IN Carmel

 I need to get better at letting go.  It's God's time...not mine.  It is becoming clearer to me that the absence of sleep is directly related to the fact that I cannot use my c pap machine for another month.  Nights will be difficult until April.  So I need to make some plans.  What filled some awake time last night was hearing the first Sunday of Lent message from Sec. Presbyterian Church.  What a blessing.  The music, preaching and prayer time carried me along.  I spent that hour on the green recliner in the living room, a place of healing for many surgeries.  I love my Iphone friend who opens the window to new thinking during the dark of night.  Since the surgery was long and breathing with support during those 10 hrs,  the body continues to find it's way to healing. I'm working with my before surgery and after surgery breathing machine.   Letting the body call most of the shots which it does if I let go,  can...

 I'm not good at a whole lot of things.  Math...bummer...cooking...lazy...fiction reading...loose interest.  Those things I can live with but the one that bothers me the most is...the marriage between what is good for my body at this point and what my mind races along wanting to do.  Who can tell me if I'm doing the best for both body and mind.  Mind is easier...I've had that for a whole number of years.  This  body...not so easy.  It's a new born.   So readers, give this new "problem" some thought.  Maybe the answer will come in a still small voice.  I'll be waiting with ears open.   Another beautiful day marked Friday.  Grocery shopping was a success which did put me on the comfy chair when all was put away.  Later the voice said.  Time for a walk around the block. I answered...windy and cold.  No walk.  Later. I heard again, walk.  . Did I listen or ignore.  Of course I listened a...

 The end of five days.  That reminds me of the years I was with my first and second grade friends.  What great memories of a little of this and a little of that and finding something to give me a good laugh every day.  Being with those little minds that were ready to burst onto the world was a job like none other.  Memories are good.  And they carry me on.   Yesterday brought the Home Health Care nurse with a blood pressure check, temp, check, an oxygen check  a "how are you doing" and then on to someone more needy. My sister stopped by with chicken noodle soup.  Yum.  I poured a bowl for supper and got out the smoked lake trout as well.  The soup is delicious but the trout won in this instance.  I needed to feel the heat of the sun around me so another walk around the block with Stella Stroller.  What a friend.  I stopped to take a picture of my shadow and Stella to send to the grandsons.  It got rave revie...

 I must report....Yesterday the walk around the block with my PT friend Victor resulted in 2 one hour naps later in the afternoon.  What a blessing.  Then supper came from Upper Michigan and Lake Superior.  Smoked fish!   That is our favorite camping meal.  First the smell and then the sight of the fish put us right at the picnic table at Fort Wilkins.  It's our vacation spot now for over 45 years.  Since I was home instead of camping...What do I want to eat with fish...Well...I guess fish!  But I did break out the corn meal and made corn bread.  Doug ate fish...I ate fish with a bit of cornbread.  Last night's meal was Lake Trout...there will be more of that and then we'll dive into White Fish.  How sweet it is.   The rest of the evening included phone calls with Eric and Jared, a game of 3/13 after supper and then an evening of TV.  I found once again my sleeping chair and the evening was ready to begin....

 The success I'm thinking about is the fact that yesterday I dressed in my red and white feeling a bit like before surgery and once again...off to the Medical Center to see Laura,  my new best  friend.  Laura has walked the walk of drain removals, answer giver, finding someone to answer my questions when she couldn't and provided a steady hand the last few weeks of visits.  I expressed my gratitude to her for that gift of healing.  I think she understands.  And the last of 4 drains was removed, not with out a bushel of pain for this one.  I discovered it was about a foot long.  Ouch!!!And to add to the goodness of the day, Dr. Moore the ENT Surgeon sat with us and answered more questions as well as sharing expectations for the days ahead.  Yesterday was a gift.  The good things...the flap taken from my back continues to shrink as expected.  The color is good and continued healing is expected.  Those are medical comments....

 During the night I felt the need to think gratitude.  It was gratitude for a good three hour sleep in our big comfy reclines that has provided sleep through surgeries for Doug and I in the past.  That chair has been loaned out to another friend healing from heart surgery.  It would seem that nights will continue to be spent in various places in our house.  Grateful feelings knowing I'm in a safe comfortable place to roam as needed.   The night  included another trip through the healing messages in cards that have arrived daily in our mailbox.  Knowing friends are with me brings a feeling of gratitude.  I'm wondering what the mailman must be thinking!   Today brings another visit to the Medical Center with a visit to those who have walked the beginning walk with me.  Their support has been immeasurable.  Yesterday a direction was  indicated moving out of the this surgery experience and forward into what could be ...

 Thinking...The week started yesterday but Sunday always seems to be a day apart of the week.  The week starts on Monday for me.  My little note book is collecting questions for tomorrow's ENT visit.  There are always questions.  I will call Laura, my n p with a couple of reminders today with the hope that tomorrow she will relay information gathered.    Purple  for Lent in the church looks great via livestream.   A few things were missed that always are done.   I guess there is a hole in my memory box.  Yesterday I worked on a purple swag for the music stands.  I need to do the second one maybe today..  The energy buck was empty after the first one was finished.  Doug is gone this morning to the tax man.  He's on it early this year.  Check that job finished.   So for now...it would appear that our lives are finding niches that were once routine and that are somewhat returning. ...