This photo of a Loon actually has live, moving rain coming down over the trees inside of it. It's a Sally McKay piece from I Heart Photograph. Thank you, Pod, for the link ... and thank you, Sally. Politeness works, hopefully, in the Copyright world.
Ron and I are headed to Sioux Falls this morning ... yikes ... to Sanford Hospital for an Angiogram my Mom is having. I can't get freaked out by this ... we know what's wrong with her now and it's getting fixed. It may require surgery, but hopefully stints will work to clear the blockage in arteries around her stummy. This has been preventing her from being able to digest the fried chicken strips and beef tacos my brother has been feeding her out in Pierre during her Abdominal Recovery Phase Number 6.
Lawdy Mercy ... but Ron is doing great and I'm actually looking forward to some road time with him. Prayers for Mom, please. XOXO's from the Prairie.
Nathan Lackness had his soybeans thrashed last week. This is serious business around here. There was a crowd gathered up the road from our driveway so I pulled over to get in on the meeting. Watch out guys ... Home Girl/City Chick/Farm Chicklette, with her Nikkon, who knows that soy saved the Massachusettes Bay Pilgrims from starvation.
This was actually the test run to see if the light rain that fell the previous night would hinder the project. Apparently it didn't because they thrashed ... don't you love that word ? ... into the evening and most of the next day. Hey ... is that Ruby's Frisbee in the photo ? Fetch, Girlfriend !!!
And by the way, the English word soy is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of 醤油 (しょうゆ, shōyu).
Carrie Schneider has photos up on I Heart Photograph. They are wicked weird and I'm nutty about them. This could be two negatives on top of one another. But I doubt it ... from the look on her face, I believe its one brave, nude model, wearing a piece of a forest. Ouch ! http://www.iheartphotograph.blogspot.com/
Isn't yesterday morning's view from my backyard beautiful ? The house we sold in West U Houston, that we loved and lived in for nearly 30 years, eventually had a two story house built right behind it. We planted wonderful, tall bamboo to restore our privacy. I just could not deal with anyone looking down into our fabulous paved backyard. I wanted to continue watering my plants in my jammies, if that was what I felt like doing. Wait a minute ... did I say "fabulous paved backyard" ? Some of my dearest friends have them ... there is nothing wrong with them ... I just don't own one anymore. This is the view from my new backyard ... and I'm in love.
This is Ron, Monday night, wearing a Warren Moon Houston Oilers original NFL shirt. It was a get well/perk up gift from my nephews, Jay and Justin, and their Mother, Lois. I think it worked ... doesn't he look fantastic after all he has been through ???
She arrived on Monday with her energy level in high gear, as usual, and I adore that quality in her. She worked her tail off, directed me, prodded me, encouraged me, then finally committed me to hammering that first nail. Once we got that behind us it was a piece of pie ... a Tomato Pie. She managed to whip up a couple of those along the way.
Ron continues to improve ... her visit was a breath of fresh air for him. He is doing many things for himself now. News Flash: he shaved. This week it's a haircut. Then we'll have a photo shoot.
Here is Allison with one of our paintings by Margit Ilika, "Francesca Head On". I see a family resemblance ... Thank you from the bottom of my Wicked Step Mother heart. Muzzie loves you ... and yes, you can go to the ball.
It's getting difficult to pick which skies go up on Sky Watch Friday. They are always always always gorgeous. I don't think the world knows about the things that happen here in the sky. I'm still trying to believe it myself. There isn't a day that goes by when I wake in the morning that looking at the sky isn't the first thing I do. And I watch it all day long too ... for all of us.
Tim Makepeace of Makepeace Jewelers here in Watertown has one fine advertising campaign going on. This has to be the most clever of them all. I also like the one that says "Sometimes it's OK to throw rocks at pretty girls". Boyfriend, duly noted? It should sure be a whopper this year !
Or perhaps this Christmas the jewels should go to my very Wicked Step a Head of Me Daughter, who has prodded me to no end getting this house together. Quite the little Dolly Decorator she is ... I love my family.
This totally cracked me up when I saw it parked behind the Avenue Diner not too long ago. It's just sooooooo Watertownish. Anything goes ... and I love it. The truck belongs to Kevin Crocker of Crocker's Body Shop. I know his brother, Dan, and he's a Sweet Heart if there ever was one.
And here's my point ... while posting about the recent trauma in my life, the time has finally come for me to move outside of it. I might miss something around here if I don't.
Ron is recovering and that's a fact. I will continue to write about how things are going. "Family to the Rescue Allison" arrived yesterday. She was so cute sitting on the one bench outside of the Watertown Airport (that's ATY on the luggage tag) with her stylish hot pink bags. She thought we should take East Airport Drive around but we took West Airport Drive instead. Since I had come that way I didn't want to get lost. We took the scenic tour around Lake Kampeska to 42nd Street and across Highway 212. There are many thing that I love in my life, and one of them is coming across the Highway with someone special and saying, "See that grove of trees up there on your right"? "That's our place".
Ron is really doing well, in my opinion, but for him it's an entirely different matter ...
Ron: "I don't feel a bit better than I did the day after I fell".
Laurie: "You were on Life Support the day after you fell".
Ron: "Oh Yeah".
The Orthopedic Doc ook an x ray and his arm is healing perfectly. The fractured ribs are still causing him the most pain and will take at least another month before they feel better.
The Doc of Optometry, our second opinion, agrees that the vision in his right eye will improve with time and that the clots will settle and dissolve. He suggested that he rest at a 45 degree angle and stay upright as much as possible. Good plan ... does upright include digging potatoes and mowing ???
And his Physical Therapist is Little Katy Stransky, all grown up ! I used to run around with her sister, Mary Pat, and here she is, the squirt ... in charge of my True Love's rehab from a brain injury. And doing a fine job indeed ... what a Sweet Heart.
Here around the farm it's chaos ... I'm getting farther and farther behind but really have no deadlines, other than making room for the plants to come in at the end of the month. Allison arrives Monday, thank God. I hope to enlist her in helping to get us more settled from the remodeling project, hanging artwork, and finishing touch stuff. The weather is gorgeous ... I'm planning some nights around the fire pit, wrapped in blankets ... and some star gazing ... RB will love that.
Mom is still here, she's still soooo weak. I am feeding her Gerber's at this point and while she loves the diced apples ... the strained chicken noodle soup has me on her shit list. She is screaming for fresh tomatoes from the garden and new potato patties. What's a farm wife to do ?
Monday she leaves for Pierre, SD with my brother Randy, to rest and recoup there for a couple of weeks. Thank God the fish aren't biting ...
It's been busy here on the prairie since we returned home from the hospital last Wednesday. Our remodeling project is finished, except for the screened porch on the west side. It's cooled off to morning temps of low 50's and day temps of low 70's. It's a beautiful time of year here ... Indian Summer. The porch will be finished in another week so we have many sunsets left to enjoy there. In addition to my Nurse Ratched duties, I am busy getting us settled back in the house, and handling the harvest. We have tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, squash, potatoes, corn and the watermelon is on the way. Yummmm !
Mom was released from the hospital yesterday morning and came here. She's doing well and just having her near is a big help. I will be free to spend time in the gardens or go to town if I need to, without having to worry about my Punk.
We saw our Orthopedic Specialist this afternoon and his arm is healing fine. The broken ribs take so much longer and another couple of months will need to pass before they aren't so painful. I can see him improving every day. He is much more steady but I don't get too far away. Three weeks in a hospital bed has taken it's toll on him. I feel that's 80% of his rehab objective, and the other 20% is from the brain's right side injury. A blessing, indeed.
So things are finally settling down. Although it's quite overwhelming at times, we are both feeling much more settled and confident in our future. Physical therapy starts on Friday and the schedule is quite rigorous, but things can only improve from here. And the Lortab prescription has been a huge help !!!
That's what I call Ron sometimes ... when he's being a punk, a little shit, a naughty boy. His mother, Mimi, gave him that nickname and used it as short for Pumpkin. The fact of the matter is that I have a husband on my hands that doesn't want to do much of what he's supposed to do, and is attempting to do exactly as he wants to do. Like getting up from his black leather hot shot recliner and walking across the room, without steadying himself a bit. Because that's the way he did it before the accident.
When we first arrived home he was much weaker on his feet than he is today. I am seeing so much improvement that I feel he will recover quickly. But quickly in my mind and quickly in his mind are two totally different things. He has it in his head that he will be himself in 6 - 8 weeks from the accident. That will be in 2 - 4 weeks. My sensible self says 6 - 8 months. So we aren't dueling about it ... I'm patiently taking one minute, one hour, one day at a time. And he's making that very difficult.
Right now I am trying to time it so that I can get groceries and pet food before noon. He's just had his pain medication and is sound asleep ... but I can't leave. Because if he wakes up in one of his "things are just like they were before" moods he will be up and out of that recliner in a flash. And we can't afford another fall ... if you get my drift. So I'm going to track down a Punk Sitter and run my errands.
Send me patience. I need a double dose today ... but there is still a lot of love coming at you from the Prairie ...
Ron and I returned home yesterday evening. He's in his recliner having coffee with me. It's the little things ... and it's great to be home. He asked that I try to get him in to see his GP, Dr. Larson, as soon as possible. We have an appointment after lunch.
I have set the wheels in motion with Prairie Lakes Hospital here in Watertown, to get the Out Patient Rehab started next week.
Your love and friendship mean the world to us !!!
X's and O's from the Prairie,
ljk
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Ron is at Physical Therapy and I am waiting for Dr. Wellman, his Surgeon. The Hospitalist, Dr. Thakkar, feels that Ron will be fine at home and that it's the best place for him at this point. He's doing that well ! There are options for Rehab in Watertown that I am now aware of and comfortable with. I am feeling good about this plan, as long as it's OK with Dr. Wellman.
This is his 4th excellent day, a direct result of having had the fluid taken off of his brain over the weekend. He is so much stronger on his left side. He's a bit unsteady but that is primarily from lying in bed for 3 weeks. His right eye is still an issue but our Doctor here has advised us to give it two more months. The spots he sees are tiny clots that will eventually dissipate.
When I write again, I'd like to believe that it's going to be from home. So I am going to. Love from the Prairie. xoxo.
OH MY GOD !!! On his hospital bedside table, Ron has the Molly Bolt drain that was in his upper forehead. When I used the word "port" yesterday I was trying to be gentle.
Having it removed, I heard him scream the Bee Jesus out of himself. No surgery. No anesthetic. Just ...
Laurie: "Hey, Dr. Asfora, How's it going"?
Dr. Asfora: "Great! I just did a 6 hour surgery".
Ron ... Concerned: "When can I get this thing out of my head"?
Laurie: "Yes ... He looks like the Tin Man".
Dr. Asfora: "How about now"? Screw to the left, screw to the left, screw to the left ... Yank!
Ron ... Whipped: "If I only had a brain".
Laurie: "You do ... and a heart too ... Thank God they found them".
Ron ... singing: "And Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man ... doo doo .. that he didn't, didn't already have ... doo doo".
He's having his second best day. His strength has returned and his personality continues to emerge. He will have PT tomorrow and we will take it from there. God IS good.
This photo of a Loon actually has live, moving rain coming down over the trees inside of it. It's a Sally McKay piece from I Heart Photograph. Thank you, Pod, for the link ... and thank you, Sally. Politeness works, hopefully, in the Copyright world. 
