Home Sweet Home

 Jack came home from the hospital yesterday! He's about 30 lbs lighter and his energy level is not what he would like it to be but being home is the best medicine and we will forge ahead as he recovers his health. He is happy to sit again with Arnie and enjoy the comfort of the big brown recliner and cozy blanket!  I knew that "not so pretty" chair would eventually be welcomed!  I'm very happy not to make the long drive back and forth to University Hospital in Cleveland. We are extremely grateful for the care we received there. It's a ginormous place, unlike our University satellite hospital here in Ashland.  I had heard some not so nice reviews from others who had gone there but for us it was good.  A life saver.  From the life flight to discharge we can say we have been blessed with good technology and hard working healthcare professionals.  Especially as they struggle with the Covid crisis.  So for today all is good! Thank you all for the good thoughts and prayers and sweet comments here at the Pines.  We do have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend. 

Home Sweet Home

The Struggle Is Real

 I thought an update on Jack was due. I've been spending my days at University Hospital in Cleveland and hoping each day would be the discharge to home day.  Jack is doing well in many aspects of his recovery but is struggling with nausea and vomiting.  Not sure what's going on. At first everyone thought it was the usual after a major surgery ileus that would pass with moving around and such.  Not happening.  Finally they did an x-ray of his abdomen that showed nothing unusual. Yesterday another x-ray and then a late night CT scan.  We don't have the results yet and so he's still not able to eat or drink except for sips of water. On pins and needles until the results. On one hand we want nothing to be on the CT and on the other hand we're baffled if nothing shows on the CT!  Certainly not a win-win. We are very, very appreciative of the well wishes, tons of prayers, super duper help from my boys to take care of Arnie who is missing his one good source of forbidden snacks.  He's always afraid he's starving! The Vet will be happy with his weight loss however! So the struggle today is real as it is in so many people's lives this year.  I've uttered the words: "Jesus take the wheel" on a few occasions and I know He has been with us on this journey.  I guess I have to let Him be the driver!  As we approach a Thanksgiving like no other, sharing gratitude on social media to flood out the negative has been an invitation from our Church President, Russell M. Nelson.  A 7 day challenge to write something you're grateful for each day. Even in the middle of our trials there are so many things to be grateful for. Top of my list is Family..love all of you!  Friends...so many wonderful people I count as chosen family! That includes my blog buddies who have been so supportive and a source of fun and information and proof that the world is truly full of good people just trying to do their best each day.  Of course my Faith is at the top also...don't know what I would do without my belief in Jesus Christ as my Savior. He steadies me and His grace and mercy are overwhelming.  So that's my thoughts today. I hope everyone is staying safe and being grateful and I hope comforted where needed in trials.  

The sunset from Jack's room.

The Unexpected

 This year just keeps throwing up on us. Yesterday my sweet hubby was life flighted to University hospital in Cleveland.  He'd been feeling ill since Saturday and thought it was just a stomach bug. He put up with it until Wednesday night and the pain was too much. Vomiting too.  A CT scan showed blood clots had cut off blood  to the small bowel.  After emergency surgery to see how bad it was, they were thankfully able to remove the dead bowel, put it back together and send him to ICU.   He will have another surgery tomorrow because they left his abdomen open (covered by a wound vac) so they will take another look and make sure it all looks good and hopefully close him up. We are hoping to get out of the hospital next week. Maybe Wednesday if all's well. He's very lucky but not out of the woods yet. Prayers for him are appreciated.  

Thank You Veterans!

 Heroes are celebrated today. I know many veterans who don't think of themselves as heroes...especially if they haven't served in a war.  However, serving in the military is saying that if a war happens you'll be there.  You never know what will happen in life and going through the training that's required makes you able to do that. Taking an oath to defend this wonderful country is being a hero.  I salute all of you! My Dad served in WWII and my brothers in Vietnam.  They are my super heroes and I love you guys!  I was trying to think of a different post than any previous Veteran's Day posts so I found this letter from my Dad to my Mom while he was serving during WWII. It's dated February 12, 1945.  He was in Germany. He drove a Sherman Tank. He was in the US Third Armored Division.  (Yep, that's Dad with the X!)

So I'm going to share this today for my family and my blog journal.  

Dear Mary,

I passed up my chance to write yesterday but I am trying to make up for it tonight. Mail has been pretty scarce here of late but I suppose I can't complain as I do not write very much myself. At times you would be surprised what a change in mood a letter can make...or would you?  I don't know why it is, but here lately I have been thinking and wondering more and more about you and I and what we are going to do after this war is all washed up. In magazines I manage to pick up here and there, I read all about the wonderful things they have planned for us after the war.  How changed things will be.  But do we want them changed?  I am sort of tired of the pattern people have fashioned my life to.  Why can't we have our own design?  I have come to realize that the most wonderful part of life is in making your own decisions and then living them without regrets. Anyway, I've been wondering a lot about other things too.  After sweating this one out I've been wondering if it's Occupation, China, or somewhere in the Pacific..or home. I'd like to go home naturally, but there's a time element.  I wonder if I've been here long enough.  I know I've been in the Army long enough! Three years now.  It doesn't seem that long does it?  Well, I guess I'll have to go now.  I've got a little job to do tonight so until next time..Love as always, Carl

Thanks to all who gave their all when we needed heroes!  

A Bit "Cheesy"

 Hello November...my quiet month.  I've stated on my blog over the past 12 years that I consider November the quiet month.  Of course when it's an election year it's not so quiet. I will be glad to not hear the ads on TV and the phone calls. Usually I consider it the calm before the storm of December but Covid 19 will make December a bit less social this year.  No school Christmas concerts or Church Christmas pageants or socials.  No caroling perhaps?  Not sure how this will go down but for now I'll just enjoy the month of November.  I'll plan for Thanksgiving. I think we're still allowed to be thankful. I'm sure we will have the family over.  Jordan is moving away to California for his job but not sure exactly when. I do hope he can be here for Thanksgiving for a little farewell from us and his siblings. We will miss him for sure. I already have the turkey in the freezer. I have the same menu every year..it's tradition after all...so that will be easy to plan. We're having a little Indian Summer (wait, is that not a PC phrase? I apologize if I err)  I just mean we're going from pretty chilly to a high of 70 by the weekend.  Sunday I was thinking to myself that we made it through the month of October with no snow.  I swear it wasn't even 5 minutes when I looked outside and it was snowing!

I couldn't get a great shot of the white stuff but I think you can see it on the pine tree here. Keeping my thoughts to myself didn't keep it from happening!

Here's a better example. It didn't cover the ground and no snow blower was needed but it was the "S" word anyway. Yesterday and today the sun was out and all's good! So why did I call this post "Cheesy"? It wasn't because I went and bought or ate cheese. I just did a few things that seemed cheesy to me. 

I went to the Dollar store and bought a cheesy little centerpiece for the kitchen table. I love that store when I need just something inexpensive.  I didn't stop at cheesy centerpieces..

I found this little paint set for Thanksgiving. I needed something for this shelf and I do enjoy painting these little $1 cuties.  I did one for Halloween so I thought I should do one for turkey day. What's even more cheesy is it will be on display in the downstairs powder room.  Have a seat and enjoy I guess!  Then I found a Thanksgiving card that I couldn't resist buying for a special someone.  Not saying who it's going to...that would be cheesy!

How could I not buy this? It makes me laugh every time I read it!  My final thought and pic is dedicated to Arnie.  I took him to the groomer today.  It's the first time since his surgery and they took good care of him.  However, they were suppose to text me when he was done.  I left him there at 3 but by 5:45 I still  hadn't heard from them.  I called but they were closed! I left a message and then hopped in the car and headed over to the Barker Shop. On the way there they called me back. Whew, they were still there and said they had texted me at 4:30.  Nope, no text on my end.  Arnie was in the kennel and when he saw me he barked his head off!  He was probably getting "hangry" by then! He doesn't like to miss his kibble and the time change already has him starving by 4pm!  Then I noticed he was groomed a little different...they cut his ears super short. 

He wasn't even going to look at me.  Sorry Arnie!  I know it's him and not an imposter.  He knew exactly the moment we drove into to driveway!

Here's how his ears usually look.  We often joke that he's not the same dog we brought home from the rescue place....

This is the first pic I took of him the day we brought him home...

His first grooming...he used to be brown and white..

I'm not sure if this qualifies as cheesy but it does qualify as "What happened to the real Arnie?"  I report, you decide!