WONDER WOMAN!

On February 23, 2009, my mom had her very FIRST surgery. She is 83 years old and needed to have her gall bladder removed. After surgery the doctor came and talked with us. He said the surgery was overdue. The gall bladder was thick, badly scared, and full of gall stones. Mom must have had some discomfort from it for a long time. I made the trip to Montana to be with her and help her during her recovery. The surgery was a success and she is recovering quickly. She is truly a WONDER WOMAN!

The Price is Right

"I want to be like Uncle Paddy!"

This weekend has been pretty wild...three dogs (almost 200 lbs)...3 little kids (ages 7, 5, and 2)...and five adults (sometimes). Pat, Shyla, Diesel, and Cali came from Utah to spend President's weekend with us. Brennan needed a haircut and wanted to look just like Uncle Paddy. Since Shyla cuts Pat's hair, she volunteered to cut Brennans. It was a slow process because the tools were not good quality...but the end result was great! Brennan did look like his favorite Uncle Paddy thanks to Shyla!

The Valentine Vacuum

I am a believer! I believe one should always choose quality over price. For years, I have been purchasing cheap vacuum cleaners that only seemed to get the job done; wear out after about a year, then have to be replaced with another. Last month our daughter in-law, Shyla T. (Kekua) Lucky, bought a Dyson DC 14 vacuum for her home. She reports that it does everything but the laundry and does it so good that she can never use any other! She was so convincing about its features and benefits that I just had to have one too. However, being skeptical by nature, I had to put it through its’ household paces just to be sure it was everything she said it was. First I set up a scientifically controlled test (selected a specific room), vacuumed with the old ‘sucker’ and measured the volume of the extraction. Next, I vacuumed the same test area with a Dyson DC 14. The extraction difference was apparent in both color and volume. No more cheap vacuums for this old codger. I am a believer!!

A Clear Eye

My cataract was removed sooner rather than later…yesterday in fact. I was in and out of the surgery suite yesterday morning in about 45 minutes. It was great! I was conversing with my doctor about what was going to happen to me and then suggested to him, "I was ready". He replied, “That’s good because we’re through!” The most uncomfortable part of the whole process was the starting of an IV.

A follow up visit this morning indicates that I’m making remarkable progress. Even with the swelling and dilatation, I can see 20/25, which is good for the day after surgery. No more glasses for me except to read, and then they will be the “Dean Edell” variety. Life is good!

The Bionic Addition

Well, the hearing aids are installed and working. They are state of the art devices…very small and programmable. Most folks don’t even know that I’m wearing them until I call attention to them. I’m set up to hear the highs (especially the voice of ‘she who must be obeyed, etc.) even when my back is turned. At the moment, everything sounds like others are speaking to me through a bullhorn. I’m told that I will adjust and that it will go away. I think I like them. It seems like I was missing quite a bit of stuff.

The New Year Begins

Old age would be easy if it wasn’t so persistent! Each year I find myself getting used up. On the fifth of this month, I’m going to be fitted for hearing aids. Later in the year, I will have a cataract removed from my right eye. After that, who knows what next will need to be fixed. These comments are not complaints but rather an expression of gratitude. I am grateful to live at a time when infirmities such as these are correctable. The hearing aids are the result of Linda’s encouragement. She said she had noticed a remarkable decline in my responses to her or in my requests for a repeat. How does one know what they are not hearing…or to what they are choosing not to respond? Life is a mystery.