Freedom! And 45 Years.

I am finally off my blood pressure medication!  It took two months, but it was very much worth it.  I've increased my walking distance to 1 3/4 miles, my lungs are so very much happier, the pounding in my heart has pretty much gone away, and the tinnitus is lessening.  When I first started walking I couldn't walk a block without wheezing and struggling for air.  Now I can buzz out almost a mile each way!  I cough a little, but I haven't had to stop to catch my breath is many weeks.  I am so grateful to the folks at Gesundheit, my favorite wellness store; my acupuncturist; and my God for getting me through this!  Bonus is, I'm really starting to trim up-no pounds lost yet, but my jeans are baggy-a definite sign.  I expect if I keep up the walking one morning I'll wake up to a stunning weight loss.

I have so much more energy.  I didn't think I was depressed or tired on the Bystolic, but as the dose was decreased, my desire to do things and my stamina improved.  Talking to my son tonight he thought it might have been a very mild depression.  Funny how you don't realize things until you're looking back at them!

My walking companions.  If they think it's time for a walk, they follow me around the house alternating staring at me, sniffing my feet to see if I have the right shoes on, and going to the garage door to hopefully get me to go out and get the leashes.  They are addicted to it.  I'm getting to the point where I get the itch to go out too-the only way one can continue an exercise program is to really enjoy it.

The other good thing about today is that it's our 45th anniversary.  I can't believe that many years have passed-I don't feel any different than I did back then, other than hopefully being a little wiser!  We went to a barbecue place for supper, then tomorrow we'll go to a steakhouse and a movie.  We're hoping to see "The Butler."

Ma and Pa in Mazatlan a couple years ago.

Eventually....

Eventually I'll get back to writing about our trip, but we've been tied up with Gramma this week.  We spent the night with her last night, and another sister-in-law will be there all this week.  Then after that we'll have to figure out who can stay for the next go-round.

She doesn't sleep much, and rambles on and on about things from 20 or more years ago.  She doesn't remember me.  She said, "I love you!"  "I don't know who you are, but I love you anyway!"  She called for my father-in-law, gone for twenty years, and today she told me she was fishing and caught a whole bunch of fish.  Later she told my sister-in-law that we had to do something with the fish in the garage so they wouldn't spoil.  A friend who has done a lot of care alongside Hospice told me this is all very typical.  It's kind of like she's rewinding her life.

She loves it when I read Scripture to her.  Her favorite verse is John 3:16-"For God so loved the world that He gave his only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  She's got one foot in heaven and is waiting to get the rest of herself there soon.  One time during the night, I was sitting by her bed and she asked me who those people were behind me.  Dreams?  Hallucinations?  Angels, waiting for the signal to take her home?

This really is a privilege to sit with her while she makes the transition.  Just think, she gets to see Heaven soon!

Henry van Dyk, an inspirational poet from the late 1800's wrote this.  This is what it feels like watching her make the journey:

A Parable of Immortality
by Henry van Dyke

I am standing by the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength,
and I stand and watch
until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud
just where the sun and sky come down to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says, 'There she goes!'
Gone where? Gone from my sight - that is all.

She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the places of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says,
'There she goes!',
there are other eyes watching her coming,
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:
'Here she comes!'

Seven Without You

Mom, this is the seventh Mother's Day I've had to celebrate without you.

My kids were awesome and cooked me a gourmet dinner last night and cleaned my kitchen afterward while I played with the grandkids. Today we got together with Stan's siblings and had a beautiful dinner with his mom.

But there's still a part missing.


Hope you're smiling down from Heaven.

41 Years!

A very young bride and a nervous groom.

41 years ago today we said, "I do." Life sure has a funny way of racing past. I can't believe we're at this point in our lives. Stan is retired and we are known in our church as "senior citizens." Not so! It can't be!

A few snippets of us through the years.

Our six grandkids-they make life worthwhile!

Yep, I'd do it again in a heartbeat-hope he feels the same way. Love ya sweetie!

Us today-not too worn by the years.