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

Report on the Dec 31 party

Our 40th wedding Open House was quite a special occasion on Sun Dec 31 despite the weather. We had picked the day knowing people had holiday plans but maybe would be in the Cities anyway. Being a Sunday, we hoped friends would be able to travel both ways in daylight. But we did not count on snow and ice. The rain started before noon and turned to snow by 2pm when the party started. Friends reported tough going and cars in ditches coming up and the worst was to come.

But everyone seemed to enjoy the good food, sandwiches from D’amicos and petit fours from Wuollettes Bakery (no relation) Zac had scoured the Costco wine shop for special wines. Our gift membership from one of our residents was much used and appreciated.

Poinsettas were our wedding flowers in 1966 and blanketed our party room in 2006. The landscape guy here offered to bring over some before they were thrown out. I did not expect 40 of them! Nor did Jan when they were delivered on Sat…all colors and sizes. They were used everywhere and offered to guests as they left.

Roses were also brought by guests…including Lan, our Vietnamese daughter who lived with us from 1981 until her marriage in 1984. Trong and his family brought a big pan of eggrolls for Jan that mostly got gobbled up by guests in our apt.

A big hit was the Guest Platter that Anastasia bought for guests to sign and then it will be baked to seal the signatures of all who attended. She also produced the beautiful hard bound book of our 40 years with photos of important people and events. It is available online as well. Email me for details of how to access it.

The personal highlight was Father Reiser, the priest who married us on Dec 26, 1966. He is still living near Church of the Ephiany and was happy to come despite the weather. He really had not changed…just as charming. He knew several people to chat with and we never got a photo of us with him

Folks came from Delavan, Easton, Blue Earth, Winnebago, Mankato as well as Washington DC, Boston, St Paul, Stillwater and Maple Plain. Cards continue to come in the mail as well

The weather on New Years Day was colder, crisp with sunshine making the snow sparkle in the trees…would have been a perfect travel day and a fun party day but it was already 2007 too late to celebrate 40 years.

Photos from Open House

January 2007

Somebody suggested I write a book about our new life at Stone Arch. Somehow starting a blog seemed simpler. So as the New Year has started, I'm taking a leap forward and learning how do blog. Be patient with me and hopefully you will not be too bored. Life at Stone Arch Lofts can be exciting....we will see.

I am including a few photos from Christmas and some that Zac took at the Open House. Hope everything works out.