I Don't Blog Much Anymore

 I don't blog much anymore, but our baby went home Friday and that is pretty incredible. Totally blog worthy! I popped in to visit for a spell late this morning and a little into the afternoon.

He was looking chipper, crawling about, and even practiced a bit of free-standing.

I took him a stuffed doggie that I picked up at Walmart mid-week on a lunch break. This morning I hunted down some wide-eyed needles and a bit of black yarn, and I stitched a zipper scar on that puppy's chest.

It was a beautiful, snowy day. Colder than cold. Typical February in upstate NY.

Oh, My Heart!

 A week ago my little grandson had heart surgery. He was born in April with two holes in his heart, and although the doctors were hoping they would close up on their own, they did not. As scary as having the surgery was, not doing it was more frightening.

Henry was a champ and the surgery went perfectly. The trouble cam when he was being weaned off the sedative. Apparently one of the rare side affects of this particular sedative is seizures. Thankfully, his watchful mom noticed and alerted the doctors.

It's been quite the week for Bethany's family. Not only has Henry been away, but Bethany has been away with him the majority of the time. (I've encouraged her to be there for Henry, just like she would for any of the others should they have to be hospitalized.) Adam has been holding things together at home and I'm sure has a renewed appreciation for all Beth does around the house. 

Henry is sporting a great new souvenir; a fantastic zipper scar! He looks just like a stuffed doll now, only much cuter. 

Today he's feeling good. Good enough to pull himself to a standing position. Just look at that smile! He'll be going home in no time. This picture makes my heart happy.

The Plans of Mice and Men

 Our baby's heart surgery has been postponed. The hospital only operates on healthy babies and little Henry decided to get a cold 2 days before his scheduled hospital stay. To say his mom is frustrated might be an understatement. I told her it is okay to be disappointed and upset and still trust God at the same time. It been such an exhausting month already and so much mental energy has been poured into gearing up for this event. God's timing is perfect, but doesn't mean it isn't hard.

I have to admit, I wasn't quite ready to find my car covered with snow this morning. Yes, it is December, but I still wasn't ready. Lucky for me I caught Sergio out in the driveway brushing the snow off his car and asked him to start mine so it could warm up while I finished getting ready for work. I'm not ready for the weeks of dark afternoons either, but I do plan to use them wisely. My room is comfy and cozy and evenings are the perfect time to de-stress and unwind tangles of heart and mind. A little music, an online puzzle or two, and maybe a chat with a friend all help me along the road to being whole.  It's okay if I listen to a little classic rock here and there, yes?

The Week in a Nutshell

Most of this past week was dark, dreary and wet. I was thankful for the beautiful walk on Saturday and my time with my friend Gail on Sunday. I'm coming to realize I might need a better plan to get me through the coming long winter as I am prone to feeling depressed on dark, cold, lonely evenings. Last year I had the pottery studio, and although I still have my shelf at the moment, I am seriously considering turning in my key and saving the $75 each month. At the very least I could save it toward taking a future class. I haven't spent any real time there since March.

On Tuesday evening I spent a few hours making pies with my daughter Bethany. Today is her 35th birthday. Tomorrow she is throwing a "Halfway to 70" birthday party with apple pie for dessert. We have encouraged her in this endeavor. She needs a good stress reliever and nothing relieves stress better than the love of friends and family. (Please pray for baby Henry as he is scheduled for surgery on December 1. We'd all appreciate your prayers for a successful operation and speedy healing for this sweet child.)

This afternoon after work Hannah, Idris and I went for a walk around the block. Twice. Tonight my people and I went down to the lake for an evening picnic. Hannah and Sergio bought subs and I met them down at the lake. It was an absolutely gorgeous day! Just like summer, aside from the autumn colors. No jackets needed. We opted to take advantage of this rare opportunity as tomorrow is forecast to be about 35 degrees colder. It was a beautiful evening.

Tomorrow and Sunday both come with birthday parties. I wish I could say I am already prepared, but the truth is I am not. I have some work to do tomorrow if I am to arrive at Number Seven's Sixth birthday party with a present. Pretty sure I can be successful. At least I hope so...
 

Somebody Said It Was Saturday

Today was a brighter day than yesterday. Just before noon I stopped by my sister's house to pick up a couple of masks. My sweet brother in law has adopted his mother's sewing machine and is honoring her memory by sewing face coverings. She would be so proud of him. In my mind I see her smiling...

From my sister's I drove to the home of my friend Karen, so I could wave at Beanie through the window. I took an outside picture, but I liked the one Karen put on Facebook so much better, even if it is almost four weeks old. We had a nice visit through the glass of her screen door, a virtual hug, and then we waved goodbye.

I got gasoline on the way home. I think it was $2.10/gallon.

The afternoon found me walking around the block twice. I stopped to chat with an old neighbor at the corner, and then chatted with Bethany before taking a call from my friend Angel. Our new baby is improving all the time and will soon be able to join his family at home. This is an answer to prayer. Sweet Henry. (We'll see what he ends up being called once he gets home. Not everyone is fond of the name Henry yet and some might prefer to call him Jackson instead. And then there is Jilly who told me last Monday that she was going to name the baby "Tree." Ha ha!

Late in the day we decided to take a ride to Durand Eastman Park and go for a walk there. An asphalt path runs from a residential area through the woods and down to the lake. It was a beautiful afternoon to be out walking, and aside from the runaway scooter that I caught before it ran off into the woods, we kept our six foot distance from our neighbors.

My son Ben told us he had been there walking today too. We didn't see him, but you know this mama would have broken that six foot rule to hug her son.