Happy Earth Day--- April 22, 2025

My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird—
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.

Messenger
by Mary Oliver

Happy Easter April 20, 2025

 

                                                ('borrowed' from Boardwalk Barb's blog)

I boiled my dozen of eggs yesterday, had the dye pack ready to open, and company showed up.  Almost three hours later, said company left, and I was exhausted.  My eggs remain colorless, and as of this morning, Easter morning, I've made the decision to save my dye for next year and go ahead and make egg salad with my boiled eggs.  ☺️. I have had a lot of exhaustion this week, and have spent more time on my bed the last few days than I have in who knows how long.  I think the surgery, etc, is finally catching up with me.  My friend that helped me get through the surgery and the 2 weeks post surgery, left on Friday to go back to her home.  What would we do without friends that step into the trenches with us when our family has aged out?  LOL. Eternally grateful to this particular friend.  She's now done one extreme open heart surgery with me and was with me over a month for that ordeal, and now the cervical decompression surgery.  And then there are the friends and neighbors that have spoiled me rotten the last few weeks here at home.  :). 

I have recovered from the surgery itself really quickly, and some of the immediate results of getting the bone off of the spinal cord were quite startling.  My eyes opened up again, and almost immediately I could breathe again, as well as walk, talk and breathe at the same time.  I can't even begin to tell you how much of the life had literally drained out of me prior to this surgery.  So many many benefits that I'm so grateful for.  There may be residual damage but we won't know what or if for a long time.  Unfortunately, I had a couple of episodes with v-tach with my heart while I was in the hospital, and the last week has progressively gotten worse with my heart rates.  So I'm sure that I will end up with a heart monitor this coming week, and who knows what will be the next heart issue.  To say that I'm hugely disappointed by this heart thing is an understatement.  But what can you do?  My body decided to do major break downs and so far they are big ones.  I can only try to roll with the punches, do what I can to repair what crops up, and try to learn to live with the handicaps that I may have after all of that.

I hope everyone has had a lovely Easter week/Sunday.  It's been a beautiful day here, and I've spent part of it outside on the deck with the lovely pansies, and part of it on the bed.  LOL

Post Surgery Update

 I had my L4 ACDF cervical fusion surgery last Tuesday, April 1, 2025,  at Duke Hospital.  It went as the doctor had hoped but was a little more difficult than some due to my neck being 'twisted' from birth defect and scholiosis.  I'm home and back to being able to swallow small bites of almost everything.  I am still having to take my meds with applesauce or yogurt because of swelling in my throat, but that is much better too.  Overall, I did great!  Am so so grateful to have the surgery behind me, and so grateful for all of the love and support that surrounds me.  ☺️