There is just something about that word that makes us smile. The Princess and I have determined that as of 1630hrs today we are on vacation. In honor of that thought, we went grocery shopping. Well actually we went to the SuperStore (the same one in which I ‘soloed’ in an earlier blog) so we got more than just groceries. I used a gift card I won at one of last seasons midget football games to procure an inverter for the car/truck to keep the laptop running while we’re on vacation, and not miss out on any opportunity to blog. So now we’re stocked up on snacks and drinks and ready for the road. An eight hour stint on the road awaits us tomorrow. We have books on CD and personal mp3 player to occupy us while we drive. And if that doesn’t work, we can always go back and do it the old fashioned way and have Julie read to me as we drive (like we usually do). I’m really looking forward to spending some time relaxing on the shores of Lake Michigan. The Princess picked up her antibiotics (forth round) from the pharmacy on her way home from work tonight. Her culture was ‘contaminated’ so the doctor prescribed an antibiotic she hasn’t yet been on (in hopes that will work on whatever is ‘eating’ the Princess).
I hope to be able to spend some time reading and reflecting on things to help develop my ideas surrounding what I’ve been calling the ‘deliberate’ life. I’m going to have to start researching that name. I don’t want to be accused of encroaching on someone else’s term. I recently saw a book entitled “The Deliberate Church”, so I’m concerned that I may have to find another word for my idea. But then again I guess I’m still developing the idea so I might as well develop a name for it too. Stay with us as I ramble on through the development of my idea.
Check back soon (and often).
Dave (and the uncontaminated Princess) Julie
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
I’m tired of being tired.
Well, yesterday ended up being a twenty hour workday so needless to say, I never made it here to blog. We’ll start with the Julie report. The Princess returned to her doctor to see how things were progressing. It seems the three rounds of antibiotics haven’t kicked the infection. So the next step is to have the Princess cultured (and I thought she already WAS cultured), in a lab to see which drug(s) will kill off the nasty bugs that won’t leave her alone. The very capable Dr. Doty-Armstrong anticipates having a treatment plan put together by the end of the week. This is a good thing since we’re leaving on vacation Friday to spend a week with my very good friend Jeff and his family in their northern home. I’m sure you’ll be able to read a full account of the shenanigans we get into on his blog (http://naubinwaynook.blogspot.com/).
Twenty hour workdays do not give a person time to devote to living a ‘deliberate’ life, so I’ll leave you with a few thoughts. From Dr. Steven Covey (I think): “The enemy of the best is not the bad. It is the good that is the enemy of the best”. When I have a place like this to come home to, how could life get much better?
Check back soon (and often).
Dave and (the newly cultured Princess) Julie
Kudos to my mom for pulling all the weeds and revealing these glorious flowers.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
“Warp Factor Seven, Mr. Sulu.”
They say “Time flies when you’re having fun”. That is of course unless you’re Kermit the Frog, in which case you say “Time is fun when you’re having flies”. Either way, it’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to document anything and I’m going to try to ‘catch you up’. Hold on tight, we’re gonna move fast.
Greetings from our nation’s capitol. I’m here for a training class (it’s work stuff. You’d find it boring). As I sit in my hotel room and look out over the Potomac (well OK, I’m looking out on a building that looks out onto Reagan National Airport which overlooks the Potomac) I think back over the events of the last several days.
As I was anticipating a quiet weekend last Friday, Julie’s younger brother Dave decided that re-roofing his house in the ninety plus degree heat just wasn’t any fun anymore so he thought it would be a real hoot to fall off the roof on his head. Well I doubt that it was a conscious decision he made, especially since he ended up with two broken arms, a fractured skull, a fractured back, a broken collarbone, broken facial bones and broken ribs (and other various and sundry injuries). If it weren’t for the familial trait of a hard head that he shares with the Princess, I question if he would have survived the fall. Be that as it may, the whole family got to make a ‘flying run’ to St. V’s in Toledo (actually Dave was the only one flying. He got airlifted there on a LifeFlight helicopter). But to the credit of modern medical science his doctors believe he should make a full recovery in due time. The Princess (in her ever pessimistic way) quipped to me on the way home that since things happen in three’s and since she and her brother were both hospitalized, there would have to be another. I told her that was just an old wives tale and that she was just being silly. Boy was I stupid.
In the midst of all THAT excitement, Julie’s dad decided he wasn’t feeling the greatest either. Thinking that he had a problem with his blood sugar, Julie convinced him to go to the Emergency Room on Saturday night to get checked out. Much to our surprise, Julie’s mom called a little later to say that they were admitting him to the hospital thinking he may have had a heart attack. He was eventually diagnosed with a condition called ‘total heart block’ (at least I think that’s what the doctor said it was called. It was REALLY late on Saturday night). That is a condition where the upper and lower chambers of the heart do not operate in unison and therefore do not supply enough blood to the body. At any rate, the doctors implanted a temporary pacemaker around midnight Saturday night to keep his ticker running correctly until they could implant a permanent one. He didn’t have to wait long though since he got his permanent one at 7:30 Sunday morning.
While that surgery was going on I was at the 9am church service that was being led by Miriam’s youth group to celebrate their mission trip to Arizona. The youth did a great job and I truly believe that great blessings await many of the youth in that group and the world at the hands of the youth in that group. I feel that The Spirit is strong in several of them.
After church and a quick trip to the hospital to check on Julie’s dad I set out for Washington DC. What should have been about a seven hour trip took almost eleven because I drove in rain (and some severe thunderstorms) through most of W.Va, PA and Maryland. It cleared up just as I was approaching Washington. After driving around for about an hour looking for my hotel (because my laptop battery had died, rendering my map, directions and reservation information useless) I FINALLY found the right hotel and got checked in. Apparently there were no rooms available in the Marriott hotel I had requested (the one where my training sessions are being held) so my overachieving Administrative Assistant (who routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty) took the initiative to book me at the closest Marriott hotel. She probably told me this and as usual I wasn’t listening. Anyway, this would have been all well and good had I taken the time to actually READ my reservation and see where a room was waiting for me. Oh well.
Monday had me learning a lot of stuff about radio waves and Julie playing food delivery girl to all the shut-ins. I think we’re all going to collapse in bed tonight and sleep VERY well.
I’ll blog more about a ‘deliberate’ life when I’m no longer moving at what Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise would call “Warp Factor Seven, Mr. Sulu”. Until then I’m just trying to hang on and I hope you do the same.
Check back soon (and often)
Dave and (the no longer the most unhealthy Princess) Julie
Greetings from our nation’s capitol. I’m here for a training class (it’s work stuff. You’d find it boring). As I sit in my hotel room and look out over the Potomac (well OK, I’m looking out on a building that looks out onto Reagan National Airport which overlooks the Potomac) I think back over the events of the last several days.
As I was anticipating a quiet weekend last Friday, Julie’s younger brother Dave decided that re-roofing his house in the ninety plus degree heat just wasn’t any fun anymore so he thought it would be a real hoot to fall off the roof on his head. Well I doubt that it was a conscious decision he made, especially since he ended up with two broken arms, a fractured skull, a fractured back, a broken collarbone, broken facial bones and broken ribs (and other various and sundry injuries). If it weren’t for the familial trait of a hard head that he shares with the Princess, I question if he would have survived the fall. Be that as it may, the whole family got to make a ‘flying run’ to St. V’s in Toledo (actually Dave was the only one flying. He got airlifted there on a LifeFlight helicopter). But to the credit of modern medical science his doctors believe he should make a full recovery in due time. The Princess (in her ever pessimistic way) quipped to me on the way home that since things happen in three’s and since she and her brother were both hospitalized, there would have to be another. I told her that was just an old wives tale and that she was just being silly. Boy was I stupid.
In the midst of all THAT excitement, Julie’s dad decided he wasn’t feeling the greatest either. Thinking that he had a problem with his blood sugar, Julie convinced him to go to the Emergency Room on Saturday night to get checked out. Much to our surprise, Julie’s mom called a little later to say that they were admitting him to the hospital thinking he may have had a heart attack. He was eventually diagnosed with a condition called ‘total heart block’ (at least I think that’s what the doctor said it was called. It was REALLY late on Saturday night). That is a condition where the upper and lower chambers of the heart do not operate in unison and therefore do not supply enough blood to the body. At any rate, the doctors implanted a temporary pacemaker around midnight Saturday night to keep his ticker running correctly until they could implant a permanent one. He didn’t have to wait long though since he got his permanent one at 7:30 Sunday morning.
While that surgery was going on I was at the 9am church service that was being led by Miriam’s youth group to celebrate their mission trip to Arizona. The youth did a great job and I truly believe that great blessings await many of the youth in that group and the world at the hands of the youth in that group. I feel that The Spirit is strong in several of them.
After church and a quick trip to the hospital to check on Julie’s dad I set out for Washington DC. What should have been about a seven hour trip took almost eleven because I drove in rain (and some severe thunderstorms) through most of W.Va, PA and Maryland. It cleared up just as I was approaching Washington. After driving around for about an hour looking for my hotel (because my laptop battery had died, rendering my map, directions and reservation information useless) I FINALLY found the right hotel and got checked in. Apparently there were no rooms available in the Marriott hotel I had requested (the one where my training sessions are being held) so my overachieving Administrative Assistant (who routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty) took the initiative to book me at the closest Marriott hotel. She probably told me this and as usual I wasn’t listening. Anyway, this would have been all well and good had I taken the time to actually READ my reservation and see where a room was waiting for me. Oh well.
Monday had me learning a lot of stuff about radio waves and Julie playing food delivery girl to all the shut-ins. I think we’re all going to collapse in bed tonight and sleep VERY well.
I’ll blog more about a ‘deliberate’ life when I’m no longer moving at what Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise would call “Warp Factor Seven, Mr. Sulu”. Until then I’m just trying to hang on and I hope you do the same.
Check back soon (and often)
Dave and (the no longer the most unhealthy Princess) Julie
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Some infections kill harder than others.
Well the Princess found out tonight that she still hasn’t completely kicked her infection. She learned this while at yet another doctors appointment unrelated to her latest surgeries (what are we gonna do when we get old?) and asked to have it checked just for safety. I guess kudos are in line for the Princess for listening to her body enough to know to get checked out. She still claims to feel pretty good though. Feeling good is not necessarily easy in weather we’ve had here. The temperatures were in the 90s outside today with high humidity My office building developed a problem with the A/C today and when I finally decided just before four o’clock that I’d had enough, it was 87 degrees in my office. I’m thinking about going in to work early tomorrow in order to ‘beat the heat’.
The Princess and I went for a walk in the vineyard this evening. It sounds romantic until I tell you that we were looking for re-infestations of Japanese beetles. We found a grand total of three beetles. That’s still enough to convince me that I need to stop by the garden store tomorrow and get some Sevin to spray in the vineyard. I’m also intrigued by things I’ve read about Neem oil. I may ask about that too.
A few days ago I wrote about an important part of the ‘deliberate’ life being the connection between thought and action. I’ve been meditating over what keeps people in general, and me specifically, from making the transition from thought into action. I think a lot of it has to do with health. We’ve been paying more attention to our health lately. I recently got a copy of the DASH diet book. Julie is reading through it now. I hope the health benefits to us inspires us to lead a ‘deliberate’ life. I’ll let you know how it’s going.
Check back soon (and often).
Dave and (the still infected Princess) Julie
The Princess and I went for a walk in the vineyard this evening. It sounds romantic until I tell you that we were looking for re-infestations of Japanese beetles. We found a grand total of three beetles. That’s still enough to convince me that I need to stop by the garden store tomorrow and get some Sevin to spray in the vineyard. I’m also intrigued by things I’ve read about Neem oil. I may ask about that too.
A few days ago I wrote about an important part of the ‘deliberate’ life being the connection between thought and action. I’ve been meditating over what keeps people in general, and me specifically, from making the transition from thought into action. I think a lot of it has to do with health. We’ve been paying more attention to our health lately. I recently got a copy of the DASH diet book. Julie is reading through it now. I hope the health benefits to us inspires us to lead a ‘deliberate’ life. I’ll let you know how it’s going.
Check back soon (and often).
Dave and (the still infected Princess) Julie
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Some days you’re the statue, and some days you’re the pigeon.
And then there are days like today where you’re both. But first, the Princess update. Julie seems to be tolerating the antibiotic well and I think it’s already helping. Her mood is good and I think she feels pretty good. She now almost ‘plops’ down into a chair and can cough without her eyes watering. She drove herself to work again today and got to take the car BACK to the tire place. I’m beginning to wonder about her driving habits (or if she has a thing for the tire guy). She took Ely along for a ride when she went to the market tonight. Here is Ely on our front porch pretending to be a watchdog. 
Look real close, He's kinda short!
Look real close, He's kinda short!I sprayed for Japanese beetles in the vineyard tonight. I was amazed at the profusion of bugs. Since I mowed on Saturday some of the second year vines were almost defoliated. I think I’m going to have to spray again with Sevin or something like that. The beetles almost came out in clouds when I hit some of the bigger vines. Wow.
We’re now sitting here watching “Wipeout” on TV. It’s a funny show.
Julie’s turn:
Dave is correct. I am feeling better about the whole operation thing. I was beginning to think I did it all for nothing. I feel better mentally and physically (at least for today)
As for my driving habits, I feel I must defend my self. I have nothing to do with the valve stem or the nail. I am sure of this. I am getting to know the tire guy Dan. He seems to be real nice and soft spoken. I hope he has a good life outside the tire shop!
I am also learning the inventory of the Hardware store attached to the tire shop. They have a little bit of everything.. Just like the old hardware in
Check back soon (and often).
Dave and (the increasingly frisky Princess) Julie
Monday, July 14, 2008
Monday Monday
Not one wanting to be bored, the Princess decided that her recovery was going along too smoothly and that an infection was in order (just to keep things interesting). A quick visit to the doctor (or Nurse Practitioner in this case) yielded a prescription for antibiotics which should kick the infection in short order. According to the health care professionals this type of infection is fairly common after surgery and at this point is nothing to be overly concerned about. So the Princess has yet another pill to take in the morning and evening for a while (as if she didn’t already sound like a maraca after her pills). The Princess is also pleased that she was able to drive herself to work today (and to the tire shop for a repair) for the first time since her surgery. I guess that means that I get to relinquish my role as chauffer now. I can probably do the same for the ‘chief cook’ role since she made dinner (delicious chicken enchiladas). So I guess life is getting that much closer to normal.
After my ‘day job’ I stopped off at a ‘night job’ client site to generate a little “billable time” before I went to the Garden Store to get some insecticide for the grapes in the vineyard (and on the pergola). The Japanese beetles are TERRIBLE this year. I hope to be able to spray after work tomorrow night. It’s too late to spray the raspberries, but I hope to be able to ‘save’ the grapes. Miriam should be back from her mission trip tomorrow or Wednesday. She called home and spoke to Julie briefly the other day. She says she’s having a great and Spirit filled time. I hope this trip continues to minister to her as well as the people she went to serve.
Check back soon (and often)
Dave and (the infected Princess) Julie
P.S. since I don’t have a recent picture of the grapes, here is a part of the raspberry crop from this year.
Time flies when you’re having fun
Here it is Sunday and I have an entire weekend to recount.
Well the Princess seems eager to regain her total independence. She thought Saturday would be a good day to pretend like she was back to her pre-op self. First (unbeknownst to me) she thought she’d do some housework while I was out mowing. About the time I was finishing up on the mower she left (her first time driving since the surgery) to go to Sam’s Club to “pick up a few things”. Well, she wasn’t able to find everything she wanted there (although she did manage to pick up MANY things she didn’t know she was looking for) so she thought she’d try K-mart. Finding nothing there she continued her excursion with a stop at Wal-Mart. Needless to say she had a REALLY rough night last night and stayed in bed this morning (not that I’m complaining). We spent the day like pagans and didn’t make it to church. That rarely happens. When we finally got up we had a DELICIOUS breakfast of Bacon –n- Egg Pizza (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bacon-N-Egg-Pizza/Detail.aspx). We spent the afternoon outside doing light yard work, playing with the ‘critters’ and picking berries. My mom joined us for dinner and provided country sausage links for us to grill as well as a fantastic Cherry Cordial Cheesecake. Now it’s evening and our focus turns to preparing to return to the stress-fest we know as our day jobs.
I’d like to make an observation. A stressed life DOES NOT equal a ‘deliberate’ life.
Check back soon (and often)
Dave and (the suffering at her own hand Princess) Julie
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Forget Thursday. Today was GRUMPY Day.
The Princess had a rather sleepless night and was a tad on the ‘edgy’ side this morning. Of course, not being able to have breakfast and needing to be at the doctors office at 0800 for a blood draw isn’t likely to make me chipper in the morning either. I also think now that the initial trauma of the surgeries has worn off, she’s in that place in her recovery where she just instantly wants to be back to 100% again. Of course she is fully aware that she won’t be, and no matter how many times I say “You must learn patience, Grasshopper” (and she slugs me), it won’t make her heal any faster. But at any rate she improved as the day went on. I have a philosophy that ‘grump’ is neither created nor destroyed, it merely changes people. As the Princess’ mood improved, mine degenerated. It seems that I had a sign on my forehead that said ‘get in my way’ all day. I had no major issues, just a lot of irritations. By the time we came home I’d had enough. I laid down to do some reading and didn’t feel like getting up to make dinner. Much to my surprise the Princess decided to make dinner while I took a snooze. I awoke to orange
Even though my mood was much improved by a nap and a wonderful dinner, I still didn’t read the next chapter in the book I’m reading. Julie and I went outside, watered plants, took a little walk and played with the ‘boys’ after dinner.
I’m glad tomorrow is Friday.
My turn:
Dave is right; I do want to be back to 100 percent. I also agree that I need to be patient. I am real tired of not being able to all the normal activities of day to day life. If I am good, and take no more heavy pain medication, Dave has agreed to let me drive! I will be able to gain a little normalcy back. Don’t misunderstand, I do love spending time with my husband, mother & father, It’s just I would like to be able to feel we are spending time together because we want to, not because they have to do stuff for me. I know...PATIENCE!
Check back soon (and often).
(The Grumpers) Dave and Julie
PS I just could not leave this on such a down note so here is the good & funny news. Dave has lost so much weight now that as he was watering the plants tonight, he was walking across the porch and his shorts actually fell down. Now thats Funny!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Three steps forward, one step back.
The Princess didn’t take any Aleve last night. She reports that she awoke with “ a headache in the pelvis” and some other indications that her ‘innards’ got scrambled yesterday. The heating pad and Aleve were her friends today. We think we’ve traced the change to the increased amount of coughing and sneezing due to allergies she’s been experiencing (Ah, to be in Ohio now that Summer is here). At any rate I’ve placed her on “light duty” here at home tonight while I take care of the laundry and supper. After a quick nap she's working on her needlepoint. Supper was chicken cordon bleu (from the freezer) and lima beans (also from the freezer) with Catawba Grape juice. I’m now fighting the desire to have some ice cream that I saw in the freezer while I was poking around for dinner. Julie loves lima beans (I do not). I have to be on the road tomorrow, but if I’m home in time I think we’ll grill steaks and asparagus (that I also saw lurking in the freezer).
I'll get back to my musings on the 'deliberate' life tomorrow. I HAD to share this story with you today.
I'll get back to my musings on the 'deliberate' life tomorrow. I HAD to share this story with you today.
Well as I said in an earlier post (I think), these updates are coming from the ‘funny farm’ where we live. With that in mind let me tell you about my evening. In addition to my duties a ‘domestic goddess’ this evening (dinner and four loads of laundry), I also had to be “the destroyer”. Ely the Corgi had something cornered under/in my Blazer which was parked behind the house in the barnyard. Anticipating something exciting (as things in my life usually are) I armed myself and went out to investigate. At first glance I couldn’t see what he was barking at so I figured I’d start the engine and rev it up to scare out the bird or rabbit or kitten I suspected was under the hood. No such luck. I shut the engine down and went to investigate more closely because the dog was still barking like crazy and wouldn’t back off. As I had feared by this time, Ely had gotten a groundhog somewhere it really didn’t want to be. He had it cornered on top of the axle, between the right front tire and the wheel well. No chance of a clean shot. Not one to be outdone by a rodent, I figured I’d take the truck out onto the road and hope the ‘critter’ went off the front axle and under the rear wheel. Again, no such luck. After backing all the way out of the barnyard and through the vineyard (did I mention we had a vineyard?) all the while watching closely so as not to run over Ely, I backed onto the road and turned the wheels hard to the right. The groundhog sensing himself to be exposed by the turning wheels “bailed out” and headed for the trees. After parking the Blazer I determined that there would be NO sleep tonight (for animals or humans) with Ely ‘barking treed” on that groundhog. I reluctantly decided to dispatch him and looked for an angle to get a clean shot. Of course there was no such thing. Ultimately, after what must have looked like a Keystone Kops show, I can say my mission was a complete success because the groundhog did not survive and I was not injured (somewhat to my surprise on both counts). To my target shooting friend Detective Snyder I proclaim “your position as champion marksman is safe”. Let’s just say my grouping wasn’t the greatest (but hey what do you expect from a partially blind man). It took an entire clip to do what should have been a single shot job (I need more target practice). Since I’m not one to post a picture of a dead rodent, here is the vineyard I had to back the Blazer out through.
Check back soon (and often).
Dave (the Destroyer) and (the achy Princess) Julie
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
The Julie Report +1 week +1
At this rate the Princess may be doing cartwheels by the weekend.
The Princess spent another full day at work today. And to top that all off, she says she’s almost completely caught up from being out last week (that means she had a good day). She hitched a ride home after work because her chauffer had to stop by one of his ‘night job’ clients after his day job. For those that don’t know it, my day job is making computer & phone systems talk to each other. My ‘night job’ (or one of them anyway) is setting up and managing communication systems for small offices and home offices. Anyway, Julie was at her parents place and I thanked them for Juliesitting for me when I stopped by to pick her up. They were OK with it. I marveled at how fast she moves (and sits down or stands up) now.
Julie says she may actually take some Aleve this evening. Her last steri-strip came off this morning and she hasn’t taken ANY pain meds since Monday morning before work. I’d say she’s in pretty good shape (and she’s darn tough). She made dinner tonight (well she combined some pre-cooked ground beef and a Hamburger Helper lasagna mix in a skillet). Still, it beats the heck out of my scrambled eggs of last Wednesday. We chased that with some of the frozen fruit Diana brought over last week. I limited myself to a single serving of each. I jumped on the scales today. I’m down almost ten pounds. Gee, only 90 more to go.
I read today where the single most effective thing a person can do to loose weight is keep a detailed food journal. It forces the dieter to ‘think’ about what they’re eating. That plays right into my post about living a ‘deliberate’ life. You make better choices when you think about them first. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. Thinking takes time (and effort). Often the pace at which we run our lives in the early 21st century does not leave time for thinking. It seems that we only have time (or desire) for doing, not thinking. We need to remember that we are human beings, not human doings. We need to utilize that portion of the infinite that is within each of us and think before we act (or look before we leap). I had a difficult time doing that today. I hope and pray that tomorrow will be better.
Check back soon (and often).
Dave and (the rapidly rebounding Princess) Julie
The Princess spent another full day at work today. And to top that all off, she says she’s almost completely caught up from being out last week (that means she had a good day). She hitched a ride home after work because her chauffer had to stop by one of his ‘night job’ clients after his day job. For those that don’t know it, my day job is making computer & phone systems talk to each other. My ‘night job’ (or one of them anyway) is setting up and managing communication systems for small offices and home offices. Anyway, Julie was at her parents place and I thanked them for Juliesitting for me when I stopped by to pick her up. They were OK with it. I marveled at how fast she moves (and sits down or stands up) now.
Julie says she may actually take some Aleve this evening. Her last steri-strip came off this morning and she hasn’t taken ANY pain meds since Monday morning before work. I’d say she’s in pretty good shape (and she’s darn tough). She made dinner tonight (well she combined some pre-cooked ground beef and a Hamburger Helper lasagna mix in a skillet). Still, it beats the heck out of my scrambled eggs of last Wednesday. We chased that with some of the frozen fruit Diana brought over last week. I limited myself to a single serving of each. I jumped on the scales today. I’m down almost ten pounds. Gee, only 90 more to go.
I read today where the single most effective thing a person can do to loose weight is keep a detailed food journal. It forces the dieter to ‘think’ about what they’re eating. That plays right into my post about living a ‘deliberate’ life. You make better choices when you think about them first. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. Thinking takes time (and effort). Often the pace at which we run our lives in the early 21st century does not leave time for thinking. It seems that we only have time (or desire) for doing, not thinking. We need to remember that we are human beings, not human doings. We need to utilize that portion of the infinite that is within each of us and think before we act (or look before we leap). I had a difficult time doing that today. I hope and pray that tomorrow will be better.
Check back soon (and often).
Dave and (the rapidly rebounding Princess) Julie
Monday, July 7, 2008
The Julie Report +1 week
So much for being royalty.
The Princess returned to work today (as did her bumbling caretaker). I guess she couldn't lounge on the patio with animal footwarmers forever.
(that's Tigg'r the tomcat looking at you in the picture while hugging Julies toes)
She certainly is in better shape than I thought. I said this morning that I would be surprised if she lasted until noon in the office. She not only made it through the whole day, but when I picked her up at quitting time she actually had more 'spunk' left in her than I've seen her exhibit for some time. I guess maybe spending the day around people who pass gas for a living must do something to invigorate you (in the spirit of full disclosure I have to tell you that she works for a natural gas utility company). My day was like most of the others; trying to take care of about eighteen things at once because nobody thought to plan out what the ramifications of their business decisions would be. Oh well, I guess that's "job security" (which really doesn't exist anymore, but I'll save that for a future blog).
After our first day back on the job we're both wondering why we spend so much time making a living at the expense of making a life. I guess maybe it's because living a 'deliberate' life is hard. By deliberate life I mean one where you make your own decisions rather than letting someone else make them for you, and you take your own actions rather than allowing someone else to act for you. It's easier to just 'go with the flow' and take advantage of all the good things that life in the 21st century has to offer (like blogging). Recently I've committed myself to strive to live a more deliberate life. I'll try to share with you how it's going.
Well I should go help Julie pick up in the kitchen after our scrumptious dinner of scrambled eggs & little sausages.
Check back soon (and often)
Dave and (the ever harder to keep down) Julie
Sunday, July 6, 2008
The Julie Report - Day 7
The Princess enjoyed a normal Sunday today. We got up early and actually went to church. All but one of her 'steri-strips' have fallen off and she says her 'stab wounds' itch (in addition to the obvious discomfort). She wasn't able to sit through the entire service though (imagine that) and had to retire to a couch in the ladies lounge to finish it out. Ben's message dealt with America's 'National Treasure' (The Word). Julie and I came home alone since Miriam is leaving on her Mission Trip. We read for a little while and then went outside. I finished putting the vine-training wires on top of the pergola and Julie played with Ely (our Corgi) and read/napped in a chaise lounge chair in the shade (ask her about the sunburn she got yesterday). We picked a few berries too.
Julie is off of her prescription pain med's entirely today. She's hopeful to be well enough to stay that way but is planning to return to work tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes. Julie actually made dinner tonight (leftover mac&cheese and salad out of a bag).
Julie is off of her prescription pain med's entirely today. She's hopeful to be well enough to stay that way but is planning to return to work tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes. Julie actually made dinner tonight (leftover mac&cheese and salad out of a bag).
The Julie Report
This is the first of the "Julie Reports". I am happy to announce that according to her doctor, Julie's surgery went well. She went in around 7:30 and finished up a little after 11. Apparently the doctor had to work a little harder than anticipated. We're currently waiting in her room (4172), for her to come back up. If therer are no unanticipated complications, Julie may get to come home as ealy as tomorrow morning. I will send more reports as more details become available. Thanks for your prayers.
Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:48 pm
Julie is now back in her room and sleeping peacefully. She came back up around 12:15 local time. She developed a little nausea in the recovery room and they kept her until that was under control. The doctor is pleased that Julie did not have the abdominal adhesions that were feared and the first portion of the surgery was done without a major abdominal incision (thereby shortening recovery time). I expect that she will sleep until around dinnertime tonite. At this point she is a 'model patient'. Now, let's just hope she stays that way. I hope you all help me in convincing her that her ONLY job right now is to heal, and that means rest and take it easy. Please feel free to pass this report along to any who may need to know.We can't thank all of you enough for your thoughts and prayers.Dave (and a sleeping Julie)
Mon, 30 Jun 2008 3:56 pm
THE PRINCESS HAS AWAKENED!! Julie (sort of) woke up a little after 3pm for the first time. She had some ice chips and asked some questions. She also said she wanted to roll over because she was stiff. When the nurses came to roll her over she tried to help. "OUCH!". That was a big mistake. The nurse then gave her more pain medicine so she's sleepy again, but she was able to roll onto her side and flex her knees. That's much better according to her. Now she says she's hungry. I guess I'll have to start cooking when she wakes up again (probably in another 3 hours). Her vitals still look really good so we're keeping our fingers crossed for an early release.Thus far the nurses here have been GREAT!Thanks to Gene and Bonnie for staying here until Julie was 'settled' in her bed. And thanks to my mom for locking her keys in her car (ask her about it). The old saying is true "No good deed goes unpunished".That's all for now. I'll report more information as it becomes available.Dave and (an ouchy, sleepy, hungry) Julie
Mon, 30 Jun 2008 6:39 pm
Dinner was a smashing success. The Princess enjoyed beef broth, orange jello and cranberry juice. She says it was delicious and is now snoozing again. She also claims to feel pretty good, all things considered. She should be sitting on the edge of the bed and dangling her feet before the evening is over. Julie learned an important lesson today too. When your pain med's make your BP drop to 82/51 you get kind of 'light headed'. I asked her how she knew the difference. She responded with a very weak "Poop on you". I've been passing along your well wishes as she is coherent enough to appreciate them.Please keep Julie in your prayers (if we go home tomorrow she will have to endure ME as her nurse). Dave (and the recovering Princess) Julie
The Julie Report - Day 2
Tue, 1 Jul 2008 7:39 am
Well, we survived the night.Julie is now on to "real" food. She's now on to pain pills instead of in the IV. She's also ordered breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast and is really looking forward to it. The amazing Dr. Doty-Armstrong was in this morning to admire her handiwork. She says all looks good to go. Throughout the course of the day the nursing staff will be disconnecting Julie from all of her 'lanyards' and getting her up and moving. Once she can get herself around (with help) she can go home. It probably won't be until around dinnertime though. Time will tell. I'll continue to provide updates throughout the day to keep you all apprised of the situation.Dave and (the ouchy Princess) Julie
Tue, 1 Jul 2008 9:41 amSubject: The Julie Report - Day 2
SHE'S FREE, SHE'S FREE!!!!!The Princess is not free of all her 'rigging' and able to move about. I've helped her out of bed and she is now sitting in the chair beside the bed (where I spent the night). The Percocet seems to be taking care of the pain (imagine that) and Julie says her pain is no more than a "3" sitting in the chair. We anticipate going home around 5 today. I'm probably more scared than she is. At that point I become nurse, chef, cook and chauffeur. Eeeeeeeek. I hope I'm up to it.Well back to tending the Princess. More to come..........Dave and (the Free Princess) Julie
Tue, 1 Jul 2008 11:54 amSubject: The Julie Report - Day 2
Great things are happening.I'm very proud of Julie. I just helped her into the bathroom so she could go potty like a big girl (now I've got to find some M&Ms for her). I was also encouraged by her report that while I was across the hall getting ice she had a toot. I would seem that everything is returning to normal. All we have left to be concerned about now is a big #2. She is choosing her food very carefully in 'preparation' for this major moving event. Salad, applesauce and a chicken breast just delivered for lunch.A trip home this afternoon now seems inevitable. Please feel free to drop the Princess an email with your well wishes. She's been checking it here and will continue to when she gets home.Thank you for your support,Dave and (the internally resurrecting Princess) Julie
Tue, 1 Jul 2008 5:11 pmSubject: Re: The Julie Report - Day 2
The Princess is home!We got home around 4:30 and I promptly bedded her down with lots and lots of pillows. All of the 'kids' here were really happy to see 'mom' return. Her pain pills will be a necessity for the near term. She seems to believe that even though they took her to suite 3 for her surgery, she is CERTAIN that her left leg was stretched into the next room. Ouch. But even with that, things are starting to return to normal. Hopefully the next few days will be peaceful, restful days for the Princess. I will continue to send updates (but less frequently) as to how Julie is healing and dealing with her less than competent caretaker.Thanks to all who have offered or provided help of ANY kind. You are appreciated more than you know.Dave and (the stiff and sore Princess) Julie
Wed, 2 Jul 2008 10:47 amSubject: The Julie Report - Day 3
The blessed event has occurred.The Princess has informed me that she had a very "moving" experience in the bathroom this morning. That's one more 'biggie' out of the way. She is now sitting on the couch reading a new book by her favorite author (Janet Evonavich). Things seem to be healing well and she is already down to needing only one pain pill instead of two. She actually wanted to get up and have breakfast (oatmeal w/crasins) at the table this morning.Anyway, thanks to everyone for their well wishes and calls and prayers and offerings.Dave and (the moving forward Princess) Julie
Wed, 2 Jul 2008 8:00 pmSubject: Re: The Julie Report - Day 3
The recovery continues.The Princess has now survived a full day and three meals at home at the hands of her bumbling husband. She requested scrambled eggs for dinner. I can say that my attempt could be termed "The stuff prison riots are made of", but we ate it anyway. Julie responded by taking two pain pills and is now sleeping it off with her heating pad. Now if only that were an option for me.........Her dad and mom stopped by this afternoon to bring out a prescription that the pharmacy had to special order and brought homemade cherry pie and ice cream. Fantastic! Thanks to the Gateway Worship Team for the very nice floral arrangement that was delivered this afternoon and more importantly to everyone for their continued prayers. I truly believe it is helping speed her recovery.We are hopeful that tomorrow will hold a walk to the great outdoors (or at least out onto the porch). I will include a full report here.Dave and (the amazing recovering Princess) Julie
Thu, 3 Jul 2008 10:35 amSubject: The Julie Report - Day 4
The saga continues.The Princess had a fairly decent night. Although she has started to experience a touch of the insomnia they told her to expect. I suspect she will deal with it in short order (or I will get her a night job for the extra money). She went back to two pain pills at a time last night. She's also having strange dreams thanks to them. Ask her about her 'pimped out' Crown Victoria limo and the hookers she helped escape in it (I GOTTA get me some of those pills). Breakfast this morning was a far cry from dinner last night. The Princess enjoyed mini-cheddar-smoky links, oatmeal w/crasins and cranberry juice. It was a culinary delight. After breakfast (and all of her pills) she got a little woozy and laid down on the couch for a little snooze. She's now up & about with her contacts in her eyes for the first time this week. I know things are returning to normal because as I type this she's sitting on the couch (in MY spot) working on some needlepoint.The plan as of now is for Julie to stay at her mom and dads for a little while this afternoon while her bumbling caretaker (the one who tried to feed her pain meds to the cats) goes grocery shopping. It will be her first excursion out. Expect a full report this evening.Dave and (the recently patched Princess) Julie
Thu, 3 Jul 2008 9:44 pmSubject: The Julie Report - Day 4
Improvement continuesToday was a good day for the Princess. She made her first road trip since her surgery. She went to her dad and moms while her bumbling caretaker went to the grocery store. And I can honestly say that after spending that 'quality time' at Wal-Mart, I was the one who needed sedation. The blind man in Wal-Mart is an adventure all it's own. Screaming kids, ugly people and strange items on the list were almost more than I could take! I have to confess, it was my first solo trip since the loss of vision in one eye. WOW it is a whole different trip. Little kids, strange people. Not to mention having to really look at every item on the shelf, just to find the one thing that I wanted. The items are not where they use to be. It should have taken me 1/2 an hour. It took 2 HOURS. I HATE TO SHOP! Well I think you get the idea.We were graced with a visit by Randy and Diana They stopped by for a little while this evening. And we are very fortunate that they brought FOOD! I'm already salivating at the thought of the casserole in the morning. It was very nice and meant a lot to the Princess to have thoughtful people all around her. From her parents "Princess Sitting" to my father offering her jobs (on behalf of the firemen), she feels blessed to have all of you thinking of her, laughing with her, she is grateful for all of you. As for me, the bumbling caretaker, I am also grateful for the feed back letting me know that I am doing it right. Well the Princess is tucked into bed with her snack of gourmet orange jello (with cool whip) and hopefully will have a restful night. I know that I need it. I will never take her weekly shopping trips for granted again. She is so much better at dealing with Wal-Mart than I will ever be! Well, we're signing off for the night. I'll send more updates tomorrow.Dave and (the increasingly mobile Princess) Julie
Fri, 4 Jul 2008 9:32 amSubject: The Julie Report - Day 5
Greetings from the PrincessWell, I have decided to do my own update today, Poor Dave has just exhausted himself taking care of me. Between all the cooking, dishwasting, laundry and babysitting, I think he is ready for the nap! Seriously. Dave has taken such good care of me, that I am ready to play outside today. Gonna try to take a book outside and get some much needed sunshine and time with the dog. We missed the Arlington Fireworks last night and I was a little sad, but there will be more displays tonight. Depends on how tired the slave is, we may go tonight. All kidding aside, I really am doing well, I still have pain, but have cut back on the pain pills. I hope to just take them a few times today. and get back to doing some things on my own. Well, time to go outside now. My chair and cushion awaits!Thanks again to Randy and Diana for the breakfast casserole. It took a huge burden off of the cook.Julie and (the imaginarily overworked caretaker) Dave
I know, I know. How DARE we go almost 36 hours wihout an update.Well, the truth is that we've been too active to sit down at a computer to draft one up. Following breakfast this morning (more of Diana's delicious breakfast casserole) I went out to start the mowing. Andrew came out a little later to help. After a quick lunch break (grilled hot dogs at the Princess' request) we got back to our chores. we finished a little after 3. While we were working, Miriam (and the Princess) made a margarita cake and watched a movie. Kevin and Jenn Snyder brought pizza (and brownies) over for dinner. We dined on the patio. It was very niceThe Princess continues to improve and in spite of having a rough night last night,, had a good day today. She continues to get more 'spring in her step' and 'fire in her eyes' almost hourly now. My primary duty seems to have shifted from doing things for her to keeping her from doing too many things herself. She's trying to be a good patient, but as we all know, that is not her nature. Her turn!OK,OK, so I try to do a few things on my own. In my defense I have not been use to having everything done for me. I have always been a care giver, not use to being on the receiving end. A girl can only take so much! I did relax in the lawn chair today. Actually got a sun burn on my legs. Have finished my book. I didn't even take a nap! As I continue to feel better every day. I will have to try to not do too much. I have been reading about what happens to women who start to feel good and forget their limitations. Lets just say, I don't want to do that, but I understand how it happens. I know that Dave will keep me on a short leash!.. It has been a relaxing week, but soon to come to an end. I plan on returning to work on Monday and see how it goes. I still tire quickly, but I think I will do OK. I will let you know! Dave is now snoring beside me, I guess this care giving stuff wears a person out! Think I will turn out the light and join himThe (getting good as new) Princess and her Sleeping Prince Dave
Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:48 pm
Julie is now back in her room and sleeping peacefully. She came back up around 12:15 local time. She developed a little nausea in the recovery room and they kept her until that was under control. The doctor is pleased that Julie did not have the abdominal adhesions that were feared and the first portion of the surgery was done without a major abdominal incision (thereby shortening recovery time). I expect that she will sleep until around dinnertime tonite. At this point she is a 'model patient'. Now, let's just hope she stays that way. I hope you all help me in convincing her that her ONLY job right now is to heal, and that means rest and take it easy. Please feel free to pass this report along to any who may need to know.We can't thank all of you enough for your thoughts and prayers.Dave (and a sleeping Julie)
Mon, 30 Jun 2008 3:56 pm
THE PRINCESS HAS AWAKENED!! Julie (sort of) woke up a little after 3pm for the first time. She had some ice chips and asked some questions. She also said she wanted to roll over because she was stiff. When the nurses came to roll her over she tried to help. "OUCH!". That was a big mistake. The nurse then gave her more pain medicine so she's sleepy again, but she was able to roll onto her side and flex her knees. That's much better according to her. Now she says she's hungry. I guess I'll have to start cooking when she wakes up again (probably in another 3 hours). Her vitals still look really good so we're keeping our fingers crossed for an early release.Thus far the nurses here have been GREAT!Thanks to Gene and Bonnie for staying here until Julie was 'settled' in her bed. And thanks to my mom for locking her keys in her car (ask her about it). The old saying is true "No good deed goes unpunished".That's all for now. I'll report more information as it becomes available.Dave and (an ouchy, sleepy, hungry) Julie
Mon, 30 Jun 2008 6:39 pm
Dinner was a smashing success. The Princess enjoyed beef broth, orange jello and cranberry juice. She says it was delicious and is now snoozing again. She also claims to feel pretty good, all things considered. She should be sitting on the edge of the bed and dangling her feet before the evening is over. Julie learned an important lesson today too. When your pain med's make your BP drop to 82/51 you get kind of 'light headed'. I asked her how she knew the difference. She responded with a very weak "Poop on you". I've been passing along your well wishes as she is coherent enough to appreciate them.Please keep Julie in your prayers (if we go home tomorrow she will have to endure ME as her nurse). Dave (and the recovering Princess) Julie
The Julie Report - Day 2
Tue, 1 Jul 2008 7:39 am
Well, we survived the night.Julie is now on to "real" food. She's now on to pain pills instead of in the IV. She's also ordered breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast and is really looking forward to it. The amazing Dr. Doty-Armstrong was in this morning to admire her handiwork. She says all looks good to go. Throughout the course of the day the nursing staff will be disconnecting Julie from all of her 'lanyards' and getting her up and moving. Once she can get herself around (with help) she can go home. It probably won't be until around dinnertime though. Time will tell. I'll continue to provide updates throughout the day to keep you all apprised of the situation.Dave and (the ouchy Princess) Julie
Tue, 1 Jul 2008 9:41 amSubject: The Julie Report - Day 2
SHE'S FREE, SHE'S FREE!!!!!The Princess is not free of all her 'rigging' and able to move about. I've helped her out of bed and she is now sitting in the chair beside the bed (where I spent the night). The Percocet seems to be taking care of the pain (imagine that) and Julie says her pain is no more than a "3" sitting in the chair. We anticipate going home around 5 today. I'm probably more scared than she is. At that point I become nurse, chef, cook and chauffeur. Eeeeeeeek. I hope I'm up to it.Well back to tending the Princess. More to come..........Dave and (the Free Princess) Julie
Tue, 1 Jul 2008 11:54 amSubject: The Julie Report - Day 2
Great things are happening.I'm very proud of Julie. I just helped her into the bathroom so she could go potty like a big girl (now I've got to find some M&Ms for her). I was also encouraged by her report that while I was across the hall getting ice she had a toot. I would seem that everything is returning to normal. All we have left to be concerned about now is a big #2. She is choosing her food very carefully in 'preparation' for this major moving event. Salad, applesauce and a chicken breast just delivered for lunch.A trip home this afternoon now seems inevitable. Please feel free to drop the Princess an email with your well wishes. She's been checking it here and will continue to when she gets home.Thank you for your support,Dave and (the internally resurrecting Princess) Julie
Tue, 1 Jul 2008 5:11 pmSubject: Re: The Julie Report - Day 2
The Princess is home!We got home around 4:30 and I promptly bedded her down with lots and lots of pillows. All of the 'kids' here were really happy to see 'mom' return. Her pain pills will be a necessity for the near term. She seems to believe that even though they took her to suite 3 for her surgery, she is CERTAIN that her left leg was stretched into the next room. Ouch. But even with that, things are starting to return to normal. Hopefully the next few days will be peaceful, restful days for the Princess. I will continue to send updates (but less frequently) as to how Julie is healing and dealing with her less than competent caretaker.Thanks to all who have offered or provided help of ANY kind. You are appreciated more than you know.Dave and (the stiff and sore Princess) Julie
Wed, 2 Jul 2008 10:47 amSubject: The Julie Report - Day 3
The blessed event has occurred.The Princess has informed me that she had a very "moving" experience in the bathroom this morning. That's one more 'biggie' out of the way. She is now sitting on the couch reading a new book by her favorite author (Janet Evonavich). Things seem to be healing well and she is already down to needing only one pain pill instead of two. She actually wanted to get up and have breakfast (oatmeal w/crasins) at the table this morning.Anyway, thanks to everyone for their well wishes and calls and prayers and offerings.Dave and (the moving forward Princess) Julie
Wed, 2 Jul 2008 8:00 pmSubject: Re: The Julie Report - Day 3
The recovery continues.The Princess has now survived a full day and three meals at home at the hands of her bumbling husband. She requested scrambled eggs for dinner. I can say that my attempt could be termed "The stuff prison riots are made of", but we ate it anyway. Julie responded by taking two pain pills and is now sleeping it off with her heating pad. Now if only that were an option for me.........Her dad and mom stopped by this afternoon to bring out a prescription that the pharmacy had to special order and brought homemade cherry pie and ice cream. Fantastic! Thanks to the Gateway Worship Team for the very nice floral arrangement that was delivered this afternoon and more importantly to everyone for their continued prayers. I truly believe it is helping speed her recovery.We are hopeful that tomorrow will hold a walk to the great outdoors (or at least out onto the porch). I will include a full report here.Dave and (the amazing recovering Princess) Julie
Thu, 3 Jul 2008 10:35 amSubject: The Julie Report - Day 4
The saga continues.The Princess had a fairly decent night. Although she has started to experience a touch of the insomnia they told her to expect. I suspect she will deal with it in short order (or I will get her a night job for the extra money). She went back to two pain pills at a time last night. She's also having strange dreams thanks to them. Ask her about her 'pimped out' Crown Victoria limo and the hookers she helped escape in it (I GOTTA get me some of those pills). Breakfast this morning was a far cry from dinner last night. The Princess enjoyed mini-cheddar-smoky links, oatmeal w/crasins and cranberry juice. It was a culinary delight. After breakfast (and all of her pills) she got a little woozy and laid down on the couch for a little snooze. She's now up & about with her contacts in her eyes for the first time this week. I know things are returning to normal because as I type this she's sitting on the couch (in MY spot) working on some needlepoint.The plan as of now is for Julie to stay at her mom and dads for a little while this afternoon while her bumbling caretaker (the one who tried to feed her pain meds to the cats) goes grocery shopping. It will be her first excursion out. Expect a full report this evening.Dave and (the recently patched Princess) Julie
Thu, 3 Jul 2008 9:44 pmSubject: The Julie Report - Day 4
Improvement continuesToday was a good day for the Princess. She made her first road trip since her surgery. She went to her dad and moms while her bumbling caretaker went to the grocery store. And I can honestly say that after spending that 'quality time' at Wal-Mart, I was the one who needed sedation. The blind man in Wal-Mart is an adventure all it's own. Screaming kids, ugly people and strange items on the list were almost more than I could take! I have to confess, it was my first solo trip since the loss of vision in one eye. WOW it is a whole different trip. Little kids, strange people. Not to mention having to really look at every item on the shelf, just to find the one thing that I wanted. The items are not where they use to be. It should have taken me 1/2 an hour. It took 2 HOURS. I HATE TO SHOP! Well I think you get the idea.We were graced with a visit by Randy and Diana They stopped by for a little while this evening. And we are very fortunate that they brought FOOD! I'm already salivating at the thought of the casserole in the morning. It was very nice and meant a lot to the Princess to have thoughtful people all around her. From her parents "Princess Sitting" to my father offering her jobs (on behalf of the firemen), she feels blessed to have all of you thinking of her, laughing with her, she is grateful for all of you. As for me, the bumbling caretaker, I am also grateful for the feed back letting me know that I am doing it right. Well the Princess is tucked into bed with her snack of gourmet orange jello (with cool whip) and hopefully will have a restful night. I know that I need it. I will never take her weekly shopping trips for granted again. She is so much better at dealing with Wal-Mart than I will ever be! Well, we're signing off for the night. I'll send more updates tomorrow.Dave and (the increasingly mobile Princess) Julie
Fri, 4 Jul 2008 9:32 amSubject: The Julie Report - Day 5
Greetings from the PrincessWell, I have decided to do my own update today, Poor Dave has just exhausted himself taking care of me. Between all the cooking, dishwasting, laundry and babysitting, I think he is ready for the nap! Seriously. Dave has taken such good care of me, that I am ready to play outside today. Gonna try to take a book outside and get some much needed sunshine and time with the dog. We missed the Arlington Fireworks last night and I was a little sad, but there will be more displays tonight. Depends on how tired the slave is, we may go tonight. All kidding aside, I really am doing well, I still have pain, but have cut back on the pain pills. I hope to just take them a few times today. and get back to doing some things on my own. Well, time to go outside now. My chair and cushion awaits!Thanks again to Randy and Diana for the breakfast casserole. It took a huge burden off of the cook.Julie and (the imaginarily overworked caretaker) Dave
I know, I know. How DARE we go almost 36 hours wihout an update.Well, the truth is that we've been too active to sit down at a computer to draft one up. Following breakfast this morning (more of Diana's delicious breakfast casserole) I went out to start the mowing. Andrew came out a little later to help. After a quick lunch break (grilled hot dogs at the Princess' request) we got back to our chores. we finished a little after 3. While we were working, Miriam (and the Princess) made a margarita cake and watched a movie. Kevin and Jenn Snyder brought pizza (and brownies) over for dinner. We dined on the patio. It was very niceThe Princess continues to improve and in spite of having a rough night last night,, had a good day today. She continues to get more 'spring in her step' and 'fire in her eyes' almost hourly now. My primary duty seems to have shifted from doing things for her to keeping her from doing too many things herself. She's trying to be a good patient, but as we all know, that is not her nature. Her turn!OK,OK, so I try to do a few things on my own. In my defense I have not been use to having everything done for me. I have always been a care giver, not use to being on the receiving end. A girl can only take so much! I did relax in the lawn chair today. Actually got a sun burn on my legs. Have finished my book. I didn't even take a nap! As I continue to feel better every day. I will have to try to not do too much. I have been reading about what happens to women who start to feel good and forget their limitations. Lets just say, I don't want to do that, but I understand how it happens. I know that Dave will keep me on a short leash!.. It has been a relaxing week, but soon to come to an end. I plan on returning to work on Monday and see how it goes. I still tire quickly, but I think I will do OK. I will let you know! Dave is now snoring beside me, I guess this care giving stuff wears a person out! Think I will turn out the light and join himThe (getting good as new) Princess and her Sleeping Prince Dave
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