Puppies & Pulpits

Snow everywhere

Ode to Winter….2007

Okay, Minnesota has had bad winter storms in the past at Thanksgiving in November with ice storms and record snow falls in Dec in the past

Christmas is supposed to be a White Christmas so Santa’s sleigh can fly and Rudolph’s nose can light the way

And January usually has a January Thaw and 2007 had a long warm spell which fooled us that spring might come early

Then the shortest month reminded us how cold it could get and for how long. The below zero F temps continued for weeks and it can’t snow then. But low and behold it warmed up enough to SNOW and SNOW

Feb 24- was the first big dump of more than 12 inches but it was a weekend and people stayed home. Jan took the slow road…a little shoveling, then snow blowing and more shoveling again. The parking lot is done professionally but the sidewalks and steps are the caretaker’s job.

Then March came in like a lion….a “Double Scoop” Snow Storm that the newspaper claimed was a record breaker. Good we got the big pile of snow hauled away for $1000 to make more room in the parking lot. We got another 14-16” of the pure white stuff over night and daylight too.

Jan worked very hard from 3:30 am to make the first path for the early workers to get out and not pack the snow down. He returned to bed and got up and did some work with the snowblower. But even 7 hp with an 18 “ path it was still hard to push through 14-30” in drifts and wonder where to put it all.

The handicap ramps are the hardest with all the twists and turns and no place to put the snow. And of course we had ice and sleet before the snow. So it is treacherous for me with a cane. I get in and out of the van in the underground garage but it is difficult to find clear spaces near businesses.

And snow outside I prefer watching the beauty of snow on the trees in the bright sunshine. Despite the snowplow piles, winter in the city can be beautiful.

Real blizzards still exist in rural areas….friends were without heat or electricity for 3 days on the farm, Others did not have water and a neighbor’s machine shed was crushed under the weight of the snow ad another’s barn caved in on cattle.

But now the sun is shining, the piles of snow disappearing and the ice melting and now I am thinking more of spring.

Bye Bye Winter til 2008, Linda

On my way

After hip surgery Feb 1….

4 days in the hosoital, coming out of spinal athestestic and pain of4 hrs of power tools to take out the old hip and put in the bionic one for $50,000 to last my lifetime.

A room full of flowers and plants from friends and relatives, phone calls and visits much appreciated. Hospital food that was lukewarm and not much even to a non gourmet like me. Needed 2 pints of blood after surgery…I did not make arrangements to give my own. They check every 2hrs for something and how can I get any sleep?

Transferred to Sister Kenny on Mon Feb 5 for physical therapy….6 times a day including Occupational Therapy and PT starting at 730 am to 330 pm as scheduled in 1/2 hr to 1 hr sessions. The therapy gym had real stuff like cars, buse and stores s to get in and out of, plus kitchens,, bedrooms and bathrooms to work in. And yes, an office area with a computer I could use

Caring male nurses (8 of 10), fun aides, patient therapists and doctors, lots of pain pills. Reading 2 or 3 books at a time while watching TV all hours. I was on my back in bed with a wedge between my legs to prevent me from moving my new hip. Commode by bedside meant ringing the bell for help getting up and back in bed. How many times in a night? Anytime after 4 am, I just stayed up and sat in the chair reading til breakfast.

Each day I was getting stronger and able to do more. I was glad to check out early on Sat Feb 10 since only 1 hr of PT was available on wkends. I was glad to be home. At first Jan had to lift my legs in and out of bed and put my surgerical stockings on. He helps with the therapy exercises and is doing some of the cooking. The PT person comes 3x a wk and the health aide 2x to give me a shower and shampoo.

Friends and neighbors have sent meals and stopped by to visit. I have been in the office for the 1 hr in the AM sitting in m wheelchair at the computer. Then Im ready for a nap. But I keep both phones so Jan is not bothered. One time while I was gone he had 30 calls in a day here…drove him crazy.

We still play cribbage after supper…there is no mercy in our games. And I walk around in the building and out if I can during the day. The wheelie walker from Linda Kojetin is a life saver…bigger wheels ad a soft padded seat for me to sit on in the office. It is much smaller than Ilenes wheelchair and easier to use. I even took it grocery shopping…the electric scooters in the stores are hard for me to use.

My month of hiberation to recuperate will be up March 1 and then I can drive. I shouldn’t need the walker in the house and will be accustomed to my cane. And unlike Humpty Dumpty who had many broken parts, I will be whole again. Pain free an ambitious ….

Happy Spring soon….Linda

What happens Feb lst?

Hip surgery is scheduled for Thurs Feb 1 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, 800 E. 28th St, Minneapolis MN 55405 phone # 612 863 4111

We will go in at 7 am to be ready for the 930 am surgery with Dr. Drake who has done thousands of hip replacements over 35 years or more. He plans to use an epidural rather than a general anesthesia. Insurance pays only for a double room. Pain relief is on demand with IV drip. Physical Therapy is expected to start on Friday with just getting out of bed and standing up.

If all goes well, I will have PT at Sister Kenny Rehab Center next to the hospital starting Feb 5 to 10th as an in patient 3x a day. I have been working on exercises at home to help with the recovery. I have the walker, cane, wheelchair, hi rise toilet seat etc.

Friends and neighbors have offered to bring food or come to visit. I am considering Feb a month of hibernation – being warm inside, sleeping a lot and not eating much. Or it could be a Spa month….people taking care of all my needs, being pampered . I can read all the books I haven’t had time to read and watch lots of TV. And maybe write.

I can play Scrabble, Gin Rummy, Dominoes and maybe even do some crafts in between the exercise and napping. Our building is handicap accessible and has 2 elevators. I can walk all the way to the Guthrie without stairs. The biggest problem will be not bending 90deg and using my arms to push myself up from seating.

Friends who have had this surgery say recovery is a full time job and that I will not have energy to do anything else. But I cant imagine being too far from my computer and phone.
The best phone to call is 712 659 0449 where the answering machine can pick up.

We shall see….Linda

God has a hand

Amazing….

Sue’s brother Bob going to Hawaii 2005

Getting the DMV to tell me whose LandRover was blocking garage entrance

Persisting w/Excel Energy to correct Weisers bill

Having Chuck given tennis lessons in San Antonio; driving w/Ruth to Austin

Sending Chuck and Ruth to Switzerland and France

Making sure Tom and Andy got to Paris

Having Nancy fly to NYC with Zac and Andy

Moving Anastasia to TX from FL w/Kent driving truck

Settling Zac into Sells AZ and Tucson and MSP and Boston

Fixing up Hasan School – hauling school furniture from BE

Driving the Chinese teachers to DC and NY

Polish princesses from DC to OH to Nigara Falls

Flying to NYC w/ Mom visting w/Klimaszes

Driving Julia K to Kent; staying w/her for Stadulis vacation

Forcing Janet Stadulis to use a computer for her PhD work

Finding the 2 for 1 non stop flight for Jan to London/Paris

Refusing partial scholarships at Vanderbilt for Zac

Fixing up a job for Waldek and housing him

Surviving Yuki for 6 mo after 4 others gave up

Escorting Jamie M to Switzerland to W’s; took Nancy J too

Arranging educational visits for Swedish teachers 2x

Driving them thru National Parks to San Diego

Returning to Sweden 2x w/Cathrine S and Donna N

Making a trip to Orlando via St Louis w/Chuck

Encouraging Ruth M to go w/me to San Antonio

Carting cans to MI w/Kylah etc

Letting Aunt Arleen drive van on trip to Chicago

Holding the lst Lofty Lovelies sale

Accepting the SAL caretaking job

Hauling Bishops Clothing drive to Milwaukee 2x

Tripping to TX w/Trong 4x; Mihn and Dam to Austin

Tutoring over 100 unwed mothers and bad boys

Good things

Random Acts of Kindness


College
1960’s International students/innercity kids to farm

1970’s Foster kids (age 18 months to 16 yrs)
1973 Started Blue Earth Area branch of AAUW

1974 GED tutoring (neighbor needed it, set up classes)
1975 ESL for Vietnamese refugee families in BE

Concerned Citizens for Refugees Community thanksgiving

1976 County Bicentennial committee; editor of Faribault Co. Panorama 5000 copies printed of 300 pp book; signed by Gov. Perpich
Started Town and Country Players w/6 others

1980 Sr Citizen Transportation Board for 2yrs (6000 miles driven)

1981 Trong and Huong (14&19) arrive from HK refugee camp)

1983-86 Semi Independent Living Skills program for 6 Mentally Retarded adults 24/7 w/another supervisor

1986 Faribault Co ABE consortium started w/help from State Dept of Ed

1986-1999 Training Facilitator w/Literacy Training Network of UST
1986-2000 Conferences, seminars, workshops (Atlanta,New Orleans, Louisville,St Louis, SanDiego

1987 Speech coach—assistant, full and shared later w/Nancy Willette

1988 Worked with Miss Blue Earth and Miss Minnesota pageants

1989 Studied Adult Literacy in New Zealand and Puerto Rico for International Literacy Year

19990-96 yearbook advisor Jr/Sr High to 94; BEAHS 93-96
1. Journalism trips to KS plant and conferences

1996 Appointed to Blue Earth Community Library board (til 2005)


1997 2005 Interfaith Caregivers (office volunteer:, fundraising, driving
12000 miles + MA driving

Over 40 years,,,,

1967 Living in little house at WSF; stillborn twin girls on 12/24 in Virginia

1968 Premature twins at 6 mo – boy, girl in Blue Earth

1969 Foster care program – Mike age 2 was the first of 9 foster kids

1970 Anastasia Joy born 1-30-70; moved to Elsie’s house

1971 Start graduate school in Mankato; miscarriage at 3 months at home

1972 First international teachers from France

1973 Graduated from MSU w/ Masters degree; Zachary Milton born 9 17 73

1974 Move to 427 E. 7th St in Blue Earth

1975 Bicentennial book project and antique tent at Co. Fair

1976 Kent Charles born 1-19-76; Anderson house sold in Virginia.

1977 Grandma Anderson settles in BE and tennis playing nephews too.

1978 Move to 326 W. 6th –18 rooms need fixing exc. attic

1979 Trip to NYC w/Grandma Anderson

1980 Trip to Disneyworld – condo rental for family

1981 Flight to France in Feb; Death of Florence Anderson 5-19-81

1982 Trip to National Parks w/French friends

1983 Friendship Force Mission to Poland for Linda

1984 Valley Forge Freedom Foundations scholarship + family trip

1985 Chosen for Tour of Homes; Jan in hospital

1986 Faribault Co. Adult Basic Ed consortium started; Disneyworld trip

1987 Miss Blue Earth pageant; Anastasia in Miss Minnesota pageant

1988 BEHS graduation of Anastasia and Roger

1989 Japanese exchange teacher; Zac and Linda to London


1990 International Literacy Year -- Anastasia and Linda to San Juan PR

1991 Linda & Zac drive Chinese teachers to Washington DC and NYC

1992 BEAHS and College of St Benedict graduations: Zac and Anastasia

1993 Steve & Anastasia McKenna married12/31/93 in Blue Earth

1994 BEAHS graduation of Kent

1995 Kent & Zac in College; Linda goes to China

1996 Zac graduates from Vanderbilt and joins Americorps in AZ & DC

1997 Sells and Tucson: Jan & Linda help out; also w/Hasan Prep School in 98

1998 Linda goes to Japan; Kent graduates from St Johns and moves to Austin TX

1999 Chuck & Linda to Singapore; Summer Anastasia Mckenna born 7-5-99

2000 Trip to Ireland w/ McKennas 3 and 4 Willettes

2001 Hong Kong w/Zac; Tully (Cormac Patrick) McKenna born 10-14

2002 Thailand w/Kent to visit Gregg & Karyn Anderson

2003 60th birthday for Linda (CD of photos, surprise

2004 Conley Brenden McKenna born 8-27-04

2005 Kent &Trisha married 6-18-05; Chuck Anderson dies 11-11-05

2006 Caretaker job at Stone Arch Lofts continues, 40th Anniversary Open House