Maureen Agatha's Dash

My favorite part of our trip was Dave taking me to see first light.my phone battery died so my pictures are on camera.  We also tried to catch meteor showers from boat hatch but only saw stars and satelites. I thought that was pretty romantic too! I met Allie Jakes girlfriend. Jake was there with a welcoming smile. He had trouble with his boat Mobday but Dave helped him with it. The funniest conversati I n was Heidi talking about the tiny house electric people and jumping up out of her chair to demonstrate how they wore their tight speedo or spandex pants with their junk showing. 2nd to that was the debate about  coed crew. Finding condoms in the cabins. Amy suggesting more trash cans as a solution. Someone saying they should be glad they are practicing safe sex. Anyway a convesation that came up probably had more to do with Chris Little coming to work crew and growing up and less about finding condoms. Im sure he will do fine in keeping the Barker tradition. Let him e...

I thought we were going to get up for sunrise but by the time I looked out my bedroom window just before 5 am first light turned  almost overcome by the bright sun.  I let Dave sleep and did my normal routine with Ruby Andy and Gizmo. Made coffee took a long bath and started popovers! Dave got up as they were getting ready. I made sandwiches and packed dog food crackers cheese and poppers.  Did dishes. Packed bags.  I included some art supplies. 3 Mile island is our destination today. We are going to stay overnight. Packing for the boat is so much work I wonder if it's worth it . When I get on the water I forget all about those thoughts. I compare it to childbirth then having a kid. How you forget about the pain. Back to today. I picked a rodedendrum not sure of the spelling and took it over to mom. Dave said he had to wash the boat. I don't know what happened to get up and go. It rarely works out that way. I was back by 930 am.  I guess I will carry...

The most powerful tribute to the fallen today is the Field of Honor in Rochester Nh and I will get pictures of it later. I went to visit mom today but she was sleeping. I decided not to wake her. She will probably be upset about that later. Dave and I went to Job Lots to get a fan. I also scored a pair of sandals. My favorite kind. My first pair were hand me downs from my son Michael. I think he grew out of them by age 12 and I wore them for about 8 years after that! Then I got a pair of bear paws that lasted 4 or 5 years. AndTODAY I scored THESE!

Yesterday Robin Reasbeck told me she had covid and they couldn't give her an infusion because it was non responsive to this variant. I asked to to get Paxlovid. Today she called to tell me they had not heard of it. It is federally funded and she has it on order to be delivered d to Benwood wv.

Linda Day and Walter Aka Skip Portis. Linda reached out to me yesterday on Facebook. She used to live across the street from me in Wheeling and a very good friend. Skippy was my first real boyfriend. Skippy recently passed away. Linda doesn't even remember him. She dated him after I did. This is a picture I took of them in my teenage years. Skip stayed in touch with me up to the day he died of Covid in the hospital.  Another example of how life just passes you by.

Mom has surprised me the last 2 days and called me during the day. I was so thrilled just to hear her say "Hi honey I love you!"  It's much harder for her to manage a cell phone than the rest of us. She must have been like a Jedi from Star Wars using the Force! I took her hotdogs and baked beans. It's amazing how good the simple things taste when you haven't had them. For dessert I bought her Good Humor  birthday cake ice cream nuggets. 

Went out on Baxter at 1154 am. We are supposed to get thundershowers after 230. Decided to stay close. Took Ruby. We all went in! 97.5 hours on the boat. Water temp 68.9 degrees.

This planter and table yelled? "I'm Crysta's" when I pulled up to 4 road road garage sale. And I stood by the dresser with a mirror for awhile and sent a picture. For 50 dollars too good to pass up. 

Made Dave lunch. He left for work. Fed animals, loaded car with moms clothes, drove down the street and picked lilacs for herstopped at the bank, then a yardsale. Bought myself an easel, and this stone planter for Crystas garden.went to Moms and met Darlene the weekend nurse from Cornerstone to sign for services. Fed mom peaches. Put her feet up. Gave her another blanket.  Left to let her nap. Stopped at the side of the road to photo this colt on Meaderboro Rd. So far its been a busy morning. Going to visit another yard sale and then get rid of a bag of stuff.

At Irving gas was 4.75 a gallon! Went to see Mom and had to put 5 gallons in. Crysta met me to visit Mom. Dave and I goig to see Downton Abbey in Barrington tonight.

If this be the place For battle of belief Do it in psalm Or in the hearts grief Forbidden is imposition, Be the one example Of kindness, or tradition. If they choose to follow That's the beauty of choice A poems a poem A space to have voice. Maureen Dittmar On Facebook people were debating about whether or not God exists. This was my response

Mom met with Carol and Barbara from Cornerstone hospice last night. She chose them as providers, and confirmed no DNR. 

The orioles are back in my yard.This is one of the pictures i took of them previously.. He likes the feeder I made for him from a broken rake.  I took the handle off and just hung the bottom part, and put orange wedges on the spikes. It wasnt my idea.  I think i got it from pinterest or facebook, but it really works!

I have tried many recipes for popovers. King Arthur's, Facebook, internet, several cookbooks, recommendations. Finally, today, I relied on Betty Crocker. Preheat oven to 450.  Put rack on lowest shelf. Gently beat 2 room temp eggs. Add 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of room temperature milk and half teaspoon of salt.  Grease 6 custard pan including the top. Bake 20 mins. Reduce heat to 350 bake 20 mins more

Dave just planted beets and carrots. The seeds are from last year so they may not take. On the front of the garden closest to the boat he created another space for Lynn's memorial garden.  I'm going to paint a memorial rock for it too, and dress it up a bit. But this is a start.

We got rid of our roosters today

HUMBLE AND kind by Tim McGraw is one of my favorites. And Beautiful Crazy my bride and groom dance. Crysta just learned to play that on piano.  Dave took me for a drive yesterday. It was nice to get out in sun but stay cool in car.  We went our usual seacoast route but my favorite picture was a bicycle with flowers it was on my camera so I will have to process to post here.

I asked Dave to drive past our house to look at the lilacs starting to bloom, but the dandelions were just as beautiful

Dave and I went to see Mom. I took the watercolor markers and some marker cards. Mom started to draw something and asked me to finish. I finished by majing a waterfall over rocks with a fairy. She tells me she was drawing a horse. Its all about perception

Exeter Hospital has a Beyond the Rainbow Fund for cancer patients. I contributed by hanging and selling my photographs on the Hospitals Art wall, but the kites for cancer is at Hampton Beach today, so I think we are going to go. It is TOMPRROW not TODAY

This list came up on Facebook. So  far I have been to New York City, Niagara Falls, DC, Sanra Fe, NASHVILLE, Arlington Cemetery, Freedom Trail, Albequerque Balloon Fwstival,  and Acadia, I disnt see much of Acadia so Dave and I are planning to go by boat in August. Dave doesnt really care much about travelling anymore, but I would like to have one of my photographs displayed in every state. I'd like to see every state, but don't think I have enough life left to do that.

Mom has been collecting fairies. I bought one that hangs on a swing at Elfs, and Colleen bought one  that looked like sisters and another one that looked like a mom. We got a few others. But the two new ones Colleen got needed to be put in a plant or something because they had little spikes in them. Yesterday I found just the little garden for them at Hannafords!

The day before yesterday Crysta visited Mom with me and Colleen. Crysta asked her if she remembered cooking hotdogs in a hubcap!  In Lee mom turned a hubcap over to make a safe outdoor fire and they roasted hotdogs on sticks! 

After mom got out of hospital, Colleen came to see her. Jessica was going to come but Colleen said she needed her more in Tennessee. Colleen spent everyday with mom. I don't think she realized how much her health was failing. Mom almost didn't make it this week. Colleen learned the names of everyone who had anything to do with mom. In spite of all our notifications they still fed mom grilled cheese. Birch Hill still doesn't have a good method of passing on information. Orders to have mom checked every 2 hours weren't done in a timely manner and mom went a whole day without being changed. Mom ate again, but Colleen found out her favorite treat nowadays are peaches. Probably second to chocolates. Hospice is still undetermined provider as of today. Colleen leaves today but she was able to call Compassus.  I have a meeting with them today at 1030 with the whole team, so I took the morning off work. Crysta came over last night to see mom,me,and Colleen. After visiting mom, w...

Sammy Ronda Colleen Laliberte, crysta Ronda, patricia Holmes Maureen Holmes Dittmar Barker, Faith Dittmar

DAVE TOOK US TO Applebees

Sunrise at Baxter Lake wuth Colleen

June 21 1955

Mom started eating again a little the day before  yesterday after not eating for more than a week. I really thought she was going to die. The UTI she was hospitalized for really did a number on her. I took over 2 pieces of pumpkin roll the day before yesterday She ate those and 2 figs. Yesterday she ate chicken salad for lunch and asked Colleen to buy pizza. After a long day of Colleen Mom and I in her room with team meetings and hospice, we went to Village pizza to get a small pepperoni and cheese! When she smelled it she said "Where's my pizza?" . She ate 3 pieces really fast then got a belly ache.   This post was in my unpublished posts so it is outdated. I saw mom yesterday. May 15. She loved the popovers I made. She keeps taking her oxygen out.  The person on was someone I don't recognize. She didn't recognize me either and didn't seem to know what or where or how to check mom's o2 sat  Mom said someone told her she didn't need it in if it was mak...

Colleen came to visit mom and find out what was really going on with Birch Hill. I  mean, Mom sleepingvthrough dinners and no food a valuable at midnight. Mom having such a severe UTI that it required 3 rounds of antibiotics and it wasn't discovered until she went to hospital. Mom's health declining to the point she wouldn't eat or live to make it through the week. COLLEEN RESPONDED. After a week of stress she miraculously started eating. First yesterday she ate the figs I tool her. And the ends of the pumpkin roll I made. Today she ate chicken salad. And tonight. 3 pieces of pizza. Yet still she will be admitted to Harbor side Hospice tomorrow with CHF Congestive heartcFailure.  Dave and I took Colleen out for dinner at LA Corona and Colleen got this shirt!