't ever seen, and that took up the evening. We called Kaye and talked to her, but we didn't call the other daughters. I think Karen was still busy with Danya, who wasn't leaving until later, and then we had talked to both Carla and Rex last night. there's really nothing more to write, so I'll close here.

This has been a completely different day. I didn't sleep well last night, and today I didn't feel very well. I skipped breakfast, except for some toast Chris brought me from the dining room. I just sat in my chair and rested, after that. At noon we had another snack, and I still didn't do anything. We are trying to plan our move back to our house. As soon as we have everything out of this apartment we can stop paying them rent, and that will help with our other expenses. But they aren't bad ones, just enough to be a slight bother. There's another week in this month, and I guess we will stay here at least until then. Our helper in the house is out of town and she won't be back until Aug. 18, so there is no need to hurry out of here. We might as well stay here a while longer. We will see how it turns out. Danya has come down to spend a few days with her mother. We thought we would see her at church this morning, but since we didn't go, we will have to postpone it. We talked to Karen, and I'm sure she will arrange for us to see Danya.

Today Karen came over and took us to San Marcos Kaiser Clinic where I had an appointment for a test called a Catscan. They gave me a quart of some liquid, and then I had to wait an hour and a half before they did the actual test. This test was one where they put me on a little couch and then it took me into a big round machine, and a man's voice said inhale, and then exhale, about five times, and that was all it was. For this I had to take off all my clothes, except my panties, and shoes and socks, and put on two hospital gowns, one put on as usual, and the other used like a coat or jacket. It took only a few minutes when we got to it. We were out of there soon, and we went to lunch at a little restaurant near our house. Then Karen brought us back to Las Villas. We rested a while, and then we had dinner here. And while we rested, we planned when we would move back into the house. Only, we didn't set an actual date, I guess that will depend on how much more rent we have to pay here before we go. After dinner here, Ramon Beltran, the man working on the house to get it ready for us to move back, came over and collected his wages for hanging the new lights in the living room of the house, and some other chores I can't remember just now. But we will be able to move back into the house as soon as we can arrange for movers to take us.

Karen came over and took us to Home Depot. There we picked out with her help a new light fixture for the living room at the house. Also, we bought new shades for the lights in the kitchen ceiling and a new toilet seat to replace a broken one. We took them back to the house, and put them there for the man Ramon to put them up. The neighbors, Bonnie, Frank's daughter came over, and also Senor Lopez, who did the yard work when we were living there. He agreed to take over the job again, but we have to go by there in the morning on the way to an appointment I have at San Marcos Kaiser Clinic for some tests, and give him some money. I didn't get just why we have to pay him before he starts work, but he and Chris figured it out. Karen will come over again and drive us there and on to San Marcos in the morning. We got back here in time for lunch, and then I went to the beauty shop here at Las Villas and got a new perm. I didn't have her put any hair spray on, because I thought the nurse told Chris I must not have on hair spray or makeup when I go in for the test tomorrow. So, my new hairdo probably won't last very long.

This was another busy day. We went to breakfast, then we drove over to the house to meet the man who was coming to lay the carpet. He was going to do it all by himself, and that kind of bothered me. But we went back about 2 p.m. and it was all laid, and he was vacuuming the top. One thing does worry me a little; as he ran the machine over the carpet, there were definite sections where the machine went, sort of strips of the fabric lying down, or something. We will have to see what happens when we actually move in. I hope it works out all right. That will be as soon as we get a new light fixture for the living room. We will ask Karen to shop with us for it. We did go to Home Depot and check them out this morning, but we couldn't decide on which one to buy. Also there is a crack in the kitchen window, and the shades over the kitchen light are broken. They will have to be replaced. The glass in front of the fire- place is missing, we will have to replace that, too. We had birds come down into the fireplace when we lived there before. We came back to Las Villas to spend the remaining part of the day, and then went to dinner. And that was our day.

This morning we spent as usual, breakfast, then time spent deciding what to do with the rest of the day. Chris needed a prescription that had been filled at the Kaiser Clinic, so we went down there and got it and ordered one for me to be picked up in a couple of days. Then we went to Home Depot to pay for the new carpet. That took a while, they seemed to be so busy there, I was quite surprised when it seems there is a recession on just now. You would think people wouldn't be buying stuff. Maybe it's because of the recession - people are doing their own work on their houses because they can't afford to get someone else to do it. Thank goodness we have a good man and his crew working on our house, to get it ready to sell. From Home Depot we went to the house, and the vertical blinds are all in place. As soon as the paint on the walls is dry, the carpet will be installed. The house will look nice, I'm sure. But the yard is something quite awful. We will have to get someone to fix it up, and do some repair to the brick walls that are coming apart. The lemon tree is covered with tiny little green lemons, and I hope they do develop into really good lemons. Later in the day Ramon Belten, who is doing the work on the house, came over to Las Villas to get a check in payment for what he has already done. He has paid for the materials he used, like all the paint for the house and for his crew, so we gave him a check for that. We will have to give him more before the house is ready. But will be worth it, I hope, when we are able to sell it.

I forgot to write a blog last night, but it wasn't really much of a day to report. So, I will just go to today. This is the day I went to see Dr. Schannon. He helped me calm my fears about going to that lady doctor again. He suggested I go see our regular doctor and talk it over with him. I just don't want to have my head cut open to have a piece of artery taken out to analyze. I can't think that a too rapid sedimentation rate could be all that bad. and she thinks I need to have this done. I have had that rate for 50 years or more, so why worry about it now? The other thing that concerns me somewhat is the problems involved with moving back to the house and getting it ready to sell. We went to see it on the way back from the doctor's, (my visiting teacher and her daughter were driving us) and the walls have all been painted and look great. The next thing is the carpet, which Carla had picked out, and I think it will make a charming house of it. We have another four weeks before we leave this apartment, but we are both ready to leave any time!

This morning we went to Church at 11 and stayed for only Sacrament Meeting. We met Karen there and sat with her and with Sister Jensen, a woman your Dad used to visit teach. After the meeting I meant to find Sister Pawlaczyk and be sure we would have her to help us when we move back to the house. But in the mix-up of people after the session, I missed her, and we went outside with Karen, and talked to her a little. She is leaving in the morning for Arroyo Grande for three or four days. Everything seems a little mixed up to me, what with the moving out of here and back to the house, there is not a lot else I can keep in my mind. I am supposed to go back to see that doctor again, too, but I think I'll skip that. I feel OK, except there's a lot on my mind just now, and I don't really want to see her again. I just talked to Kaye, and she is reassuring. Chris is playing the piano, and he can play the same notes I had just been playing by reading them in a book. I mean, I was looking at the music book to do it, and now he is picking it out and not even looking at the book. Smart Man!

Today we still intend to move back to the house. We drove over there, and the workmen were there getting the walls and ceilings ready to paint. They had the paint there, and said they would spend the rest of the day and tomorrow, doing the painting. The boss man said they would be done by Tuesday, and then we should wait a week to let it dry, before putting in the new carpet. So, we have our work begun. And we also have to get new vertical blinds and have them put up. The next thing I did this afternoon was to call Teri Pawlaczyk, a friend from Church, whose mother is my visiting teacher. She has agreed to come over 2 hours a day to help us, and Roy to clean once a week, and Teri to take us shopping, do the cooking, and take us to doctors' appointments. It should work out all right, if we just remember to schedule the appointments when Teri can take us. Karen is going to Arroyo Grande next week on the train, I guess to check up on their house there. I'm glad she won't try driving again, it's hard on her. And she seems tired, taking care of us and Terry, when he is sick.

This morning we drove back to the house, and the people who are the Mexican neighbors who had taking care of the yard for us, but not for the renters, greeted us with hugs. The little lady can't speak English, but her daughters can, and we told them we were moving back, as soon as we can get ready. She hurried to their house, picked a lovely rose, and brought it to me as we were driving away. We went to Home Depot and ordered the paint and the new carpet. We will meet the man who will do the work tomorrow morning, and firm up our agreement. Then we came back to Las Villas for lunch. For some reason I am having trouble with this computer tonight. Anyway we have spent the afternoon watching a movie on TV and making our plans about leaving here. I have to stop, it's not working right.

We have made big decisions today. We are for sure moving back to our house, after it gets new paint and carpeting installed. That may take a couple of weeks, maybe more. We have picked those out out and have someone to install them. We also have someone lined up to shop and do some cooking for us; at least I hope that's settled. I'll have to check with her to be sure she wants to do it. I didn't realize how much my husband wanted to leave Las Villas, until he had made the connections with the people to help us with it. I don't really know what our daughters think of the move back, but I'm sure they will be behind us in our decision. especially if I get the help I need to live there, like some housecleaning, and shopping and perhaps cooking. It will be good to see it lived in, not just sitting there empty.

Our Trip to Mission Bay

Last night we had made an appointment with a taxi cab to take us to Mission Bay Kaiser,where I had an appointment to see a doctor. The cab had one of those direction finders, that didn't work right; it took us on a different freeway, and then all over San Diego, before coming back to Mission Bay. The charge for the trip was $97! We went inside, and I saw the doctor that our Dr. recommended. It was a young woman, who didn't bother to examine me, just looked at my ankles, and recommended more tests, which we can get near here. Then we called the taxi and the driver just came straight up I-5 to Carlsbad, and this time it cost only $69! We were back in time to have lunch and a long rest. We did talk to one of clerks downstairs, and she figured if we had only two rooms here, we could have them for $$4,030, instead of the $5,680 we pay now. And we wouldn't have to move out and back in. Well, that's one idea. Another is to move back to the house as soon as it has been painted and carpeted, and stay there until Karen and Terry move to Arroyo Grande. Right now I like that better. My visiting teacher has already suggested her daughter can come to shop and cook for us each afternoon. I haven't talked to her, but that's an idea

We have spent a sort of mixed up day, going between staying here at Las Villas while the house is being fixed up for sale, or moving in, and if it's sold before Karen goes north, we will come back here to live. But I doubt it will sell right away, there aren't a lot of people looking to buy just now. One man, a friend of a friend of Al, has offered to buy it, but it wasn't what we think it's worth. Karen is upset with us, because we talked to her about moving back, and she's all up tight. Carla has picked out carpet and paint for the house, and she didn't say anything about our moving in, maybe she doesn't know. I haven't talked at all about it to Kaye, so I guess I won't bother her with it right now. The clerk here is offering us a cut in rent if we stay here, and don't go over there. I tell you, it's all up in the air. And I've got a doctors appointment to go to San Diego in the morning, and we are going to use the discount dollars Karen gave us, to pay for the taxi. I'll report on it all tomorrow night.

This is Sunday, so we got ready for church, went to breakfast, and then drove to church. Karen wasn't going, so we just drove ourselves. We left after the first meeting and came back to Las Villas and had our lunch. After that we went to the apartment, and waited to hear from the people who will clean the house and get it ready for new carpet, etc. Chris will meet him at 5 at the house. In the meantime, we heard from Bianca, and she and her two friends, Hanna, and I can't remember the other girl's name, came, while Chris was still gone to the house. I took them into the dining room and we ordered dinner. He got back in time to have it with us. Then we came back to the apartment and had cake and ice cream, from Travis Westermeyer's birthday party. The three girls had spent yesterday there, and then came up to see us on their way back to their colleges. We enjoyed their visit. It's nice they will come to see us when they can. Bianca is going to spend more time in other cities in connections with her doctorate degree she is working on, and we probably won't see much of her.

Today we haven't done much, just the ordinary things. I was hoping we could start getting the house ready to show. I still think we should move in when it's ready, so we can show it as a house lived in. We need the new paint and carpeting; but the man who did Karen's painting isn't available just now. But we can get someone in to remove the carpet and pad, and that is necessary before the painting anyway. There were three samples of the carpet Carla recommended, but I don't know exactly which she means that we should use. I'll have to go back to the store and look at them again, after talking to Carla once more about it. You know, I have never coughed much in my long life, but I guess it's the long life that's started it. I do have another doctor's appointment this month, and maybe this new man can help stop it. It has been with me since that last pneumonia bout. We talked to Karen, and she seems to be recovering fine; she did say, though, that Terry is sick today. So we haven't bothered them again today.

I'll start my blog with the most important news first; Karen had her new battery installed, and she is home again resting up. She is certainly an active woman! Each day she does something special. I hope she will take some time to rest up, she has been so active, with the trip to San Francisco and all the others she has been on this summer. She did call tonight, to tell us she was home, and I'm glad for that. We talked to the other daughters, too. Kaye is enjoying her new house, and Carla gave us the information on the carpet and paint she recommends for the house in Oceanside. We went to the house today, after going to look at the samples she suggested. And we agree, they are good colors. While we were there, John's girl friend from across the street, came over and talked to us about the people we had let live in the house; it seems they annoyed all the neighbors with the antics of their dogs and children. It seems they turned the dogs loose in the neighborhood every night, and let them do anything they wanted. The neighbors are all happy, she says, that we had them leave. The house wasn't in really bad shape; it just needs new paint and carpeting. And some curtain rods need replacing. Also, there is water leaking on the kitchen floor, and there's a broken window we'll have to replace. After we got back to the apartment, I had my hair done, and we had our dinner. I'm tired out, this time. I guess I tried to do a little too much all in one day. And of course it was an emotional visit to the house.

Today was supposed to be the big barbeque out by the pool. We had invited Peggie Plylor and her husband to come with us, but the sun never did come out and the forecast wasn't good, so it was served in the dining room instead. It was nice, but noisy. We had a good visit with the Plylors, and then afterward she visited me as a visiting teacher from church. We have talked briefly to all three of our daughters. Karen got back from San Fransisco in time to have her blood work done, so she can have her new pace maker put in tomorrow. Terry will drive her down to Scripts Hospital to have it done. We would like to, but I guess that time has passed for us. Carla is sending us a sample of carpet that she has used in her apartments, and I'm sure we can get it here and laid as soon as we get the painting done in our house. This carpet is at Home Depot, and that's near the house. Kaye had a good time last night at her Writers' Group. It sounds as though she has completely recovered from her trip down here. I'll be glad when we move up closer to them. I haven't talked to Karen yet, about our going up to Arroyo Grande shortly after they have moved up there. I hope we can sell the house by then. I'm slower to get over the pneumonia this time; my strength is slower to come back. But things are looking up for us, and I'm sure it won't be long until it does.

I am glad I have the opportunity to write these blogs. Years ago I started to write my autobiography, but somehow I got side-tracked on it. I think there are parts of it in our records somewhere, but these blogs will have to do for now. For some reason I have shaky hands and arms tonight, so I will be brief. We did our usual things this morning, breakfast, then Gentle Yoga, then a walk around the area here, not off the grounds of Las Villas de Carlsbad. We are trying to decide whether to move back into the house while we have it painted and new carpet laid. We would save enough money to pay for these improvements by just moving back until it's sold. We still haven't made up our minds yet. There's no point in staying in this area after Karen and Terry go. If their house sells first, they will surely go, and we will follow as soon as ours is sold. There's nothing solid about either sale. There is a man who wants our house,but I doubt he will pay our price. He is a business man, in houses, and of course it's his business to make a profit on everything he handles. So, we will just have to wait and see what happens. We talked to both Kaye and Carla, but we didn't discuss this selling business. We will get a little closer to the actual deals before we make a big thing of it.

Today started out as usual; we went to breakfast and then we did some quick runs, first to the Library to return some books, then to Wal Mart for some supplies. That took only one and half hours, so we had to rest of the day to use up here; reading the paper, mild exercise, having two more meals, etc. I have had two naps, I can't imagine why I am so tired when I don't do much of anything. I guess it's just my age! I had a call today from Kaiser, and they wanted me to go to San Diego. I don't have a ride that far. I like what medical care I can get up here, so I'll just settle for that. We are going back to our house, to see what we can do to fix it up to sell. We don't want to stay here longer than Karen and Terry do, and they already have a home set up in Arroyo Grande. We will check that area out after we get things settled here, even if that means moving back into the house for a while. It's easy livin' here, but we can do what is best to do. The weather has been cloudy all week, and I hope it improves soon. It's cooler than Southern Calif. usually is this time of year. Last year the sun was shining and we could enjoy swims in the pool, but I have no wish to go into it this year! In fact, it was drizzling a little bit while we were out this morning, but this afternoon, it's just cloudy. I woke up about 4 a.m., and it was raining then.

Monday is a busy day for us. We get up and go to breakfast, and then the housekeeper is supposed to come and clean. Well, she didn't get here, so we just went to Gentle Yoga class, and then came back here. She still hadn't finished, so we went back downstairs. I read the paper, and Chris got some coffee in the little coffee house opposite the desk in the lobby. We stayed down there until almost noon, and she was finally done with our apartment. We went back, and I went to sleep on the couch until lunch time was almost over, but we did get there in time to be fed. Back at the apartment we got a call from Jane and Gary Oddou. She is the new Relief Society President, and Gary is the Executive Secretary in the Ward. They are good friends of Karen and Terry. They have an old house in France that they go to each summer to restore. I think it was Gary who inherited it. It was nice of them to come to see us, just before they leave. They will be back in the fall, most of their children and grandchildren live near here. Karen and I were her visiting teachers. I haven't gone teaching with Karen since we moved here, probably because and I've had pneumonia twice. Anyway, we had a nice visit with them. After they left, I had a short rest, and then we went to dinner. We arranged to have Peggy and Paul Plylor here for the big Barbecue on Thursday night, starting at 4 p.m., as our guests. We do owe them a dinner, we lost the free dinner tickets to Marie Calendar's Restaurant, I think, that they gave us. It will be nice to have them here. Peggy is my visiting teacher.

This is Fast Sunday, but neither of us was feeling too well, but we did have a small dish of oatmeal. Karen came and picked us up to go to church. We got there in time to get seats in the back of the main part of the chapel. It was a good meeting, with lots of good testimonies. I meant to talk to my visiting teacher about help we could get from a church member if and when we move back into the house, until it is fixed up and we sell it and move north when Karen and Terry do. By then we will probably be happy to move into the assisted living place up there! By then we will have gotten rid of some more junk, so we will fit in. Before we go, though, we will have as many of the family as can come, and take anything they value, that we would have to get rid of. My visiting teacher will be here next week, so we can talk to her about it, too. She may know someone who would like a job shopping groceries for us, and perhaps fixing some meals, too. We can probably get Roy to come again to clean house when we need it. We have already arranged for our gardener to take care of the yard.

This is the beginning of another month, and there are so many things I want to get done, while it is still here. I want to go back to our house and see if we can live in it while we get it ready to sell or rent. We will do that on the way back from Church in the morning. It's a Fast Day, so we don't even have to see about food before we leave, and we can see the house quickly on the way back. Then there's food here when we get back. Today I haven't felt too well; I choked on lunch, and then I rested all afternoon, until about 4:30, when Chris and I went for a walk around the grounds here at Las Villas de Carlsbad. The swimming pool has been completely re-finished, and now it's ready to use again. Maybe I'll feel like going in sometime next week. It looked inviting when we walked by this afternoon. There's going to be a party here next Thursday. Maybe we will invite friends across the street. It will be out on the space around the pool. It was a nice party last year, and I would like to invite them. They are members of our Ward, and that's how we met. Karen suggested inviting them, because she and Terry will be out of town somewhere. I can't remember where they are going, but it's probably back up to Arroyo Grande again. They won't be moving up there before next summer sometime. So we don't have to worry about being alone here. We can stay here or go back to the house, or up to Arroyo Grande, if we decide to.

It's hard to realize that it is Friday already. We went through the usual morning, shower, then breakfast, and then reading the paper. Then we both went to the Gentle Yoga class, after putting a load in one of the washing machines down on the 2nd floor. The exercise class is right near the washing room. Chris put the clothes in the dryer, and then we went back to the apartment while they dried. When he went back to pick them up from the dryer, someone had taken them out, even though they were not yet dry. He brought them to the apartment, and we hung them up here to finish the drying. After lunch I had a long nap, and felt quite rested afterward. Then Karen came to take us to her house to have dinner with her. Terry is still up in Arroyo Grande, where he helped his granddaughter, who graduated from Santa Cruze U, but doesn't have a job yet, he helped her get settled in their house up there. Karen is already packing some things and throwing away others to get ready for their move up there. But it probably won't be until her birthday next April, unless their Oceanside house sells quickly. She wants to keep her Kaiser membership as long as possible. She needs a new pace maker soon, and wants it done near here. We, too, are a little hesitant to leave Kaiser, we do get good medical care here, and there's no Kaiser up there, unless we drive to Fresno,or Ventura, a long way off.

Today was my appointment in San Marcos with the Hiemotology Dept. I met a nice Dr. there, who interviewed me first and then did a did the physical exam. He did only the usual things, like listen to my heart and lungs, check my joints, and that was all. He didn't do any of the oncology exam. I wonder if Dr. Donahoe will approve, or will he send me back for the rest of the exam I was expecting. I hope not. Maybe he will be satisfied with this doctor's diagnosis. Karen drove us over there, and she and Chris both got protime tests. Later we went to lunch at the Mexican restaurant we used to go go to before we moved here. We had nice Mexican sandwiches and each had a drink. That was all the food we needed. We came back to Las Villas, and then Karen went home. Here we rested up from the trip, and we talked to Kaye. Carla and Rex had been to visit her and Kyle, for three hours, Then they left and Kaye went to get her hair cut. It was down to her waist, I don' t know how she managed it. I know I need more exercise, so I'm going to try to do it starting in the morning. This letter is off the page on two sides, so I don't know how long it is, but I will quit anyway, and get ready for bed.