Jungle Gym

Trip to Boise

   We were able to get the hand controls in the van. Alas the owners got the message mixed up and a chair is going to have to be ordered. They didn't realize Bruce has recovered as much as he has. They will also find our shotgun chair and put that in. We will return Sept 8 when Bruce gets his leg braces.

   We were able to get Bruce's wheelchair arm repaired, it was broken off and we found a Nu Motion store in Meridian that replaced it for FREE. Yeah

Duncan got a new pair of shoes and socks.

  We ate at a marvelous restaurant called Panera, a bread restaurant. It was a healthy, fast, friendly place to sup. We will go there again. I had a grilled chicken salad with greens on the bottom and fruit (sliced pineapples, blueberries and strawberries) on top with a poppyseed dressing. A side of baked chips in a bag or a delicious baguette was impressive.

  This week Bruce has developed a dizziness. His marbles in his ear are off balance. I did not know we had marbles in our ears... They treated him in therapy. (Canalith Repositioning) He has to sleep in the bed raised to a 45 degree angle for two nights. I slept on the couch. I have to be within hearing distance. My friend suggested I purchase a moniter so I can sleep in the spare bed in my sewing room. 

   They have almost finished putting the bark mulch on our landscaping. It is therapy for me to see such beauty in plants. The names of the hostas on the shade garden are fun, I kept the tags of the names so I can impress you with my botany knowledge, Big Daddy, Dragon Tail and Blue Mouse Ears. There are two Chocoholic plants, a Red Lightening and a Sea Heart. Do a drive by to admire it. They even put flowers in the back yard. Pink enchiladas, did I get that name wrong? And some black eyed Susan's.

This is the Red Lightening Heuchera, (yeah I have a problem pronouncing it too)

  FREE Market is today. I am taking some junk, I mean treasures to regift to others. I look forward to cleaning out stuff every year. Our church fills the building with items and we return at 6 in the evening to get what we need. I usually don't return as my home is full of things I am trying to declutter.

  Bruce's hands are turning off and on. He can feel them when he sleeps at night, during the day when he moves them around he feelings lapse.

  He stood 27 times in therapy last week. 

 We got a jungle gym added to the bedroom. Bruce uses it to pull himself over at night. No more 2am turnings for Duncan. I still get up to hand him his pill and fill the sleep machine. And speaking of the sleep machine, we had to get a chin strap for Bruce. No more Darth Vader a night, yeah.

  

  

  

  

Hands on Fire!

    Bruce said he woke up this morning and both hands were really warm. It stopped and he could move both Hands and had touch sensation in his fingertips. The numbness was gone. What a miracle! He is still healing. Thank you for your prayers.

  Bruce won a blue ribbon in the fair this year. I, alas, got two reds. I'm blaming it on the long arm quilter. bah humbug. Next year

  We leave Friday for Meridan. We will get the van changed over to hand controls and  Bruce will be doing in town driving to and from therapy and to his Stake meetings.

A big step to independence. 

  They put a handicapped entry way in the stake center, allowing him to park at the FHC entrance and use the automatic door so he can enter and leave the building without any assistance. Now we need to find an accessible bathroom for him. 

   The valley is socked in with smoke from fires. It burns my eyes when I go out in it. Rain on Friday so hopefully that will clear it up.

  The sleep machine isn't working so well. Bruce's jaw drops down and breaks the seal. We are looking into getting a chin strap. 

  Bruce has had another bladder infection. He had to do double duty doing temple recommend interviews this month as other leaders were on trek. Once he is on antibiotics he recovers. He keeps going. He was really tired on Sunday evening, it catches up to him. 

  My friends took me to the new Jaxdog cafe above the former Looking Glass bookstore. We had the most delicious chicken curry salad. The home made bread was fresh and warm. I brought some for Bruce. I want to go back and taste some quiche. They have a very small kitchen and limited menu. It is on Facebook so you know what they will have that day. They have tables downstairs so Bruce will be able to go with me. The owners are very friendly even when I asked the cook to marry me and he politely declined. Two thumbs up! No, no kickbacks for me, just fine food.

  Andrew went to test drive a small car and ended up driving a red BMW. He was set to purchase it and a friend talked him out of it as there is no place in town if it needs repairs. If you hear of a small car or pickup, let us know. I do not like not having a car around for me to drive as Andrew takes mine to work. And no he refuses to ride a bike to work. 

  We plucked several tomatoes off the garden vine this morning. They have black spots on the bottom. We will have to change the way we water. I love homegrown maters. 

  Some wonderful friends gave use some huckleberries! I made a cheese cake pie that didn't set up, however the freezer works wonders.

   

  

  

Stuck in the Mud

  Last Saturday I did some compassionate service with a friend, we went to an estate sale in Union to purchase fabric for $2.00 a pound. I came home with a few bags of good quality fabric for baby blankets, and lap quilts for dialysis and maybe something for me.

 Meanwhile Bruce was in the garden picking the raspberries. One of his wheels went off the bricks and he was stuck, apparently he was there for 2 hours. Andrew was still in bed, remember he doesn't get up until the crack of noon and I left before I could ask Duncan to keep an eye on Bruce.

  Bruce had his hat on so he wasn't sunburned. He said he practiced whistling for a while. He tried yelling for the neighbors and they couldn't hear him, not enough lung power. He tired rocking back and forth to get out like you downed you are stuck in the snow, that didn't work. He finally sees a neighbor across the alley yells, "howdy neighbor". He tells him he is stuck and he meets Peter. Peter tries to get him out and ends up knocking on the door for Duncan, they can't get him out and they wake Andrew. The three can't get him out. (should we write a song about a little old man that was swallowed by the mud?) peter shad he can winch him out. Duncan suggests they move some of the bricks and .bruce is able to get out.

  So next Bruce decides to work in the shop. He goes to open the back door and his feet plates ram the door and breaks off the lock. (he has the chair on rabbit not turtle.)

  Next he is backing up in the garage and his back wheels snag the underside of the front bumper of the Hyundai which is plastic and he removes that from the car. He and Andrew fix it before I return. 

  See, I can't leave him, he gets into trouble.

   Just one of those days. 

He said he learned his lesson and will take his cell phone with him. I will have to carry mine with me. It is not a habit I am used to doing. 

  

Leg Braces

  Bruce was measured for leg braces on Friday! They will be here in 4 - 6 weeks. We will go to Boise to have them fitted. Bruce said I need to go to learn how to put them on him. 

  We will go to Boise for the weekend soon for the van to be changed over to hand controls and Bruce will be driving himself. Duncan is making preparations to leave. He is working on a plan.

  The hinges are happening here, slow but steady.

   

 This might be what the leg braces look like. He will use them in therapy. I don't want him using them at home if I am here by myself, the idea of him falling scares me. They want him to use them for 15 min a day at home, they assure us he will not use them at home until he is strong enough.

  We went to La Fiesta for Fathers Day on Saturday night. Our daughter sent Bruce an R2 D2 charger, thank you for teaching me the love of Star Wars! We were able to hear from all the children. 

  Life is mostly good. 

  

Respite in Rural Virginia

I got to go to Virginia last week!

My dad turned 90!

  My two sisters, Elaine and Bonita joined me along with my 88 year old mother flying to Atlanta and then on to Charlottesville. My brother, Kevin drove his semi and was able to be there for three days. My sister Robin and DIL Angie drove two cars to pick us up. 

  We arrived late Tuesday evening. My sister and her daughter, Patty joined me and we stayed in a local hotel. Sharing two bathrooms with six females and four males might have caused some tension. I know they do it in the third world. We are spoiled. 

  Wednesday we were recovering from jet lag. I helped my sister move a computer and desk from dads basement apartment. We moved the furniture around to fill in the spot. My sister and I cooked taco salad for dinner.

  Thursday we left early for Bedford, Virginia in one car to visit the D Day memorial. We did the walking tour and came home with postcards and crickets. Crickets were used in communicating with the paratroopers. If a paratrooper heard the bushes move he would click once on the clicker, if it was an American soldier they would respond with two clicks. It doesn't sound like a grasshopper to me, just a loud click that the grandchildren will love. I should have gotten two so they could play in the bushes outside. 

  We also learned that Ike Eisenhower set the style with his bomber jacket.

One of the bronze statues has him gesturing with his hand out and this was taken from a photo of him talking to another soldier from his home state, discussing fly fishing. He was known for visiting the men. I figured Bruce would like that story. 

  We returned home and Bonita and Patty made chicken with a honey Dijon mustard, orange sauce and Patty made a salsa with mandarin oranges (or naval), cubed avocado, cashews, sliced cucumber, mint, chopped sweet onion and mint. It was delicious!

 Finally baby brother Kevin showed up. He drives truck and managed to get a load this way so he is here for a few days. Will continue this saga later. 

  View from my sistahs deck

   Update on Bruce~

  He passed his ham radio test! He said he only missed one. Four men gave him the test. He will use a hand help radio til he decides which kind to purchase.

  His leg braces are ordered.

He will get his drivers license in July. 

He is getting stronger. 

His next goal is to stand for Stake conference in November.

March Days

March 8

The OT ladies came yesterday to see our routine at home and make suggestions so Bruce can do more for himself, which means more work for me. we changed out the long body pillow and he is supposed to do as much as he can to roll over at night, so I have to wait for him to do his changes then I assist. I still have to get up to put water in the sleep machine and Duncan gets up to help too. It's an insurance thing, if they think he is not progressing fast enough they will stop therapy. So the OT have to make a report that he is more independent otherwise no $ for therapy. It would be our worst nightmare if that happened. Bruce really needs the sessions, he gets depressed it he is not busy. 

   I found a new book series called the Sisters Grim, seven books, juvenile fiction, they read pretty fast but are fun fairy tale detective stories.

I finished two small lap quilt tops, need to get them quilted. One is umbrellas for the library theme in April and the other is a challenge quilt from our group. Need to begin a log cabin quilt, maybe.

 

March 17

Thank you for the apple pie! It looks lovely. Duncan says he likes your crust better than Kaufmans! That is a compliment. An no he did share...

I went tanning again today for 7 min. Andrew says I am still pasty white.

I went grocery shopping this afternoon.

I took a long nap yesterday. 

Bruce has a sore on his nose from the breathing mask.

Andrew rolled his ankle at bb last night. He is alright.

Looks like I will fly from Boise to SLC by myself. Ben didn't want to pay $600 for tickets for the three of them. I'll meet my sistah and mom in SLC and fly from there. We will have fun, be loud and eat way too much.

Just found out Rob and Lindsey are going to have baby 5! Yeah in October.

Dan and Heidie texted a photo, they will have girl #3 in August.

March 22

The Dr. has okayed Bruce to drive, so we will go to Boise this summer to get the van changed over. Looks like Duncan will be out of a job soon. He will have to decide where he wants to go, Portland area, Utah or back to school.

   They just road swept the road in front of our house for gravel. I love it when they do that and the van was gone so it will be nice. 

Guess I better put some clean clothes away. I already did my dishes

March 23

I'm having a difficult time being positive so I googled things to be grateful for.

Things to Always be GRATEFUL for every day

Family and friends

A roof over my head

Drinkable water

Food to eat

Good health

The kindness of strangers

I can enjoy the small and free pleasures of life.

Access to the Internet.

The setbacks that have formed me and made me stronger.

Life 

Okay so that list wasn't long enough, I have modified it to fit me. Of course I alphabetized it, it is the English teacher in me... I would suggest making your own list. 

  Things I am Thankful For 

"I have loved only one man with a passion a flea like you could never imagine." From Second Hand Lions

Children - I have raised seven children, six sons, including one set of twins and a strong daughter.

My family - three sistahs, one brother

I have a college degree

I taught high school English for two years.

My parents are still alive

Air conditioning

Art

Bed to sleep in

Books

Breathing fresh air

Campfires

Cars

Cell phones 

The setbacks that have formed me and made me stronger.

Electricity

Food

Freedom of religion

Freedom of speech

Friends

Flush toilets 

Good health

Hearing

Holidays

Internet

The kindness of strangers

Laughter

Life

Military 

Modern medicine

Money in the bank 

Music

Oceans

Pets

Rainbows

Reading

Roof over my head

Safety and security

Sunset 

Sunshine

Tears

Drinkable water

The weekend

March 27

I just got another tan. I will slowly increase my time. I love going there.

 Ben and family left this morning. He texted Saturday they would be here Sunday. I miss the noise and chaos. I will try to keep the rooms clean so they can come and stay with us again. They all stayed in the front room. We had a sleep over. We rearranged furniture again. And vacuumed.

They will be in SLC tonight. They said they would try to get to see mom. 

Don't know how many days they will be there, they are staying with Rob and then off to Arches Park.

Cutthroat Scrabble 

Ben reading reading Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox to get the little ones to get them to quiet down.

Stand, Pivot, Sit

  My eye is twitching. The caregiver didn't come this morning or tonight, dead battery. Duncan helped me. It isn't too bad. I just don't like doing it without trained help even if I did the training.

Cabin fever is not good.

 Thank for listening to me that took my mind off Bruces urinal and backside. 

Rosala stopped by with a cute chicken pincushion. We were thinking we would use it for a door prize in April for the quilt show made from a log cabin pattern.

 Carol is going with me tomorrow to get yellow things for Renee. Liz couldn't go today bad cramps.

  I have a lap quilt we should give to Sandra if you want. Today we were supposed to clean out the t shirt drawer. I got three new ones in the mail for the men folk, Yoda snowflake. 

 Going to watch Poirot.

Bruce was able to do standing without assistance in the pool on Wednesday.

  Today Bruce was able to do 7 stands and 4 pivot transfers from his chair, used the transfer pole, stand and pivot and sit in a regular chair. Then he reversed it stand up and pivot and sit in his power chair.