This Is Why We Go Through Crappy Mondays

While I was clearly griping and whining about my second round colonoscopy prep going like the first (Up-Chuck City), I came across the announcement about our Royals Volleyball team's annual Spike It To Cancer night...

The recipient of this year's fundraiser is the woman the exact same YOUNG age as me – and she's battling stage four colon cancer. Wow. That was a wake-up call.

How dare I complain about my literally crappy Sunday and Monday and this is her "every day"? Please help spread the word so we can fill the gym and help support Christine. JV game starts at 5:30 and Varsity game will be at 7 p.m.  Basket raffles and 50/50 will be drawn during the Varsity game. We should all be feeling lucky about right now. 💙

As for my experience today, they did do the procedure. Thank God I didn't feel anything this time (another nightmare). And they only found one thing they gotta get tested. Was home by late morning and took a little nap on the recliner.

Our Hack-A-Thon in this house did not take a break during this other crappy drama. Right now I feel like my cough got worse. Dang!! I did manage a second nap and will go to bed early with actual cough syrup I can now have that my procedure is over.

I did have one task to get done this afternoon. No worries. Did not work at all. Wise advice. I did however promise to whip together for a birthday at work tomorrow. 

First I masked up because no one needs what we've got going on here!!

Secondly, I followed doctor's orders and did not operate heavy machinery. My mom's rolling pin was the heaviest!

The result...

The ugliest and most sloppy-looking trifle I've ever laid claim too. All my layers are merging. Ugh. Maybe the anesthesia hasn't totally warn off. I mean, they'll still probably eat. Hopefully I'll have more normal stomach and appetite back tomorrow so I can too!

Have a great week. Hope to some of you at volleyball Thursday night! 

In the Blink of an Eye

Pardon any photos that might be too graphic. A year ago today my sister Rachel was on her way to Easter weekend services at church in Minnesota when an approaching car crossed the center line and hit her head-on. 

When fire department personnel and paramedics arrived, it took an hour for them to extract her and her passenger (friend Brian) with the hopes that at least one of them – hopefully both – would survive. Honestly, it was touch and go. The med flight from the accident scene to the Twin Cities included some emergency blood transfusions just to keep Rach alive.

Brian had a fractured pelvis and a shorter, but still painful, hospitalization and recovery. For my sister, there were literally months of time in the ICU at Regions Hospital where we all took turns visiting – and you, my prayer warriors, were with me on those journeys. Thank you!

Three months after the accident, Rachel could finally return home. But it was during that time that my mom had her own home accident and ended up in a nursing home, then hospital, then passed away. We waited until Rachel was able to attend a funeral – months later – and that's where that top photo is from. All of us together – and our wardrobes giving a nod to Mom's love of flowers.

Today, Rachel is not out of the woods. She's fighting an infection from some of her new internal hardware. And, once that's clear, needs to have major surgery on that left leg that didn't heal at the correct angle.

What I've learned from this is that we can never take even the tiniest of moment of our lives for granted. Never take your family, your friends, your job, your health, your home, the air you breathe for granted. Life can change in the blink of an eye!

I also learned that when I reach out to friends and family – even strangers, there is an army of prayer warriors just waiting to support us, whether they've met my sister or not.

We so appreciate all of you for not only praying during the immediate crisis, but continually asking "How is your sister?" It means the world to all of us. And God is definitely listening. 

In turn, I pray none of you have to go through anything remotely as stressful and painful as this. Treasure each minute of each day!

A Few More Requests, My Prayer Warriors

First of all, I thank all of my friends and family who have prayed on demand when I've asked for it. Secondly, I send super hugs to all of you who follow up later – even months later – to see how the situation is going.

I love you for that – and so does my family!

It's been almost 11 months since my sister Rachel was in a life-threatening, almost life-taking car accident. After 3 months in a trauma center then several months of rehab, we were encouraged with her progress. I mean she took several steps at Christmas unaided by a walker or cane.

But sometimes your body takes a minute to reveal what's happening internally.

She now faces a minimum of 3 more surgeries – starting with one tomorrow – and I don't know how her mind and body can handle it. I'm asking for prayers for physical, mental, and emotional strength for her. 

And frankly, please God, make these the last medical efforts to help her whole-y heal! I don't think I'd have the physical or mental power to endure what she has. That's why she's awesome. And I'm just the praying sister.

Thanks for your past and future support!

Happy Last Quarter

As we slide into the fourth quarter of 2024, I found this social media post today both interesting and inspiring. Maybe there was something you wanted to accomplish this year but you didn't get around to it or just weren't motivated to do it.

It's not too late.

There are 84 days left. That's 84 opportunities for you to try something new, change direction with something old, or just be grateful for what you have and where you're at.

84 days can feel like a lifetime – if you're laid up in a hospital somewhere fighting for your life. 84 days is an even shorter time span than my sister Rachel was in the hospital after her serious car accident. I sometimes forget how much she missed in her 91 days of "residency" in the second quarter of 2024.

She was thrilled the other night when I sent a picture of the Northern Lights from our front yard, that she could get outside and also see them from her yard up in Luck. While everyone from here to Texas saw the pretty greens and pinks early this summer, she was still recovering and missed it. I forgot about that.

But God didn't. He definitely was proving there are still things she can see, enjoy, and do in this final quarter of the year.

So take advantage of 84 days of new beginnings, of opportunities to show gratitude and be kind, and create a few more moments that matter. 

I'm on your side!

Voice Night!

While I usually get excited about my fave show The Voice, I need to talk about a different voice tonight.

Six months ago today, my sister Rachel and her best friend Brian (pictured here last month) were in a near-fatal head-on collision. I say near-fatal because they are both literally walking miracles. 

Rachel was in ICU forever, it seemed, and ended up in staying in the lovely Regions Hospital Resort in the Twin Cities for 3 months. Brian was released a bit earlier but had a stint in the nursing home in Luck before getting home. Today, she gets around with a walker and he has upgraded to a cane.

Sadly, they still have quite a long ways to go to get back to normal life, normal mobility... you know, things we take for granted.

It was a defining moment for both their families. So scary. So much uncertainty. And thanks to all of you, so many prayers to lift them upward toward recovery. Love you all for that!

This weekend while we sang in church at our uncle's funeral, I could tell Rachel was anxious to get her full voice back. She can talk, sure. But she used to sing like a bird. She's still recovering from having all those tubes jabbed down her throat for weeks on end.

We can't wait to hear you sing!

In the meantime, they're taking baby steps and dealing with the aftermath of things like "no fault" (i.e. no benefits) vehicle insurances and medical insurance benefit maximums, etc. It's super overwhelming. And while they are grateful for their lives – and their friends and families who've donated and are still donating – they could use more help.

As I mentioned this weekend, I was delivering some raffle baskets for their upcoming benefit. Here's the details on that...

To my local readers, please realize this is in our hometown 4 hours northwest of Wisconsin Rapids. But if you feel moved to support it, let me know. I can take monetary donations, items for raffle baskets or the auction – or even put tickets in raffle baskets for you (if you have some specific interests – like not Packers. Just kidding!).

Otherwise, those of you Up North: Please mark your calendar and show up October 26. Our entire family thanks you in advance.

#CountYourBlessings

The Corner Piece of Life

I've been experiencing the "corner piece of life" the last few days. I was somewhat joking during golf Sunday that it was my birthday WEEK. And I (or others) have found reasons to celebrate each day.

I couldn't believe that I was with my team all day Wednesday and we got back late from the Brewers game that they'd somehow found time to decorate my desk by the time I showed up at 7:30 a.m. yesterday. But they did it. With the help of some "Birthday Fairies for Hire" that is. I have the best co-workers. 

And that big frosting-ed corner piece of cake for breakfast was delicious. Put me in a sweet frame of mind for the day.

Then when I got to golf league last night, our opponents for the week – who happen to be friends of mine – surprised me with a balloon for my pull cart and tiara that fit nicely over my new golf hat! Fun, fun! Plus even had my first "par dance" of the season and my lowest score. Happy birthday to me!

Of course, today is my actual birthday. Who I share with my lovely twin Raylene. We're both celebrating separately. But we're hoping to connect some weekend soon!

I actually worked for a half day. Then had lunch with my friend Jenny and her cousin Melissa – who is also my friend and co-worker.

When I asked the waitress to take our picture for my birthday, she came out with a big slice of chocolate cake to take home with my to-go box. Not gonna lie, I love being spoiled!

A big treat tonight was Carter coming up to help his momma celebrate. We enjoyed a big, tasty dinner at El Mezcal then were all so full, we figured we'd play cards until we weren't. I thought maybe they'd let the birthday girl win.

But with hands like this, Carter won the first game and Jim won the second. I'm going with "I didn't lose, I just regifted my birthday wins to them."

Probably the greatest gift though...

After 91 days (aka 13 weeks), my sister Rachel was the released from the hospital and headed home! Of course, she's not all fixed up and ready to take on the world. But she's made great progress and is ready to take the next big step – in the familiar surroundings of her own house. Praise the Lord!

Pretty sure this is a good sign that he's still listening to our prayers so we can all enjoy a little "corner piece" of life this week, right? 

Weathering the Storms

My trip up to Luck and back can pretty much be illustrated in this photo of a very flooded farm field. Rain, rain, and more rain! Insane!

At home we got 2 inches overnight and I have no idea what they got at my sister's house, but it was 100000% humidity and wet garage floors today.

Our goal in "Luck Cardinal Country" was to move enough of Rachel's furniture out of her house and into her garage so she'll have room for a "hospital bed" in her living room and very few pieces of furniture in the way of her wheelchair - when she gets released from Regions Hospital in a week!

It sounds like good news but it's a bit disconcerting since she can stand on her right foot and leg but hasn't been able to take one step yet since she can't put weight on her left leg until August. Frustrating how quickly insurance companies ASSUME a person should be ready to go home. We'll all do what we can to make this transition work!

It was helpful that for the heavy lifting today that we had some strong Luck firefighters helping. (Flashback to my fun newspaper reporter days! IYKYK!)

Anyway, it's going to be a lot of "learn as we go" while we see how she adjusts. Rachel's doing so amazing, we don't doubt her determination. It's just, like I've said before, the little things we take for granted - like making a cup of coffee or heck, just showering. 

Continued prayers are always welcomed. 

P.S. We will have a benefit for her and her friend/passenger Brian in Luck in late October, so if you want to contribute anything toward raffle baskets (or create one), let us know. It's quite a ways away, but I'm mentioning it now as a reminder to get my crochet hook hookin'!

Miracle Birthday

Not a lot of people look forward to celebrating their 60th birthday. But I can guarantee you my sister Rachel is on the short list of those who do.

Eleven weeks ago, we thought we'd lost her. But here's our miracle birthday girl today, having a few reasons to finally smile!

One, some of her sister brought her cake. Two, she's in the rehab area rather than ICU or Surgical Care. And three, she accomplished something yesterday most of us take for granted – getting out of bed unassisted and into her wheelchair unassisted and getting to and from her bathroom unassisted. It's a pretty big deal for her.

And now you also know how long of a road she has ahead of her – especially when she can only rely on her right leg, foot, and arm for support. For now.

She's not just a miracle. She's a Wonder Woman! 

Thanks for the prayers and please continue them if you have space in your heart to do so. She needs physical and mental strength – with some patience thrown in. 

You've got this, birthday girl! You've already proven you can do it! 
 

Cause for Celebration

We put on quite a few miles this weekend but there was much cause for celebration everywhere we went.

Saturday morning, Jim and I were on the road to St. Paul by 8 a.m. to visit my sister Rachel. Poor girl was ecstatic to move from surgical care to the rehab/transitional care unit but we were all with Mom and only a few of us could celebrate the milestone with her – and give her a hug of sympathy, too.

She was doing good. Gaining strength and able to do a few things on her own. Granted, she can't use her left arm and hand much or even put weight on her left leg until August. Still, the therapists are working with her to gain some independence.

Never ever will I take for granted again that I can wake up, hop out of bed, use the toilet, take a shower, and brush my teeth. All things she must navigate right now with her right arm, hand, leg and foot. She's in good spirits, but can definitely use continuous prayers for physical, emotional, and spiritual strength!

We made it back home in time yesterday to attend the dinner and dance for this sweet couple – Nathan and Abigail! Not my photo but all of us "locals" know that making "The Rock" is pretty cool. I think it's been painted over no less than 600 times. Good thing it resides on the property of the groom's dad!

Had a super time dancing the night away at the Grand Rapids Lions Club shelter. Yep, all 350+ of us fit in there! It was fun and not super late. But just late enough that after the 6+ hours of traveling before the wedding, I was too exhausted to blog.

Today was more cause for celebration. 

After church – which included a tear-jerk How Great Thou Art – we went to a graduation down the road and then another at Rooted in Red for 6 Assumption girls. Perfect sunny and 70-degree weather for these parties.

We did stop home and get separate cars to go to Couples Golf League meeting at TriCity. Then hubby headed to his dad's and I went to grad party for a kiddo from my church that I took senior pictures of last year. 

Home now. It is too early to go to bed at 7 p.m. after a long weekend? Probably! I can relax awhile since the sermon today was about rest on the Sabbath. But really, if there are lots of things going on and I'm NOT IN CHARGE, that's rest!

Hope you find moments to both rest and celebrate this week!

Memorial Daze

This has been a crazy week – and it's only Wednesday. Monday – a holiday – was a bit of a blur as we went to Golden Sands to watch our nephew Colin race. And the feature got rained out.

Looking at these clouds, it was obvious something was headed to the track. But they got 30 laps in for the Trickle 99 before the heavens opened up and we all bailed.

Not sure if they'll reschedule that particular race so we can pretend Colin won, right?

Memorial Day was also kind of tough because it was the 11-year anniversary of my dad's death – and it was Memorial Day that year, too! My twin sister Raylene shared this picture of Dad entertaining her while Mom fixed something on my dress on baptism day. Now that they're both in heaven together, I sure hope they aren't worried about us twinsies!

Tuesday was the return to the office after several days. I love, love my team and co-workers but it's not always emotionally stable to receive their love in return. (Thankfully the lovely gift from my writing team was delivered on Saturday!)

I got this adorable purple "pocket hug" – which I'm going to have to rely on my hooker friends to figure out how to crochet and teach me! Such a sweet sentiment.

Speaking of purple, my Mad Town Girls (as I call them) sent me a care package through inter-office mail from our Madison office with every purple candy they could find. So sweet. Literally!

Then unrelated to any sorrow, it just happens that I finally won the Survivor pool in our department! This wonderful hand-crafted trophy plu$ $ome ca$h!

My friend Nancy wasn't thrilled to hand it over. But hey, give it 365 days and things may change! (P.S. I have yet to watch an episode!)

Last night I was disappointed that my golf outing at SentryWorld in Stevens Point was rained out. But it wasn't raining at Robinson Park in Wisconsin Rapids, so I got to see this home-run celebration as our Lady Royals softball team moves unto the sectional final Thursday!

The only bummer was that our "temporary pet" for the weekend had to return home last night. The good news is that his human momma had a successful surgery so now he can cheer her up while she recovers and conquers her next challenges.

Today ushered in a few more expressions of sympathy from work friends, but also this good news...

My sister Rachel is moving from the Surgical Care Unit to the Physical Rehabilitation area of Regions Hospital! I can't comprehend how long the past 2 months have been for her as she's gotten to this point, but she'll definitely need your prayers for strength as she tackles this serious uphill climb to return strength to all her limbs and move forward.

Thanks so much for all of you who have been praying for both my mom and sister. The power of prayer has carried our family so far. I'll admit I'm pretty weak without it. Thank you!

And Then What?

What a week! Oh wait, it's only Tuesday! Well thanks to the current wicked weather, they rescheduled some sports to yesterday afternoon and evening.

So thanks to that, I shot pictures of the Lady Royals 18-0 regional round 2 victory over Alma Center. And shot some of our boys Senior Night and final regular season game of the baseball season. They won, huge!

I was editing lots of pictures last night and didn't get the time to blog. And tonight, well, it could go anywhere if I blog too soon.

Major severe weather warnings here and there – not the least of which is high winds, maybe hail, maybe a twister. Also, I'm dealing with the uncertainty of Mom's health.

Got a call today that she's really, really struggling. I'm not surprised after seeing her this weekend, Bacterial pneumonia when you have COPD is not a good combo. And now, despite the oxygen, she just can't catch her breath and be the mom who kicked my butt in cards just a little over 48 hours ago.

So I left work at noon and came home. In case I received news that turned me into an emotional mess. No news of that sort yet, but I'm still an emotional mess.

And now severe weather is surrounding us and I'm cocky like that's nothing compared to what we've been dealing with. Still, at the first major flash of lighting or a power outage, I'll take cover. I'm cocky but also practical. 

Be safe tonight! 

Roller Coaster Weekend

Not to sound like old hat, but I'd prefer a boring weekend with nothing to do and no place to go over a roller coaster of a ride through ups and downs and loops of emotions.

Saturday morning dawned sunny and warm – and about to get hot. 

My only mission was getting hanging flower baskets. I always wait until later in May, hoping to miss the risk of freezing temperatures.

I was not the only one with this line of thinking. Apparently hundreds of people – at one store alone – thought it was National Spend Too Much Money on Hanging Flower Baskets Day. I was happy with my purcha$e$. 😀 Got home, hung them up, mowed around the house, clipped the long grass close to the curb and front landscaping area, then took a shower. 

That was an "up" the roller coaster part.

Then it went "down." My twin called me and let me know that Mom had gone from the nursing home to the ER and had pneumonia. But it did not look good. Like "maybe you better drive up and see her" type of not good. 😟

Nothing like trying to make a 4-hour trip in less than 4 hours when there's road construction and detours! Two promising signs on my drive: 

These clouds were opening up like God was saying "I got you" when it comes to prayers for my mother, sister, and close friend with scary health issues. 

Then, as I was scanning channels, some song named LeRoy came on and I figured Dad was guiding my drive and watching over Mom, too!

Got there just before visiting hours ended to see Mom and see that thankfully their emergency administrations of oxygen and whatnot (not to diminish it, I just don't know) were helping her. She was able to communicate again. And though she had a tough cough, I was there when the tele-doctor was visiting her. 

When he asked her about what she thought might be bringing on her bouts of nausea, she answered, "I know one thing it's NOT. I'm not pregnant." The doctor got a good chuckle from that and said, "Marlys, if you're still making jokes, you're doing just fine."

That's my mom! 😀

After that, I called hubby to update him and learned that we got hail twice in the evening and the future state of my new flower$ was que$tionable. 😟

I slept at my sister Nell's place nearby and was able to get back to the hospital before 9 a.m. She just finished breakfast and was very tired. I offered her a chance to nap or play cards and she responded, "I think you know what I'd rather do." So I retrieved her cards from her nursing home room.

And she proceeded to kick my butt. (I'm embarrassed to show the score!) There's a fine line between luck and skill, but I haven't determined what that is yet. Her nurse said Mom has basically played cards against every nurse on every shift and even taught a few how to play. She's definitely not ready to give in and miss her play time!

On my way out of town, I had a quick lunch with my sister RoAnn, her son Travis and his family.

My great-niece is pretty much the cutest lunch date I could have! 😀

I managed to find a route home with minimal construction – thankfully! And was still an hour from home when Jim called me asking if I got a text. I said my phone dinged but I was waiting to stop at a gas station to check them.

Turns out I won the Assumption grand raffle of $5,000! Well that's something to end this roller coaster ride with! 😀 Before today: "I never win anything!" Now: "I might not beat Mom at cards but I can win something!" Based on all my "medical trips" to see family, I'll count this is gas money for now.

And maybe hail-damaged flower replacement. We'll see. 

Thanks for all your continued prayers. Let's all have a normal, even-keel week, shall we?

Beating the Odds

Sometimes life is like the Kentucky Derby. We all start out with the notion we all have an equal chance at surmounting our challenges.

Even when we're aways into our journey, we think we have a chance.

And sometimes we can overcome it. Not be a nose, but maybe by a nostril. Pretty insane.

Congrats to Mystik Dan for winning the Kentucky Derby. 

And congrats to my sister that today – 5 weeks after her head-on collision – she has her IV's and her feeding tube removed. If anyone has beat the odds and deserves a crown of roses around her neck, it's Rachel. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all your prayer and positive thoughts. Thanks to you, she keeps beating the odds. 

Life Detours

There's two seasons in Wisconsin – Blaze Orange and Orange Barrels. If you know, you know. 

Even though I'm facing a detour on my commute the next 7 months, I didn't realize we'd get simultaneous major detours in life. My family has had quite the orange barrel season the past month.

The good news is that my mom is out of the hospital. Yay! But she is going to the nursing home section of the same hospital. She's having a positive attitude, so that's good. It will be different to visit her where Dad was living in his last days. I hope that she's there much longer than Dad was.

The other good news is that my sister Rachel had some 8 hours in surgery today and she survived just fine. Hopefully, that means her left elbow and foot are fixed. The last of all those broken bones. Praise the Lord! 

I guess when we see how much work HAS to be done, we sometimes have to remember that we have to trust it will be done. Maybe not on the timeline we wish for, but it will be done. 

Thanks for all the prayers for my family. But we still need them. I can't imagine what it will be like when Rachel tries to take her first steps when both legs have injuries. Just like I can't imagine what Mom will go through the first time she wants to bake something or tend to all her African violets.

We'll need prayers for just a bit longer as we navigate these detours. Thank you!