Vacationing at St. Ag'

 It’s Wednesday morning and again with the priorities … the dogs & cat are fine.  Judi has the canines at her house and Sombra is at home.  She’ll stop at the house and take care of the cat on her way to work and Kasey is going to Jackie’s to play with Kelly.  These two gals have a program worked out and “my kids” are not an area of concern for me.  I can concentrate on the matter at hand.

The Physician Assistant has come in and advised that surgery won’t be until tomorrow evening.  Nothing much to do but wait it out.

Thursday night they took me to pre-op.  The anesthetist stopped by, he looks like he must be at least 14 years old but the nurses tell me he really knows his stuff.  The doctor stops in and tells me what he’s going to do and reassures me that he did it for me before and can do it again.  They wheel me away and next thing you know four and half hours have passed and I’m being very rudely awakened.

Upstairs to the ortho’ ward and back to sleep for the night.  Quarters not quite as snazzy as the previous nights but I have the room to myself and that’s a plus.  The sad thing is that I know some of the staff here from previous visits.  I had never really cared to be a repeat customer.  Now to the business of recovery.  The surgery went well, so I’m told.  They discovered anemia and that means transfusions which will slow the recovery period some but I’m expecting physical therapy to have me on my feet tomorrow, even just to stand for a couple of minutes and we’ll progress from there.

The hospital, any hospital, isn’t quite a vacation venue but St. Agnes is one of the best.  The staff is knowledgeable, caring, compassionate, and available to their patients.  It’s an environment that lends itself to the patient’s comfort and healing.  And a week is ample to take advantage of all it has to offer.

I’m informed that the next step is a rehab’ facility.  Seeing as how I can’t move by myself, let alone walk even with the walker, I guess I have to suck it up and go with the program.  As soon as the insurance authorizes the transfer, the next phase will begin. 

Still with me?  Next post we move to adventures in the Snake Pit. 

Help, I've Fallen ... pt 2

So … I’ve been loaded in the ambulance and transported to St. Agnes Hospital in Fresno.  X-rays have been taken; no easy task for them or me (over the years I’ve discovered that morphine is a very good friend), Fr. Gordon has driven down and is with me.  My granddaughter's also here, her parents are on their way, and the doctor enters …

This is not good news.  I don’t have much bone left in this leg and a small piece gave way and essentially crumbled, taking me down.  The abrupt stop caused the stem of the hip replacement to loosen inside the femur and now everything has to come out and a complete hip replacement, as opposed to a revision, will need to be done.  That stem has been in my femur one month shy of 20 years, this is going to be a real piece of work.  My orthopedic surgeon has been contacted and he will perform the surgery, it’s familiar territory to him as he did the last revision and a couple of reductions on this leg.  I will be admitted to await surgery.  

My calendar is full, I have a lot on my plate, and really don’t have time for this right now.  But then, I also have no choice so here we go … again. 

I’ve been admitted and taken to a room in the new wing to await surgery.  It’s a private room and the staffing allows for better than adequate care.  Those who can stand tell me there’s a great view from my window.  Yeah, well!

The Physician Assistant says they’re trying to get me on the surgical schedule tomorrow or tomorrow evening.  The downside of having an excellent surgeon is that his schedule is tight.  It’s been determined that it’s okay for me to have something to eat up until midnight; it’s almost 11:30.  My daughter-in-law is off to the cafeteria to see what she can get me.

There’s nothing more going to happen tonight.  It’s 10:30 and I’ve sent Fr. Gordon back up the mountain.  I am once again so grateful to him for being with me through all my trials and tribulations.  I don’t know that I’d have accepted the prognosis as calmly had he not been here.  Marlen (my daughter-in-law) is staying the night just in case a space in Dr. Gill’s schedule comes open.  My son, Ed, and granddaughter, Lyndsey have gone home. 

Stay tuned …

"Help, I've Falllen ..."

 It was a Tuesday in April.  I was busy with my volunteering projects, my “kids”- Katie, Kasey, and Sombra.  Places to go, people to see, things to do.  I’d been out and about all morning and had returned home to pick up the dogs and take them to the vet for their checkups.  Life was very good!  In the blink of an eye, it all changed.

 I took a fall.

My bones leave a lot to be desired but I was treating them with great care and caution and they’d been doing their job.  Then a weak bone gave and down I went.  The hip replacement was loosened and a bone in the hip was fractured.  Fortunately, the door was open and it only took about 2 ½ hours for someone to hear me and get help.

Having my priorities in order, while the EMT’s prepared me for transport, I called Judi and asked her to stop by the house on her way home and pick up the dogs, telling her it might possibly be an overnight stay, and would she also please make sure the cat was inside and feed her.    Okay, now I can go down to the city and see what damage has been done.   

As this odyssey continues, I will try to keep everything in my head until I can get it to the computer and then do a series of posts.  They tell me recovery’s going to be a long road.  I’d enjoy the company so come join me as all the king’s horses and all the king's men and I put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

Someone Please Tell Mother Nature It's Spring

A couple of weeks ago I was looking through my posts from April of last year and noticed that we'd had snow as late as April 8th, but then we'd had a rip-roaring winter last year.  This year we didn't get winter until Spring had already  arrived and we've bounced back and forth since.  Today is April 13th, it's shortly past noon, and not so shortly past the start of Spring.  I'm looking out the window and watching it snow.

Our weather guessers had forecast snow at the higher elevations and maybe down as far as 5000 or even 4000 ft.  I am just at 3000 ft and saw a f/b post from a friend who's down at the 2600 - 2700 ft level.  It simply read, "It's snowing".  The forecast for the foothills today was for rain with possible thunderstorms (which, by the way, we had in great abundance last night) although, their credibility being what it is, most of us prepared for snow.

I'm so looking forward to warm, dry weather.  I'm not anxious for the extreme summer heat, but I'd sure like to be able to go outside and play in the dirt again.  Somebody, please, tell Mother Nature enough already, it's Spring!

Close Encounter of the Casey Kind

It's barely 11am and already it's been a full and eventful day.  Woke up to rain this morning, that's okay.  Let the dogs out about 7am knowing when they came back in it would be towel & hair dryer time, that's okay.  Turned to come back in and saw the invisible fence collar still on the table ... not okay!  Now Katie had gone out, come right back in, she really doesn't need the collar anymore.  Himself is another story.

I called, and I called.  So now I'm sure all the neighbors are awake and ready to kill the dog or me.  I can see the deer across the road and figure that's where he must be.  Jump in the car with a bag of treats and drive up and down, up and down, up and ... well, you get the picture.  I call, I announce I have treats.  Hmmm, I can't hear him.  Thoughts are going through my mind that I can't write here.  Use your imagination and then kick it up a notch.

When I get home, I go to the back door and, of course, I can hear him again.  After two car trips and many "Casey, come!" calls, I walk back to the car and realize I don't hear him from the carport.  I walk to the back of the house and I can hear him under my deck (which is maybe a couple of feet off the ground).  I hear him bark, I hear a hiss, I hear a yelp.  It gets quiet and then repeats.  There are two areas where he's discovered he can get under the deck; me, not so much.

I finally gave in and called my neighbor and he came over and unscrewed boards and lifted them 'til we could see what was going on (remember, it's raining and not lightly).  There in the corner is a opossum, a very large opossum, as big or bigger than Kasey.  And he is focused on that critter.  We can't grab him because we risk losing hand to critter.  Opossum is now playing opossum; little dog is not buying it.  Dog makes lunge at critter, Donnie makes grab for dog.  Yay!  Dog out from under deck. 

To say Kasey is dirty is the understatement of the month.  He's wet, he's filthy, he's in my house and the floors are wet, they are full of dirt, leaves, and weeds.  He wants back out ... yeah, that's going to happen.  Donnie and I are soaked through.

About an hour later, after dog bath and hot shower, I go out and see momma and all the baby opossums leaving the nest.  Don't know if they're down the road or just a new spot under the deck.  This afternoon, Donnie will come back and replace all the boards, we'll block off the access points and hope mama isn't trapped under the deck with her only option being to go under the house.

The world's greatest hunter is now bathed, dried, fed, sleeping, and dreaming of his great adventure.  I've had a full day, I'm done!  Never mind that I still have a full schedule ahead of me this afternoon and evening, I'm ready to put this day away and start again tomorrow and it's not even noon.

Another Easter

Hallelujah!  The Lord is risen!  Today is Easter.  The most important day of the year for Christians.  We've had a long period of sorrow and penitence (Lent) and participated in the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the burial.  Today we rejoice at the resurrection of our Lord.

Easter was my husband's favorite holy day.  He loved Christmas because we shared it with family.  But for the same reason, it was a very stressful holiday.  We had to drive to So. California and then try to spend time with his parents, my parents, our siblings, our children and grandchildren; usually all within 2 or 3 days.  We celebrated Christmas with the children and grandchildren at home sometime between Christmas and New Year's.  By the time the holiday had come and gone, we were hard-pressed to remember the reason for the holiday.

Easter was a quiet holiday.  We both were able to concentrate on the reason we were celebrating.  We went to church, came home and spent a relaxing Sunday together.  Sometimes family would come over for dinner.  Sometimes friends would come by for a visit.  Sometimes we just jumped in the car and went for a long drive.

When he was sick and knew that he was dying, he held out for "one more Easter".  He was determined and prayed every night for that one last gift.  His prayers were answered.  Easter Sunday, 2004, his best friend, Walt, and Walt's wife, Betty stopped by.  He found the strength to come down, and sit outside and visit with us for a short period.  Later, a priest friend came by and gave him Easter communion.   He died a week later. 

I love Easter.  I love the rebirth I see all around us.  Everything is turning green, the flowers are budding and blooming, the birds are back at the feeders, the pond fish can be seen swimming again.  While Easter time also holds a sadness for me, a reminder of Easters past and in less than two weeks another anniversary of his going home; that was the promise of Easter that meant so much to him. 

Rejoice, He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!  Enjoy a blessed and beautiful Easter everyone!

Good Friday 2012

This is Holy Week.  This is the last week of Jesus' life.  We celebrated Palm Sunday last Sunday and yesterday was Maundy Thursday, the anniversary of the Last Supper.  A part of the service is the washing of the feet.  The priest washes the feet of those who choose as a reminder of Christ washing the feet of his disciples.  Today was Good Friday, the day He was condemned and hung on the cross.  It's a very solemn and poignant service, followed by a walk through the Stations of the Cross.

I was reminded, as I sat through the sermon, of my first Good Friday at the church I'm now attending.  It was a gloomy day that year, it rained off and on and was the perfect Good Friday atmosphere.  I was new to this area and a friend had come up to spend part of the Easter holiday with me.  We braved the rains and windy weather to attend this afternoon service and were very impressed when, during the sermon, as the priest spoke of the darkening of the skies and the tearing of the curtain, suddenly thunder sounded, lightening flashed, and the power in the church went out leaving us all in darkness while he continued his sermon.  After the service, we commented  that we'd attended some very impressive services but the special effects of the little church in the mountains surpassed anything we'd seen before.  We've had good weather and not so good weather since, but that particular Good Friday will always stand out.

While I contemplate this holiest of weeks, I can't help but think how much I miss my friend.  She moved across country later that year.  We stay in touch by phone and mail and social media but the season we had together was much too short, I really miss sharing times like this with her. 

It would appear that we'll have wonderful weather for Easter and that's as it should be.  We'll do a sunrise service at the outdoor chapel next to the lake surrounded by the mountains with the sun just climbing over their tops.  It will be cold ... and I mean cold as only the mountains can be.  But it will be glorious as the earth renews itself at this time of the resurrection.  God Bless and Happy Easter!

Time Does Fly ...

I went to my blog this morning to look up a post from last year and I found where it has been two months since I've put finger to computer key.  I know I've been dang busy but I can't believe I've done nothing worthy of sharing in two months.  I joined yet another volunteer organization.  A new Lions Club formed in town and I became a charter member.  Not being one to sit on the sidelines and watch, I dove in with both feet and find that along with the SPCA, Therapy Dogs, and the church (not necessarily in that order), my days and evenings seem to be quite full.

When I'm not out and about, my "new" family keeps me occupied and entertained.  Kasey is now a year and a half old; still the energizer bunny on steroids.  Sombra (or baby kitty) is a little over a year now.  That tiny little handful of fur is one huge cat today.  She and Kasey still think they're littermates.  Miss Katie is now eleven, which makes her darn near my age.  Kasey brings out the second puppyhood in her on occasion and she's dropped 5 pounds since we adopted him.  They're quite a crew.

It's just about a year since Judi moved up the road and that's been a real treat.  We gather our four-legged children and visit back and forth; sometimes for dinner, sometimes for whine & wine, and sometimes just to watch the "kids".  We go to city and spend the day, not to mention our wallets, we dog-sit for each other and bask in knowing we have a good friend just up/down the road when we need.

We didn't have a winter to speak of (yet) this year.  Had some good snow a couple of weekends ago; had a couple of short-lived rain storms, expecting rain again this weekend.  Now, it snowed in early April last year so we're not out of the woods, I wouldn't do any planting yet.  But this is the mildest winter I've seen in a long time, not necessarily a bad thing for me personally.  My old friend, Arthur-itis, is much easier to live with in this weather.

Today the sun is shining, I have the doors and a couple of windows open (tonight I'll have the pellet stove going), so I think I'll get up off the porch rocker and find something to do in the yard and sun.

Won't wait so long this time, I'll be back to check the view from the porch rocker soon.

Good Bye Dear Friend

Yesterday a very good friend of mine took the Lord's hand and left this earth to go home with Him.  I know that for her this is a blessing but for the rest of us, it breaks our collective hearts.

I've know Dene Ann for many years.  She was a mother, a grandmother, a former teacher. To say she was outspoken, maybe a tad opinionated would be to put it mildly.  She was also loving and caring and she loved her Lord and was a faithful servant and prayer warrior.  More than all that, she was my friend.  More than anyone else I know, Dene Ann made me feel loved.

We worshipped at different services yet we worshipped together.  She was always there to lend a hand when I was working in the church office (whether I wanted a hand or not,) we shared many common interests.  After I relocated up the mountain, we retained our friendship.  If anything, it became closer.  She was able to come up here a few times.  Once with a group passing through and just a couple of years ago a friend brought her up for the day.  Last year friends brought her up and we went to ECCO, the retreat center, and to Bass Lake for lunch; places that brought her happy memories.  These were good days - for all of us.

 Dene Ann, me, Judy

Dene Ann, Pat, Gene, Jeanine, me

I made it into town for a couple of lunches and her special occasions; her birthday and then her going away party when her children decided it was time for her to pack up and go to Idaho to live where it would be easier for them.  While she was here and after she moved, we talked on the phone once or twice a week;  even more often during "Dancing With the Stars" seasons.  She was a big DWTS fan and we were her groupies.  We all watched, groused, cheered each show, contestant, judge, with Dene Ann in the lead.  I'll miss her regular calls, and DWTS isn't going to be the same this year.

When I miss her the most, I'll wrap myself in the afghan she made for me.  It's always been special but now even more so.  Since we can't go to Idaho for her service, a group of us will send condolences and flowers and will gather together in the city to celebrate and remember her.  She left a big hole when she moved away but we filled it in with phone calls and cards.  Now, we're simply going to miss her!  We'll never stop loving her.  Peace be with you, Dene Ann, you've earned it.  I love you, I'll miss you, I'll see you again!

The Cat (Dog) Tower

For those of my friends who aren't on Facebook and wonder why I have that glazed look in my eyes; let me share some pictures of the "Cat Tower" I bought for Sombra.  The idea was to give her a place to get away from the dog.  Yeah, well!  So far she still has the penthouse ... don't know for how long, and from there it's a short reach to the top of the entertainment unit ... have to wonder, how soon!

This was the intent, her very own tower, 4 stories, 3 of which were to be all hers

 "Why, and how, are you in my lower patio?"

 "Do I have to share everything with you?"

 "Wait, dogs can't climb, what're you doing in the tunnel?"

"Wow" he said, "a room (tunnel) with a view!"

Another Christmas Past

It's Epiphany, time to take down the Christmas decorations, so when the boys who do casual work for me were here today, we closed the book on another Christmas.

These are two very nice young kids.  Trevor is 13 (14 in a couple of weeks) and his brother, Tony is 11.  They normally do my yard work and some other chores for me but when they were here in early December we put up the tree and hung lights and set out the nativity scene.  Then, while mom and I ate biscotti and drank tea, the boys had hot cocoa and decorated the tree.  It's been years since I got to watch kids decorate the Christmas tree and it was a real treat.  Today they did it all in reverse and packed the totes and hauled them back to the shed, with mom's help.  She's a real gem!

In retrospect, this was one of the best Christmases I've had in more than a few years.  Kids around to help set the mood, participated in the Christmas Eve service at church, friends came over for Christmas dinner, my son and his family came up and spent the day after Christmas (and he brought homemade tamales), no stress, no expectations, no disappointments.  A  very good Christmas!

The house is boring looking again but now I'll move furniture around and, for some reason, I'm in the spring cleaning mode.  Now's a good time to go through stuff and decide what stays and what doesn't.  The weather is such that I can still be outside dragging stuff back and forth; no rain or snow to slosh through.  I've relocated my kitchen table set to the living room and am ordering a kitchen center for additional counter and storage space in there.  I've redone my laundry room and am making better use of that limited space.  All in all, a good start to the new year.  A HAPPY & BLESSED 2012, EVERYONE!!! 

Out With the Old, In With the New!!!

Good-bye 2011!  To paraphrase - "Don't let the door hit you on the way out!"  I've had far worse years but I've also enjoyed far better.  There were few particularly earth-shattering events, it was just a chronically ugly year in so many ways.

Let me put the ugly in the box marked "past" and dump it in the trash barrel.  Now, let me go back and find the highlights ...

Although I lost the last of the cats that came up here with me; I still have my Katie and rescued two new additions to the family.  In March I took in a 7 week old kitten that I called Sombra (Shadow in spanish).  She's solid black and today is a very large, solid, affectionate and happy kitty.  In July I saw a picture of a little puppy who looked a lot like Katie when she was a pup.  In July I rescued a little puppy who looked a lot like Katie when she was a pup.  This little psycho is a pomeranian/pekingese mix.  He was approximately nine months old when he joined the family.  I tried a few names and settled on Kasey as it was the first name he responded to.  Sombra (she doesn't know she's a cat) and Kasey have bonded and I expect they think they're littermates.  They play, chase, wrestle, fight, and sleep together.  Katie has entered her second puppyhood and lost weight in the process.  She's taken to playing with her new, younger siblings and is getting exercise she was sadly lacking.  Katie, Kasey, and the kitty now make up my new family and keep my life full.

Volunteering has made me lots of new friends.  Katie and I are still with Therapy Dogs and visit seniors and go to schools and libraries where the kids can read to her.  We're more active than ever with the SPCA and I still volunteer with my church, again often with Katie's assistance.  And this year I joined a new local Lion's Int'l chapter.  These all serve to keep me moving, out and about, and give me the sense that I contribute to my community.  They also have helped to keep the anxiety ogre down the road.

And the biggest highlight of all ... Last June I had a down & dirty anxiety attack while down in the valley.  The good Lord & the Holy Spirit took the wheel of the car and brought me home.  With that team in control, the ogre decided to move on.  I have an occasional "uncomfortable" period but I know they'll bring me through it and they do.  Last October I went to a dinner down in Fresno.  I didn't survive it; I enjoyed it!!  In early December a friend and I drove to southern California (5 to 6 hours) and spent a long weekend, she at her son's and me at my brother's, and then drove back.  Apparently, the ogre was away or has lost interest.  It was a great success!

Last winter my shoulders were giving me great pain and the doctors wanted to replace both shoulders; not an option!  Granted, we're not having a severe winter ... yet, but the new non-narcotic drugs I'm taking are keeping me from buying that one bullet that I was considering.

A very good friend bought a house just up the road from me.  We've shared dinners, favorite TV shows, trips to the city, wine, fun and our dogs.  We look to each other for affirmation (or not) when we move furniture, make major purchases, or take a dog to the vet.  I have neighbors who've become friends to an extent but this is a friend who became a neighbor.  Speaking of which, a neighbor who became a dear friend let me know that she and her husband will be moving back to the area this year.

All in all, though not a year I would want to repeat, 2011 did have its high points!  Sometimes we just have to remember to focus on the blessings and overlook the uglies.  Now I'm looking forward to 2012 and its promises!