Sunday June 20 Fathers Day

I missed Mother's Day and a few others in between so I will do a brief synopsis of the last 2+ months for those of you who might still be checking in on this blog.

Mother's foot has completely healed and her surgeon is very pleased. She has had no trouble walking and driving (although she will not venture out on 540 anymore). Mom is tending to a few plants in a patio garden. Her tomato plant looks good after a rough start but has not produced any fruit yet. Dad has been giving advice but I don't think he is used to potting soil that does not contain rocks in it.

Dad is doing very well. At the last edition we were heading to the cardiologist. We waited for 45 minutes and Dad finally went to the window and explained he had other things to do. So they ushered us back to a room where a couple of interns came in and asked a few questions just to pass the time. After another 45 minutes I went to the nurses desk and told them we were leaving and to call us when the Dr wasn't so busy or to send the lab reports to dad's GP, he always kept his appointments. So the nurse came in and went over the lab report and we never saw the doctor. Basically, the report was good. Dad's sodium level was low so she asked Dad if he was drinking a lot of water and he said yes (he was going through about 3 quarts a day as well as coffee and tea). She asked if it was because he was thirsty or if he just liked water. He said I just like to drink a lot of water. She told him to cut back a bit, Dad said why don't I just add a little salt to my food. I think he has cut back on the H2O some but not much.

His pulmonologist has cut him loose, which is good, in the words of Forrest Gump, "one less thing".

Dad is really doing very well. He seems stronger than ever and is walking without the weakness that he battled for the first year after the by-pass. They have cut back on the number of hours that they use outside help and seem to be managing fairly well.

Dad is on the phone a lot calling relatives, former students, and church members. This past weekend, my much older (11 months, we are currently the same age) sister Suzanne, and her daughter and grands came up for her 40th high school reunion and stayed the weekend with Mom and Dad. The great-grands kept them hopping and gave them a break in the peace and quiet. They have some new neighbors but have not been able to catch them and introduce themselves. They aren't used to neighbors who disappear so quickly.

A middle school student asked Dad if she could interview him about his army life for a school project. I think this is the 3rd or 4th time he has done this over the years starting with his grand kids. I rounded up some pictures for them and she was very pleased with the project.

We have had two graduations this spring. Nathan did get his Masters and Rachel won her Bachelors degree. Rachel's fiancee came down from Vermont during his academic break and we had a good visit with him. We got a few wedding details out of the way but still have much to do.

We have not been out to see Mom and Dad yet today, all of my kids are here as well as Adalynn but we will get out to see them when Ads wakes up from her nap.

For those of you who are interested, Dad wrote his biography a few years ago mainly as a way for us kids and grand kids to have a since of their ancestry. Cindy did the yoeman's work on compling and publishing it. I have been trying to insert pictures into the document over the past few months and have gotten about half way through. I have put a link at the top of the blog if you are interested in delving into it. Dad wrote it the way he talks so you will be able to recognize the "character" in the writting. I was re-reading it last night and thought it would be a good Father's Day post.

Two suggestions to make it easier to read online:
1. At the bottom of the page there is a Button that says "Scroll", you can click on the down arrow to change the way you view the document.
2. At the top click the "Full Screen" link.

Hope all of you are well and that you forgive me not being a better reporter.

Happy Father's Day to all of you fathers and to all of you who had something to do with making us fathers, fathers.

God is good!