Lights....action....

Ya, the lights went out last night and with me being claustrophobic and all....there was considerable quick action in our home.  Leaping out of bed, stumbling to the hall closet, fumbling to find the "emergency light", I found it in record time and pressed the button.

L I G H T

And the wind howled like a banshee.  I don't much like wind of any kind but the lightening and thunder were pretty impressive.  This morning folks were cleaning up everywhere, including me.  Branches and twigs lay strewen, nothing too big for me to handle but it was messy.

A good friend took me for tea this afternoon and then she brought our family a lovely meat caserole/stew with fresh buns for supper....which we anticipate having tomorrow for Canada Day.  How blessed to be surrounded by caring and loving people.

And the man continues to improve....we even went out to my work place for a bit of a walk about and saw the gang there.  I miss them when I'm away.......

This summer vacation, I miss this too......

I could get to like this "home stuff"....

Husband says he could get to like this "me being home" stuff too! 

We decided that even though I'm on vacation, we needed a disciplined day, beginning at 7:30 a.m.  We need to get up early enough to get the man dressed (and me too), get him showered (and me too), put on his extremely tight (and not so sexy) long white heavy-duty elastic stockings each morning.  They are an arthritic nightmare, to be sure.  And this man of mine has size 12 triple E feet.  Not sure what to compare it to....other than....hmmmmm, how about..... trying to get a size 2 corset on a boa constrictor that has just eaten a wart hog.  And the problem arises when my fingers get stuck in the stocking right where one of the 42 staples is stuck into his leg.  He's ouching and I'm ouching, (for different reasons, of course) and the whole process is quite nightmarish and amusing at the same time.  I'm huffing and puffing and sweating and using every ounce of energy I have just to get those important stockings over his marvelous, manly legs.  He must wear them to prevent any blood clots from forming so I have to do this!!!  Actually, I didn't realize fingers have muscles, until now, that is....nursing is tough...my heart goes out to all my friends who do/have done this for a living...Alecia, Evelyn, Virginia, Birdie....and my friend Linea who uses her hands pulling and fixing teeth all day long!!!

Once that is accomplished, our morning can begin.

Today, after coffee, and a drive by our church for a look at the outside painting happening there, I came home and whipped up some extremely healthy muffins - "Fruity Oatmeal".  The recipe is from my friends web page here under the diabetic section: http://www.lauraleacooks.com/  Thanks, Lauralea!!!  I just added my own spin on the recipe adding a bit of bran and wheat germ, unsweetened coconut and walnuts....and maybe some other stuff too, but they turned out really well.  A good healthy snack for my man and I.

Oh, and the most important happening of the day thus far was Brittney opening up her marks to a 95% average (that's with lots of math, sciences and French!!!)  Tres bien, my Sweetie Weetie!!!!! Grade 11, here she comes!

I think that's enough good "home stuff" for one day. 

Here are some flowers blooming in our church front garden.  God continues to amaze me with his beauty!

I know, I posted these before but thought they were worth a repeat!

Thunderstorm....

The morning was warm and breezy and deliciously summery and off husband and I went to A&W for our morning toast and coffee.  Visiting with a few folks there and off we (as in I) went bill paying, gassing up car and banking.  Home for a nutritious lunch and a rest for my man.  Then I went grocery shopping.  Now, the reason I mention this is because it was an adventure for me.  Ken always goes shopping while I'm working so I never much get to decide what gets bought...but now that he's temporarily out of commission, I took advantage of the opportunity to go "healthy food shopping".  I checked labels and compared labels and took note of products with "low sodium" and "fat free" and "no sugar added", where before, we didn't much think of those things.  I really hope my expedition this afternoon proves to be the beginning of a healthy lifestyle for both of us.  And then I prepared a 'healthy' supper for this heart/diabetic/high blood pressure patient/husband of mine. One small piece of lean meat, a small slice of multi-grain brown bread, broccoli, and a salad....and he really enjoyed it, as did I!

Then after supper Sharon D. visited us on behalf of our church community.  She brought a fruit basket too for the patient.  We chatted and laughed and reminisced about times when our family used to go to their place out in the country for our Christmas tree which was always followed by a spread of marvelous food in their large country home where the fireplace crackled and welcomed us with a festive warmth. Sharon left our home after a cup of tea and a time of prayer and thanksgiving for our wonderful God.

Then...........

Stillness.

Then....pfffft...pfffft....pfffft......pffft...pffft....pffft.....

Ruuuummmmmmble....boooooooommmmmm......flashhhhhhhhh......baaaaaaang

Yet another wet prairie evening....complete with electricity!

I love it.

It was a good day indeed......

Cooking....yuk....

And that's all I have to say about that.

That was some day....

It can only get better from here on in.....

Not sure who's more tired......husband.....or me....guess I'm not used to walking and walking and walking and "dragging" suitcases and 280 lb men around all day.......and driving and driving and driving....wears a body out:-)

But he's home and on the mend.....and that is good.

Tomorrow....

The room with a view will change from this.....

To this.....

Minus the flowers.....

Hope husband doesn't mind.  At least he'll be home.  Perhaps I will buy some kind of flowers for outside to brighten up the place a bit....if there are any left anywhere.....

Drats....

I left my camera at home.  On the way back from Saskatoon today, there were some solid lightening flashes that lasted some 3-4 seconds, which could have been captured if I'd only taken the dang thing with me!

Husband continues to improve.  He's taking the nurses into the shower with him (for purely professional reasons, hopefully) , singing "Happy Birthday" to the ones celebrating and going for walks with them down the hallway....  I'd day he's improving enough to be home!  Although, I'm not sure if I'd like him singing to me....perhaps if worse came to worse.....:-)

And Matt and Kim will be leaving for Winnipeg tomorrow....I shall miss them terribly....It is good to have ones children around in ones "golden years"....at least for a time.

The journey...

The week began by waiting.....and waiting.....and waiting.....even the pigeons were getting into the act.  Then four and a half hours later, three bypasses were accomplished and a night was spent in Intensive Care.  The next morning, out he went to 6th floor...no ventilator, no tubes....just some oxygen, a long stapled scar running up his left leg and a nice neat one running down the middle of his chest.  Here he is below, with a happy family beside him in his room.  Talk about being a good patient.  He's even been doing his coughing and leg exercises!  Now for the diet.....:-(

24 hours after open-heart surgery, he ate soup, yogurt, tea, and milk.  He's even better today!  Perhaps the weekend will have him back home and recovering nicely here.  He's using his sarcasm with the nurses well, so he must be on the mend!  Was up and walking to the bathroom today too.  God has been good to us all.  Thanks for your thoughts and prayers on our behalf.  We had been praying that there would be enough good flesh to attach to those arteries and God saw fit that it be done.  Yes.  HE IS A GREAT GOD!!!

This corner of our church reminds me of the Body of Christ.  There is so much variety, so much beauty and all depend on God for it's sustenance.....the rain and sun to giving it life.

This night God's people gathered together as one Body to pray for and anoint husband in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  It was an opportunity, not only to call on God for healing, but it was an opportunity for this particular body at Gateway Covenant, to come and offer love and grace and peace and encouragement to husband and all of us as a family.

We were blessed.

The women of the church also surrounded Ken with a beautiful "Prayer Shawl" and wrapped him in it with much love and many blessings.

It was a good Father's Day....and we had lunch at home together and then supper together at the Ramada.

Thanks for remembering us tomorrow at 1 p.m.  I won't be here now for a time......

Old friends....

It's fun to meet up with "old" friends!  This is Ted and Sig France who are in Prince Albert to attend the PACI reunion.  They presently live in Kimberely and Victoria B.C.

They are the finest of folks.  Really good people.  Husband and Ted grew up in the same neighborhood and were good friends as children...fishing at the Shell River, golfing, and generally having the kind of fun that two fellows have!

Ted was Ken's best man at our wedding....before Sig came into the picture.  So we have this history with these two people.  And how do you catch up with folks just by having breakfast together for a few hours.  There's just so much that has happened over the many years.  But Sig brought her picture album of their eldest son's wedding and that was wonderful to see.  Nothing like pictures!!!  The boys were very small when we last saw them and I was pregnant with Matthew.  Now all of our children are grown and living life.

It's times like this that makes you want to say...."Where did those 40 years go???"

It was so good to catch up again...

What am I still doing up at 11:06 pm???

Too much on my mind...and Brittney is expected home in half an hour.  I'm the momma tonight!!!  I'm again reminded of why I'm happy not to have teenagers anymore.

I'm glad husband's pre-op is done and we're ready for the big day Monday at 1 p.m.  But this getting up at 5 a.m. to get there for the 8 a.m. appointment just goes against my non-early-rising body!   Driving on the highway at 6 a.m. husband pointed out that "when we were young, we didn't think twice about getting up at this hour to go fishing!!!"  He was right, of course, but add another 40 years to that "young" and it does 'something' to ya'!!!

The day began at 8 a.m. at University Hospital.
Registration
Then real Registration for Patients with operations
Life history...how much and how long did you smoke?
Blood tests
Urine Tests
Swabs from various regions of ones body
X-ray
Blood pressure
Weight
Height
More life history...how much and how long did you smoke?
Movie of how heart surgery will be and what to expect.
Discussion with surgeon who mentions the 3-4% of all patients who don't make it through surgery...please sign the waiver "here".....
Discussion with physiotherapist (how to breathe, exercise and cough in first 24 hours after surgery, make sure to hold that pillow on your incision........and how much and how long did you smoke?)
Discussion with Anesthatist (what you will see coming out of you when you wake up..tubes in each arm, in neck, in chest...all hitched up to appropriate machines, tubes draining fluids and tubes taking in fluids, the wearing of long stockings to keep circulation happening....and then that nasty little breathing machine....just work with it, says he....the more you fight the machine, the more drugs they will have to give you and the longer you'll be in the hospital)...and the proverbial question....how much and how long did you smoke?

That took 4 and a half hours....the same time it will take the surgery!!!

I am trusting God, actually, to allow this surgery to be successful....He has assigned the surgeon who will make this happen.

OK now I'm gong to attempt sleep.

On eagles wings...

Husband will go for his heart surgery this coming Monday.  Not much waiting now....

May God be the source of our strength in these days and weeks ahead.

Isaiah 40:28-31 encourages us with this:

"28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

And on my last day off...

Beginning with the A&W coffee /toast routine, we branched out a bit today.  This afternoon we hit the big McD for a muffin and tea!  Caught a pic of the primary colors there!!  
                                                  

Then we were off to the Little Red Park later in the afternoon.

River is extremely high.

The Swinging Bridge always looks good!

Poor tree......

No beavers but high water!  A very good day...

My heart aches....

....perhaps with envy when I see all those trailers heading up north for their vacation.  For husband and I, this will be the year of enjoying our back yard and sitting tight.  But to think that all those long winter days, I had been thinking about our summer vacation and fishing and all that fun stuff and now it is not to be.

Sometimes more important events take precedence and this will be one of those years.

I did call Saskatoon to see if husband's name was yanked off the list, or somehow got lost in the cardiac ward but alas, the dear nurse was quick to point out that, no, he's still on the waiting list ('and may be for some time yet 'was what I heard in her terse remarks....they must get ticked off at people who lose their patience....and wonder how THEY could lose their patients!!).

So, this year, we will just live and hope for a better summer next year.  In the meantime......come along and we'll just relive last year's vacation.....(kinda' like watching family home movies, eh?:-)

Perhaps next year will bring new memories.....these will have to suffice for now.....

Leisure.....

I could be a woman of leisure quite easily!

I'm off for a few days to "hang out" with husband.  Funny how even husbands get into a routine at home....like we do at work!  He has some regularly occuring events like morning coffee....buying a few groceries....getting gas......having a nap whenever the mood overtakes him....reading the paper.....waiting for the mail to see if an appointment for surgery has been made....stuff like that.

So, we're off to enjoy A&W coffee and toast.  Perhaps a nap this afternoon will be a good thing too.

A booming thunderstorm would top the day off nicely.

I think I could get used to this.....

A walk around the yard....

An injured moth amongst the elm seeds.

Lilac bushes on every side...beginning to fade...

Dandilion spores.....such a garden I have!!!

Poppies amongst the weeds...at least they're colorful!

Chives going to seed...along with everything else.

A wren lives here again this year.  She's quite secretive though.

And what would June be without Mr. June Bug...and his litte buddy, Green Worm?

The lushness of sky and trees.  Beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44c6SEdtBlA

Enjoy your beautiful day.....and the goodness of the Lord.