Heartfelt Moments

No surprise talk around the proverbial water cooler today centered around the horrific turn of events at the Monday Night Football game last night. I had just finished blogging and went out to the livingroom when hubby explained why the game was suspended.

The Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (No. 3) collapsed after a tackle and had to be revived on the field via CPR. That part is scary enough. But then learning he's only 24 – the same age as our baby – made it really tough to take. Then to later learn it was due to cardiac arrest was unreal. He's so young!

As if sensing my despair and worry, our 24-year-old called me tonight just to check in. He updated me on the wedding he stood up in this weekend – he cleans up pretty good – and how Christmas went down in Alabama at his girlfriend's dad's. 

And we talked about Damar, too.

I reminded him that the timing was uncanny because I was just talking about how a year ago today, my niece's husband went into ER for a ruptured aorta and was in surgery for 15+ hours, then sedated for what seemed like endless days. While that was happening, we were also fervently praying for our brother-in-law Paul to recover from his latest heart issues. 

I can totally relate to the family and friends and fans praying for No. 3. The unknown is scary. The possible outcomes can be even scarier.

In our family's case, Paul didn't make it, but my niece's husband did recover in time for them to welcome their second son in the summer. Such a blessing!

We don't know the outcome for this young ball player but it certainly was a needed reminder that there are things far more important than sports. And that life can change on a dime.

Live it to its fullest – today and every day.

Be careful out there. And hug your loved ones!

Patience is a Major Virtue

Interesting phrase I saw today. A good reminder (if I'd listen) for being patient when it comes to God answering our prayers. 

It was another day of praying for some loved ones who can't seem to catch a break. We're impatient. We want more than survival. We want to see improvement. And of course we want that now.

But we'll wait. And patience to our prayer list!

In the mean time, I just distract myself with taking pictures. Went to a dance recital today that a handful of friends' daughters were in. It was a great distraction. From the littles on up to high schoolers, they were all so talented. It was fun to watch – even without my favorite dancer who aged out/graduated last year!  

Managed to get a few decent photos but lighting is a nightmare. It's dark and then there are so many colors of spotlights. Every picture looks like it could have been taken in a different place. Oh well, that's just me being picky. It was good to get out of the house and see some friends.

Now it's back to watching golf – and football – and I guess trying to uncover some virtues. #patience

Heart-Felt Blessings

Our alphabetical gratitude month continues today with the letter H which stands for blessings of the Heart.

A = Autumn, Austins, Assumption
B = Ballots, Books, Book Club, Bible
C = Casey, Clay, Carter, Church, Creativity, Camera
D = Dad, Daughters, Deck Chair, Dar, Design
E = Eggs, Election, Energy, Empty Nest
F = Family, Friends, Faith, Flu Shot, FastForward
G = Games, Golf, Guilty pleasures

Hugs: I didn't realize until the coronavirus took over the world how much I take human touch for granted. I miss hugs! Social distancing is not for huggers! I miss giving and receiving a heart-felt embrace that can deliver everything from comfort to love to strength. Hugs are just plain magical. Too bad they can't double as our vaccine.

Hurricanes: OK, I'm cheating. I am grateful we do NOT get hurricanes in central Wisconsin. Today though...

More than 2 1/4 inches of rain. And it was still raining. I just had to take the picture before it got dark. So yeah, I'm grateful it's not accompanied by gale-force winds or, in a lot normal November instances, ice or snow. We don't board up our windows around here. Sometimes we use a hair dryer to add plastic wrap in the winter. But that's about it.

Humor: Holy cow. Where would we be without humor? I get my sarcasm-poking fun humor from my dad and my clever with a side of pun humor from my mom. Of course, growing up we don't think anything our parents do is funny or remotely entertaining. Now, though, I am so blessed they passed it on! I'm hilarious! Ha. I obviously passed on the helping of humble pie.

Hope: Today I'm most grateful that despite the poop show that is 2020, I still have hope. If I can say that on Post-Washington Trip :: Day 250, then anyone can! Even in this climate of negativity and unrest, I still witness random acts of kindness. And it gives me hope that humans will act with more humanity. We can do this. If you don't see kindness, be kindness.

If all else fails, HUG it out! Hug it out.

#gratitudemonth #gratitudealphabet

On The Mend

If there's one thing I've learned after attending two funerals in two days,  there's no quick way to mend a broken heart.

Yesterday, in my uncle's case, there was no spouse left to mourn – only his daughter and her family, plus the friends and relatives. Today, it was a dear friend's father, who leaves a wife of just shy of 60 years, 3 daughters and their families.

Whether you were close to the person who died or just really close to a family member, you feel the pain. You feel like your heart is breaking just a bit, too, and leaking out some tears.

Yesterday I cried hearing some beautiful songs, nice tributes to my Uncle Allan and a slide show that included photos of my Aunt Betty, who I miss dearly and loved to pieces! Today, I couldn't hold back the tears as I read messages "to grandpa" from my friend Luann's kids and their cousins. I know these kids. I know their heartbreak. So incredibly sad to read about their joy of having a short lifetime with Grandpa and their sorrow at never getting another day with him again.

After the service, when I saw my friend's father-in-law, who I am quite close to, I gave him a big hug and said, "Love you, Dad!" I call him that since, well, sometimes friends are family. I said, "Please stay around for awhile." Then he looked around in the church and I clarified, "Not here, but around for many, many years. I can't lose you yet!"

Uff da.

I guess the risk of loving people is that they may break your heart some day. But God has put so many special people in my life, how could I not take that risk and love them?

The good thing is that I can share with others that He does provide some healing powers. We can't completely mend our broken hearts, but the pain does lessen enough we eventually can smile more than cry at the memories.

My prayers and hugs go out to all who are suffering from a broken heart right now. Hang in there.

Grateful Hearts

At 5 p.m. Friday we loaded up the CRV and headed west toward Minnesota. Initially we had planned to do this, staying somewhere north of the Twin Cities to be closer to my sister RoAnn's who was hosting Hedberg Christmas today. My brother-in-law Steve altered those plans a bit.

Since he was in the heart wing at Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis, we drove as far as Hudson last night, stayed there (had no time to blog) and drove the half hour to visit him this morning.

He was actually walking in the hallway when we got there and in very good spirits. Still, his harrowing tale of the journey from heart attack to today was sad, emotional, eye-opening and encouraging.

By the time our visit was done, though, a nurse was disconnecting him from his wires so he could shower. Isn't it crazy amazing how far a person can come in 48 hours?

We headed up the Pine City, where my sister RoAnn and her family were hosting. We had just started our meal when Steve, Raylene and their daughter Ashley walked in. Who would have thought that would be possible? As you can see from the photo, he looked good, though, and Raylene was thrilled to have him back in the land of the living.

Of course, no family gathering is complete without food (very good), our annual program (well done and entertaining), games and random family photos.

Had to get a picture of Mom and her youngest grandchild. 

And, of course, the three of us. Yes, he does have some sort of beard thing going.

We hit the road before 6 p.m. and managed to get home in time for the end of the Badger championship game. Dang. That was not worth staying up for.

After this busy and stressful week, I'm going to follow my great-nephew Trey's example and relax, take a snooze and not set my alarm for anything.

Just grateful to have us all together again!

Heart Strings

Contrary to what you might think, my biggest concerns about what's happening in Minnesota right now have nothing to do with the Vikings.

However, they have everything to do with a family member in the Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

It was quite the roller coaster day for my twin sister, her family and our entire family. In a nutshell, her husband had a heart attack, was airlifted from Up North to the Twin Cities, had some stents put in and later in the afternoon had more work done to clear the hallways of his arteries.

Such a trying day for all. A good lesson of how life can change in an instant. But an even bigger reminder about the power of love and prayer. Though some of the family could support her family in person, most of us were sending virtual hugs and a whole lot of prayers.

No matter the distance, we are always connected with heart strings.

If you are the praying type, please send thoughts upward for a trouble-free, pain-free recovery for Steve and strength and patience for the entire family. Thanks be to God he is here for another day.

Now go hug your loved ones. And live.

Steady Decline

Somebody needs to send Old Man Winter a message reminding him that just because gas prices drop, doesn't mean temperatures have to as well.

Don't mind cheaper gas, but when I am the only one to crawl out of their warm bed to attend 5:40 a.m. kickboxing class, I really mind the subzero air. Of course, my instructor (aka drill sergeant) made sure I warmed up quickly! No worries there. Can break a sweat in all four seasons.

Unfortunately, pump prices and the mercury are not the only things declining these days.

It's been a prayerful week for my family. Remember I told you Sunday I received troubling health news? Well my brother-in-law Paul down in Texas has been in ICU ever since. To start with, his blood pressure was low, his kidneys were failing and he was dehydrated. The kidney function is getting back to normal but at the same time, they diagnosed walking pneumonia, they found a bleeding ulcer in his stomach and doctors believe he may have had a heart attack during all of this. That would make the third heart attack in the last 20 years. I sure hope Paul is part cat so he has several more lives left!

Needless to say, we have been praying quite a bit for healing, comfort from pain and guidance for the doctors. My sister Rayna also has been recovering from a cough and cold so they are hoping she doesn't have/won't get pneumonia, too.

Uff da. There is nothing in my life that justifies any complaints or whining compared to that. How about you?

Hopefully this gives you something to be thankful for and, more importantly, gives you another reason to pray tonight. All warm thoughts are welcomed and appreciated.

It Happened

A classmate from high school lost her dad this weekend and she shared this quote in his obituary. I love it. Of course I had to go ruin the solemn moment by trying find which book he used this line in and, come to find out, he never said it. It was just falsely attributed to him and never corrected. And that's how a former reporter messes with sentiment.

I still like the quote, though. No matter who said it.

It's a good reminder that even though it's tough to move on sometimes, we have to be grateful we had what we had in that moment of time. Would we do it all over again despite the pain of sorrow? Yes, because it happened – and it was good.

In a sad twist of irony this week, both Jim and I have friends who are hurting and grieving. Three of our former classmates (high school and college) lost fathers this week, Jim lost a longtime friend quite unexpectedly last week, and a counselor at school, who Jim has known an especially long time, lost his wife on Sunday.

The last two are the saddest situations. Yes, it's tough to lose a parent, but we are at that certain age where we know it could happen at any time. We are more prepared.

In the case of Jim's friend Tom. He was the picture of health and was going to be 60 this month. He died of a heart attack while snow shoeing with his wife and two grown children. Imagine the shock! Tom was very, very involved in the whole Wisconsin Rapids community so a lot of people will feel that loss.

As for the guidance counselor and his wife, their story is an amazing one. Brian was an incredible athlete in high school but a football injury paralyzed him in college. Wheelchair bound, he married Bev, a nurse, and they have had an amazing 45+ years of marriage. She was Brian's main caregiver so this is going to be a tremendous challenge now for him and the family once they get over the shock of her heart attack and death.


So sad. Just doesn't seem right that after spending the holidays celebrating with loved ones, those left behind will not look at this time of year ever the same again. We think of the new year as a time for new life, new beginnings, not death or the end.

Hopefully our friends who are crying now will be able to smile at some point because they had those special people in their lives for as long as they did.

I will always miss the ones who were taken too soon (in my opinion), but will rejoice in our time together and be grateful "it happened." Thanks, God, for blessing us all.

Over the Hump

Much like the infamous Hump Day camel, Wednesdays can have their fair share of ups and downs.

On the up side, I got to spend my lunch hour with my Hair Artist. Way more fun than running.

On the down side, a dear family friend (and Carter's confirmation mentor) had a heart attack and quadruple bypass.

On the up side, it looks like he'll recover!

On the down side, a friend from church just lost her special man friend to cancer today -- the same way she lost her husband years ago. How tragic!

On the up side, hubby got to "work" at the golf course today! Well, it was an outing for one of the associations that support his magazines.

On the down side, I wasn't with him.

On the up side, Carter and I enjoyed a free community picnic at Lake Wazeecha tonight, hosted by our local Community Foundation. At least a thousand people there and we saw plenty we knew. And enjoyed a good meal AND a Dilly Bar.

On the down side, I didn't get many steps today so I'll have to take a quick walk around the neighborhood now while I can still see any skunks out and about!

On the up side, Carter has a friend over for the night and they put up the tent in the back yard all by themselves. They are going to have a "Burn Fest" in the fire pit next -- burning their school papers from last year! (At least he is de-cluttering.)

Hope your Hump Day had more ups than downs!

Now for the Hard Part

I was able to take advantage of a few more hours with Dad and family today. He slept OK through the night but had some pain medication this morning that made him pretty sleepy. So despite the fact he had more than a dozen visitors throughout the day, there wasn't a lot of quality conversation going on.

His brother Hartley and sister-in-law Alice stopped by today, fresh from their wintering in Florida. Dad obviously has lost his Texas tan. The contrast with his young brother made him seem even older!

Yesterday, among the multitudes, Dad was visited by his two great-grandsons in Minnesota. Today he got to Skype with his two great-grandsons in South Dakota. Amazing what modern technology can do these days!

His other visitors today included 5 of his daughters, 3 grown grandsons and my "twin" for the day, my nephew Travis, who races four-wheelers in Minnesota. I'm his #1 fan! (And wow, decidedly shorter than him!)

My departure plan was to hit the road at 2 p.m. so I could get home while it was still light out. I am glad I stuck to that because it forced me to do what I had to do.

What I have learned in my semi-state of denial here is that if I don't type something "out loud" or say it out loud, it's not true yet (in my mind) and I don't have to deal with it. It takes courage. I don't always have enough. But sometimes you just go with what you got and move forward.

So I am typing the hard part first... The reason I went up there to say goodbye is because after Dad had a heart attack Friday, the doctor said he's got 1-2 weeks to live. There it is in black and white.

His heart is too weak to last long. At this point, it's more dangerous to try to do anything for him than to let him ride it out. For as long as he can. Maybe he'll surprise us all and be here in 6 months. But that would be a miracle. And while I believe in them, I am trying to be realistic here. So his time is running out. Hard to say that/type that because, well, now I am admitting it's true.

I wish it wasn't, but it is.

Now for the speaking part. Way harder. Saying "goodbye" out loud was heart wrenching. The writer in me can't even think of an adjective strong enough to describe my despair.

I said goodbye to all my other family members there first because I knew, after my final words with Dad, I would need to walk straight out of there and not look back. When it came to Dad, we had a few words, a lot of I love yous and a really long, hard hug with me bawling loudly in his ear while he patted my back and tried to comfort me. I cried telling him I wasn't ready to let him go. To say goodbye. But when I was done. I stared him in his teeny little Hedberg eyes in order to memorize his face, kissed him and let go of his hands.

Then let him go.

I was pretty distraught for the first hour of the drive home but managed to bring it under control and concentrate on driving so I wouldn't put anyone on the road in danger.

I felt at peace, though, about what had to be said "out loud" and what I had to do. My heart may be in pieces, but it is at peace.

I hope Dad's is, too. He is surrounded by so much love, it has to be.

The Things We Do for Love

I can't claim to know all of my dad's dying wishes, but I am pretty sure I fulfilled one of them today. Mind you, this was today. For one day only. I swear.

I think he appreciated the effort, don't you? At least I got him to smile! And no, I did not buy a Green and Gold wardrobe. I had some help from a neighbor in the hat and jersey department, but I didn't trust myself treating the jersey appropriately, so I bought a $5 t-shirt on clearance and auctioned it off for charity later. (Or just gave it to a sister.)

For the record, I kept my Viking socks on all day. There will be no repeat of this. I'm pretty sure I will need antibiotics for this rash!

I was not the only visitor today by any means. My aunt and uncle from Minnesota were there. Here is Dad with his brother Ray.

All of us siblings within driving distance made it today, too. Here my twin and I show some love. We seem happy, but I tell you, that was not really an accurate assessment of the atmosphere. It was such a hard day that, just ask my hubby, I was procrastinating leaving the house this morning because I wasn't ready to face what was to come.

I decided to drive myself because my guys had quality time with Dad last weekend and I wasn't even sure where I was going to lay my head tonight. (But it would be easier to find free family accommodations for one.)

So my strategy was to concentrate on driving, bellow out '80s tunes on the radio and not think about the conversation awaiting me at the other end of the four-hour highway.

I had requested or "reserved" my 30-minute slot of time with Dad, and my siblings graciously obliged. I pulled up a chair next to his wheelchair -- he didn't have the strength to use his walker today -- and we held hands and I stared at his oxygen tube in his nose and looked at his nearly translucent skin and tried to find courage for words.

They didn't come easy. "I'm sad, Dad." He said he couldn't blame me. "But I'm on my last legs and my legs aren't doing anything any more."

He was so tired and had such a hard time staying awake that we really didn't have a conversation, so to speak, just some close, private time with some talking and some tears -- from both of us. While he napped, he squeezed my hands tight and the tears rolled unchecked down my cheeks and onto that darn Packer shirt. At one point, when Dad opened his eyes, he saw me crying and woke up enough to reach across the table and grab a box of Kleenex for me.

But he did not let go of my hand.

Just as I am not ready to let go of him. Period.

But it's not about me and what I am ready for. All I can do right now is count my blessings and thank God that -- unlike a lot of people -- I had this chance to express my love, my gratitude and say goodbye. How lucky we are!

When I kissed him goodnight before leaving the nursing home and heading over to my twin's to sleep, he asked me, "Will I see you tomorrow?" I answered, "I'll be here if you will."

One can only hope.

Home for the Holidays

Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays

'Cause no matter how far away you roam

If you want to be happy in a million ways

For the holidays you can't beat home, sweet home

I guess the folks at the heart hospital have had enough of my dad. They kicked him out today and sent him on his merry way. That's great news. Now he will be home for the holidays!

It felt good to be home for some holiday-ing here today, too. I finally got some more decorations up -- inside and out. With the frigid temps, I got the garland and red bows placed on the front deck in record time. And the rest of the day seemed to fly by just as fast.

Hubby and I took a field trip to Wal-Mart to pick up some groceries and check some more gifts off our list. I bought some ingredients for some Christmas treats for friends that unfortunately can only be described in two words: epic fail.

Seriously.

I was excited I found a tube of black decorating gel at Michaels yesterday so I could do those "I'm Melting!" snowmen again without having to cut up all those licorice arms and hands. Well the black gel did not end up being a "fine point" line so it looks like some big Black Widow spider is attacking the snowmen. Those will not be served as anyone's treats. So we'll get stuck eating the rejects.

I decided to fall back on one of Carter's favorites -- "pretzel doughnuts." That's what he's called them since he was 3. It is just round pretzels (you can only find at Christmas time) dipped in white almond bark and decorated with red and green sugar or sprinkles. We make a ton every year. Today something was not working right. I don't know if it was a bad package of bark or what, but they were not turning out at all. Just plain globby. So I still decorated them anyway and put them in a container. But those will not be served as anyone's treats either. So we'll get stuck eating those rejects, too.

I'm starting to see a pattern here.

Honestly, at least supper turned out. But I think the guys felt bad for me. They let me have the couch for 2 hours so I could watch a Christmas movie on Hallmark.

There's definitely no place like home for the holidays. Where the tree is pretty. The treats are ugly but tasty. And there's always a sappy, happy ending.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

I really can't stay Baby, it's cold outside

I've got to go away Baby, it's cold out there...

As Luck would have it, I was even further Up North for the coldest night of the winter (so far). I suspect it got below zero because at 9 a.m. my mom told me it was one degree out. One stinkin' degree.

My parents do not have a garage so I was amazed the CRV started on the first try. Yay. While that was warming up/defrosting, I helped my mom gather clothes and other important items (like a winter jacket) for my dad. We had high hopes he would come home today.

One of my sisters was picking Mom up to take her down to the Cities and would bring Dad back home later if that worked out. So I hit the road to Rapids. I had a few stops to make in Eau Claire plus a pitstop at the DQ in Osseo for a Candy Cane Blizzard. Baby, it might be cold outside, but it's never too cold for ice cream for this girl!

Got home before 3 p.m. so I just beat Carter home from school. Learned shortly after that that Dad would be staying one more night at the hospital. Apparently, the kidney issue worked itself out but they wanted to keep an eye on him one more night to make sure everything inside is operating smoothly. Good call.

I wanted some normalcy to my routine by that point, so we all went to a JV hoops game at Lincoln High School, where Jim's god daughter Becca played. She scored a few points, the team won, plus we had a nice visit with his aunt and uncle. After that, we went over to the Assumption boys varsity game. They had a nice win, too!

Now I am waiting for my blanket to warm up and am ready to fall asleep at the keyboard. Nothing like a few emotionally packed days to make you feel like you've been gone a week! But, as promised, here are a few pictures...
Here is our "Christmas Miracle"! On Wednesday, Dad looked like he was 100 years old. On Thursday, when I took this, he looked more like 90. Hopefully today he was back to his youthful 80-something self!

Here's Mom in her day as "Robyn." I told she as stylin'. Now I know what to get her for Christmas! Those sweatpants are awesome, especially when it's this cold outside.

And baby, it really, really is cold outside!

Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high... Sweetly singing o'er the plains...

Do you believe in angels? I do. Sometimes we wonder if God is too busy. But I've realized on more than one occasion that if He is, He sends His angels to do His work and, well, they get the glory.

The more I hear about what transpired yesterday, the more I believe angels were definitely watching over Dad... sweetly singing over the "planes" and helicopters. The doctor reiterated to us again today that Dad got here to the hospital "just in the nick of time." Possibly St. Nick of time. He is our Christmas miracle after all. It was seriously life-threatening and that's scary.

It was such a relief that the first sight we saw when we got here this morning was Dad sitting up in a chair on his own and eating breakfast. Eventually they moved him out of ICU and got him into a "regular" room late this afternoon. As far as his heart goes, things are looking good.

Of course, as things tend to go, there are new concerns for the doctors. They aren't sure his kidneys are functioning properly. That could delay his release by a day or two. We'll see. He's in a top-notch facility and they know what they are doing. Last I saw, he was eating his supper and watching some local news about the latest Vikings stadium proposal. Poor Dad!

I'm about to hit the road to non-Internet territory. I'm taking Mom home and will stay at Mom and Dad's tonight. Thank goodness. Mom had no chance to grab a change of clothes so today she got to sport one of my running shirts and my trendy Sister Bay sweatpants. She looked so cool I am afraid she'll out-fashion me if we stay down here another day. I guess I was her style angel today.

Like I said, angels show up in the darndest places. And thank God for that.

The First Noel

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel... Born is the king of Israel!

When God looked at his roll of souls for his angels to gather today, the angels asked, "Do we take LeRoy Hedberg?" And the Lord said, "Nope, no L today." No L. Noel. Hallelujah for that!

I got one of those phone calls today we never hope to get, but know, with aging parents thats it's a constant possibility. The first call was that my dad was being taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Possible heart attack. The second call was that he was being airlifted down to Abbott-Northwestern, a heart hospital in the Twin Cities. By the time the third call came that he was in "critical" condition, I was home from work and packing to go!

Let me tell you, a lot can go through a person's mind in a 3+ hour drive, but I was relatively calm. I left hubby at home so he could be there for Carter and to take care of a ton of things on our schedule. I told him I felt too calm. Part of me thought it was because I knew in my heart the odds of an 84-year-old surviving this were slim. But the other part of me said he's too stubborn to die. He'll come out of this OK.

I did a lot praying on the drive over. I'd remember a funny memory and say, "I can see why you want him, God!" Then I'd remember something else on the stubborn side and say, "Are you sure You're ready for him, God?" I don't think He is. At least not for today.

By the time I got to the hospital, Dad had already had his risky procedure to place three stents in (95-100% blockage), was resting comfortably and ready to order meatloaf for supper. Unbelievable.

He said, "You didn't have to come all this way." I said, "I would never pass up a chance to come to Vikings country!" Dad knows that even on his death bed I will not cave and be a Packer fan like him. (No, the stubborn gene did not skip a generation!)

I was just so relieved he was doing well. And he credits Mom, who was still able to dial 9-1-1 on their rotary phone and get help. And we credit lots of prayers. All the siblings were there except my sister in Texas -- plus a half-dozen grandkids. If nothing else, our family makes one heck of a support network.

Dad is still in ICU, but that's good. They can keep an eye on him while Mom and I catch some sleep at the hotel next door. We're just hoping for a quiet night with no phone calls.

No L.

No News is Good News?

The good news is Carter saw the doctor today about these fainting spells and they found nothing wrong with him.

The bad news is Carter saw the doctor today about these fainting spells and they found nothing wrong with him.

So we are sort of back where we started. Not knowing much. But feeling at ease that some things were ruled out.

Carter stayed home from school today because his stomach was still upset. Unfortunately, both Daddy and I had to go to work. There were certain things I had to get done today because I already have tomorrow scheduled off since there is no school. So Jim and I ended up driving separately so I could bolt when those mandatory things got done and head home.

That worked out well. I got home by 12:30 so Carter wasn't alone too long, fed him some soup and sent him to bed so I could get some more work done. We had a doctor's appointment in the mid-afternoon so I made it a quick, productive day.

Although his stomach still didn't feel right when we went to the doctor, he at least kept his food down. In fact, he has never gotten sick that way during any of these fainting or near fainting episodes.

When we laid it out all for the doctor, he could understand why we were concerned about this. In the past month, Carter has fainted twice in a down-for-the-count way, then had 3 other "almost" situations. Whether it was full-blown or not, he always felt yucky after and that included an upset stomach, basically some nausea.

After checking him over, the doctor said his head is on straight (that's a relief) and ruled out anything neurological since the pattern didn't suggest seizures.

He said his heart sounded fine through the stethoscope but thought we should do a more in-depth test for a rapid heartbeat, which can cause fainting. So he ordered an EKG and I just about fell over in my chair. (OK, I shouldn't joke about that.) I will say seeing your kid hooked up with 10 wires to test his heart is just plain scary. At that moment, as I'm trying to hold myself together, I realized this could be serious. Could be, but hopefully not. As it turned out, his EKG results couldn't have been more perfect if the doctor drew them himself. He said that! So that was good. His heart is in perfect shape until some girl comes along and breaks it!

Now we had the heart and nervous system ruled out and really, there's not much else. The doc did explain that all teens and kids have low blood pressure to begin with, so it's not uncommon for them to stand up too quickly and pass out because the blood doesn't have time to get to where it needs to be quickly enough. Based on the situations described, the doctor said this could be the case. But he couldn't say for sure.

He acknowledges Carter has had a run of bad luck being in the wrong place at the wrong time -- seeing graphic scars, standing near other people fainting, etc. So he just told us to keep watch and, if something happens again, note everything that led up to the moment and how everything reacted (body and health-wise) after it. If it keeps happening, we'll have to go to some sort of specialist.

I know I for one am hoping (and praying!) that we just keep watching and there will be nothing to see!

You Win Some...

The way Carter's game started tonight, I thought for sure we'd see a repeat of Monday. We were up 4-zip early on. I even heard some of the kids say, "Cool, we're going to win like Monday."

Never say that when it's only the 3rd inning.

As is happened, the other team caught up and we were tied going into the 5th inning. We didn't score, but the other team, the mighty Giants, scored 3 -- mainly on steals home. Yikes. We could not score enough on our last at-bat so we lost 7-5. (We still went to Dairy Treat for ice cream since they only have Rootbeer Twist this week!)

The good news is that Carter did get on base both times he was up. He walked both times but at least he was swinging and trying to hit the ball. Now, he just has to connect! Suddenly we're almost halfway into the season and he hasn't had a hit. Sigh.

Well baseball isn't everything.

Talked to my dad tonight and he is on the road to recovery. He went to the doctor today and seems that the fluid around his heart is gone -- thanks to some good meds. In fact, he might be getting rid of too much fluid. So they are adjusting that medication and he still has be careful AND follow doctor's orders. It was good to hear that he is recovering though.

And now for the really big news.... Look what I found growing in my garden!



This Black Thumb accidentally grew something! Cool, eh?

I knew there was a reason to celebrate today! (No guilt about the ice cream now!)

Doctor's Orders

First of all, let me say I love my dad dearly. We are alike in more ways than I care to admit. Which means there's a good chance I'll be stubborn when I get old.

That's assuming I am 1) Not stubborn already or 2) Not old yet.

This isn't looking good.

The good news with my dad's health situation is that he is sleeping in his own bed tonight. The bad news, and I've already alluded to this, is that this whole episode could have been avoided. If he'd followed doctor's orders. And then kept following them.

A few years back, Dad was hospitalized in the Twin Cities and got a stent in his heart, got an oxygen tank to lug around for 6-9 months and got a diagnosis of adult on-set diabetes. All he had to do to stay healthy is take his medication (including blood-pressure pills), exercise, eat right and check his blood-sugar levels daily (at least).

Somewhere along the line he decided he didn't need to do that anymore. (It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.) So it shouldn't be any surprise he ends up in the hospital with congestive heart failure.

While awaiting word on his condition today I did some online research. The much-respected Mayo Clinic has some FAQ on congestive heart failure. Basically he's got fluid around the heart and lungs that shouldn't be there. Some causes of it? Diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Something tells me that if he hadn't been stubborn about 1) following doctor's orders and 2) going to the doctor at the first sign of symptoms, this wouldn't have ended up so badly.

As it is, he is heading home with medication (once again) and doctor's orders (again) to exercise a little and keep an eye on the blood sugar.

We'll see how far this gets him. I plan to get Up North this weekend to give him some strong encouragement.

After I give him a hug first, of course. Thanks, everyone, for the prayers of support!

Party Time

There were times today I thought the only party I'd get to was a pity party. I'm so glad things always have a way of working out.... to some extent.

We hit the road shortly after 7 a.m. so we could get Carter to that competition in Fond du Lac (about a 2-hour drive from Rapids). There were more than 120 kids in this thing -- but that covered different age groups and separate categories for boys and girls. Carter's division had 15 or so boys.

The competition went as well as we expected but not as well as Carter hoped. Without practice, a person just couldn't hop out of bed and expect to take home a trophy. Carter did OK, but not great. Not good enough to finish in the top 3 and take home a trophy. He finished sort of in the middle and was bummed and pouty -- and we couldn't cheer him up.

Stopped at Friar Tuck's to eat lunch afterwards and then popped in at the Oshkosh Outlet Mall. The "boys" were not thrilled with Bath & Body Works or Rue 21 but somehow Carter talked Daddy into buying him a football at the Nike outlet store. That might have to be Carter's birthday present....

When we got on the highway, the battery light came on. If you feel like this is deja vu all over again, it sort of is. Only worse.

It didn't stay on. And really, we weren't that concerned because the battery is brand-spankin' new. Right? But then it came back on and stayed on. We were 45 minutes into the trip home when the radio quit working. Miraculously, when Jim shut the headlights off, the radio came back on. The signs were not looking good. When I had Jim test the wipers (it was a constant drizzle today), they went very slowly. Before we knew it, various "warning lights" were coming on, then we lost all power.

We knew we were getting close to Waupaca and just hoped we could coast far enough to turn off the busy 4-lane Highway 10 and onto a side road. We did. Long story short, we got ahold of Jim's aunt and uncle (who live in Waupaca). They picked us up. We camped at their house a bit while arranging a tow to a garage and then had Jim's sister Sherry drive all the way from Rapids (45-50 minutes away) to come get us.

We got home around 5 and hope we get our car home with what we suspect will be a new alternator (the only part NOT replaced this week) on Monday.

I was totally in the cranky depths of despair, but am feeling much better now that my life is back in perspective...

We had a surprise party for a friend of ours (newspaper guy we worked with) who had a heart transplant a year ago. Yes, he's a young friend (my age) and yes, by the grace of God, this was a successful operation.

It was also great to see some other friends we'd worked with over the years we both were at the paper. We snuck across the street to see friends at another party, too. (I guess it was a party day.) After hanging out with them awhile, we decided to stop back at the heart party to say goodbye on our way home. Of course, we ran into more people and visited more. (And I survived -- even though it was past my bedtime.)

It was a good day after all. Just seeing our friend healthy made me realize how blessed he is -- and how blessed we are. Who cares about that stupid car? We're healthy and we're happy... even without any trophys.

Monday Musings...

And Now a Word from our Sponsor: OK, just because a person is annoying doesn't mean they should die. I'm talking about TV product spokesman Billy Mays. Carter always turns the channel when he comes on -- his tolerance level reached Overload apparently. But we were all surprised by news of his death. You just never know about the heart...

Heart to Heart: And now for some positive news. We are grateful my brother-in-law Paul recognized signs of some heart trouble and got himself to the hospital. My sister reports that today they found three areas of 90-95% blockage -- they input two stents and did a balloon angioplasty on the third area. He is recovering fine but I'm sure he had something entirely different in mind when he looked forward to "laying around" on vacation.

Weather Beaten: Speaking of vacation, Carter's Up North fun is off to a good start ("I'm having a blast, Mom!")... Except for the fact that he was a bit chilly last night and had to borrow a sweatshirt and pants from his aunt! For someone as obsessed (well, interested) with the "Local on the 8's" as I am, you'd think I would have checked ahead at what the weather is going to be up there this week. He's got no sweatshirt or jacket -- but I betcha a dollar he didn't forget his whoopee cushion!

Dinner and a Movie: Our friends Mike and Christine treated us to dinner tonight at Anchor Bay for our birthdays (Yup, hubby gets old this week, too.). Then us ladies had a Girls' Night Out of sorts. Armed with our little packets of Kleenex, we went to the movie My Sister's Keeper, based on the book by Jody Picoult. Now we both read the book and we can say that the movie does not follow every storyline in the book. I won't spoil it for anyone -- just guarantee you'll still wipe away plenty of tears.

Good Sleeping Weather: Should sleep good tonight after the cleansing cry and now temps dipped to the 50s. This is what they call "good sleeping weather" in Wisconsin -- and reason #138 I keep my electric mattress pad on the bed year-round.