It's Tuesday

Today was another beautiful day in Upstate, NY, bright sunshine, blue skies and wonderful fall colors everywhere. Jim and I took a walk along the canal path and I took my camera. Jim accuses of me of using the camera as an excuse to stop in rest every once in awhile.

If it didn't mean that winter was on its way, I think this might be my favorite season. Well, maybe not. I do love spring with the greening of the grass, buds on the trees and flowers blooming. Or maybe my favorite is Summer. Summer is so lovely with her gowns of green and multicolored bouquets. I guess I am really a pretty fickle lover of seasons. I don't even really hate winter. I just wish it lasted about six weeks and that no snow would fall on the sidewalks or roads. Is that too much to ask for.

Anyway, today's walk was glorious. We stopped on the way and had lunch. We each had a bowl of scrumptious beef barley soup and shared a yummy grilled cheese sandwich. Then we went on our way and finished our walk.

We have talked about the possibility of buying cross country skis and skiing on the canal path in the winter. We used to do cross country and then we had a few winters with scant snow and we just got out of the habit. I think we sold our skis at a garage sale and forgot about them until the last couple of years. Now that we have more time and desperately need winter exercise, we are thinking of it again. I think we might go to a place where we can rent equipment and see how it works before we invest.

The weather looks mild for the rest of the week, with some rain thrown our way from time to time. We're hoping for dry weather on Friday and Saturday as we are going to the Adirondacks to close up Bruce and Shelly's summer home. We had been looking forward to the four of us going for a last hurrah before winter. Now, it is just a reminder of how quickly life can take a turn.

Speaking of Bruce and Shelly, there has been no change in Bruce's condition. He is under less sedation, but he is still on the ventilator. He is more aware, but also more frustrated because he can't talk and he hates that breathing tube. There was talk of doing the surgery on his arm, shoulder and leg today, but he had a slight fever and they decided not to do it. He still isn't moving his lower extremities.

This is a picture of their Nisson Murano just after they cut Bruce out of the driver's seat. As far as we know the intoxicated driver of the other car was not seriously injured. He admitted at the scene that he had been drinking too much. Please continue to pray for Bruce's recovery. No matter what the outcome, he has a very long road of rehab ahead of him.

A former student of Bruce's has started a group of Friends and Former Students of Bruce Thompson on FaceBook and over 500 people have joined. I guess that gives us a good idea of how much this man has influenced the lives of people around here. I just know that my heart is breaking and I want my friend back...as soon as possible.

~Hippo Hugs~

Where have I been?

My Dear Friends in Blogland,

I have been away for a long time. Let me explain. Last Friday evening on the way home from a playing date with their band, my dear friends, Bruce and Shelly, were involved in a serious automobile accident. They were hit head on by an intoxicated driver.

Bruce was driving and took the brunt of the hit. Shelly escaped with a lot of bruises and a cracked rib or two. Bruce, however, was severely injured. At first examination it appeared that he had a broken femur, wrist, elbow and shoulder. On top of that he had contusions and trauma to his lungs.

Shelly was, understandably, in shock and asked me to come to her house and stay with her. We decided to have dinner out and then go to the hospital about 8:30 PM. When we arrived at the hospital, two doctors were waiting in the hall for us. They took us into Bruce's empty room and told Shelly that during the afternoon Bruce had lost feeling in his legs. A subsequent CT scan showed a break in his spinal column that had, at that point, left him paralyzed from the waist down. The head spinal surgeon at Strong Memorial Hospital strongly urged Shelly to sign permission for emergency spinal surgery, which she did.

It was a long night. They took Bruce, broken as he was, to surgery to repair the damage to his spinal column. Prior to the surgery, and MRI, the (may I add wonderful and compassionate surgeon) said he suspected a possible severance of the spinal cord. At 3 A.M., he called Shelly in the waiting room to say the injury may have been less severe than he had at first suspected and that Bruce had weathered the surgery well, and the spinal cord was not severed.

As of today, Bruce still faces surgery to repair the bones in his arm, leg and shoulder and has had no perceptible improvement in his lower extremities. This is not to say that that won't happen. Whatever the outcome, he and Shelly have a long road ahead of them.

I am still staying with Shelly. My husband is a saint and says stay as long as she needs me to. The outpouring of love and support from people all over the country has been overwhelming. Bruce was a former Band Director and Shelly is a German teacher in our school system. They have influenced untold numbers of students and their parents.

Please pray for grace and mercy as Bruce faces this long road of recovery.

~Hippo Hugs~

I've Really Been Busy, but

I don't have a really good reason for my negligence where my Blog is concerned. We did to to Pennsylvania to see the family for a few days last week, but before that I had neglected posting. I think the truth is that I haven't had any original or interesting ideas for blog topics. So, once again, I'll borrow from my friend Cheryl and post about things I like/dislike about fall.

LIKE -APPLES FRESH FROM PICKING - Apple pie, apple crisp, applesauce, apples. Yum!

LIKE - The beautiful colors of fall.

DISLIKE - Raking those beautiful colored leaves after they fall.

LIKE - The smell of autumn in the air, including the smell of burning leaves (which is illegal in many places now).

DISLIKE - Frost on the car windows in the early morning.

LIKE - Walking on the canal path on crisp autumn days; stopping for soup and a sandwich for lunch.

DISLIKE - Darkness falling earlier and earlier every day. You can see what it does to my energy level.

LIKE - Decorating the lawn with pumpkins, scarecrows and mums.

DISLIKE - Saying goodbye to my summer flowers.

So these are some of my likes and dislikes, but isn't that what life is all about? Taking the bitter with the sweet? I have to say that I like the change of seasons. I even like winter..if it didn't last for nearly six months.

~Hippo Hugs~

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned

that within me there lay an invincible summer."

~Albert Camus

Happy Birthday, Dear Gretchen

Today is my daughter, Grechen's, birthday. I just want to say to you, dear girl, every day of your life, every step you have taken, you have brightened our lives. We love you. Happy Birthday.

~Hippo Hugs, Mom~