A Beautiful Day, Two New Recipes, & Three Terrific Kids

Our deck remodel is FINALLY done!!!

We started this much needed remodel project back in May, thinking (very wrongly) that we would be done by the end of the June - at the latest.  Joe dismantled all the railings and balusters, and that took a while.  Then it was my turn to power wash the deck.  Man, was that a job!  Sanding it all wasn't a piece of cake, either. Next up was picking out the stain.  After several trips to Pioneer and bringing home different samples, the decision was made, and I stained all the posts and around the edges of the deck.  We then spent quite a bit of time exploring the options for railings and balusters.  After looking at lots of possibilities, we finally settled on bronze aluminum. Everything had to be ordered, so we went into another holding pattern. Finally, all that came in, and we got it installed.  We were pretty proud of ourselves. But, that was as far as we got.

Rainy weather became an issue, and worse than that - MUCH worse, was Joe's heart attack.  Mandy's fam came for a much-longed-for visit, the Ellsworths joined us, and the rest of my bunch who live closer came and went.  

After everyone left, we had to wait for a weather pattern that wasn't so wet and humid.  It finally came and I tackled the big job of staining the whole floor of the deck.  I had spent some time earlier looking for some solar light post caps.  Finding some that matched and that weren't waaaaay expensive was a challenge.  I finally found some on eBay that I thought would work, and Joe ordered one package to make sure.  We liked them, so he ordered the rest.  We finished that part of the project up just a few days ago.  So happy it's done and so pleased with the results!

It wasn't goodbye, after all . . .

On a Sunday afternoon (September 6), we were at Mom's, per usual.  Everything seemed to be about the same with her, so no clue as to what was about to happen.  She has skin cancer on the top of her head that Dr. Webb has been treating for years.  The only way to get rid of it completely is to have surgery, which she has refused to do.  So, once a month, I take her to his office and he "burns" it, which is quite painful for her.  The rest of the time, we keep an antibacterial ointment on it to hopefully minimize the possibility of infection.  

She was making her way from the bedroom to a chair in her old sewing room so that I could apply the ointment.  I was holding it steady for her, and she leaned over to grasp the arm of it to help her keep her balance - so she was on one side and I was on the other.  All of a sudden, in what seemed like slow motion, the top half of her began to be "pulled" backward.  I told her to hold to the chair thinking I could pull on it and keep her from falling.  Didn't work.  She couldn't hold on to the chair, and she tumbled backward into the bathroom hitting her left shoulder and then head on the side of the door frame and then hit the floor with her right hip and lastly the back of her head. I immediately started making a mental list of the possible bones she had broken and wondered if she had received a concussion, as well.  

Joe came in instantly when he heard all the thud, thud, thud's and got on the other side of her opposite from me.  She was still conscious, but banged up and hurt, for sure.  I put a pillow under her head and tried to cushion her tailbone area with some chair pads since it was making contact with the wooden threshold.  Next, I started talking to her and asking questions to see if she was thinking straight.  She was.  Next, she tried moving her left arm, which she could, so we decided it must not be broken.  Lastly, she wanted to see if she could get up.  It was a delicate process - all the time with us wondering what would happen when she put her weight on her left hip.  Short answer:  nothing.  I could hardly believe that it appeared that she had not have broken anything, and overall, seemed about the same as she did before she fell, other than being shaken.

Fast forward to the following Monday (September 13).  In the middle of the afternoon, Carolyn called and said she had checked on Mom and that she seemed really confused.  Sometimes that is the case if we wake her up when we call, so I told her I would check on her in about an hour.  I did, and for sure, she was not thinking straight.  I really felt like she needed to be checked on, so I drove out there prepared to spend the night if needed.  

When I got there, I was shocked to find both doors unlocked since she didn't know I was coming.  I had just planned to let myself in using my key.  She was in the kitchen and from the time I arrived until several hours later, she was quite active physically - almost as if she was running on adrenalin - but she definitely was not processing information very well at all.  And she knew it.  Finally, I convinced her that she needed to lie down and see if she could sleep.  She agreed, and then quite unexpectedly, she said she was having feelings like she had never had before and was just sure she was dying.  She became quite frantic that she wouldn't be able to make it to her bed before she did.  When she got to the bed, it was like she couldn't remember how to get in it, so I had to help her.  The whole time she was talking like she was about to die.  She wanted me to tell everyone how much she loved them -- things like that.  

She wanted me to sit beside her and hold her hand.  I told her to not worry about anything and that I would be right there beside her.  That lasted almost two hours, and that whole time she was on her back staring straight ahead and very quiet.  I took this picture:

She had to go to the bathroom around midnight, and after that she seemed like she was back to her old self.  I went to sleep on the couch about 12:30.  I heard her up around 2:00, and again around 4:00 making her coffee and getting something to eat.  I woke up for good about 6:00, and she was back up at 6:30.  She cried a little bit regretting the fact that she had lived to face another day.

She had an appointment with Margie to get her hair cut at 9:00 and wanted desperately to keep it.  I helped her get into the shower, dry off, and get dressed.  It amazed me that she had the strength to do all that.  As usual, Deltrice arrived at 8:00 and a little before 9:00 I helped her get Mom in her car and she took her to Margie's while I did some laundry and some cleaning.  

Deltrice left after she brought Mom back home since I was there.  I helped Mom get undressed and back into one of her gowns.  Then I made lunch for her, and she ate quite well.  I needed to leave and told her that Agnes was prepared to come if needed.  She said she wanted to try it on her own and see if she would be okay.  So, Agnes just did her usual Tuesday calls to check on her.

The next day was her appointment with Dr. Webb.  When I got to Mom's house, she was already dressed except for her shoes.  She was very weak and her hearing was pretty bad.  I dreaded the ordeal for her and me both, but this tough nut didn't fall too far from the tree, so we made it.

I couldn't resist snapping this pic of her wearing her new lavender polka dot dress and her new shoes:

For the first time ever, when I got to the office, the secretary came out to help me get Mom in the building, and the nurse (Penney) was waiting to take Mom on back to an exam room so she wouldn't have to get up and down so much.  She weighed in at a whopping 18.8 lbs, which means she had lost another three pounds since her last visit.  Her BP was terrific, though.

Dr. Webb treated her head again and we told him about her fall and the muddled thinking from two days before.  He just nodded and smiled and said he was sorry.  What else do you do?  I've started letting Mom hold my hand while he does the treatment and I try to keep her talking hoping it will distract her from the pain.  It doesn't take care of it entirely, but it does help.  While all this was going on, she told Dr. Webb that she thought she was dying that Monday night.  I told him and her both about sitting beside her, holding her hand, and taking the picture.  She was surprised that I had done that and quipped, "Collecting souvenirs, aren't you?"

When it was time to go, she profusely thanked Dr. Webb and all his staff for all that they had done to try to help her.  I got a lump in my throat because it was like she thought she would never be back.  Penney helped me get her to the car.

But, who knows?  It has looked like Mom's time on earth was up several times over the last several years.  At some point, we may wish we had had the 60 year metal roof put on her house instead of the 20 year shingles!

Happy Labor Day!

First, to celebrate, we labored.  We had guests leaving Little House and more coming, so that was the first order of business.  From there, we made our way to Monteagle where we ate a late lunch at the Smoke House.  

South Cumberland State Park was the main event - more specifically, the Fiery Gizzard Trail to Foster Falls and beyond.  The picture of the sign is the distance to the overlook.  We hiked to the bottom and then the opposite direction to see some rock climbers.  

Quite a bit of the trail was pretty rugged - for us, anyway.  Well, me.  It was a good workout, though, and the view at the bottom of the falls was worth it.  Watching the rock climbers was fun, too.  

Now, here's something you don't see every day - Joe taking a picture!

Several folks had their dogs with them.  This was one one of the ones playing fetch.

I don't know what the appeal is to this, but hey, we liked watching!

Our ticket out.  Not an easy climb, but better than the descent.

Camp Nonnanee Part II

This bunch arrived from points south, east, and west at Cumberland County Playhouse for another performance (for Nonna) of Mary Poppins.  It was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Pa Joe was with us, too, along with Betsy who met us there with all the girls.  After the delightful performance of Mary Poppins, we had a picnic there on the grounds.  The Whites joined us for that, since they were taking Elizabeth back to Oak Ridge with them. It was a fun-filled day!

Summer is winding down . . .

Baylor, Kyndal, & Kimber spent some time with me one day while Keeley was at school getting ready for the new school year.  They came before lunch, so we left and met Uncle Brett at Bino's for burgers, etc.  After that, the kids and I went down to the Sand Bar.  While Baylor and Kyndal played in the water, Kimber blew lots and lots and lots of bubbles.  After that, we went to Little House so that I could do a few things.  Baylor and Kyndal played in the water there, too, while Kimber and I watched and visited.

Kimber took this pic.  Baylor and Kyndal are in it,

but it's not easy to see them.

 I love how she got our feet in the shot!

Our Beloved Shangri La

Sunday at Grandma's

G'ma singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star -

Chisum's favorite.

A pic before Mandy left . . .

Layla had already gone back to AZ :-(.  Mandy was getting ready to leave for a BeachBody conference in Nashville and wanted a pic of her and her kiddos.  Ceseley could hardly stand it - she wanted to be in the pic sooooooo much, so of course, there's one with her, too :-)

He’s out picking blueberries!

We woke up from a blissfully good night’s sleep in our own bed.  We talked for an hour or so about the events of the last several days.  If we did a word cloud, the words in bold, big letters would be:  unbelievable, surreal, thankful, scary, and gratitude.

We got up and I began the business of getting everything put away, sorting laundry, and planning for the day.  And for life.  Joe shaved, brushed his teeth, got dressed, had a bowl of cereal with some fresh peaches, and is up by the barn picking blueberries.  Life is as it should be.  All is right with the world.

The above is what I took the time to write on Wednesday, July 8, 2015.  

Mandy, Mathew, Porter, and Chisum had arrived at Lori's the night before.  They were busy making preparations for a birthday dinner / party for Chisum.  Joe wasn't up to going, for sure, but the girls and I did later that day.  

On Thursday (9th),

Olivia mowed most of the yard

at Little House for us.

It was her first time mowing,

and she did a great job!

 

There's no place like home!

Tuesday morning came with the hope that we would be able to go home later that day.  We were so glad when Dr. Monsouri confirmed that after he checked on Joe and spent a little while talking to us.  We both like him a lot, and are glad that all Joe's follow-up visits will be with him at River Park - which is now Saint Thomas River Park.  Sure nice not to have to go to Nashville each time. We had lots of questions for him and he had lots of answers.  He picked up on my apprehensions about Joe's physical activity, diet, etc., and very frankly told me to let Joe do whatever he felt like doing.  I'll admit writing this a little over two months from then that that advice has been hard to follow sometimes, but I've tried / am trying.

At long last, we were finally able to leave the hospital that afternoon.  Everyone there had done their best to take care of us, we think.  We made it out of Nashville without too much trouble with traffic and drove to Lori's to get the girls.  I was glad to have them back with me and we were all glad when we arrived at Shangri La.

Cath Lab Day

Monday morning came and Joe was still doing well.  We had been told that he would be taken to the lab fairly early that morning, but based on past experience with hospital schedules, we were skeptical.  We were pleasantly surprised this time, though.  There was the routine of the morning and paper work to sign and before I knew it, he was being taken to the lab.  I was told to pack up our things in that room because he would be taken to a different room after he left the lab.  I did that, and then I waited.  

But, not for too long.  The phone rang and it was Dr. Monsouri.  This is what he told me:  1 main artery had two blockages for a total of 95% blockage (2 stents), another main artery had an 80-90% blockage (1 stent), and another main artery had a 70% blockage (1 stent).  Whaaaaaaat???????  I could hardly breathe as I tried to process what he was telling me.  I was really glad that I could still hear him when he told me that the good news was that Joe had received help quickly enough that the heart attack had not done any damage to the heart itself.  I was and am so grateful that Joe got an undeniable warning on Saturday and was able to get to the ER quickly where they immediately started taking care of him.  Who knew he was a ticking time bomb?!?!?!?!?

Before long, Joe was brought back to our new room.  He had to lie VERY still for quite a while, which became really uncomfortable for him.  He was glad when he was finally able to eat dinner that evening.  That night went about like the ones before. 

Sunday

Saturday night went as well as could be expected with all the beeping of machines and checks by the nurse and blood draws -- you know, the usual hospital noises.  Sleep/Rest isn't easy to achieve in that environment, but we managed.

Everything was still looking good Sunday morning.  Joe's vitals were still great, he was eating, and able to move around - although tethered to the IV pump.  I had a couple scheduled to arrive on Monday at Little House.  Lori was planning to go get everything ready for me, but since Joe was doing so well, and I knew that Betsy & Elizabeth, and Holly & her fam were coming by at different times, I decided I could do it myself.  

I stopped at Bryce's on my way home and got the girls.  I dropped them off at Shangri La so that they could pack the things they needed to be gone at least a few days.  I went to Little House and got it ready while they did that.  When I got back, we loaded up and went to Lori's.  She and Patrick had made a nice dinner for all of us and it was delicious.  It was the first real food I had had in almost two days.  I hugged them all goodbye and left for the hospital.  Betsy and Elizabeth were still with Joe, so I got to see them before they left.  

Joe and I settled in for another night in the hospital.

A Change of Plans

Independence Day / 4th of July / Saturday began as planned.  I went to the Farmers' Market early and bought High Rollers BBQ ribs, fresh veggies for a salad, corn on the cob, bread from the Amish, etc.  Joe left not long after that to go to Eric's for a get-together with his kiddos.  He wasn't feeling well, and I was a little concerned about him going.  I made him promise if he started feeling worse, he wouldn't procrastinate getting checked out.  He promised.  I learned later that he was even more concerned about the feeling in his chest than he was telling me.  I think I would have hidden the keys from him had I known.  

Meanwhile, the girls helped me get things put away as we made plans for all the dishes we were going to make for the 4th of July weekend.  I was also going to take them and Baylor & Kyndal for a hike later that day if the weather would cooperate.  We were just getting ready to start cooking when Betsy called me and told me that Matthew was taking Joe to the ER, because Joe thought he was having a heart attack.  I was stunned.  I immediately told the girls to get some things together and I started trying to get in touch with Bryce.  I knew that his family had plans to go to the Fiddlers' Jamboree in Smithville that morning with Keeley's dad.  He didn't answer the first few times I called, but thankfully, he finally did.  They were already on their way to Smithville, but they turned around and came back so that I could meet them at Lowe's with the girls.  

As I was driving down the by-pass to the hospital, Matthew called to see where I was.  He said the doctor was about ready to give Joe a clot busting medicine, and they were all very concerned.  I got there as fast as I could, parked, and ran to the ER entrance.  Holly was waiting for me and showed me where her dad was.  I was so relieved when I saw him.  His color was good (greatly improved over what it had been, I was told), he was alert and communicating and all these things inspired hope.  He was given the medicine and, thankfully, there was no adverse reaction.  All of his vital signs had stabilized, but the tests had shown that he had had a heart attack and they wanted to air life him to St. Thomas in Nashville.  

The weather had gotten worse with a lot of low cloud cover, so the helicopter was slow getting to the hospital.  While we waited, Matthew and Clinton gave Joe a blessing.  It was all so surreal.  Joe has gone for regular check-ups - he had even been checked out by the St. Thomas Heart Group at Riverpark the last two years.  His blood pressure was good.  His bad cholesterol was not too high.  How could this happen?  They did tell us that his good cholesterol was too low and that that could be a contributing factor.  

I have to interject here, and comment on how much I liked Joe's ER doc.  He was so calm and confident and nice and attentive.  I thanked him several times, and each time, he would tell me to thank the nurses.  

Finally, the helicopter arrived.  I went home to pack a suitcase with the things I thought Joe and I might need.  Layla & Olivia were going to stay with Bryce's family, so I knew they would be in good hands.  I met Lori's family in M'boro because she insisted on driving me to St. Thomas.  It rained on us some, but we made it fine.  

When we got there, we were expecting Joe to be in the Cath Lab, since that's what the staff at Riverpark had told us.  We were shocked to learn that since his vital signs were all good, they had taken him to a regular room, and as long as he stayed stable, he wouldn't go to the lab until Monday.  It was encouraging news.  We got that info from Eric and Kristi who got there right after we did.  We all went to Joe's room.  He was sitting up in bed talking to Holly and Matthew and Tim Hitchcock.  It was like I was in a dream/nightmare and my thoughts were all over the place.  That day had turned on us mighty fast!!!!!!!

After a while, everyone began to leave.  Lori went back to M'boro with Matthew and Holly so that I would have my vehicle in case I needed it.  Joe and I settled in to our new accommodations and tried to process what had just happened.  We had our hopes up that maybe he wouldn't have to have any stents on Monday (or something worse).

Fireworks!

On Friday, we just spent the day getting organized and recovering from the last few very busy days.  I helped Olivia make some Jello Jigglers for a 4th of July treat.  Layla started to not feel well as the day went on and decided not to go for the fireworks display that night at the McMinnville Civic Center, so Joe stayed home with her.  Olivia and I went by and picked up Baylor & Kyndal on our way.  We found a pretty good spot to make our nest on a perfect evening for fireworks.  We all loved it!  After the show was over, the kids played at the Jungle Jym for a while, which let most of the traffic clear out before we left.  Arby's was our next stop to top off a really nice summer evening.

My Arizona girls are in Tennesseeeeeeeee!!!!!!

Finally, June 30th (Tuesday) arrived, and Kyndal and I made our way to M'boro.  We went to a few building supply places so that I could look for some solar light post caps for our deck remodel.  No luck.  We ate at Arby's and headed to Lori's.  Lori loaded up with us and we excitedly made our way to the Nashville airport.  We were a little sad to learn that Layla & Olivia's flight was a little delayed, but mostly we were just really excited to see them.  We situated ourselves in the waiting area so that we could see them as soon as possible.  Oh, joyous day!  So good to see them and hug them and see them and hug them and ..........................

We all spent the night at the Joneses.  I had planned to take the girls shopping on Wednesday, but the forecast was for a lot of rain, and the forecast was not wrong.  So, just Layla and I went.  We shopped 'til we dropped at Stones River Mall and at The Avenue.  Layla tried on lots of things and some of them met with her approval.  It was so fun to be with her.  We stopped at the grocery store on the way back to Lori's to get a few things for dinner.  Lori had made chicken fillets for sandwiches for all of us.  Afterward, we watched a movie on their big screen.  Soooooo good to be together!!!

The next day, I took all the girls shopping at Kohl's.  They were having a HUGE sale and they all found some things they liked.  Olivia and Kyndal put on quite a fashion show for Layla and me.  Layla mostly did her fashion show the night before at Lori's, but she tried on a few things at Kohl's.  We stopped in Manchester and ate at J&G Pizza on our way home.  What a fun two days we had had!!!