Starting from My Beginnings

When I was visiting Mom yesterday, she mentioned how she hasn't taken time to write her life story yet. I reminded her that I had once video-interviewed her and Dad (in front of my childhood home above) about their childhood – and promised to try to find the DVD of it. Thankfully I found it last night. And this afternoon, I listened to it and "transcribed" it into a Word document. 

The hard part was that Dad's interview was first. I watched just a bit of it and, since I was bawling at seeing him and hearing his voice, fast-forwarded to Mom's segment. I'm definitely going to have to go back to the beginning at some point. Was just thrown aback at having him in the room with me, so to speak. Just miss him so much!!

Since I filmed this 16 years ago, of course Mom looks different than the picture I took yesterday. But her attitude and spirit is still the same. 

Both my parents had pretty tough (aka poor) upbringings. But found reasons to celebrate and find the positives. Both of them said they could see that in their children. Being tough and going after what we want. And taking time to be creative.

And they've both always had a sense of humor we've all latched onto.

She said of her high school years: "My freshman year I got on the Honor Roll every time but one time. That was good. My sophomore year I got on the honor roll only one time. I was dating LeRoy Hedberg then. My mind maybe wasn’t on my books."

Well, duh. I can see how that could be a distraction!

While crying and laughing through this today, I was sad but very grateful how much they sacrificed to make life work! And the attitudes and behaviors they instilled in all 8 R's along the way. Thanks, Mom, Dad, and God for that!

If you've never taken time to interview your parents, do it. I can suggest plenty of questions that won't seem intrusive and at the same time, give you some insight how you reflect who they are!

The Medical Marvel Tour

Our interstates always have safety messages. But the one today was a real "no kidding" one. That could be for any time of year. Plus, there are other things to watch out for.

It was 4 weeks ago today that my sister and a friend left her house to go to Saturday afternoon church service to celebrate Easter. Never realizing that that drive would change her live irrevocably. In some ways, the last 4 weeks have felt more like 4 months – at least. But thankfully, all of our prayers seem to be working.

Hubby and I smartly decided to do our "hospital rounds" over two days instead of one like I did last week. So we headed north after work yesterday.

We stopped for a delicious dinner at Milwaukee Burger Co. before going onto Rice Lake – our destination of the evening. This framed print was hanging in our hotel room. Really tempting to walk off with it for a birthday present for Carter, who collects license plates. 

But, we were law-abiding citizens, of course, when we headed up to Grantsburg hospital this morning.

My twin sister met us there so Mom got to visit with both of her babies. Even though Raylene found some reason to remind me she's 9 minutes younger. Ha.

Mom is looking 100% better than when I visited her last week. And, most importantly, she's feeling better. While we were there, she demonstrated how sharp her mind still is by beating both Jim and I in cards. And we were really, really trying! That made me feel good, though, that she still has her wits about her despite the trauma to some of her body.

But, for a strange flashback, one time when it was my turn at cards, she said, "Your turn, Reuben." That is something she hasn't called me since childhood. You can Google this, but there was a song that went like this:

Reuben, I have long been thinking,
What a good world this might be,
If the men were all transported
Far beyond the Northern Sea.

But she'd only sing the first two lines to me and we'd fill in the rest. I distinctly remember this one:

Mom: Reuben, Reuben, I've been thinking what a grand world this might be...
Me: If only one thing had been invented.
Mom: What's that?
Me: I don't know. It hasn't been invented yet!

Thank you, Mom, for bringing a long-lost memory to the surface! She was also forward-thinking today. She is improving so much, they could release her next week from the hospital unit to what they call the Continuous Care Center – in the same building. Like a nursing home, but we won't call it that. And she's OK with it because her recent fall, in her words, scared the "H-E-double toothpicks" out of her!

Just thanks for praying for my mom and her recovery!

From there, we headed to St. Paul to see Rachel. She's the one who was in disbelief that it had been 4 weeks since her accident and in some ways couldn't believe it was that long ago – and in other ways, it has felt like forever ago.

She was in good spirits today. Since she loves singing and listening to music, Jim had a great idea to stop and get her a blue-tooth speaker. She absolutely loves it! Hopefully one small thing to keep her mind off of the long road ahead. She was also grateful that next week she'll have her 7th ( I believe) and final (fingers crossed) surgery when they address her left shattered elbow and ankle and foot. 

Oh, what she's been through and what lies ahead.

After living through this excruciating 4 weeks, I firmly believe both her and Mom are medical miracles. And praise the Lord for that! 

And all your prayers of support. If you're willing to keep it up, we'd all appreciate it. It's working!! 

Not The Weaker Sex

There's a couple of things I've realized in the last 3 weeks. The most important one being that women are stronger than we think. Not sure how my sister or my mom keep trudging forward, but they are both the type of strong woman I hope to be.

It was by pure coincidence that our April (the longest month of my family's life) book club book was The Women by Kristin Hannah.

I'll admit that everything I've learned about the Vietnam War was from Robin Williams' Good Morning, Vietnam and Tom Hanks' Forrest Gump movie. It's sad but as a high school student in the early '80s, when they went through American History, I'm pretty sure they ran out of time at the end of the school year and  crammed in the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam, and Korea in one week.

And even though I've watched a ton of M*A*S*H episodes, I didn't equate it to the fact women were also serving in the Vietnam War – mostly as the crucial role of nurses.

What an eye-opening and really, really well-written book. Across the board, we almost all gave it a 5 out of 5 rating. 

You know I don't go on and on about particular books much (since I read a ton), but this one is worth a read. Is it long? Yes. Was the war long? Yes and then some. I personally got a chance to listen to the audio book and was engrossed from the beginning. Reading a handheld book (or device) will likely get you in the same position.

When I see servicemen wearing their caps or jackets, I always thank them for their service. But nurses in Vietnam? I haven't seen your badge of honor. First of all, you deserve it. Secondly, thank you so much! 

This book (and life) is a great reminder we all deserve praise for our accomplishments and service, and support for our struggles and unearned uphill battles.

Just so glad I have the support today of my sisterhood – birth sisters and "adopted" ones. Love you all! Let's keep moving forward!

Faith to Move (or See) Mountains

Most people know I like to take pictures of sunrises and sunset and yes, even clouds. When I pulled up to a stoplight on the way home and saw this, I immediately thought, "Hey, that looks like Denali!"

If you've ever been to Alaska, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, here's the legitimate scoop from Robyn-pedia.

Denali (aka Mount McKinley) is the tallest mountain in North America, rising some 20,000 feet. I can't think of anything to compare it to, but that's huge. Yet, sometimes you can't see it.

What?! How does a massive pile of granite play hide and seek? Well, in simple terms, it's so tall, it can create its own weather pattern and therefore, clouds to hide in. I'm serious! When my sister Renell and I were in Alaska a couple years ago and touring the national park named after Denali, we didn't see it all day. And then, when we did see it the next day, we exclaimed, "How the heck could we miss THAT?"

Well, all those mountains just above the trees in this photo are pretty big mountains. They just aren't "The Big One," as they call her, in the background. Since only 30% of tourists actually see Her, we felt extremely fortunate. As for the other 70% .... I mean they don't doubt Denali exists, do they?

It's like our current family situation is filled with big mountains right now. But even though we can't see God – the real Big One – we believe He's there. Thankfully, He shows Himself to us often enough, we don't forget.

How does He make His presence known? Oh, when Mom or Rachel have good days. Or even on bad days when He puts the right medicine in the doctors' hands to fight the next mountain of infection or other steep climb.

Thanks for working hard, Big One, even when we don't see You!

Tonight I saw a special movie that further reinforced my faith in, well, having faith!

Our local theater had a special preview showing of Unsung Hero – a remarkable true story following David Smallbone as he moves his family from Down Under to the States, searching for a brighter future after his successful music company collapses. With nothing more than their seven children, suitcases, and their love of music, he and his pregnant wife set out to rebuild their lives. As the story unfolds, Helen's faith stands against all odds and inspires her husband and children to hold onto theirs. And while their own dreams are on hold, the parents discover the musical talents of their children–who, of course, go on to become two of the most successful acts in Inspirational Music history: five-time Grammy Award-winning artists for KING + COUNTRY and Rebecca St. James.

Wow.

Even that was the Big One peeking out from His own weather system to say, "I'm here! I've got you."

Great story, great movie, and great music, too! Spoiler alert: The mom is the Unsung Hero. Find the song and listen! And, if you need a pick-me-up or reminder of how faith can move mountains, go see the movie when it comes out this weekend. And bring tissues!

Hopefully that's the only tears I'll need to shed today. My two favorite patients had pretty stable days today. 

Thanks, Big Guy.

Mother Earth Day

It's Earth Day! The temps are in the mid-60s but the wind is high and the fire danger is even higher. Mr. Deck Chair and I tried to bond in the great outdoors to honor the holiday, but that cool wind did not support those plans. (Thankfully, it was nice yesterday, too.)

I find it interesting that we refer to our planet as Mother Earth. Why? Well, I found this explanation on Robyn-pedia: 

No man is as wise as Mother Earth. She has witnessed every human day, every human struggle, every human pain, and every human joy. For maladies of both body and spirit, the wise ones of old pointed man to the hills. For man too is of the dust and Mother Earth stands ready to nurture and heal her children.

Funny, that also describes my mother! (Probably yours, too!) When it comes to her and her 8 R's... She has witnessed just about every human day, every human struggle, every human pain, and every human joy.

And now we don't know what to do because she is the one struggling.

Both her and my sister seem to be on that same "2 steps forward, 1 step back" path to recovery. 

I was excited yesterday that Mom was getting some her strength back and could walk down the hospital hallway with her walker. That's so much progress from when I saw her a few days ago. But then today, her blood pressure is up and so is any food she's consumed – if you know what I mean. 

I just talked to her a little bit ago and she sounds so weak. Hopefully they can get this latest setback under control. Or I may have to run up there in the morning. I keep praying but I just don't know how many times my favorite 92-year-old can bounce back!

As for Rachel, she had good days and bad days. While she's between surgeries right now, she's getting some physical therapy in. I honestly don't know where they're starting because it seems like her brain and her right arm are the only things unscathed by that crash. 

Prayers for both are appreciated beyond measure!

On this Earth Day, hug a tree or hug a loved one. Or both. I pray they'll be around for many rotations of Mother Earth!

Honoring the Memories

This sounds pretty sad, but this has been the weekend of honoring those we've lost.

Back in the day – as when we were working in Iola – we'd celebrate the opening weekend of "The Harbor" for two reasons. One, is that we could meet outside of work on the deck overlooking the harbor in Waupaca and welcome spring. And two, it often coincided with our co-worker Dupey's birthday.

Neither one of us has worked there in nearly 10 years. But last night a group of former co-workers met and dined and raised a glass to Tom (aka Dupey) for what would have been his 60th birthday – if he hadn't been taken away from us due to cancer.

We had a nice evening catching up, but it's still always a bit solemn when we remember why we were gathering in the first place. Obviously a good reminder to appreciate what we have in our lives – even if it's not perfect health. We're here, above ground, where else would we rather be?

Today was a bit tougher to take. We went to the visitation for the granddaughter and great-niece of good friends of ours. This beautiful girl – just a junior in high school – died last weekend in a single-car accident on, of all days, prom day.

I'm so sorry for Lucy, her family, her spring softball team (she was #5) and all the students in the small community of Pittsville. I would say Jim and I got through the "waiting line" OK until we talked to her parents and realized we would be equally devastated if something happened to any of our boys!

What a wake-up call for those of us taking life as is for granted. Obviously, I haven't been lately due to my sister's and mother's traumatic incidents and hospitalizations. 

But while we're grateful for tiny steps of improvement, all we can think is thank you, God, and please help our other friends and family. 

P.S. Thank you and amen! 

Half Empty or Half Full?

When I noticed a half-moon on my way home tonight, it instantly brought to mind the question of whether my glass (attitude) is half-full or half-empty. With all the challenging situations on my plate, am I focusing on the positives more than the negatives?

It didn't take me long today to realize I was exhausted. Not just from the physical driving yesterday but all of the emotions attached to it. At that moment this morning, I was thinking about me and my empty tank. 

Later, I realized that all I can do about my sick family members is think the glass is half FULL and offer a positive attitude and prayer. Thankful for their progress. Hoping to fill that cup.

My struggle with coping with what's happening to my mom and sister is nothing compared to what they are literally going through. I need to remove ME from the situation and focus on them. 

If my "glass" is only half-full right now, I need to fill it up with prayer and positive thoughts. I need to realize that my prayers will be effective.

And as I told my sister yesterday, let's thank God for how far He's got us now!

At the end of the day, many of us should just thank God for what we have and for miracles he's performing that we don't even know about.

P.S. Extra prayers will still help!

Doing My Rounds

Just like a doctor or nurse, I was doing my medical rounds today. About 525 miles in 12 hours.

Left at 8 a.m. and headed north and west to Grantsburg, Wisconsin. Thankfully I was fueled by a Taco John's breakfast burrito to concentrate on 4 hours of driving in the rain. Yuck. Thankfully I wasn't hypnotized watching the wipers. As far as I know, that is.

I walked into the Grantsburg hospital – where I haven't been for at least a decade – and walked up to the registration desk and said "I was born in this hospital but I have no idea where I'm going." Thankfully they pointed me in the right direction.

I just happened to pass by this little tribute to Dr. Hartzell, who delivered 6 of the 8 R's (including my twin and me). Our names probably should've been on the plaque!

Got to Mom's room and of course, was just not prepared to see her tiny, fragile frame in a hospital gown and oxygen tubes in her nose. But she wasn't acting as frail as she looked. Lunch was just delivered so we chatted while she was eating – and I made sure she ate some of her chocolate cake for dessert.

She had quite a tale about her fall and the many hours until they found her. She admits she was dreaming alot of it, but she still had the details in her head 6 days after the event. Since she still has her wits about her 100% she said she's convinced the night nurses to play cards with her.

"That first night, I beat her pretty good," she said. That's so my mom. And also why her 8 R's are pretty competitive!

Speaking of R's... I found out that the reason I was named Robyn was because her sister Violet liked the name and after having her own Roger, Ronda, and Renae, she couldn't use it. And, by mere coincidence, one of those R's showed up as I was leaving. 

Since Mom is 92, she'll likely be under observation for awhile, but she's definitely not ready to give up! Thank the Lord.

After a 2-hour visit with her, I headed for the Twin Cities. It was sort of like the Medical Triangle... Northwest to Grantsburg then southwest to St. Paul then east to Wisconsin Rapids.

In Rachel's 2 1/2 weeks, she received a lot of notes, cards, and gifts of support. Today I found her in a regular surgical care room instead of ICU. 

A friend of mine who went through a similar trauma said it was so important for Rachel and her caregivers to see her as she really was before the accident. And one of my co-workers gave me the BELIEVE sign to add to her collection. I love that people who've never met my sister still support her and pray for her even if you haven't met her.

THANK YOU!

I was able to visit her for about 2 hours since she's not in ICU and no one was awaiting their turn. She has been through so much and has so many surgeries, we just marveled at how God must have a plan for her. But let's not worry about figuring that out right now.

If you didn't know, the state capitol is within view of the hospital. Pretty cool.

When I left Regions, I had to deal with rush hour traffic but didn't want to drive in the dark. The way it was, the last 2 hours were that stupid "deer like to play in the street" hours. I braked so hard once – around tripodometer mile 488 – that everything in the back and front seat flew forward.

Grateful for a safe arrival home and precious time with family.

Hug your loved ones!!

Daily Dust Bowl

With high winds and very dry conditions today, it definitely seemed like some sort of Dust Bowl was happening on my ride home today.

And shooting some middle school baseball after work, you could definitely see both the dust and the wind billowing through their uniforms. Needless to say, I didn't stay long. It was one thing for my camera to get some dust, but then the light rain started. Not a good combo for me!

Got home and realized it was time to figure out how to face the real Dust Storm in our lives.

My sister Rachel had her 6th surgery in 16 days – this time to repair the broken right ankle. It went well as far as everyone can tell.

Then my mom, who is the special person we've been praying about, has had an up-and-down journey of her own in the hospital after a fall. 

I decided to take tomorrow off and head north to see Mom. Depending on timing and other things, I may swing over to the Twin Cities to visit my sister. Right now our clear answers are whirling around in the dust. Hopefully things will be clearer as I travel.

And hopefully, I'll be able to deliver a few personal hugs and prayers to family scattered here and there. And hopefully the thunder and lightning wrap up so it's a smooth drive. Trust me, I'll never take "safe travels" as seriously as we all are now!

Hope you survived the wind, dust, and rain OK! 

P.S. Please continue to pray for miracles! 

Spring Sun-Day

We all had to take advantage of today's gorgeous weather knowing that by the end of the week today's lows will be Friday's highs. Yup 40-something for a "warm" temp at the end of the week. So let's just enjoy every minute above 70.

And we did.

Hubby had baseball practice and I had bonding time with Mr. Deck Chair.

That was pretty much the highlight of the day. Also so the Masters' final round with Scottie winning that. And wished I could be golfing somewhere that green right now. With the warm weather, I think we'll get there!

There's plenty weighing on my mind going into this week. Just praying God will take care of it.

In the meantime, sunny spring days certainly help!

Have a great week!

The Latest Buzz

Finally broke in Mr. Deck Chair today. But apparently, I wasn't the only one enjoying the summer-like 70s. I call these guys "long-legged a**holes" because they are! They usually sting for no reason. And I'm glad today they buzzed off when I yelled, "I hate you!"

Who knew?

It seriously was a nice day. A little breezy but mostly sunny and high in the low to mid-70s. You know what that means. Skip watching The Masters on TV and go do some swinging yourself!

My golf partner Marigene and I headed to TriCity to hit some balls. Wisely figuring out how to swing again – after a 6-month hiatus – instead of tackling 9 holes. Plus, they were swamped anyway.

Just glad we could start prepping for golf, er Fox Season again! 🏌🏌

I did not do any traveling to visit any family members in the hospital. Rachel needed a day of rest with no visitors. And my other person needing prayers had a healthy amount of visitors. They're both strong women! I hope I inherit that at some point!

Tomorrow looks like another gorgeous day. Hope those long-legged jerks stay away so I can have some overdue bonding time with Mr. Deck Chair.

Get outside and enjoy it!

P.S. Don't look at the 7-day forecast. 😦

TGIF (Thank God In Faith)

Sometimes we casually talk about the power of prayer, but I firmly believe it works! 

Tomorrow marks 2 weeks since my sister's horrific accident. As I've previously mentioned, she seems to make progress but is not out of the woods yet. 

If you follow her Caring Bridges site, you know the doctors have discovered a couple of blood clots that were concerning. They couldn't operate until other blood numbers (I'm not smart enough to understand) are at the correct levels. But today they couldn't wait and she had surgery number 5, I believe. And even though I reported 2 days ago that she was out of ICU, this means she's going back.

Any prayers upward are soooo appreciated.

Of course, life never hands you just one challenge at a time, so please pray for another person we love who is having a few issues. Thanks.

On the upside, after many crossed fingers and possibly prayers upward, our boy did a very adult thing today and purchased his first car! Of course it's another Honda. We swear by them!

He quickly learned adulting is not as easy as it looks. So glad at the end of the day, he could buy it, insure it, and take those keys and run! 

It's just a tiny reminder things can work out if you have a little faith. And perhaps a lot of prayers.

Thank you for your prayerful support!

We Interrupt This Work Day...

If there's any golf you want to watch during the year – besides the tournament my company sponsors in January – it's The Masters. One helluva course and it means so much to all the competitors.

Unfortunately, work gets in the way. How dare it? But thanks to a rain delayed start today, I could catch some after work. My first thought seeing the windy conditions was I'd be swinging so hard right now! And would definitely not go where I want.

If it was nice and warm and sunny like yesterday, I'd bypass television viewing and actually get out golfing. But it was sketchy weather this afternoon and downpouring by 6 p.m. That's why I freaked out on my way into town tonight when the emergency sirens went off. I mean I was literally driving by the town hall and police/fire station and it was ear-piercing loud!

I pulled over to text Jim (who was in town visiting his dad) and check the radar. Nothing looked siren-worthy.

Thank god I checked the local news stations too. That set me straight. All counties cancelled BUT not my county. I thought these drills used to be at 1 p.m. or something. I gotta pay more attention.

At the end of the day, we're all safe and there was no need to be alarmed. 

Unfortunately, that means business as usual. So I still have to work tomorrow. Even though my work day might be occasionally interrupted by some activity down in Augusta. Just sayin'. The weather dudes – or maybe just me – say there's a good chance!

Just Ducky

As far as spring days go, today was just ducky! We've had a slight warming trend this week. Thankfully, since I had to wear a winter coat Monday to shoot softball pictures and graduated to a mere sweatshirt for baseball pictures Tuesday.

Today would've been a perfect day to do anything outside. But there's no sports on Wednesdays. Oh, and I had to work. Still, a handful of us took a walk at lunchtime just to soak in the sunshine and pleasant temperatures.

We passed by a small pond on our work property and saw this pair of ducks. I was pretty jealous until they reminded me they live outdoors on the cold days, too!

Speaking of things that are just ducky... My sister finally moved out of ICU and is in a somewhat regular room on their surgical and trauma floor. She tends to move 2 steps forward and 1 step back, but that's progress. So we thank God – and all your prayers – for that.

P.S. Don't let the weather determine your happiness. We do live in Wisconsin (or Minnesota) after all! Find your "just ducky" moment every day!

Partial Eclipse of the Heart

It's hard growing up with the song "Total Eclipse of the Heart"and realize you can only have 82% eclipse of the sun. Still, I attempted to make due. Today was the solar eclipse of 2024. And since I was working from home today, I could capture a scarce few images since it was mostly cloudy here in central Wisconsin.

But I did put a "meeting" on my calendar from 1-2 p.m. and managed to capture a few pictures between the way too many clouds...

All set with "official" glasses!

It was a bummer that these clear breaks in the clouds were to the south of our house. Still, we just kept taking pictures when we could see it!

All of these are taken with my cell phone with those funny Eclipse glasses place over my lenses. 

Past the halfway point! 

And soon after, as if nothing had ever happened. That's why we capture these moments when we can – blurry or otherwise!

Hope you got to see a bit of history today, too!

April Showers

April showers bring... soggy messes. But on the bright side, this is all the snow we have left in our yard. For now. It's way too soon to predict what the rest of the month has in store.

Hopefully, at some point, Spring Sports can start. For the ball fields, that means dry weather and all the white stuff melted away. Fingers crossed Tuesday is the day.

Other than weather concerns, it was a typical Sunday. Church choir, some golf (watching not playing), some women's hoops (watching not playing), and the CMT awards (definitely watching only!).

But since the rain was light, Jim grilled brats for supper so it felt like spring anyway. 

And most everything else is status quo from yesterday. Just keep praying for spring to really arrive – and my sister to keep improving.

Have a great week and be careful out there!

Thank God for Modern Medicine

After passing several Amish conveyances on my way to and from the Twin Cities today, I was especially grateful for modern medicine.

Even though I've been sharing facts about my sister's condition this week, nothing could have quite prepared me to see it and her in person. 

As I'm pretty sure I've stated previously, if I had a rock band with Carter we'd be the Fainting Goats. As in we cannot handle the sight of blood or anything traumatic. My victory today was that I did not faint in the middle of Rachel's room. Thank God as they had way more important things to attend to with her!

After Thursday's surgery on her left leg, that was now bound with typical bandages you see on an athlete with a sprained ankle. But her left elbow and foot were still held together by vise grip type screws. I am sure there's a medical term for them. But that's what I wasn't prepared for.

So I just concentrated on looking into her eyes and talking to her. By the way, her glasses survived the crash without a scratch! 

I read to her from some daily devotion books we both like. It was by pure coincidence that today's totally hit home.

This was a great reminder for her to not worry about the future, but just concentrate on the moment. Be grateful for where you are right now.

And she's in such great hands at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. She even had nurse named Robyn with a Y! We bonded over that! It's a Robyn thing. Some of you might understand.

I gave her some time to rest after she enjoyed a Fudgesicle. Then our mom and sister Rayna arrived. (and sister Nell shortly after.) This was also Mom's first time seeing her. As she basically told Rachel's son and daughter-in-law last night: I'm coming no matter what. This is one of my babies. (I get that!!)

I'm so glad both Mom and I chose today so we could actually have a conversion with the Rachel we know. Though her voice is still just slightly above a whisper, we know she's in there. Thank you, God! 

One more shout out to Regions Hospital. You all are freaking amazing! From the surgeons to the personnel feeding her pudding and ice cream, we can't thank you enough for your tender care!

She's in the best hands and that is a comfort to her son, daughter-in-law, our Mom and the other 7 R's. Amen!