So - It's Memorial Day - the "official" start of the summer season..... How do you honor the dead - the people who went to war and died - we presume for the higher good. But, I guess we all know too that many died lonely, scared and not at all sure why they were there. Is patriotism only wishful thinking? Is it a real and true feeling, motivation, reason for going to war? Why am I even thinking on these things? I am grateful that I live in America, the home of the FREE. I am thankful that the Lord saw fit to send me to a nice middle class family in middle America, with a nice home, a good Mom and a Dad who provided as prescribed by society of the day. Life would have been different if Dad hadn't had so much baggage from his life in his home of origin, but maybe Dad's personality type is just the one that will carry baggage - even attract baggage so that he could carry it. Isn't that a kind of family trait? I see it in subsequent generations. Oh well. Thankfully the Lord will help us deal with and reconcile our baggage so that we can live life abundantly. Anyway - Happy Memorial Day - or whatever. That doesn't seem the appropriate thing to say on this kind of a holiday, but I have nothing else.

She's Gone

Okay - so after 17 days Erin had to go back to Kodiak. And she took Mom with her. We had a wonderful visit with her - Lots and lots of fun. Celebrating Mom's birthday with the Red Hat gals and Erin was a lot of fun. I think Mom will remember it as a happy birthday. So They left on the 12th, and on the 14th I had foot surgery to fuse the three tarsal/metatarsals in m right foot and to straighten my second hammer toe. Was in the hospital Wed and Thursday I came home about noon or so. I can't remember exactly when. I just tried to relax and rest my foot the rest of the day. I woke up in the morning of Friday to go to the potty and when I came back to bed, I couldn't breath. Dad got up for some reason, and after a short struggle, I managed to get it settled down and could sleep in my chair after that. Friday night I slept in my chair. Saturday in the afternoon I had another episode that didn't want to end. We decided I needed to go to the hospital after I called Dr Fanning to see what he thought. I had trouble just getting to the car. Had to stop and try to catch my breath each step through the garage. The breathing finally settled down in the car after about 5 minutes. We went to St Francis, and they processed me pretty quickly when they got me going. I guess they were treating my illness with more seriousness than I was. I didn't think I really had anything. After a couple of screening tests they tell me I probably have Congestive Heart Failure. Kind of a blow to a 61 year old woman. They admitted me into the hospital, the coronary floor, and did a bunch more tests. They were i.v.ing lasix into me to get rid of the excess fluid in my lungs. I haven't had trouble breathing since then. My blood pressure was through the roof a couple of times. They put me on strick I & O and a fall risk, I think. Monday morning I went into the cath lab and they ended up putting in one stent into the right coronary artery. He said the rest of my veins looked okay and my heart looked good. Then I had to go to Coronary Intensive Care Unit. Pretty nice. Two nurses to take care of me, a private room and a door that closed and I had QUIET to sleep in! They finally found a regular room for me at 9 p.m. on Tuesday so I had to go back to the noisy floor with a roommate. Got along fine, and was released to go home about 1 p.m. I'm glad to be home and ALIVE. And except for a ton of new meds, in pretty much the condition I have always been in, only better. God was definitely involved in this whole thing. I could have had a heart attack, I could have had a LOT more blockage, I could have ended up with diabetes on top of all that other crap, but I have a new stent, clear lungs and only had Pulmonary edemna - NOT CHF. Thank God. Now the blockage that is there is dealt with, I can improve my health with diet and exercise, and I will have many many more years of good life. God is SOOO GOOD!!!

Erin is here

Erin has been here for a week now, and having her home for a while after 4 years absence has been a real joy. She is enjoying it too. Today she is out to lunch with a couple of friends. Yesterday she had lunch with a friend, she has had a whole day of shopping with a different friend, and a day and evening with another one at church functions. She is having a good time. Still needs to get together with a few of her buds from high school and when she was living and working here. The only down thing is that she has gotten a nasty cold, but I think that should subside in a day or two. Hope Mom or I don't get the thing. We will both be having some medical procedures done that will not go if we have any illnesses. E and I have been shopping in Wichita twice since she got here last Friday. We have done a little shopping here in town also. She has bought a bunch of clothes to wear around here - a new pair of jeans, a couple of pairs of capris and a couple of shirts. She's having fun with new stuff. Kodiak doesn't have that much available as far as clothing goes - mostly just WallyWorld stuff. It is pretty chilly here again today. Makes us wonder if spring will ever really sping! Probably just turn hot hot about the time I am in that heavy cast! Oh well, then I won't have to worry about trying to get my jeans over it! Tomorrow we will go to the Crown Uptown for "Church Basement Ladies." We are really looking forward to that. It'll be a good Mother's Day thingy even if it is a week early! That's about it for today.