Friday October 23 2016  IT IS FINISHED

Is there anything more beautiful than Wisconsin in autumn?  It is like a piece of paradise that is so fleeting.  When I left Wisconsin on March 7^th I waved goodbye to my husband standing in the snow.  When I returned July 1^st it was midsummer.  When we left to go to Branson it was autumn on the calendar but not yet in color.  When we returned this week it was full-fledged autumn at its finest.  This year has been so disjointed for me as far as the seasons.  As I left the snow behind earlier in the season I was soon into early spring.  From then on for the next three and half months it seemed to be perpetually spring.  Only when I drove back into the states from Canada did I feel true summer days, hot and dry.  And then when I drove into Wisconsin everything was so green and lush I knew I was home.  Summer is supposed to be green.  Autumn is supposed to be brilliant colors.  Winter is…well…winter is just white.  So in bits and pieces I have now tasted a little bit of each season.  Even though they were all mixed up I still enjoyed a little of summer and autumn and a lot of spring.  Tomorrow is the day I would chose to get in my car and just drive out into the country that is all around me just so I could view the beauty of God’s canvas in the making.  There are some events that just cannot be postponed for the open window is so short.  This month I will just fill my pockets with the beauty that surrounds me locally.  I will travel neighborhood streets lined with gold and rusts and orange.  I will imagine the hills displaying their finery in all their glory for God to see.  It’s as if this is a time when the trees offer their praise to God.  Unless you have witnessed this for yourself it is impossible to imagine.  No picture can do it justice.  It is like living in a three dimensional snow globe, but instead of snow coming down it is leaves that swirl around you. 

Dave’s surgery went well and he was patched up.  His rehab for this week is to walk around the house every little while, breath deep, cough, and keep ice on the reinforced area.  He is also instructed to place warm compresses on his upper chest to help the carbon dioxide dissipate that was pumped into him for the surgery.  We arrived at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. and he was taken directly back to the prep room.  After several mini consultations with the surgeon, anesthetist, pharmacist and the ever present nurses he was taken away at 8:00 a.m.  He was back in the post-surgical area a little after 9:00 a.m.  Then he was transferred to the recovery area and I was allowed to again be with him.  That was at about 10:15 a.m..  We were home by noon.  He ate his breakfast. I ate my lunch.  We both dozed in the living room for the next couple of hours off and on in the pretense of trying to watch a show.  We both had to keep moving the show back so we could see what we missed.  I roused myself and convinced him to get up and walk around and breathe and cough.  Now he is back in his favorite chair and I am in my favorite chair. His sits in front of the TV and mine sits in front of my blog.  Fortunately, I have nothing monumental to discourse about.  IT IS FINISHED!  The surgery is over.  All’s well and I feel relieved.  Autumn will come again next year and we can go out and drive and drive and see all the beauty God’s beautiful earth has to offer.  This year we will practice being retired, stay at home and heal. 

I have one goal left for the day.  My goal is go to bed very early.  I had about 4 hours sleep last night.  That is not enough for me and I can feel it.  I fight sleep during the day because it messes with my night sleep.  I slept such little snatches this afternoon that perhaps it won’t cause problems tonight. 

WE SHOULD ALWAYS REMEMBER

By Kathleen Martens

October 23, 2015

We should always remember

To thank God for the simple things.

Like seasons in their finery

And all the joy they bring.

Spring comes in on little cat feet

Tiptoeing through the snow.

Whispering melody in the wind,

Telling the secrets it knows.

And then comes summer in brilliant light,

Long days and warm afternoons,

Green and lush from seasonal rain

That makes the flowers bloom.

It keeps hold as long as it can

Against the sharp autumn wind

That lowers the temperature and the light,

Fighting what summer lends.

Alas, Mr. Frost rears his sleeping head,

Bringing with him gales of snow

And ever present frigid air.

More than we’d like to know.

It seems that winter lasts the longest,

Its blanket covering the land.

And when it seems to be unbearable

Spring again makes its stand.

The world once more starts singing

As music fills our heart,

And ever so softly on little cat feet,

Once again spring will start.

I am happy to have no more news to depart.  My husband is safe at home and each day will bring him closer to full recovery.  Thanks to all of you who have sent encouraging emails and prayer promises.  The older I become, the more I realize how tenuous life is and how much more precious my husband is to me.  I thank God for this day.  And especially I thank God because it is finished.

Good night.  Thank you again for reading my blog.

My word of wisdom for today:  NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED THOSE YOU LOVE.  TELL THEM EVERY DAY HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM!