Better But Some Strange Dreams

You may now find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

Anita and Phil Had to Go Home

You may now find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

We hear stories about people who were as bad off as Mother who regained strength and got better. This is like a roller coaster - every day, as soon as one problem gets successfully treated, it seems another one shows up. Both her arms and feet/legs have blown IV's so, at Phil's gentle insistence, they're putting in a picc line today. Then they can get her potassium and calcium balanced.

I took Anita to the train station for her return to Ohio and our cousin, Jim Bowman, took Maribeth and Phil to Dulles for their return to Texas. I'm a bit concerned that there might be a backslide because Mother had family hovering over her from early morning till late at night for 11 days.

"Turn Around" Day

You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

Friday, August 1, 2008 was an indescribable day. None of us slept Thursday night. Phil and Maribeth (his wife) went in at 5:00 a.m. and sat for a while…..Mother was sleeping peacefully. Then they left for him to get a haircut. Meanwhile, Anita arrived about 9:00 a.m. and Mother opened her eyes and asked for Phil. He was still in town (thank heavens for cell phones) and went back to the hospital.

Mother opened her eyes and asked him how he was. He said, “Not so good.” She asked what hurt and he told her his heart hurt. She asked why and he said, “Because you’ve chosen not to live when it doesn’t have to be this way……”

There was a pause and she said, “I’ve changed my mind.”

Maribeth said she wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t been there!!!!!!!! They asked if she was willing to take her meds, eat, drink and do her physical therapy. She agreed and drank some ginger ale right away. She was lucid and the change was amazing.

We “pushed” liquids and food (Ensure and pudding) all day. She actually drank 2/3 of a bottle of Ensure – more than she drank all week put together. We got about 8 bites of cream soup in her and more ginger ale.

It’s almost like the dead has risen……..I’m still in shock!!!

Right now I'm afraid to tell people because I don't want to jinx anything. Phil plans to stay another week and that'll make a difference for Mother. Anita and Phil are beat from just a couple of days - gives them a clue what I've been trying to do since April when this all started. Then again, yesterday was the day she had chosen to die and that wiped us all out.

It’s a MIRACLE …what else could it be? Prayer works!!!!!

A SAD, SAD Day

You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

Thursday, July 31, 2008 was a very hard day for my sister, my brother, and me. Mother has been in the hospital for 3 weeks and this week had refused her meds, food, and liquids. Anita (from Ohio), Phil (from Texas), and I spend a lot of time by her bed and she was lucid some of the time. We all had a chance to talk to her and listen to her wise and loving words, although it was hard to understand her. She made it clear that she was ready to go and that she wanted to go” today”! She did not seem to be in pain but she was miserable and suffering. Anita asked her if she was afraid and she said she wasn’t. It really felt like she would go at any minute.

We met as a family and decided to stop all the meds and IV’s, except for her pain patch. The plan was to move her to the skilled nursing section of VMRC (Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community) the next morning and Hospice would be involved with her care there.

BUT……the puzzling and frustrating thing for her doctor was that her vitals were all good, her back Kyphoplasty worked and her back pain is gone, her kidneys are fine, etc. so physically, there was no reason for her to die. He attributed it to a deep depression and tried his best to encourage and motivate her, telling her that if she would try, she could be walking out of there one of these days. She didn’t respond. (Yes, he had put her on an anti-depressant.)

RV Shelter Coming Along

I realize I forgot to give an update from starting the RV Shelter in April.


Ed, Mike Stroop (his faithful helper - teacher) working on the "knee wall."

The sides are up!

Ed with shelter coming along.

Ed on top of the world!

The finished product picture coming soon.

Hospital Stay for Mother

You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

New Presidential Candidate (Wait for video to load, then click picture below to start.)

Our First Trip - Part 2

We had a good day with Barbara Elliot and left on Wednesday to visit our dear friends, Jan and David Clements, who live near The Villages (near Ocala) in the Stonecrest development. They surprised us, showing up at our rig as soon as we pulled into the Southern Oaks RV Resort. We spent the evening with them - life is so convenient as they can use their golf cart to get to most any shopping or eating place.

On July 4th, we went to Jan and David's for a cook-out, along with Diane (a sister), Roger, Matt, Anita (her other sister), her finance Ron, and Sierra (Jan's Weimaraner). Ron presented a drama he had written in 1976 where he "became" Thomas Jefferson - it was very interesting. A thunderstorm prevented the golf cart parade and contest. Later I helped Jan with her computer and Ed helped Dave with his TV. We had a wonderful time with lots of laughter and good conversation.

We then started North for a night in Savannah , one of the largest ports in the U.S. We drove into town and had fun walking along the old Riverfront area. We had $1 beers and some fantastic nachos at one of the many neat restaurants there.

Sunday night we stayed in Hillsville, VA, which is just over the NC border and were overjoyed at the cool weather.......we love sleeping with the windows open. It was frustrating that they had WiFi but we couldn't get on the internet.

We got home on July 7th and yes, the RV did fit into the shelter that Ed built. Now I'm eager to get all our "stuff" into the coach and put away. It was hard not to buy various things but we already have 2 mustards, ketchups, etc. from our stay in Florida last winter. We only bought a small mustard, bread, bologna, milk, and cereal.

Today I'm off to spend some time with Mother. She's still in Assisted Living and dealing with terrible pain. Tomorrow I'm going with her to the hospital for an epidural steroid injection to her lower back. Oh, how I hope she can get some relief.

Nice Nest - 1st Trip Part 1

Here we are, at last in our nest on wheels! We flew into Orlando yesterday and Barbara Elliot (the dive buddy we housesat for January - March) met us and took us to the RV repair place where we had it stored.

We're checked into a county park called Manatee Hammock on US1 in Cocoa. There are many little glitches and a gazillion things to learn how to do but we're getting there. In fact, Paul, the technician from Coastal RV, stopped by on his way home from work and helped Ed figure out a few things.

The RV has been parked at Coastal RV on US1 in Cocoa since March. 12 RVs were broken into -- flat screen TVs and other electronic equipment were the target. They broke the passenger window in our coach which will be covered by our insurance and they put a temporary plexiglass window in until we can get it fixed...............we thought nothing was taken.

During the time we were carrying our things in, I noticed the bedspread was missing but thought to myself how smart it was to put the new bedspread away so it wouldn't get dirty when they were working in there.

As we're getting ready for bed, Ed opened the space underneath to get the blanket and bedspread out. After searching every nook and cranny, we realized they weren't there. Ed, the optimist, said maybe they got it dirty and were having it cleaned. A call this morning confirmed what we really thought - they were stolen. Paul said they took the mattresses from 2 units and several other bedspreads........obviously to use for packing around all their TVs and other goodies.

Insurance will cover it but I doubt we'll find the same one - and I really liked it.......oh, well, it could be worse.

We're off to spend the day - what's left of it (It's already 11 am......retirees don't "do mornings" well) with Barbara. I'm "aquiver" with excitement because I'm going to Bonworth's, my favorite clothing store and Beall's, the place for deals.

Do you "Bling"?

Step right up, folks, here's your BIG chance for the buy of a lifetime!!

In one of the shops at Dulles Airport, I saw blue bottles and white frosted bottles that looked like wine bottles for sale. They had the word "Bling" on them in shiny, glittery letters. And, what a total bargain - the large ones were only $49.94 and the small ones were only $29.95.

I sort of rubbed my eyes like they do in cartoons and had to verify with the clerk that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing and sure enough, the contents of the bottles were plain, ole water - as in drinking water!!!

Young people have been brainwashed to think that they must have the fancy Starbuck's coffee for $4 or more and that there is something wrong if you drink tap water.......you must pay money and get tap water in plastic bottles. Guess this Bling H2O is the next step in brainwashing!

Assisted Living for Mother

You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

Bringing Our Baby Home

The time has finally arrived......Ed and I are flying out of Dulles on July 1st. We'll land in Orlando and our friend, Barbara Elliot is picking us up. We plan to go right to the place we have the coach stored and start RVing! We'll take about a week to return to Virginia.

Taking A Breather....

Things are progressing slowly for Mother. She has started her therapy and hopefully, by next Friday will be able to move into assisted living on a month by month basis for rehab. She is still having a lot of pain and it hurts to see her suffer so much. I think that being right there for her therapy instead of painfully having to get down her steps at home and into a car will be wonderful. Also, she won't have to worry about what to eat.

Several people have said she's going to be surprised how many people she already knows, plus she'll make some new friends. Our cousin (and dear friend), Jim Bowman, volunteers there as a driver a LOT. We know he'll be checking on her, especially when we travel.

The RV shelter is finished but we need to get Mother settled before we go to Florida to get our motor home. I won't be posting for a while but hope to start again when we hit the road!

Mom's diagnosis

You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

Friends from Albuquerque

Jerry and Kathy Millspaugh and I have been friends since about 1980 when I joined the Undersea Adventurers Scuba Club, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The club had about 200 people in it and we used to observe that it was half diving and half social. The friends I made there will always have a special place in my heart.

Kathy had bad arthritis and noticed when they vacationed in dry climates, she felt much better. IBM worked out something so Jerry could complete his work from Albuquerque until he retired. They bought a fifth wheel RV, which they call their Roadhouse, and have traveled all over!! They usually spend the spring in Florida to be with their two children and their grandchildren.

This year, they're on a long planned trip to Canada and stopped here in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for a visit to the Angelil homestead called Blueberry Hill. I took them to see cows being milked in a dairy barn, a house of 30,000 young chicks, and an egg operation. I think Kathy was especially pleased with the flat of eggs given to her.

Janet sorts eggs coming down the conveyor belt. Notice the chicken looking through the window.

Jerry and Ed watch............it's tedious work!

Flat-out Like a Lizard Drinking Caring for Mom

(You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/ )


.......that's what they say in Australia when someone's super busy! In this case, I'm referring me being busy and to Mother (age 82) being flat-out.

(I'm prejudiced because she's MY mom but, isn't she pretty?)

Mother had gotten along pretty well after her sprained hip ordeal in late March. Her doctor sent home health therapists who really helped her. She had even driven herself to the Wellness Center for her water aerobics class.

But, last Saturday this pain started in her lower back. Her doctor sent her for bloodwork and an MRI. He says it's not sciatica. He mentioned a pinched nerve but I am wondering if it could be a hernitated disc......this is her 9th day in pain. If she stays still, flat in bed, she feels OK but the slighted movement brings on such pain and those type spasms that "grab" you and are so strong they take your breath away.

We'll call the doctor first thing tomorrow and hopefully the MRI will show something! She can't keep on this way.

Anyway, one of the purposes of this post is to explain why I've gotten behind on my email responses. Ed's making some progress on the RV shelter.....got siding on the large wall and a small section of roof installed yesterday. I'm busy with Mother's care and sneaking out to garden as much as possible!

More later.....

Think before you shoot....

Put yourself in your photos!

I would like to make a suggestion that I think is very important. I lived in Australia for a year in 1974 and made a scrapbook when I got back. Now, all these years later, the only photos that really matter are the ones with me in them.

I used to think it seemed conceited to ask people to snap my picture but have gotten over it. One example is the grandmother or grandfather who takes pictures at all family gatherings but never puts herself/himself in them....PLEASE do yourself and your heirs a favor and get yourself into those pictures!

My dear aunt died 3 years ago and she was a world traveler. She had thousands of pictures in a gazillion albums, plus, thousands of photos in boxes everywhere. Out of a thousand, we might find one photo with her in it. We could care less about seeing a picture of a tree or a rock or a mountain.....we want to see Aunt Mary in those places! She could have just bought postcards and left her camera at home.

Please consider taking pictures that will mean something to you and your children in the future. People are always happy to snap a picture of you (they won't think you're vain and if they do, who cares?)....and there's always the self-timer feature on cameras these days. I rest my case.

p.s. Oops, "gotta" unrest my case to mention......

1. TRY your best to label the photos the moment you get them. Many people, like me, plan to do it later, then years later you find this sleeve of pictures and you have no idea where or when they were taken. The same goes for digital pictures......put a caption on them when you download them into your computer.

2. I've also learned that putting a caption below a photo in an album is great. But, most albums fall apart after 10-20 years and labels fall out. Do label your albums for enjoyable viewing, but also (They have acid free pencils made just for this.) label every photo on the back of the photo itself. (They have acid free pencils made just for this purpose.)

OK, now I really rest my case.

Lunch with Leslee (from Alaska)

May 1, 2008 - This is Part #2 from Email Mistake Yields New Friend

TA DA! Email pals meet in person in Harrisonburg, VA.

Mary May Angelil, Leslee Orebaugh from Alaska, Lois Brown Horne

I was not disappointed at all.........quite the contrary, Leslee was absolutely delightful! She's lively, self-confident, open and has had a fascinating life. We all have so much in common and talked over lunch for more than three hours! Lois went to the Iditarod Dog Sled races in February so they had lots to discuss.

I look forward to spending more time with Leslee, keeping touch through email, and maybe visiting her some day but I have NO thoughts of moving to Alaska (BRRrrr... )

Roots in Singers Glen

The Dedication Day for Old Salem, our moved and restored 1833 log cabin church was April 27, 2008.

This was the mother church for our church and several others. I am especially fond of this project because my great great grandfather, Levi May, was the assistant builder back in the early 1800's.

Old Salem has been re-established as a chapel that will serve as a memorial to the Christian congregations that shaped the character and culture of northwestern Rockingham County, Virginia.

Email Mistake Yields New Friend

It never ceases to amaze me what a small world it is. Email has opened a whole new world of possibilities, as illustrated by the emails below.....

November 16, 2007 - I received an email that was a comment about a joke. I was a bit leery because I didn't recognize the email but I hesitantly replied saying, "Do I know you? Your name isn't ringing a bell."

November 17, 2007 - leslee@ replied, "No, and it shouldn't ring a bell. You sent this to Carol Nesselrodt and I mistakenly thought I was replying to her. My error. Sorry."

November 17, 2007 - I replied, "I don't know Carol either but it's fine if she wanted to share a cute email. With names like Nesselrodt and Orebaugh you must be from or connected the Shenandoah Valley so I KNOW you're a nice person!

November 18, 2007 - leslee@ replied, "Oh, you are so right. We are from the Shenandoah Valley. You must be to in order to recognize their origin. Again, sorry for any trouble I may have caused.

Oh, by the way, I am in Alaska (have been for 20 years) and today it was 31 degrees and no snow. We had about a 1/2 inch last night. We probably will not see the ground again until March. My cousin emailed and said the valley had some cold weather."

November 18, 2007 - I replied, "Wow, I've never known anyone who actually lives in Alaska. I've heard wonderful things about it! How did you happen to end up there?"

November 19, 2007 - lesslee@ replied, "How did I end up here . . . well you will never believe a flip of a coin but that is exactly what happened.............. "

.......And that's how it all got began....... a series of emails as I got to "know" Leslee and her fascinating life story.

December 23, 2007 - lesslee@ wrote
”Subject: we are closer than you think
We are so much closer than you think. I had a good laugh yesterday when I was telling my cousin and best friend (Carolyn Jean Bradburn Arnett) about how you and I met. She says you have been to her home and than you went to school with another of my cousins (Phyllis Mason Flick). So, how's that for a small world.”

April 29, 2008 - Leslee is here in Harrisonburg, Virginia!

She’s visiting Carolyn (her cousin and best friend). On Thursday, Leslee, Lois (my friend since first grade), Phyllis (her cousin, my good friend since high school) and I are going to have lunch together. (Carolyn has to work :( , poor dear.)

As I told Leslee on the phone, I feel like I'm going to meet a movie star and should ask for her autograph! Who would guess a mistaken email message reply from Leslee to me on November 19, 2007 would have opened such a plethera of connections!

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May 1, 2008 - Click here for: LUNCH WITH LESLEE, My Email Pal!