Home Sweet Home

We had a wonderful time in sunny California, but are very happy to be home again in snowy Maryland. After a week of sunshine it felt very cold when we stepped off the airplane last night. There is no place sweeter than home after any trip away.

The wedding was beautiful. My niece and and her new husband were so cute and happy. The wedding was a perfect reflection of who they are. As a great-aunt my favorite moment was watching my brother, her Grandpa Joe, dance with his his granddaughter the bride. It was such a sweet moment in time.

It was wonderful to have time to visit with my two brothers. We don't get to see each other often. Long time readers of this blog remember my sister-in-law Jean who suffered in a severe head injury two years ago. She now lives in a rehab hospital and is totally paralyzed on one side. For the occasion of this wedding a specially equipped van was hired, a beautiful new dress was purchased, and Jean attended the wedding. Seeing her dressed up and happy filled us all with a little extra joy.

After the wedding we headed south and enjoyed a few days of vacation in San Diego. We visited zoo where we went on our honeymoon.

I don't think I have changed much in the last fifty years, but this time I toured the zoo in a wheelchair.

We took a tour boat and saw the sights of the San Diego harbor and soaked up the sun.

We rubbed shoulders with the rich while eating lunch on the sun deck of the posh Hotel Del Coronado. The sun reflecting of the ocean made the Pacific look like a sea of diamonds.

Now I look out the window at my snow covered yard. It is good to be home.

California

Early tomorrow morning we are leaving for California. This is a bit sooner than I I would have chosen to travel, but there a very good reasons for going now.

My great-niece is getting married on Saturday. I love weddings.

There will be a wonderful family reunion and time with people we seldom see. Living on opposite coasts does make frequent visits hard.

We can enjoy a trip down memory lane as we visit places important to our childhood.

I can put flowers on my folks graves. I don't why this seems so important to me. I know they are not in a cemetery. They still live in my heart and influence my everyday.

We get to go to the San Diego Zoo. Last time we were there was on our honeymoon almost fifty years ago.

My recovery from the foot surgery is not quite complete so I get to ride a wheelchair through the airport and get on the plane during pre-boarding. I will feel so special.

It is warm and sunny in southern California, with temperatures in the seventies. Snow is predicted in Maryland.

MLK Day

This morning I attended an interfaith community service to honor the work and legacy of Dr King. It was an inspiring service attended by young and old, black and white, Christian, Jewish and Muslim Americans. It was a time to reflect on victories against injustice and to look at all the work that lies before us. We came away grateful for the progress our nation has made and determined to continue to make our world a better place. My Bible verse for today is from Micah, chapter six,

And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Mic 6:8

Several years ago I drew this picture of two of my grandsons playing at the beach. When I look at these boys I am grateful for the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Unscrewed

I am home with one less screw in my foot. The procedure today took only about thirty minutes. The worst part was the ginormous needles the doc used for the nerve block to numb my foot. After that I could only feel some pressure and pulling. It was a weird feeling to feel the doctor unscrewing the screw in my foot. It is a little hard to walk tonight because my foot is still numb. This should be only a small bump on my road to recovery. I expect to back on track in a day or two.

Foot Update

I saw my foot surgeon this morning for my five month follow-up. He said the bones have healed well and everything looks good, EXCEPT one of the screws is little bit too long. The offending screw sticks into the joint space between the foot and the ankle and causes pain whenever I flex my foot. The screw has to come out. So tomorrow morning I head back to the OR to have it removed. The doctor assures me that this is a very minor procedure. The only reason it must be done in the OR is the need to see it with the X-ray so he knows just where to cut. He will make a small incision and just pull the bugger out. It will be done with only local anesthesia. I should be able to walk the next day. This has to be done before I can begin physical therapy to increase my strength and range of motion. I am actually pretty bummed about it. The doctor says it is a minor procedure, but anytime it is my body being cut it becomes major.

The Loyal Opposition

Yesterday's tragic shootings in Arizona have made me very sad. A mentally unstable young man killed several people out of a hatred for our government. Many believe that extremest, violent political rhetoric encouraged him to do this terrible thing.

Politics in our country has become very divisive. Loud voices from the extreme right and the extreme left provoke fear and hatred. Politicians with opposing views post pictures of their opponents in the cross-hairs of a rifle and encourage people to take aim. People with different political views are called awful names. Opposing points of view are labeled un-American. The name-calling and extremism have made it hard to even understand what another person is saying. I often want to just stick my head in the sand and ignore the whole mess. Then something like the shooting in Arizona happens and I can't ignore it anymore.

In this big country of ours there are obviously going to be different ideas on the best way to handle the complex problems of our time. We live in a big, diverse world with big complicated issues. There are no easy answers to these problems. My personal political view is on the liberal side. Many of my friends and family are far more conservative and have different ideas than mine on the best policy for a particular situation. None of us really have enough information to know what is truly the best choice. We have to talk to each other and discuss our ideas and our understanding and our goals. Sometimes we have to compromise and not get our way. We have to quit calling each other names. We can never encourage or condone violence.

In the English parliament the minority party often is referred to as the loyal opposition. I like this term. It indicated that there is disagreement about policy without questioning the fact of patriotism. Somehow we have to understand that good, patriotic people can disagree about issues without calling one another names. We have to respect each other and learn to listen to each other.

Can we please speak more softly and listen with open minds?

I love this country. It is my home.

God bless us all.

Chair Yoga

As a symbol and a promise of my continuing recovery my beloved and I signed up for a series of chair yoga sessions. I am loving this yoga class. My daughter and her good friend have opened a new yoga studio. One of their offerings is chair yoga which is perfect for those of us who have trouble standing up for for long periods. The studio is beautiful with big windows looking out into a lovely garden. I look forward to watching winter turn into spring through those windows. By the time time the garden is green and once again filled with flowers I expect to be walking and dancing with a grateful heart. For today I am content to stretch my arms and imagine I am one of the butterflies that decorate the room.

I love my yoga teacher . She is a beautiful soul.

Anticipation

For the past five months about all I have done is sit in a chair and let my foot heal. My sweet husband has done the shopping, cooking, cleaning and laundry. In addition to that he has been a patient and loving nurse to me. I have gotten pretty good at being pampered while doing nothing. As the pain leaves and I begin to walk I am full of anticipation about beginning to do things again. Things that were just chores are things I really am looking forward to doing again.

I want to go grocery shopping. I want to see what is on sale and what looks good each week. I want to browse through the produce department and pick out fresh fruits and vegetables. I want to look at the meat and pick it out myself. I want to run into friends and neighbors and stop and chat for a few minutes. I should be able to do this in just a few more weeks. In the future I promise to appreciate the joy of grocery shopping.

I want to cook dinner and clean up my kitchen.

I want to go to the pool. I want to walk into the locker room and laugh with my friends as we change into our swim suits. I want to move through the water and feel my muscles getting stronger again. I want to soak in the hot tub and relax after a good swim.

I want to do the laundry.

When warm weather comes this spring I want to work in my yard. I want to plant flowers and pull weeds. I want to climb on a step ladder and trim the bushes. I promise not to complain about having to weed the garden.

I want to walk. I want to take long walks without needing to stop because of the pain. I want to walk the familiar streets of my neighborhood and strange, faraway streets where I have never walked before. I want to walk on the beach with the surf pounding in my ears. I want to walk through the woods and listen to the birds. I want to walk through the airport to the furthermost gate and fly again on a jet plane to some wonderful destination.

Recovery has been a long time coming, but it is is getting nearer each day. With each day's improvement I grow more excited about the things I can do.

I can hardly wait for all the wonderful things I will be able do in2011.