Carole started at the Ability Lab on Monday.  They are working her hard, 3 hours a day, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings.

It’s very cool – already we are seeing changes.  She can string several sentences together when she’s well-rested.

Jim and I will be at a distance for the next little bit –  but we will pass on news that comes to us!

We’re headed to Seattle to meet this little guy.  Please meet Carole and Harry’s great grandson, Nolan Bock! Born Thursday May 4, 8 lbs, 3 oz, 20 inches.  Mom Rachel and baby are doing well.  Dad Steve is pretty tired, but also proud, happy and thrilled!

Carole and Harry have now been at the condo for 2 weeks and seem to be settling in, but are definitely looking forward to having their own place sometime after May 10!

Carole Ann took Carole to get her hair done yesterday and she looks terrific.  Val took Harry to get a cut, so now they are just wildy glamorous together.

Carole has been to her new primary care doc, who we like a lot.  After her appointment Carole was able to say “I am hungry and thirsty!” so they stopped for lunch at Beatrix, a delightful restaurant in the Northwestern Medical complex. Then they took a short walk over to the apartment building Carole Ann lives in (she’s on the 10th floor, they will be on the 11th)

The words are coming.  We expect that they will start to come faster as she gets some professional help.  Meanwhile, Harry works with her on the homework sent with her discharge papers from Lee Hospital each and every day, so we can see how things that were beyond her just a few days ago are now within her powers.

Thanks everyone, for all the prayers.  They are working!

We have a negative Covid test for Carole,  and a visit from Jimmy.  Katie had this fun idea for something to keep Carole out of trouble, so now we will have to think about rolling up the piano in time for dinner.

We are making good progress through the checklist.  Carole got a PCR Covid test today, per the request of the AbilityLab.   We’ve also got her and Harry signed up to meet new primary care docs down here.

They are really looking forward to the temperatures rising, though.  We Chicagoans are basking in 60 degree heat, and they still want their jackets. 🙂

Carole has apparently decided that she is DONE with pill drama.  She has a lot to take in the evening, and tonight, took a bunch at once, and then dealt individually with the two large ones.  The whole thing was done within 2 minutes.  She and Harry are settling into the condo, and gradually, we are filling in the stuff that they need that didn’t get packed.

Harry and Carole got up this morning.  I made coffee, they made toast, and a little later it was time to take her pills. Carole took charge of this operation.  There’s still one pill that is sufficiently large that it needs to be crushed, but otherwise, no surprise, the lady who knows how she wants to do it can do it in half the time it takes when she is assisted!

John drove us to Utica, Illinois today, where he and Kim will hunker down until this silly historic forecasted snow passes.

Carole Ann picked me, Katie, Carole and Harry up and drove us into the city.  Katie is home re-united with her kitties (and we suspect, her boyfriend.)   Carole Ann came up to the condo with us and helped her folks settle in, and stayed to enjoy a welcome back feast of Malnatis pizza.    Carole and Harry enjoyed a little Jeopardy (gotta do reruns because it plays early here in Chicago!) and some Wheel of Fortune and then retired for the evening.

Carole and Harry will be staying here till May 10, when their apartment in Carole Ann’s building becomes available. She should be able to start speech therapy May 2.

If you’d like to write, the address here is  Carole Bock, c/o  James Bock, 1841 S. Calumet Av, #1507, Chicago, IL 60616

Our day is off to a gorgeous start!

As we approached the Ohio River from Paducah, Carole uttered what I think was the first observational sentence I’ve heard, “That looks like an Illinois Bridge!”

Sure enough. As we crossed the Ohio River into Illinois, we were treated to this delightful sunrise:

Saturday afternoon we stopped for the night.  Katie and I went exploring and I took a few pix.

We’re talking water, electric AND sewer! Woohoo!

There was a woodland area where it looks like they started to build a road and just gave up.

We did have an excellent dinner grubhubbed from a place called “Georgia Bob’s” featuring pulled pork, sausage, fried pickles and freshly prepared pork rinds.

The impending snow storm is changing our travel plans a bit. We will try to get to Southern Illinois today, so that there is time to drop us in Kankakee (Carole Ann will pick us up and take us to the city, while John and Kim head south to Princeton, hopefully avoiding freezing temperatures, or scoring a place which permits them to heat this vehicle which does not like freezing temperatures much!