Wild Thing's Family

Summer's end

2010-09-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

This has been a bittersweet year for us. My father passed away on Father's Day. He lived to celebrate his 90th birthday on April 20. He had lived with us for the past 18 years, but the final year he lived at Edgewood Manor. It is an adult family home. They took wonderful care of him. Just after dad died, my favorite uncle, my mother's brother, became ill and died three weeks after dad. It is hard to lose those you love, even though I know we will all be together as family once again. I hope they are all having a good time together, freed from the limitations of their physical bodies.

On another note, we also lost Karl the peacock this summer. He just disappeared one day. We miss his afternoon visits to our patio door.

Native American Quotes, Native American Wisdom Sayings : Pearls Of Wisdom

2010-06-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Native American Quotes, Native American Wisdom Sayings : Pearls Of Wisdom:
"When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.

Cree Prophecy"

Reminds me of what is happening in the Gulf at this time.

Emergency Room Visit

2010-02-18T21:18:00.001-08:00

Have you been to the ER lately? We were there yesterday from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. with our dad. I read where the average ER wait time is 2.5 hours, well not here! Everyone in Eastern Pierce Co. was at the ER yesterday. Every chair in the waiting room was full. All the rooms were full, gurneys lined the hall. More and more sick people kept coming and so did ambulance after ambulance. The doctors and nurses were busy, busy, busy. One poor lady arrived by ambulance after being turned away at 3 other hospitals. Many of the people looked like they did not have a real "emergency", but probably had no insurance. There are a number of "urgent care" clinics in the area. I have been to several and the wait has not been long. However, some do not take medicaid and/or medicare. Lots of people in the ER looked medicare age (as is my dad at almost 90). Dad survived the long wait. A prescription was written and he was sent on his way. When I took him to the urologist today, the doctor was less than pleased that a urology consult had not happened at the ER. I think the ER doctor may be getting a call.

Peacock Pictures

2010-02-06T20:56:00.001-08:00

Karl and Wild Thing enjoying another afternoon together. Sometimes they will nap side by side, separated by the slider.

The Blog Review

2010-02-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading all my previous blog posts. I'm not sure if I will post to this blog another year, although it is fun to read what we have been doing. Stay tuned...

Nathan's bathroom

2010-01-18T14:44:00.000-08:00

The shower accommodates Nathan's shower wheelchair and the pipes under the sink are covered to meet ADA standards.

More remodel photos

2010-01-18T14:40:00.001-08:00

Master bathroom custom cabinet, shower, and jacuzzi walk-in tub.

Pictures for the remodel

2010-01-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

Closet addition in master bedroom

Upper photo is the tankless hot water heater that runs both bathrooms.

We've got color...

2009-05-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today we painted the two bedrooms and the master bath. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. The colors look very nice. This house has been mostly white for the past 12 years, so it is time for a change. We painted our bedroom blue, but it was not the color I thought it would be, so for the second coat we used the paint for the computer room and it was the right color. I wanted a darker, more bold color, not a baby blue. We'll paint the computer room the baby blue color. I am ready for this project to be finished. I think we still have at least another month before completion.

The wallboard came today

2009-04-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

We're insulated...

2009-04-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the guys came to insulate the walls. It is a green, eco-friendly type of batting and has no smell. The day before, Mike and Nathan took down the wall in Nathan's room so it now connects to the new addition.

Daffodils

2009-04-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again when the daffodils are blooming and the annual daffodil parade and festivities are happening.

Another childhood favorite

2009-04-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist this one. Nothing like the fear of gobble-uns to keep a little kid in line.

Little Orphant Annie

by James Whitcomb Riley

Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,
An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;
An' all us other childern, when the supper things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

Onc't they was a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,--
So when he went to bed at night, away up stairs,
His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,
An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wasn't there at all!
An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,
An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'wheres, I guess;
But all they ever found was thist his pants an' roundabout--
An' the Gobble-uns'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,
An' make fun of ever'one, an' all her blood an' kin;
An' onc't, when they was "company," an' ole folks was there,
She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!
An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,
They was two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,
An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about!
An' the Gobble-uns'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

An' little Orphant Annie says when the blaze is blue,
An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!
An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--
You better mind yer parents, an' yer teachers fond an' dear,
An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,
An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,
Er the Gobble-uns'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

A childhood favorite poem

2009-04-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

I loved this poem as a child. I still remember very well having to go to bed while the sun was still shining.

Bed in Summer

by Robert Louis Stevenson
In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see
The birds still hopping on the tree,
Or hear the grown-up people’s feet
Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,
When all the sky is clear and blue,
And I should like so much to play,
To have to go to bed by day?

April is National Poetry Month

2009-04-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

I'm sharing one of my favorite poems with you today and perhaps, I'll share a few more this month. You can find poems on this website http://www.poets.org/

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

The walls are coming down and going up...

2009-04-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today the interior walls from the master bathroom and closet were removed, also the fixtures from the master bath were taken out. We found a little surprise when we took out the bathtub. It was not hooked into the drain underneath the floor and water has been pouring under the house all these years, who knew? These are some pictures of the interior.

So much to do, so little time...

2009-03-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

Monday we transferred Dad from the nursing home to an adult family home. He seems happy there and they provide 24 hour care. He is not getting around very well and needs help doing just about everything. Today a wheelchair was delivered for him, the nursing home had ordered it and it is huge. It is so wide, I don't think it will fit in our wheelchair van. I'm taking it over to the AFH and will let them deal with medicare and trying to exchange it for a smaller chair. Nothing about this is simple. The AFH is only 3 miles from our house, so I can run over almost anytime.
Larry's dad is going to the ER tomorrow. Not sure what is going on with him, but this is about the time we had him in the hospital last year.

We be sickies here

2009-03-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

I've been sick since Friday, Nathan and Larry became sick today. It is a bad bug with disgusting symptoms and finally it becomes a cold with more disgusting symptoms. I'll be glad when it's over. I'm not sure that misery really does love company. No need to bring food, too sick to eat.

The roof is on..

2009-03-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Pictures of the completed roof, not a day too soon, it's raining today.

One Year in the Blogosphere

2009-03-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

It's been one year since this blog began. Originally the plan was for the cat to write it, but he wimped out after a couple days. This blog has become a daily journal of the happenings in our family. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Update on dad

2009-03-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

Dad won't be coming home on Monday. When I took him to the urologist on Thursday, the doc removed the catheter. Somehow dad managed to put out enough urine that the nurse and doctor were convinced he would be ok...Well, when I left him at the nursing home later that day, I told them to watch for any blockage or problems that might occur (perhaps they could have done an i/o check). Friday afternoon I got a call from his roommate's daughter telling me that dad is in a lot of pain and nobody is giving him any pain medication. She puts dad on the phone and he describes the pain for me. I call the nursing station who tell me that the doctor says the antibiotic will take care of the pain on "urination". That would be fine and dandy but that's not when the pain is occurring. I call the urologist and explain, rather bruskly I'm afraid, that dad is having spasms of pain. It turns out that he has a blockage and they had to put the catheter back in because his bladder was very distended. I thanked his roommate today for having his daughter save my dad's life.

More pictures of the addition..

2009-03-06T21:15:00.001-08:00

View from the back to the front yard.

View from the back of the house toward the front. This will be closet and master bath addition.

The end of the house from Nathan's room looking toward the back yard. The windows will be in the closet that runs along this side. The roof additions were just done today.

The front of the house showing the addition to Nathan's room.

More trusses?

2009-03-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday more trusses arrived to replace the ones brought the day before. Although, measurements were taken twice, the engineer at the truss company changed the dimensions resulting in the trusses being 18" higher than the existing roofline. oops!

The Trusses are here...

2009-03-04T11:21:00.001-08:00

Making progress on all fronts...

2009-03-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

Dad is making progress at the nursing home and will probably be home by March 9. We have been cleaning and painting his room in anticipation, but we may have to move him into the computer room so that he doesn't have to climb the little steps by his room. Nothing is simple.

The remodel is coming along. The walls are up and tomorrow we will be getting the trusses for the roof. We ordered the new jacuzzi walk-in bathtub for the master bathroom and the sinks and toilets on Saturday. Still trying to decide on flooring for Nathan's bedroom. I hope everyone appreciates our contributions to keeping the economy going!

Nathan is feeling much better. The pain seems to have gone away for now. Haven't heard anything from the surgeon since the CT scan.

Pumping Concrete

2009-02-18T13:58:00.000-08:00

Today we have a huge pumper truck in our front yard, filling in the forms for the foundation of our new bathroom addition. I took several shots of the "arm" so you can see how high in the air it goes. It is very impressive.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2009-02-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Revlon dolls from letsplaydolls.blogspot.com decided to make a brief appearance here in their red and white dresses to wish you a wonderful Valentine's day filled with all the chocolate your heart desires or whatever.

Latest plan for Nathan

2009-02-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, at exactly the same time Dad was having his operation, Nathan was in Tacoma visiting his surgeon, Dr. J. Nathan will be having a CT scan with contrast on Feb. 19. Then he may have further surgery, this time with an incision. Dr. J is still thinking it may be messenteric panniculitis and is researching that.

Forms and concrete

2009-02-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

Today the guys are coming to build the forms and pour the concrete in the hole left by the big dig last week. I think this will be a good day for it...no rain. I'll try to get some pics today and post them to the blog.

Update on dad

2009-02-12T06:51:00.000-08:00

Dad is still in the hospital recovering from a bladder re-section. We have no biopsy results yet on the tumor that was removed from the bladder. He is very anemic and has had two blood transfusions so far, he will probably need at least one more unit today, and perhaps another tomorrow. He is doing as well as can be expected for someone his age and his medical history. He slept most of yesterday. The house has been very quiet.

An ER visit for dad

2009-02-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

It all started late Sunday evening when my father told me he wasn't feeling well. He didn't want to go to the ER, so we waited until Monday morning for a previously scheduled appointment with his nephrologist (kidney specialist). Dad was in a lot of discomfort and pain. The doc suggested we go to the ER. BIG MISTAKE! After spending 3 hours in the waiting room in extreme pain, we finally got in to see the doctor. The doctor came in, took one look at dad and said they would admit him. It was then after 1 in the afternoon, we had been there since 10 a.m. I won't go into all the gorey details of what procedures they did, but they finally gave him some pain medication and he slept peacefully for awhile. They put off doing a CT scan until 6 p.m., by that time I had gone home. Dad was very hungry, not having eaten since 7 a.m. that morning and he is a diabetic, so they fed him dinner after the scan. The results of the scan showed a blockage (possible tumor) in his bladder so the ER doc (yes, dad was still there at 7 p.m., waiting for a bed) called to get permission for surgery and the surgeon called to get permission to rescind the DNR order that the ER doc wanted put in place. The surgeon was ready to operate last night, when he discovered that dad had been fed dinner. So, surgery will be sometime today. I have located my DPA (power of attorney) papers and am getting prepared (praying) that I will be able to make some tough decisions in the next few hours/days. At age 88, I know that dad has limited time here on earth, I know that God knows what is best for him and He will give us strength and comfort during this time.

The Big Dig

2009-02-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

The remodeling has begun with a gigantic hole being dug for the foundation. A huge dump truck hauled away 50 tons of dirt. The back hoe hit hard pan a few feet down and for awhile it looked like we might have to use jack hammers to get to the required depth. Persistance paid off and no jack hammers were needed. At least now we know why that side of the house tended to collect water. It couldn't go down, so it came back up, despite the French drain system we had.

In true construction tradition, the guys have now taken off to work on a job in Westport. The back hoe and dump truck are sitting in our front yard waiting for the rental company to pick them up. Forms and concrete are the next step, plus an inspection, don't know when that will happen.

I did find a handicapped accessible motel nearby where we can stay when we have to leave the house for a few days. I'm looking forward to the continental breakfast and the hot tub.

Let the remodel begin...

2009-02-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the big day, we start the bedroom/bathroom remodel. We're going to add 200 square feet to the right end of the house (if you were facing it). The master bath will be remodeled to add a new walk-in shower, double sinks, heated tile floors, a new tub and toilet, and a new closet. Nathan's bedroom will be expanded, his bathroom will be re-done and he will also get a new closet. I am so excited. We have been planning this for a very long time, almost since the last remodel 12 years ago. I think this is our 4th remodel of this house and Larry's 5th. I should be packing up things, but I'm still a little over-whelmed and I am not sure where to put things. I've been making some room in my storage area. I think I need the Relief Society to come over and help me pack....

A set-back for Nathan...

2009-02-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately for Nathan, the abdominal pain has returned. We are only 2 1/2 months post-op from the adhesion surgery and now the pain is back. It runs across his lower abdomen and up his sternum almost to his collar bone. He says it's the same pain he had before the operation. Can adhesions grow that quickly? It hurts when he takes a deep breath and when we try to move him when we are getting him dressed. We are so disappointed and feel so badly that he is once again in constant pain. I am calling the surgeon today to see if he has any other ideas.

2009-01-26T22:15:00.000-08:00

He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven

HAD I the heavens' embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

William Butler Yeats

I like this poem, I thought you might too.

Baby, it's cold outside...

2009-01-25T15:14:00.001-08:00

Not as cold as the mid-west, but cold enough for us Puget Sounders. The weatherman keeps predicting a "warming" trend and every day it has gotten colder. Our thermometer has read 36 degrees all day and little snowflakes have been falling off and on. There is also a bit of wind blowing (the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind). I have a big pot of stew simmering on the stove and a loaf of garlic bread heating in the oven. Ahh..comfort food.

If you haven't visited the dolly blog for awhile, I've been posting new pictures: letsplaydolls.blogspot.com or click on the doll picture on this blog and it will take you there.

A visit to Mud Mountain Dam

2009-01-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

A week after the flood, we decided to visit Mud Mountain Dam. The Army Corps of Engineers released water from this dam last week following the cresting of the rivers, only to flood a small town (Pacific), a few miles from here. This dam, and several others in the area, were built as flood control dams to keep the valley towns from flooding. Usually this works well, but this time something went wrong. It was probably a combination of heavy snowfall, followed by heavy rain, full rivers, full dams, and miscalculation of how much water to release and how fast to release it. A lack of notification to the citizens in the affected town did not help either. This dam is a very interesting place to visit, so we went to see for ourselves just how much water had been released. From the visitor vantage point, it was clear that a LOT of water had been released. The water had been up the sides of the dam, higher than the trees that were growing there. It was an awesome sight. I am surprised that none of the local media has done a fly-over or shown any pictures of the inside of the dam. Go to the Army Corp of Engineers website to see pictures of the dam and its specs.

Flood Watch

2009-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

The mighty Puyallup River is expected to reach record flood levels today. Big logs have been seen floating down the usually calm river. In some places the river has merged with the road and this is in areas where there is not expected to be much flooding. We live on the hill, if the water gets to us the flood will be in biblical proportions. Our main problem is the septic system. The pump alarm went off at 6 a.m. We are not sure why, since we weren't using that part of the drain field. The backyard appears to be under an inch of water in some places, so probably the drainage fields are flooded. Perhaps this would be a good excuse not to do any laundry today. At least we are not in Spokane where they have 6 1/2 feet of snow on the ground and roofs are collapsing.
I was visiting with a friend yesterday who lives a few blocks from the river. I asked if she had flood insurance. She said they are not considered to be in the flood plain, although the rest of the subdivision is. We laughed over that, since the topography is flat, will the water automatically stop on the street before hers?

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe it's 2009 today. The past year has gone by so fast. I wish you all health and happiness in the coming new year. Let's all be more kind, more patient, more forgiving of ourselves and each other in this new year.

Guess who is celebrating his birthday today...

2008-12-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

If you guessed my dear husband, Larry, you would be correct. Born on Christmas Day in 1941, he is a great guy, lots of fun, good sense of humor, and a very generous, loving person. He is solid as a rock, full of common sense, and there is no one more honest than he. Happy Birthday to a wonderful husband and a super dad, a special man born on a very special day.

More deck snow...

2008-12-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken this morning after the weekend snowfall. The snow measures 8" now and it was still snowing when I took these pictures.

Deck snow..

2008-12-18T21:06:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple pictures of snow on the back deck. Some of the pots contain my herb collection: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

The downside of snow flurries..

2008-12-18T19:08:00.000-08:00

We had even more snow today, about 3", which is a lot for us. We now have compact snow and ice on the roads, so I'm not leaving home. It also means Nathan's personal care attendant cannot make it here, even riding the bus. The bus wasn't running up the hill this morning, the roads are much worse now, so I'm sure they won't be running tomorrow morning. I had to cancel dad's appointment at the infusion center and tomorrow I'll have to cancel Nathan's post-op appointment in Tacoma, no way we'll make it down this hill and up the hills in Tacoma. So, there is a downside to those lovely flakes that fell all afternoon today. I'll try to get some pics tomorrow and post on the blog.

Snow Flurries

2008-12-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

I love snow and today it is snowing. Sometimes a gust of wind will come along and the snow will come swirling down. I've turned on the outdoor Christmas lights and the lights on our Christmas tree in the big living room window. This will be our first white Christmas in a long time. Memories of Christmas past are with me today.

Wild Thing and the Table Decorations

2008-12-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

Wild Thing was inspecting the Christmas decorations on the dining room table today. He couldn't resist them. He's a cat with no self control.

Wild Thing and the Christmas Tree

2008-12-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Wild Thing guarding the Christmas Tree. This is the dining room tree. We also have a tree in the living room. He divides his nap time between the two. He leaves most of the ornaments alone, but does like to nibble on the cords and fake pine needles.

Busy, busy, busy...

2008-12-03T10:06:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm running through December. Lots of Relief Society stuff going on and trying to get the house decorated. I need to go through my totes and down-size my collection of Christmas' past.
My biggest concern is the Ward adult fireside on Dec. 21. I hope my "great" room will be "great" enough to fit 40 or so people. We can accommodate 25-30, so an extra 10 should fit??? I'm still not sure how our house was chosen. I may have said "yes" in a weak moment.
Nathan's birthday present arrived yesterday. Only two days late. He wanted terrycloth bath ponchos and a winter wheelchair poncho. I was pleasantly surprised to see all the items proudly displayed a MADE IN USA label. The winter poncho has a shiny (like nylon) outside and fleece inside. It will be so much easier to get on and off than a jacket, and much warmer, it will cover his lap, too. It's nice that there are some special clothes available that look nice and are easy to use for people with mobility issues.

Happy Birthday Nate the Great..

2008-11-30T09:23:00.001-08:00

What can I say about the sweetest, nicest, best son, ever, on his special day? Never complaining, always cheerful and upbeat, Nathan is an example to all of how to live in spite of adversity. Happy Birthday, dear son!

Behold, a turkey army...

2008-11-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

We had fun this morning making "turkey" favors for our Thanksgiving table decorations. Our final total was 30, 24 for us and 6 for some friends. These are easy to make. Directions are as follows: Chocolate covered cherries for the body, burnt peanuts for the head, candy corn for the feathers, vanilla wafers for the base and the back, a can of chocolate frosting for the "glue".

He's getting better..

2008-11-19T21:56:00.001-08:00

Nathan had his one week post-op visit to the surgeon this morning. He is doing well. The doctor pulled out the staples in two of the incisions. Everything appears to be healing well. The worst spot is where the surgeon repaired the old stomach-tube incision area, it had developed a large piece of hardened scar tissue that the doctor removed and then re-stitched the area to close it up, it had been open all these years (22) and looked like another belly button, we never realized that wasn't normal. The only place Nathan is feeling pain now is where that is healing. It's very tender. He's looking much better and his color is returning. He spent the summer being very pale from not feeling well. I'm so glad to see him feeling better and returning to his cheerful self.

Back in the saddle again...

2008-11-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

Does anybody remember that old refrain from a song Gene Autry sang, or for that matter does anyone remember Gene Autry? Well, Nathan isn't exactly in a saddle, but he is back in his wheelchair and able to sit and play Wii. I put him back to bed at 3 this afternoon. This was his first day out of bed and sitting up. He did very well. His brother, Mike, came for a visit and played on the Wii with him. He is ready to take on Tiger Woods in golf anyday now (as long as they play a virtual game, that is). I was very pleased to see him doing so well. His appetite is returning too.

He's home..

2008-11-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

Nathan is home and is in his own bed now. Still feeling really sore, but who wouldn't after having abdominal surgery? He was very drowsy today, the day nurse was bragging how she hadn't given him any pain meds on her shift. It turns out the night crew had shot him full of dilaudid followed by several percocets, no wonder he told the doc he wasn't feeling as much pain today. I think we can manage his pain just fine here at home. I don't know why I always think the hospital can do it better. Silly me.

Only a day away...

2008-11-12T22:11:00.000-08:00

Nathan will be coming home tomorrow (Thursday). He is in a lot of pain and I just didn't feel that he was up to the trip home. So, I talked to the surgeon about my apprehension and he agreed to one more day. I think Nathan is feeling somewhat better because he had taken over control of the TV in his room. There is only one TV for 2 patients and Nathan had talked the guy in his room into letting him have control for today. Nathan promptly turned off the TV, which did not make his roommate very happy.

Surgery update..

2008-11-11T19:11:00.000-08:00

Nathan's surgery took about 2 hours. He is spending the night at the hospital. We saw him this afternoon after surgery and he seemed to be doing as well as can be expected. The doctor removed many adhesions in his abdominal cavity and on his liver, high in his diaphragm. Hopefully, this will cure the pain. Although, the adhesions could return anytime. Surgery is both the cause and the cure. Some people are more prone to grow adhesions than others. Nathan may be one who has the tendency to grow adhesions. The doctor also removed his appendix and did a repair to the site where he had a stomach tube many years ago. The surgeon told us he stapled him back together in a few places. Nathan should be coming home tomorrow.

Surgery today

2008-11-11T07:25:00.000-08:00

We're getting Nathan ready for his exploratory laparoscopy this morning. We need to be at the hospital by 8:45, so we'll leave here about 8 a.m. Surgery is scheduled for 11 a.m. We don't know if they will keep him overnight or not. His home teaching companion gave him a blessing last week, so we are feeling that everything will be okay. My dear sister-in-law is coming with me and so is Nathan's caregiver, we are like a small army, packed and ready for the invasion.

YES WE DID...

2008-11-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

I love America! Let's pull together now and make this country strong and vibrant once again.

At last, election day is here!!

2008-11-04T09:07:00.001-08:00

Please do your patriotic duty and vote today. It is wonderful to live in a free country and to be able to choose our leaders. Don't pass up this opportunity. God Bless America!

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T07:53:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat

Help, the printer is out of ink!

2008-10-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that the printer runs out of ink just before you need 100 copies of something important immediately? This weekend the black cartridge went kaput, it had lasted about 2 years, an amazingly long time in the life of ink cartridges around here. Late last night I made a run to Freddie Kroger and bought a new generic brand cartridge. Brought it home, installed it and it wouldn't work. Went to the website for help, still wouldn't work. Today I made a trip to the big box store and bought 2 brand-name cartridges. Thought I might as well pick up a color cartridge too, WRONG! They only had black cartridges for this printer, no color, what "store buyer" thought it was a good idea to only stock black cartridges for printers that also print in color? I would really like to understand the marketing philosophies in use in retail stores today.

Postponement....

2008-10-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

Surgery is postponed until Nov. 11. Nathan has come down with a bad cold, runny nose, cough, etc. I had to cancel and reschedule everything. We've waited this long, I guess another couple weeks won't make any difference. We should not be surprised that he caught this. I was sick for 2 weeks early in the month and Larry has been sick for the past 2 weeks.

A date with the surgeon..

2008-10-22T14:56:00.001-07:00

Hmmm, now that's a catchy title! Nathan is going to have his surgery on Monday, November 3, in the afternoon at Allenmore Hospital. I don't know if it is day surgery, or if he will spend the night. We have to go to the hospital next Monday to see the anesthesiologist, Nathan is allergic to a commonly used anesthetic (we found that out during his last surgery)so, we have to be certain they don't use it on him during this surgery. As if we don't have enough to worry about. Hopefully, one of the fifteen people we will mention this to will actually listen, write it down, and read it before they administer it. Do I sound a little cynical? After his last surgery, I actually had to get his chart from the nurse and write down his medication dosage schedule for her and he is only on 2 medications. One is given in alternating doses depending on the day of the week. I had previously written it down for the hospital pharmacist and had told several other people, but they just couldn't get it. Don't even get me started on the bowel and bladder stuff, you would think at a hospital they could handle those things, guess again. Yikes! The bad part is Nathan cannot speak for himself which adds another dimension to his trying to get care.

The neurologist gives an opinion...

2008-10-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Today we went to see Nathan's neurologist. He has been seeing Nathan for the past 22 years. He is a fantastic doctor and a great human being. When he saw the condition Nathan was in and the obvious pain that he was having, he told us to definitely go ahead with exploratory laporoscopy(I'm not sure if that's spelled right or not) surgery. I called the surgeon when we got home, his assistant said they had been waiting for my call, and will call me back in the next day or so to schedule it. Nathan and I are feeling ok with this decision now. Please pray for Nathan.

Not much time to blog anymore...

2008-10-20T10:58:00.001-07:00

Being RS president takes a lot of time!!! There are lots of meetings. There are lots of reports. There is a whole computer program with visiting teaching stuff that has to be entered and corrected and entered and corrected and.....I have wonderful counselors and a great board to help me, but I can't believe how much there is to do. I make lists of my lists. I was at church and intransit for 7 hours yesterday. I'm a little tired today.

Nathan sees his neurologist tomorrow. I'm going to ask for his opinion on doing exploratory surgery.

It's been a wild week...

2008-10-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, I took Nathan to the surgeon, thinking that perhaps we would have a diagnosis. Still no idea what is causing the pain. The surgeon decided to give him two antibiotics to see if there might be an underlying infection causing the pain. I took Nathan home, fed him lunch, and gave him the first antibiotic. About an hour later he developed a severe headache. I gave him acetaminaphen rapid release, which didn't relieve the headache. After observing what looked like a focal-motor seizure, I called the paramedics. His blood pressure was way up, but came down after awhile. They decided not to transport. I had some stronger pain killers on hand prescribed for Nathan and gave one of those to him. The headache finally subsided several hours later and he felt better yesterday. I did not take him to the ER because our last trip was a 7 hour ordeal and I didn't think he'd tolerate the wait or the drive.
I spent yesterday on the phone with the surgeon's office and Nathan's neurologist. I think we have everything under control for the time being.
Thank you Edgewood fire department!

I'm getting sicker...

2008-10-05T19:36:00.001-07:00

I think I'll have to go to the doctor tomorrow. The sore throat has turned into head congestion and an almost continuous cough, plus a fever. I am shedding germs all over the place. I hope Nathan doesn't get this. He has another appointment with the surgeon on Wednesday. The surgeon has read up on the previous surgery and conferred with the GP and they've come to some kind of decision, I think. At least they weren't sharing what they decided over the phone.

My throat is sore

2008-10-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of trying the popsicle and Musinex cure. I've already tried Sucrets (worked for as long as the lozenge lasted), hot herbal tea, cold water, steamy shower, etc. I'm going to make chicken soup for dinner. I wish my mom was here to fix me milk toast. That was our special treat when we stayed home from school with any illness. Hot buttery toast floating in a bowl full of milk. We always felt better after eating it. I'm starting to get more symptoms as the day wears on, runny nose, sneezing....I could go on and on, but then I wouldn't get that soup made would I?

A new calling...

2008-09-28T19:19:00.001-07:00

I have been sustained as the new Relief Society President in our ward. I am alternating between euphoria and sheer terror in contemplating this awesome responsibility. Words escape me, but I know the Lord will strengthen me as I fulfill this assignment.

Wild Thing being a very bad thing

2008-09-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Wild Thing is not allowed on the dining room table, ever!

They say it's my birthday...

2008-09-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

Today I'm celebrating my birthday at THE FAIR here in glorious Puyallup, Washington. I have spent many of my birthdays here. When I was a little girl, my grandma would send a taxi (she didn't drive) to pick me up and bring me to her house and we would go to the fair. For many years she worked as a food checker at Nettie's Farmhouse Restaurant at the fair. She sat on a tall stool by the kitchen and checked to make sure all the food that was supposed to be on the plate was there. She would always give my brother and me a silver dollar and some dimes for our fair money. I have memories of going to the fair with my mother on opening day, we did this for many years, even after she moved to Arizona, she would still be here for my birthday. I remember taking Nathan when he was just a little boy and I have pictures of him riding on the kiddie rides. A few years ago my very good friend from Pennsylvania came for a visit and stayed for my birthday and we went to the fair. I love the sights and sounds and smells of the fair. This year my cousin, Donna, and I will be doing the fair together. "The folks are all singing so merry and gay and it's Hi Ho come to the fair!" (from a song we sang in grade school during the fair)

6 Doctors in 7 Weeks

2008-09-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine spending 7 weeks with pain in your lower abdomen that radiates upward to your ribcage on both sides and includes your sternum? Can you imagine seeing 6 different doctors and having a variety of scans, endoscopies, and blood draws only to be told that everything has come back negative? Finally, can you imagine how it feels to have all the doctors say there is nothing they can do? That's where we are today. I'm not sure what to do next.

Week 6 and still in pain

2008-09-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

We had our follow-up visit at the GI docs today. We saw the PA who was very caring and concerned that the pain was still there. The tests have all come back negative, so we are almost at a dead end. However, I suggested giving him some prednisone for inflammation and she agreed, then we also scheduled a surgical consult for Monday. I have called the radiologists where Nathan has had 3 abdominal CT scans in the past 3 years and they are going to make me a cd to take to the surgeon. I want the surgeon to see his pre-op CT from 2006, because he had necrotized material throughout his abdomen prior to the gall bladder surgery and perhaps they can compare what that looked like with the ones from 2007 and 2008 where there was haziness.
Do you think I should charge a consulting fee for all this? Still looking at possible panniculitis for the diagnosis.

Round and round we go, what he's got nobody knows

2008-08-30T19:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we spent 4 hours at yet another gastroenterology clinic getting an EUS (endoscopic ultrasound). Nothing showed up in the ultrasound, I think we were looking for clogged bile ducts, but the doctor at this clinic doesn't talk to the patient's mother so I don't really know. He did send a nurse out to the waiting room to explain that we need to see our referring doctor to rule out panniculitis. When I asked the nurse what that was, he really didn't know. After looking it up on the internet when I got home, I decided that I don't want to know either. The interesting thing about this is, the gastrodoc was looking at the CT scans we had taken in the ER on August 4 and was questioning the hazing effect in the pics of the abdomen. Here we are 4 weeks and 5 docs later and someone is finally reviewing the CT scan that was the first thing we had done. I'm now trying to get his next gastrodoc appointment moved up sooner than Sept. 11, but all docs are off until Tuesday. I hope nobody needs a doctor in the next 3 days.

An assignment for Sunday...

2008-08-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

As I was sitting quietly on the back row in church on Sunday, I was caught unaware and before I knew it, I had agreed to teach a lesson next Sunday in a combined Relief Society/Priesthood meeting. My topic will be the new Family Search program. I guess since I am the ward family history teacher, I should not be surprised at being asked to teach such a lesson. Where to start, where to start? This morning I have been to the new website and read (again) all the things for family history consultants. I have also completed previously, the e-learning courses, for which I received a certificate of completion suitable for framing. I have watched the "roll out" power point presentation again and still need to view the DVD. I have printed out some "key" points and will probably go with those as a handout and an outline for my lesson. I am excited about the new program and I think it will be a wonderful tool for those who want to enter their family history information in preparation for temple ordinances.

Oh what a PAIN this is...

2008-08-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I hardly know where to start this rant. Perhaps I am expecting too much from the medical profession, but wouldn't you think if the doctor's office called and moved up your appointment, that they would have reviewed your file and be prepared to give a diagnosis? Evidently I was expecting too much. As the nurse showed us to the examination room she asked about Nathan's bloodwork. I told her it was done on the 11th, she said she would call and get the results (in my mind I thought, this is not a good sign). In the examination room I mentioned the abdominal ultrasound he'd had on the 18th. She'd have to call and get that, too. (Alarm bells are ringing in my head now). Doctor comes in, quickly scans the reports, asks if the pain is still there (it is), says that the part he wanted to see is not on the ultrasound report. He finds out after our appointment is over that the abdominal ultrasound with doppler that he ordered does not include a scan of the liver, which was the whole point of the test for Nathan. His parting words were that he doesn't think there is anything seriously wrong, he ordered more blood work, and an endoscopic ultrasound for next Friday, follow-up appointment on Sept. 11. He did give Nathan some Nexium samples for the heartburn he doesn't have.
The best part of the whole visit came next. We went to the lab next door to the doctor's office for the blood work just as the Mountain Man candy lady arrived. We purchased her last bag of chocolate-covered pretzels and that's what we're having for lunch.

A Mess of Beans...

2008-08-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

We harvested our first stringbeans from the "square foot" garden today. I fixed them like my grandmother used to and she always called this recipe "A Mess of Beans". In a large pot add several cups of stringbeans, a few new potatoes, some carrots, a chopped onion, and some bacon (I use pre-cooked or microwave type--not as greasy), put enough chicken stock or beef stock to cover, bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour. Serve with slices of french bread or hard rolls to dip in the soupy part.

We're getting closer to a diagnosis...

2008-08-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

The gastroenterologist's office called today and Dr. Sugar wants to see Nathan on Friday morning. We thought we were going to have to wait until next Tuesday. Maybe something's up?

A Book Review

2008-08-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend I read a book called Elder Rage or Take My Father Please by Jaqueline Marcell. It is an excellent book for those who are caregivers of elderly relatives. If you read this blog in April and May, I posted almost every day on my adventures with Larry's parents and the problems we were having. I have since deleted those posts. The problems have eased a little, but it is only a matter of time until we are back in the trenches with them again. Ms. Marcell has written a humorous, yet poignant book about dealing with her Jekyll and Hyde father and her sweet co-dependent mother. There were many parallels to what has been happening to my in-laws, to the trials and tribulations she had with her parents. It is comforting to know that we are not alone in dealing with stubborn, angry, and non-cooperative parents. I couldn't put this book down once I started it. It puts difficult issues in a humorous perspective, which I found quite enjoyable. There are many suggestions on how to deal with elderly parents and numerous references to resources that can help in the final pages of this book.

I hear the rolling thunder...

2008-08-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

Shortly after 3 a.m. this morning, I awoke from a sound sleep to the roar of thunder, lightning flashes, pounding rain on the roof. Some of the thunder shook the house and I'm sure the lightning was in the backyard by the bedroom window. The power was knocked out briefly after one tremendous bolt hit close by. The only one who slept through it was Nathan, who usually awakes at the slightest sound. I am always reminded of the hymn, How Great Thou Art, whenever I hear thunder. Thy power throughout the universe displayed..

Anniversary of sorts

2008-08-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 22 anniversary of the accident that shattered the life of our beloved Nathan and changed our lives forever. It was a beautiful day, just like it is today. Warm, but not too hot. Nathan was riding his bike over to get a haircut at about 1 in the afternoon. At the same time, a drunk driver was on the same road, drinking and driving in his car. He struck the bicyle from behind throwing Nathan into a deep ditch on the opposite side of the road. The driver also ended up in the ditch. Lucky for Nathan, the accident happened almost in front of the local fire station. Paramedics were able to get to the scene within a few minutes after a motorist notified them. They originally thought he had died in the accident, but they administered aid and sent him by ambulance to Good Samaritan Hospital. Good Sam stabilized him as best they could and transported him to St. Joseph Hospital for emergency brain surgery. The neuro-surgeon told us the chances for his survival were not good and that he would never awake from the coma even if he did survive. Well, he did wake from the coma and he did survive. Now 22 years later he is enjoying life to the best of his ability and is a very pleasant and cheerful person. We are very glad that we still have him with us. With God all things are possible...

Update on Nathan

2008-08-11T21:32:00.001-07:00

Today we went to see Dr. Sugar, the gastroenterologist. It was his first day on the job, he is a brand new doctor and we really liked him. He asked all kinds of good questions and referred Nathan for blood work, an endoscopy, and an ultra sound. We had the blood work done today, the endoscopy is scheduled for tomorrow and the ultra sound next Monday. We learned from him that one of the blood tests from the ER visit was abnormal. This is the first we had been told of that. So the blood work done today will give us more detail about what might be going on. We are praying that it will be nothing serious.

Monday we'll see the specialist...

2008-08-08T16:29:00.001-07:00

Nathan has an appointment on Monday afternoon to see a gastroenterologist named Dr. Sugar. Nathan is still in pain and is now on a starchy diet, no dairy and no fat. I'll be glad when this is all over and I'm sure Nathan will be too.

A visit to the doctor...

2008-08-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

Today we did a follow-up visit with Nathan's doctor. She said he probably had sludge in his carburator or something like that. The pain in his side may be clogged bile ducts, even though he has had his gall bladder removed, there may be some residual material in the ducts. Next will be a trip to a gastroenterologist for some tests.

It's Monday, let's go to the ER..

2008-08-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

For the past few days Nathan has complained of severe pain in his abdomen. It seemed to be worse every day, so this morning we went to the ER and spent the entire day. When the doctor examined him, the pain was localized to the area of the appendix and it was VERY painful. They ran blood tests, urinalysis, ct scan, everything was negative, so they shot him up with morphine and sent him home. I could say alot more about this visit, but I am way too tired and nothing has been resolved. He is still in pain.

The Farmers Market...

2008-08-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

We got up early this morning and went to see the farmers market. It is the first time we have gone this summer.http://www.puyallupmainstreet.com/farmers_market.html We bought some peaches, blueberries, cucumbers, string beans, corn on the cob, and some giant chocolate cookies. It was fun looking at all the stalls filled with produce, arts and crafts, plants, and goodies to eat. The downtown area is looking very nice, the new city hall, new condo/apartments, little cafes dot the main streets. It doesn't look like the town I knew as a child, it looks much better. I would love to have one of the condos downtown and be able to walk everywhere. Both of the new buildings are also very close to the library. A perfect retirement spot.

Wow, It's the last day of July...

2008-07-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

Is summer over? Clouds are here, cool breezes blowing, leaves on the maple tree are turning orange...I'm not ready for fall, yet. Global warming where art thou?

We love Wii..

2008-07-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

Nathan did his part to stimulate the economy by purchasing a Wii recently. It is great for someone who has disabilities like he does. It can be done with one hand, it can be set up for left or right handed players. It can be played by one person. The set up instructions are not complicated. The games (baseball, golf, tennis, boxing, and bowling) are simple, but can be made harder. They are especially good for eye-hand coordination exercise. They give instant feedback plus a replay of each action. He can operate the whole system by himself from memory and can choose his own games. We are very pleased with the Wii and plan on buying some more games for it. Thank you to the designers of the Wii for making a product that can be used by a person with very limited mobility and cognitive deficits, a product that brings hours of joy.

Only in the Pacific Northwest...

2008-07-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

I think this may be the only place where you can put on a sweatshirt and drink hot chocolate in July. That's what I'm doing right now. As a native of this area, it still amazes me that in the middle of summer, it can be this cool and dreary. Looking on the bright side, I won't have to water anything today!

I never cease to be amazed...

2008-07-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Today I took dad to the new out-patient laboratory for Good Samaritan Hospital. It is located several blocks from the hospital in a brand new building. The grand opening is tomorrow. The building is located on a narrow street filled with construction vehicles due to the hospital expansion going on in the area. Parking is plentiful, there is a parking garage under the building. Please keep in mind that this 3 story building is full of doctor's offices in addition to the lab. The door to the main entrance does not have the automated features for those with handicaps. It is very heavy and not particularly wide. I had dad and his walker to manuever through it. I am now dreading taking Nathan and the wheelchair next week. The elevator seemed crowded, not very deep, another challenge when I bring Nathan. To get to the lab there is a very heavy door to go through, again no automated features, followed by a hard right and another heavy door into the lab waiting room. There is also another heavy door to be navigated into the drawing area. Why so many doors and why so heavy and where are the automated door openers? This is a new medical building, shouldn't there be some consideration given for those with walkers and wheelchairs, not to mention young mothers with little children in strollers and in tow?
Why are medical facilities designed to be unfriendly to those with disabilities? I think it should be a requirement that the designers of these facilities visit them in a walker and a wheelchair and try to get around before the building is signed off by the building inspectors.

I looked out the window and what did I see?

2008-07-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

...a little brown bunnie looking back at me. He hopped across the front yard. He hopped around a tree. And as he hopped away, I think I heard him say, "Ha, ha, you'll never catch me!"

Better watch out for the coyote little rabbit.

If you want to donate to a good cause...

2008-07-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

My best friend, Pam McRea Seip, died in 2006 from complications due to a brain tumor. I miss her and think of her every day. Below is an email I received from her son, Craig, who is training to run in the Chicago Marathon in her honor.

Some of you know, many do not, that I am training for the Chicago Marathon, October 12, 2008. I am running on the team of the American Brain Tumor Association, in memory of my mother. Many of you were lucky enough to have known her: All of you know that she died in November 2006 from complications from a brain tumor. If you could support my run by giving a donation for the ABTA, I would be very grateful. There are surely many families who do not have the resources that mine did as we dealt with her illness, who rely on the ABTA for support.

I'm nearly up to 9 mile runs, and think of my mom even more as I run than I usually do, imagining her cheering me on as she did when I was a 17-year-old cross-country runner bringing up the rear of the race!

If you could pass my link to people who I do not even know...so that we can all further help the ABTA in their cause...I would be further humbled by your love and support.

Below is the link to my page.

Thanks and love,

Craig

http://www.active.com/donate/abta2008/craigseip

Hi Ho Hi Ho its off to Costco I go!

2008-07-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

I decided today was the day for the trip to the big box store. They sent me some coupons which I diligently clipped and actually remembered to take with me. I also made a list that corresponded to the coupons, something I don't always do. Then it was off on the grand adventure. First stop was the aisle with the computer printer ink, not on the list, but a useful item. No ink refills for the Lexmark printer that I own and that I bought there. Things were not looking good, better get out the list. Quickly found that even with the coupons, the store brand was a better deal. Chatted with a few other customers on the detergent aisle who had also discovered this. Skipped the meat department and frozen food sections today, after all I was a woman on a mission with a list that didn't include those items. Managed to locate all the items that I had coupons for and only had to ask two clerks for help. My one personal splurge item was a book called The Friday Night Knitting Club, a nice lady looking at the books with me highly recommended it. I am now resting from the big adventure and all the boxes are still sitting in the family room waiting to be put away. This I will have to do soon as the missionaries are coming for dinner tonight. If you want to spend a lot of money in a short amount of time, I suggest a visit to Costco, and it's good exercise too.

Another week gone..

2008-07-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how fast this summer is going. I've got the jam all made from the delicious local berries. The garden is growing, but I don't think the pumpkins will weigh 500 pounds, or even 5 pounds, for that matter. We did have some radishes from the "square foot" garden. Somehow the peacock missed a few leaves, he loves to eat all the new green leaves in the garden, right down to the soil. He is such a pretty bird, but very messy and he has a huge appetite.
We are enjoying the sunshine, but have no plans to go anywhere this summer. I would like to go to the beach before summer is over.
Nathan and I watched the Spiderwick Chronicles on DVD yesterday, it is a little bit like The Chronicles of Narnia only not quite as complicated.

I miss Ma Bell..

2008-07-16T13:48:00.001-07:00

I remember when there was just one telephone company in this area, the Bell Telephone Company, affectionately known as "Ma Bell". You could dial 0 for operator and a nice lady would answer after just one ring. She would be very helpful and if she couldn't do what needed to be done, she would call her supervisor who could. Today I tried to call the place where Nathan has a volunteer job to let them know he was sick and wouldn't be coming. I started calling the number at 9 a.m. and continued to call until 1:45 this afternoon, all I got was a busy signal. I decided to call the operator to see if she could put me through. In the days of "Ma Bell", this was possible. Evidently in this day and age of technology, it is no longer possible. Nor is it possible for me to report phone problems for this facility. They must report it themselves because there may be "charges" involved. I hope they discover that their phones are out before the day is over, no one is going to be able to call and tell them, nor is the phone company going to look into it and see if there might be a line problem. I do miss Ma Bell, now more than ever, and I miss that nice friendly HELPFUL operator, too.

I can't believe it's Tuesday

2008-07-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

Today was a very busy day. Nathan had a routine dentist appointment that lasted for 2 hours. Then I took him for a haircut and lunch at Subway. On the way home, he got sick, "code brown" for those in the know. The afternoon was spent cleaning him, the clothes, the wheelchair, the bed. He is resting now. Never a dull moment.

Jam day again..

2008-07-11T18:32:00.001-07:00

Today I made raspberry freezer jam. It is easy to make and tastes so good. We just about have enough jam for the coming year. Tomorrow I am going to make a batch of raspberry-nectarine jam (I'm substituting nectarines for peaches). In a few days I'll make some blackberry jam. Since we are storing a year's supply of peanut butter, it will be nice to have something to put with it on a sandwich.

Meals on Wheels

2008-07-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

A cat died and went to Heaven. God met him at the gates and said, 'You have been a good cat all these years. Anything you want is yours for the asking.
' The cat thought for a minute and then said, 'All my life I lived on a farm and slept on hard wooden floors. I would like a real fluffy pillow to sleep on.
'God said, 'Say no more.' Instantly the cat had a huge fluffy pillow.
A few days later, six mice were killed in an accident and they all went to Heaven together. God met the mice at the gates with the same offer that He made to the cat.
The mice said, 'Well, we have had to run all of our lives: from cats, dogs, and even people with brooms! If we could just have some little roller skates, we would not have to run again.'
God answered, 'It is done.' All the mice had beautiful little roller skates.
About a week later, God decided to check on the cat. He found him sound asleep on his fluffy pillow. God gently awakened the cat and asked, 'Is everything okay? How have you been doing? Are you happy?'
The cat replied, 'Oh, it is WONDERFUL. I have never been so happy in my life. The pillow is so fluffy, and those little Meals on Wheels you have been sending over are delicious!'

The new FamilySearch

2008-07-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

Wednesday is my day to volunteer at the Family History Center. As a ward family history consultant, I am able to access the new familysearch program even though it is not available to members in this temple district. I have been taking lessons online to help me learn the program so that I can teach others. It is always challenging to learn something new. The program was developed to cut down on duplicate submissions for temple ordinances. Sounds good in theory, but I seem to have no problem creating duplicates when I'm entering new information. I'm not sure if it is me or if there is a glitch in the program. Today I was entering Samuel Isaac and the next thing I knew his father, John, had been registered with Samuel's birthdate. How did that happen I wonder? Lucky for me, I had done a lesson today on how to delete a record. Something I find disconcerting is to see my ancestors' information submitted incorrectly by someone I do not know. For example, Ardilla Isaac has been submitted as Ardilla Stevenson Isaac, Stevenson is her married last name, not her middle name. Lots of corrections to submit! So, to my nieces and nephews who may be using this program, be very careful. I am trying to get everything corrected for you. Also I have noticed that ordinance data shows on some screens but not on others, please check with me before submitting for temple work.

A question or two

2008-07-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

If you were going to build a bathroom in a motel to be accessible to a person with disabilities, wouldn't it make sense to put in a walk-in shower? Why would you put in a bathtub? I went for a visit to a local motel to look for a place for our family to stay while we have the asbestos removed in our house. The bathroom was the perfect size for a roll-in shower chair and would have worked great, except for the bathtub. A very disappointing experience. I had hoped that in the past 20+ years since our last trip involving motels, that accessibility would mean more than a tub with several grab bars. Evidently, not much has changed, but I will keep looking.

Monday, time to do laundry..

2008-07-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

Five loads washed, three more to go. In between loads we ran the dishwasher, giving the septic system a run for the money. Let's see how much water we can run through the system until something overflows. Wild Thing's family living life on the edge on a sunny July afternoon. Also, took a break and watched the "Work and the Glory" part 2 "on demand". It doesn't get any better than this.

It's the Fourth of July..,

2008-07-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

We have the flag flying and a few red, white, and blue decorations placed strategically around the house. We have no plans for today, Nathan is still not feeling well and the weather looks like it could rain any second. Several thunderstorms passed through the area yesterday providing plenty of "fireworks" accompanied by very loud rolls of thunder. I am thankful every day that I live in this free country and I am especially grateful to the men and women who have served and currently serve in the military. Their sacrifices have kept us free from oppression. One of our ancestors, Andrew Englis, served in the Revolutionary War and was present at Valley Forge. If you would like to read a little more about him go to: http://colonialancestors.com/revolutionary/oath4.htm His name is the fifth from the bottom of the roll of those who signed the Oath of Allegiance.